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 |
|---|---|
| 1877 | 2 |
| 1883 | 105 |
| 1884 | 42 |
| 1885 | 1 |
| 1886 | 1 |
| 1887 | 4 |
| 1888 | 2 |
| 1889 | 23 |
| 1890 | 5 |
| 1891 | 11 |
| 1892 | 51 |
| 1893 | 35 |
| 1894 | 39 |
| 1895 | 34 |
| 1897 | 5 |
| 1898 | 11 |
| 1899 | 3 |
| 1900 | 4 |
| 1902 | 19 |
| 1903 | 73 |
| 1904 | 15 |
| 1905 | 3 |
| 1907 | 3 |
| 1908 | 9 |
| 1909 | 30 |
| 1910 | 15 |
| 1911 | 1 |
| 1912 | 3 |
| 1914 | 5 |
| 1915 | 1 |
| 1916 | 11 |
| 1917 | 6 |
| 1922 | 1 |
| 1923 | 9 |
| 1924 | 5 |
| 1925 | 1 |
588 stories
- Turning Gravel into Gold
Local skeptics are proven wrong as experiments with flax and wheat on Spokane's rocky soil show surprising success.
- Washington Wheat Rolls East for the First Time
A landmark Northern Pacific shipment carried Walla Walla wheat through Spokane Falls toward Minneapolis, announcing the railroad's promise to turn Inland Northwest grain into global commerce.
- Poindexter's Manager Claims the Farmers and Working Men Are His
Rufus R. Wilson returns from a statewide swing insisting the Progressive Republican League has 96 newspapers and 80 percent of Yakima farmers behind Miles Poindexter for Senate — against a field of millionaires.
- Spokane Cuts Itself a New County — and Expects the Courthouse
The Territorial legislature carves a new county out of Spokane, placing Spokane Falls near its center. The town is 'exceedingly happy,' and already counting on the county seat, the land office, and the records that come with them.
- A Joint-Stock Stage Line to Beat the Railroad to the Mines
Spokane businessmen subscribe a $20,000 company to run daily stages and freight to Eagle City, betting the gold rush will make their town the gateway to the Coeur d'Alenes.
- The Boycott of the 'Stage Irishman': Spokane’s Hibernians Take on Theater
In November 1902, a local committee from the Ancient Order of Hibernians launched an organized campaign to banish caricatures of the Irish race from Spokane stages, threatening boycotts against any theater company that dared to perform them.
- The Bunco King of Riverside Avenue
A Wisconsin farmer falls for a classic card-sharping trap in downtown Spokane, while local firemen demand more pay for shoveling coal.
- Five Years of Waiting: The Silver Rush That Never Was
Spokane’s mining elite face a bureaucratic delay that threatens to stall fortunes built on the promise of the Spokane Indian Reservation's mineral wealth.
- The Bread That Wouldn't Wrap: How Spokane’s Bakers Went on Strike Over a Label
In November 1902, a dispute over union rules and bread packaging sparked a walkout at the Quaker Bread Company, revealing the complex web of labor alliances in early 20th-century Spokane.
- A Bloody Melee at the Saloon
A violent brawl involving 'tramps' and razors spills out onto the streets of Spokane Falls, ending with multiple arrests.
- The Unflappable Horsewoman of Riverside Avenue
Before she was a Washington local, she was a Civil War guerrilla and expert rider, breaking 'refractory' horses that no man could handle.
- A Fistfight at City Hall
A political dispute in Spokane turns physical, landing councilmen and a street commissioner in a public brawl.
- The Spokane Baseball Mutiny
When two ballplayers demanded early payment fearing the league was going bust, the team left them behind in the dust.
- The Tinsmith Who Dug His Way Into a Dry-Goods Store
A Spokane tinsmith allegedly tunneled under a neighboring store to steal merchandise, in a caper that rivaled the era's famous bank robberies.
- The Spokane Newspaper Price War Heats Up
A cutthroat competition between rival morning and evening papers leads to plummeting subscription rates and new publishing schedules.
- A Spokane Real Estate Agent Turns Horse Thief
E.C. Gurney, formerly considered a 'model citizen' of Spokane, is arrested while attempting to ship stolen Indian-owned livestock East.
- The Dramatic End of a Vaudeville Romance
A former Seattle physician is left in public despair after his wife, a 'Canadian songbird,' ends their marriage for a life in a variety show.
- A Funeral Panic at the Salvation Army Barracks
A tragedy in Spokane leads to a funeral service so crowded that the church building began to buckle and crack, nearly causing a second disaster.
- The Political Shell Game in Spokane
Leaked telegrams expose how national committeeman Hugh C. Wallace manipulated job seekers to install his own favorite for U.S. Attorney, leaving honest candidates in the lurch.
- The Bear That Burned Down the Neighborhood
A Spokane resident’s attempt to treat a sick horse with home remedies went up in flames when his pet bear caused a catastrophe.
- The Spokane Racket Over Male Attire
When an amateur actress faced a local scandal for wearing pants on stage, the press stepped in to defend the choice as both traditional and modest.
- The Mysterious Fire on Second Avenue
A Spokane shopkeeper finds herself behind bars after a suspicious blaze tears through her dress shop.
- Tragedy on the Tracks in Spokane Falls
A laborer is found horribly mangled near the depot in what is presumed to be a tragic accident born of intoxication.
- Gold Rush Fever in Spokane
A skeptical visitor reports on the harsh realities and 'fizzled' prospects for miners in the Coeur d'Alene goldfields.
- The Midnight Raid on a Spokane Dry-Goods Store
A trust deed meant to shield Lewenberg Bros.' assets lasted less than a day before banks and out-of-state suppliers sent deputies and lawyers after the goods.