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 |
|---|---|
| 1854 | 53 |
| 1858 | 2 |
| 1859 | 6 |
| 1860 | 12 |
| 1861 | 60 |
| 1862 | 65 |
| 1863 | 44 |
| 1871 | 1 |
| 1872 | 14 |
| 1876 | 10 |
| 1877 | 12 |
| 1878 | 8 |
| 1879 | 4 |
| 1880 | 1 |
| 1882 | 4 |
| 1883 | 39 |
| 1884 | 12 |
| 1885 | 19 |
| 1886 | 11 |
| 1887 | 9 |
| 1888 | 6 |
| 1889 | 58 |
| 1890 | 8 |
| 1891 | 218 |
| 1892 | 194 |
| 1893 | 111 |
| 1894 | 19 |
| 1895 | 112 |
| 1897 | 2 |
| 1899 | 1 |
| 1902 | 1 |
| 1903 | 24 |
| 1904 | 6 |
| 1905 | 1 |
| 1908 | 1 |
| 1909 | 95 |
| 1910 | 7 |
| 1911 | 11 |
| 1912 | 4 |
| 1914 | 11 |
| 1915 | 8 |
| 1916 | 11 |
| 1917 | 3 |
| 1919 | 1 |
| 1922 | 1 |
| 1923 | 13 |
| 1924 | 4 |
| 1925 | 10 |
128 stories
- Washington Court Rules Fathers Have No Legal Duty to Support Illegitimate Children
A landmark decision from the state supreme court highlights a massive legal loophole regarding parental responsibility.
- Supreme Court Rules on Tideland Ownership
A landmark decision confirms that Indigenous nations hold title to tidelands within reservation boundaries.
- Steamboat Clallam Sinks Near Victoria in 1904
A new passenger steamer sinks in the mist of Puget Sound near Victoria, adding a somber chapter to a recent string of local disasters.
- A Dead Unmarried Worker Was Worth Nothing—Until This Law
Washington's legislature finally let dependent parents and siblings sue when a provider was killed on the job, ending a rule that made unmarried workers cheaper to kill than to maim.
- Head-On in the Tunnel: A Fatal Collision Beneath Olympia
Two Northern Pacific trains met inside the Olympia tunnel, killing Engineer Warren of Tacoma and wrecking freight cars and tunnel roof.
- The Great Washington Oyster Land Grab
In a defiant legislative maneuver, the state senate pushed through a bill ceding valuable tide lands, sparking accusations of corruption.
- The Shadow of Corporate Influence Over Washington's Highest Court
Attorney Herbert N. De Wolfe challenges the integrity of the state Supreme Court, alleging that corporate interests have compromised the bench.
- University Regents Sue State Over Missing Endowment
A legal fight breaks out over 200,000 acres intended to fund the University of Washington's future.
- The Senatorial Bomb Threat at the State House
A local man causes a panic in the Olympia senate gallery while screaming threats of violence over a U.S. Senate election.
- Olympia Lawmakers Refuse to Scapegoat Japanese Residents—For Now
A cable from Tokyo and a Pierce County bill barring foreigners from public works force the Washington House to confront anti-Japanese legislation.
- Three Votes Kill Washington's Eight-Hour Day for Women—Then a Fight Nearly Breaks Out
A bill to shorten women's workdays from ten hours to eight died in the Olympia house after a cannery exemption and a corridor confrontation between two lawmakers.
- Governor Hay Forces Corruption Probe
A determined Acting Governor Hay forces the state legislature to investigate graft allegations against state officials.
- Tacoma’s Power Grab: A Massive Lawsuit for the Nisqually
In an effort to secure land for a municipal power plant, the city of Tacoma has named a litany of corporations and private landowners as defendants in a sweeping condemnation suit.
- Triple Tragedy at Three Lakes
A night watchman murders his former wife and teenage daughter after she refuses his plea to remarry, then turns the weapon on himself.
- Adjutant General Arrested in Embezzlement Scandal
Ortis Hamilton, a once-respected public official, faces charges of stealing thousands from the state of Washington to fund a lavish lifestyle.
- A Farm Paper Accuses Olympia of Auctioning a Senate Seat
After the 1903 legislature adjourned, The Ranch blasted lawmakers for graft, railroad favoritism, a $3.25 million budget and $125,000 in fair appropriations.
- The Vouchers That Frightened a Capital
A widening probe into Washington State's books has forced one resignation, is about to force another, and may yet reach the governor's mansion itself.
- The Adjutant General and the Missing $40,000
Ortis Hamilton was charged with embezzling state and national military funds—and an audit found 90 percent of the Washington towns checked so far were also short.
- The House Turns on Its Insurance Commissioner
The Washington House votes unanimously to impeach Insurance Commissioner James H. Schively, opening a Senate trial that could remove him—and prolong the special session.
- The Administrator, the Heir, and the Living Dead Man
General R. G. O'Brien faces a court showdown after a legal battle over an inheritance that traveled all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.
- The Motherhood Suffrage Bill
Legislators propose a bizarre measure to tie the right to vote to child-bearing, sparking fury among suffrage activists in Olympia.
- The Hard-Fought Battle for the Eight-Hour Day
A landmark labor bill limiting work hours for women passes the Washington State House amidst intense opposition from industrial interests.
- Tacoma Manager William Roberts Drowns in Rowboat Capsizing
A husband and father drowns in sight of his family after a small boat capsizes off New Amsterdam.
- The $5,400 Handshake
A state land commissioner faces a Supreme Court battle over whether he can bypass a high-dollar bid for school lands in favor of a personal deal.
- Death Sentence for Charles Clarke
A judge in Olympia denies a new trial for a man convicted of murdering a 'sporting woman,' setting the date for his execution.