Research the archive
Narrow 27,002 newspaper stories by words, years, place, newspaper and subject. See when and where they ran, then download what you find.
Put a phrase in quotes ("rent strike") or leave a word out with a minus (strike -baseball). Old scans misspell names, so when little is found, near-spellings are offered.
Refine2 on
Show the numbers
| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1903 | 19 |
| 1904 | 845 |
| 1907 | 7 |
| 1909 | 747 |
1,618 stories
- Fatal Currents: City Under Fire for Electrocution
Electricians question the city's management after two men died from a high-tension wire grounding failure.
- Tragedy at Carbonado Coal Mine
Two miners are instantly killed by a massive coal slide in a Carbon Hill Coal Company operation.
- The Closure of the Sandberg District
City Attorney Stiles unilaterally forces the closure of Tacoma's red-light district, triggering a panicked exodus from the blocks between Court A and A Street.
- City Council Clears Way for New Mill in Old Town
The city council unanimously voted to allow a new lumber mill to tunnel under Northern Pacific tracks, defying the railroad's attempt to stifle local competition.
- The Trial of the 'Swiss Chalet' Messiah
A courtroom is packed as Josua Klein, who allegedly held young women under his sway in a remote mountain chalet, begins his trial for assault.
- Verdict for Youth Tortured in Saloon Dispute
A one-armed youth wins a $500 judgment after being bound in wire and strapped for thirteen hours by a saloon owner.
- The Tragic Death of Katherine Paetz
A young woman is found dead in a shack after fleeing home following a family dispute over her romantic choice.
- The Milwaukee Road Seeks Massive Tidelands Expansion
A railway franchise application reveals plans for new tracks, shops, and bridges across the Puyallup River, signaling a major industrial shift.
- The $750,000 Park Vision for Tacoma
The Park Board seeks voter approval for a massive bond measure to build boulevards and secure land for public parks.
- Vagrancy Laws and the Expulsion of 'Undesirables'
Two women appearing in police court are fined and banished from the city under the guise of public morals.
- Mayor Accused of Silencing Health Official Over Water Safety
Physicians in Pierce County call a meeting at the Tacoma Hotel, suspecting the Mayor fired the bacteriologist to hide pollution data.
- Burning Oil, a Shattered Shanty, and a Logger Who Threw Two Men to Safety
Chester LaChapelle rescued his cousin and a roommate after a gasoline stove exploded near Kapowsin, sacrificing his own face and hands to the flames.
- A Railroad Cut Off This Tacoma Mill. Now the City May Give It a New Way In.
The North Shore Lumber Company wants to rebuild its burned plant beyond Old Town, but Northern Pacific condemnation left it without waterfront access. A permit to sluice logs over Alder Street could bring 100 jobs and a 100,000-foot-a-day mill back to the gulch.
- The Street Corner Prophet's Scandalous Revelation
A Seattle street preacher who claimed a divine mandate to take a second wife is apprehended by authorities in Tacoma after fleeing his flock.
- The Sawmill Trap
A local mill worker shares a harrowing account of surviving a near-fatal workplace injury.
- The Deadly Pressure on Puget Sound Steamboat Captains
Shipbuilder John K. Barr argues that owners and agents, not sea conditions, are the real culprits behind marine disasters.
- A Fatal Mistake in the Bernice Building
A man looking for an office on the sixth floor instead steps into a fatal accident on the fifth.
- A Violent Custody Struggle
A mother fighting to keep her child is pinned to the floor by an officer enforcing a divorce decree.
- Tacoma’s Mayor Denounces City’s Partnership with Vice
Mayor Campbell vows to end the 'social evil' and clean up city hall, rejecting political backroom deals that traded tolerance for revenue.
- The Pulpit vs. The Machine: A Mayor’s Brewing Scandal
A fiery sermon accusing the Mayor of being an attorney for a powerful brewery ignites a political furor, revealing the uneasy intersections of church, commerce, and city hall.
- The Great Sound Earthquake
A violent, multi-shock tremor sends Tacoma, Seattle, and Everett residents into the streets, rattling buildings and nerves across the Puget Sound region.
- The Phantom Fire-Starter of Tacoma
A mischievous prankster is repeatedly triggering false fire alarms, exhausting the local department and draining public funds.
- The Lawyer Who Pocketed the Property
A Supreme Court ruling exposes a shady real estate scheme involving a local attorney and a disputed Tacoma property.
- The Unidentified Logger of Thirty-Ninth
A man found gravely injured on an embankment dies before he can reveal his name.
- Fire Trap Expansions at the Globe Hotel
Tacoma building inspectors are ignoring unauthorized, illegal additions to a notorious downtown lodging house.