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 | 5 |
| 1861 | 6 |
| 1862 | 5 |
| 1863 | 3 |
| 1871 | 1 |
| 1872 | 2 |
| 1877 | 1 |
| 1883 | 1 |
| 1888 | 2 |
| 1889 | 5 |
| 1891 | 29 |
| 1892 | 9 |
| 1893 | 10 |
| 1894 | 2 |
| 1895 | 12 |
| 1903 | 1 |
| 1909 | 13 |
| 1911 | 1 |
| 1916 | 2 |
110 stories matching practic
- Pierce County Doctors Lobby State Capital
Tacoma physicians travel to Olympia to push for medical reciprocity and challenge the legitimacy of osteopathic boards.
- The 1863 Legislative Session Wraps Up
A look back at the territorial assembly's busy session, featuring a major overhaul of the legal code, debates over the Idaho statehood movement, and the struggles of members waiting on federal pay.
- Doctors Clash at the Capitol Over Medical Practice Regulations
Legislative battle brewing as 'regular' medical associations face scrutiny over anti-competition rules against lodge-contracted doctors.
- The $10,000 Practical Joke on Representative Judson
Legislators in Olympia pull a prank by forging a bill in the name of an unsuspecting Representative, only to have it officially recorded in the House journal.
- The Fight Over Corporate Power
A proposed constitutional provision regarding stockholder liability triggers alarm among Seattle businessmen.
- The Special Agent's Plea for Peace
Michael T. Simmons, newly appointed Indian Agent, calls for an end to liquor sales and unauthorized violence in the Puget Sound region.
- The Unmaking of Women’s Suffrage in Washington Territory
A Supreme Court ruling overturns the territory's suffrage law, branding the move an 'unconstitutional' legislative trick.
- Legislators Target Predatory 'Loan Sharks'
Senator Cotterill introduces a bill to curb abusive salary-assignment lending practices.
- How Washington Territory's Public Printing Became a Corrupt Political Perk
A Seattle editor rails against the patronage and fraud in the territory's printing contracts, revealing that one printer paid Secretary Smith $2,000 for the appointment.
- A Court-Martial Ends in Smoke and a Handshake
A state militia tribunal in Olympia was suddenly closed by the governor, its findings kept secret. Then the colonel apologized, the officers shook hands, and the state got a $1,000 bill.
- A $200,000 Inferno Devours Olympia's Wood Pipe Plant
A Saturday evening blaze destroys the National Wood Pipe Company plant, storage yards, four residences, and a grocery store, with losses estimated at $200,000.
- The Governor Wants Every State Office in His Own Hands
Governor Hay will ask the legislature to make every statewide office but his and the lieutenant governor's appointive — a cabinet government for Washington — while a commission tries to untangle a legal code nobody can read.
- Washington Debates Making the Railroad Commission Permanent
Debating the power of the state to regulate railroad monopolies in Washington.
- The Rules of Law in Territorial Washington
A comprehensive look at the legal framework governing property disputes, mortgage foreclosures, and individual liberty in 1854.
- Enforcing Liquor Laws on the Reservation
General Alvord moves to protect immigrants while curbing the illegal sale of spirits to Indigenous populations.
- A $107,000 Courthouse Still Without a Roof
Thurston County's grand new courthouse blows past its March 1 deadline with $73,000 already paid out — and a local builder predicts the final bill will top $150,000, every dollar of it leaving the county.
- Drafting the Constitution
As the constitutional convention meets in Olympia, delegates navigate high-stakes debates over statehood, judicial reform, and the volatile question of woman suffrage.
- The Great Territorial Rifle Scandal
Legislators in the late assembly faced public backlash for voting themselves government-issued military rifles as personal loot.
- The First Territorial Legislature Debates Statehood Infrastructure
Lawmakers in 1854 wrestle with the practicalities of building a new government, from authorizing ferries across the Columbia to navigating relations with Governor Isaac Stevens.
- Legislature Moves to Protect Debtors from Foreclosure
A new bill seeks to allow judgment debtors to retain possession and profits of their property during the legal redemption period.
- The Day the Territorial Supreme Court Killed Women's Suffrage in Washington
In a landmark test case from May 1902, Judge Sash ruled that the Organic Act of Washington Territory only granted voting rights to males, effectively striking down local efforts to enfranchise women.
- Olympia Citizens Organize to Explore Nisqually Pass
A public meeting in Olympia moves to fund and equip an expedition to locate a viable pack trail through the mountains to Fort Simcoe.
- A Blackmail Scheme at the Statehouse?
Legislators suspect a proposed liquor licensing bill is less about temperance and more about extorting the state's saloon owners.
- Olympia's Close Call with Fire
A dangerous blaze at the Secretary of the Territory's office sparks calls for safer building practices.
- The Price of a Free Ride
Seattle's press praises legislators who refused corporate-funded train passes, calling the practice a form of bribery.