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 |
|---|---|
| 1858 | 2 |
| 1859 | 2 |
| 1861 | 3 |
| 1863 | 1 |
| 1864 | 30 |
| 1865 | 9 |
| 1872 | 2 |
| 1876 | 6 |
| 1877 | 1 |
| 1878 | 5 |
| 1880 | 1 |
| 1882 | 5 |
| 1883 | 19 |
| 1884 | 6 |
| 1885 | 5 |
| 1886 | 1 |
| 1887 | 5 |
| 1888 | 3 |
| 1889 | 16 |
| 1891 | 3 |
| 1892 | 10 |
| 1893 | 16 |
| 1894 | 11 |
| 1895 | 11 |
| 1897 | 1 |
| 1898 | 6 |
| 1900 | 3 |
| 1903 | 729 |
| 1904 | 67 |
| 1909 | 6 |
| 1910 | 3 |
| 1914 | 1 |
| 1915 | 2 |
| 1916 | 6 |
| 1917 | 2 |
| 1918 | 1 |
| 1924 | 1 |
| 1925 | 1 |
1,002 stories
- The Republican Factional War Declares a Truce
Walla Walla’s rival GOP camps—the 'Holy Rollers' and the 'Boxers'—met in a stormy midnight session at the sheriff's office to pause their bitter power struggle.
- The Walla Walla Valley Boom of 1864
As Civil War refugees flood the territory, Walla Walla sees an influx of skilled professionals and families looking to trade conflict for a fresh start.
- A Desperate Arrival at Mill Creek
Thirty emigrants from Missouri and Iowa reach the Walla Walla Valley in a state of destitution and sickness.
- The 'Contraband' Migration to Walla Walla
Newly freed enslaved people from the South arrive in the territory, facing economic exploitation and virulent local racism.
- The Idaho Capital Plot
Delegates from Lewiston arrive in Walla Walla with a desperate scheme to slice up territories and move the capital.
- The False Gold of Fayette
A new brand of counterfeit gold dust is circulating through Walla Walla, and it is so convincing that few can tell the difference without the use of acid.
- The Machine Smashed: Walla Walla Rejects Levi Ankeny
In a local municipal election, the political machine of U.S. Senator Levi Ankeny is soundly defeated by an anti-machine coalition, signaling a shift in county influence.
- Confidence Man Vanishes with Ballard Resident's Life Savings
A man claiming to represent a liquor agency skipped town after duping a Ballard investor, leaving police in Walla Walla and Seattle on his trail.
- Water Wars at Dreamland Park
Accusations that a local amusement park's lake was draining Garrison Creek are dismissed by park manager Charles Phillips.
- The City's Experimental Bike Lane
Walla Walla tests a new $140 wooden bicycle path on Alder Street to solve the issue of rough cinder trails.
- Despair and Isolation at the Hotel Shannon
A struggling laborer ends his life in a Walla Walla hotel room after being unable to find work or support.
- Terror Near the Tracks
A ten-year-old girl narrowly escapes an attempted assault near the Walla Walla railroad depot, sparking a search for the perpetrator.
- Walla Walla's Growing Thirst
City officials begin enforcing strict sprinkling hours as a record-breaking rainfall deficiency threatens the local water supply.
- A Pardon for the Main Street Saloon Brawler
After serving three months for a violent assault during a dice game, William Bullard walks free thanks to a gubernatorial pardon.
- The Theater Manager's Midnight Exit
A local theater manager vanishes into the night after pocketing ticket receipts and leaving a trail of unpaid debts and angry performers.
- The Price of Citizenship: John Adam Schmidt Convicted
A federal judge sentences a man to prison for orchestrating a fraudulent naturalization scheme for Russian immigrants.
- The Political Price of Railroad Allegiance
A skeptical look at John W. Pickrell’s gubernatorial candidacy amidst accusations that he is a 'railroad man' in disguise.
- Forced Labor on the County Roads
Walla Walla officials are putting county jail inmates to work on public infrastructure, calling the experiment a success and hoping for more 'business'.
- Grief and Contention at the Cemetery
A Walla Walla priest and a mourning brother clashed at the graveside over whether a man who died by suicide could receive a Catholic burial.
- Tragedy in the Wheat Fields
Industrial accidents and barroom brawls take a heavy toll on rural laborers in Eastern Washington.
- The $250 Purse Nobody Could Spend
Walla Walla saloonkeepers pooled money to buy a friendly license ordinance. Then the councilman they thought was theirs voted the wrong way.
- Nine in Ten Convicts Blamed on Whisky
A Walla Walla prison chaplain's letter gives Washington's temperance movement its starkest statistic—and a bill for the saloon.
- The Doctor Who Swam for His Life: Marcus Whitman’s Forgotten Struggle
A newly published account reveals the physical toll and near-death experiences of the missionary whose name is etched into Pacific Northwest history.
- Walla Walla Unions Gear Up for Labor Day Spectacle
Organized labor prepares to take over Abbott’s Grove for a massive parade and demonstration of strength.
- The Brutal Football Rivalry of 1903
A Whitman College football player is publicly shamed in the Seattle press for alleged dirty tactics against the University of Washington.