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.
Refine1 on
Show the numbers
| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1854 | 62 |
| 1858 | 29 |
| 1859 | 52 |
| 1860 | 27 |
| 1861 | 101 |
| 1862 | 87 |
| 1863 | 69 |
| 1864 | 32 |
| 1865 | 11 |
| 1871 | 11 |
| 1872 | 140 |
| 1876 | 812 |
| 1877 | 678 |
| 1878 | 526 |
| 1879 | 64 |
| 1880 | 180 |
| 1882 | 130 |
| 1883 | 911 |
| 1884 | 499 |
| 1885 | 838 |
| 1886 | 492 |
| 1887 | 484 |
| 1888 | 440 |
| 1889 | 1,324 |
| 1890 | 287 |
| 1891 | 1,115 |
| 1892 | 2,855 |
| 1893 | 2,829 |
| 1894 | 2,116 |
| 1895 | 1,830 |
| 1896 | 2 |
| 1897 | 62 |
| 1898 | 196 |
| 1899 | 446 |
| 1900 | 114 |
| 1902 | 34 |
| 1903 | 1,332 |
| 1904 | 1,126 |
| 1905 | 124 |
| 1907 | 53 |
| 1908 | 351 |
| 1909 | 1,545 |
| 1910 | 413 |
| 1911 | 160 |
| 1912 | 73 |
| 1914 | 261 |
| 1915 | 300 |
| 1916 | 545 |
| 1917 | 332 |
| 1918 | 45 |
| 1919 | 5 |
| 1920 | 1 |
| 1922 | 18 |
| 1923 | 185 |
| 1924 | 151 |
| 1925 | 64 |
| 1928 | 14 |
| 1929 | 19 |
2,231 stories
- The Failed Toothpick Empire of Merrihew
A classic tale of a get-rich-quick scheme gone wrong, where a man's attempt to corner the national market on thorns turned his farmland into an impassable fortress.
- Seattle’s Cultural Desert: A Plea for a Theater
An 1877 editorial laments that while Seattle citizens invest heavily in private homes, the city remains 'negligent and tardy' in providing a decent venue for public performance.
- The Seattle Winter That Shocked New York
When a Seattle colonel sent a bouquet of fresh January flowers to a snow-shrouded New York editor, the gesture became a national curiosity about Washington Territory's mild climate.
- A Soaking Wet Spectacle at Harrington Wharf
A drunken man's attempt to secure a tow across the water ends in a humiliating and hilarious public splashdown.
- The Great 'Beer Hall' False Alarm
A late-night fire scare in 1877 Seattle sends the city into a panic, only to reveal how quickly a rumor could mobilize a crowd and expose the city's nerves.
- The Rising Market: New Construction on Seneca Street
A two-story residence takes shape as Seattle’s growth continues to push the city outward in 1877.
- The Lumber Mistake: Why Seattle's Founders Chose the Bay
A local businessman argues that the early sawmills on the White River are doomed by geography, championing the waterfront as the true hub for Seattle's industrial growth.
- The Snow Shoveler’s Lesson in Seattle Manners
A local woman learns that dignity isn't just about hard work—it’s about how you carry yourself, even when clearing a sidewalk.
- The Potato Crisis of 1877
As Puget Sound farmers face crop failure from decades of neglect, editors call for a shift to the 'fine art' of fruit cultivation.
- The 'Little Hatchets' of Commercial Street
Vandals are destroying shade trees in downtown Seattle, prompting local residents to demand authorities intervene against the neighborhood boys.
- The Clerk’s Odd Sales Pitch
A farmer learns a strange and aggressive new way to test if his wife is 'sound' while shopping in 1877 Seattle.
- The Drunken Gentleman of Commercial Street
A tipsy passenger’s chaotic attempt to board a streetcar and his subsequent social performance in 1877 Seattle.
- Midnight Intrusion at the County Jail
A night watchman thwarts a brazen break-in attempt at the Seattle jailhouse after a tense standoff.
- The Hypocrisy of the Amen Corner
A skeptical local columnist exposes the 'sham' piety of a congregation member, offering a gritty glimpse into the social life of 1877 Seattle.
- The Cow-Bell Symphony of Old Seattle
For one sleepless resident, the chaotic nightly parade of loose cattle through the city streets became an unintentional, ear-piercing orchestra.
- The Most Decisive Juror in Seattle History
A disheveled, reluctant man is pulled from the street to serve on a murder jury, and he reaches a verdict before the trial even begins.
- The Unbreakable Glass That Promised a Household Revolution
In 1877, a new chemical tempering process promised Seattle residents that lamp chimneys would never crack again—even if you drove nails with them.
- An Invitation to the Timberlands
A New Jersey pattern maker seeks a new life in the Pacific Northwest, prompting a classic territorial pitch for labor and land.
- The 'Street Arabs' Terrorizing Pioneer Seattle
A wave of juvenile vandalism strikes Front Street, leaving local merchants and the South School House in ruins.
- The Minister’s Holy Kick
A traveling preacher pulls a fast one on a highwayman in this classic piece of frontier satire.
- The Hyena of Seattle: A 'Herculean Woman' Leaves a Man Sprawled in the Dust
In a rare display of physical dominance that defied Victorian gender norms, a local woman engaged in a public brawl so fierce it was described as 'fiendish delight,' leaving her male opponent screaming for mercy.
- The Great Reflux: How Seattle’s ‘Back Door’ Boom Is Reshaping the Territory
While the world watches wars in Europe and Asia, Washington Territory is filling up with immigrants arriving via the 'back entrance' of the Northern Pacific Railroad. Local farmers are clearing land at breakneck speed, betting on a future where Seattle becomes the grain capital of the world.
- The County Printing War: Seattle's Oldest Paper Claims Moral High Ground in Bid for Public Contracts
In May 1877, the publisher of Seattle’s leading newspaper defends his bid for county printing contracts against rivals who accused him of greed, arguing that 'the laborer is worthy of his hire' and that public money should support a responsible local press.
- The Unexploded Bomb in the Hillside
A curious fragment of Civil War history turns up on Sixth Street, linking Seattle’s quiet streets to the violent Indian Wars of the past.
- The Great Snohomish Meat Drain: A Local Market Opens to Stop the Flow of Imported Beef
While most towns relied on outside suppliers, Mr. Hilton’s new meat market aims to keep capital in Snohomish by supplying loggers locally.