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 |
130 stories
- The Ghost in the Slough
The body of an unidentified Chinese man was discovered near Pioneer in a disturbing scene, underscoring the climate of violence against immigrants in the region.
- The Tragedy of Stephen Collins: A Squak Valley Life Lost to Paranoia
A haunting account of a young man whose mounting mental distress led to a fatal end on the edge of the wilderness.
- The Sunday Saloon Scramble
A Seattle judge faces a conundrum from a frustrated Grand Jury: if a hotel or drug store is allowed to stay open on Sunday, exactly who gets to drink?
- The Unseen War for the Puget Sound Pantry
An 1882 look at how San Francisco's economic grip and 'unfriendly agencies' were stifling the potential of Washington Territory's fishing industry.
- A Ghastly Discovery at Marshall's Wharf
A missing sailor's body is pulled from the Seattle waterfront after a mysterious disappearance.
- The City's Private Water Pioneer
Before the city operated its own utility, one visionary resident sank a deep well on Ninth Street, betting his own fortune that he could out-pump the ground itself to supply a growing Seattle.
- The Great Mountain Trek for False Promises
Chasing the myth of high wages over the Snoqualmie Pass, one woodman discovers that even in the 1880s, 'labor shortages' were often just a cover for low-balling workers.
- The Pioneer Priest Who Cleared the Forest for a Church
In 1883, Father Frefontaine laid the cornerstone of a grand new cathedral in Seattle, reflecting on a journey that began with clearing dense timber by hand to serve a tiny, fractured congregation.
- The Makah Mariners Who Returned from the Spirit Land
Two sailors picked up 600 miles out at sea by the bark Buena Vista were thought dead, only to reappear at Neah Bay to a hero's welcome.
- Gunfire at the University of Washington
Tensions boil over into an armed confrontation between students and faculty, leaving a student wounded.
- The Great Seattle-Portland Population War
In 1882, Seattle editors launched a sharp, statistical campaign to prove their city was growing faster than its southern rival.
- The Seattle Real Estate Boom of 1882
A survey of rapid land value appreciation in early Seattle, where modest lots doubled or tripled in price in just a few weeks.
- The Fire That Saved Us: A Call for a Second Steamer
A Seattle resident writes to the Post-Intelligencer arguing that the recent downtown blaze proves the city’s single fire engine is no longer enough—and demands an immediate duplicate.
- Olympia’s Blackest Day: A City on the Brink of Ruin
A recent fire in the state capital exposes the desperate need for modern water works and steam engines, as Olympia’s leadership warns that 'any morning may see the balance of the city in ruins.'
- The Girl Who Ran Away: A Seattle Hotel Trap and a Lawyer’s Complicity
In May 1882, a 16-year-old runaway from the Puyallup River found herself stranded in Seattle, only to be exploited by a local attorney who deposited her stolen savings in his own name. Chief of Police Woolery intervened, recovering the funds and exposing the legal professional’s unethical conduct.
- The Boy Who Vanished: Seattle’s Great Search for Little Harry
A two-year-old toddler slipped out of his mother's sight on Commercial Street, sparking a frantic manhunt that drew hundreds of neighbors to the sidewalks.
- 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.
- An Optimist's View of 1882 Seattle
A visitor from Oregon writes home with a bold prediction: in twenty years, Seattle will be the metropolis of the North.
- The Pastor Who Couldn't Find a Sermon
In a rare moment of self-awareness, a Seattle clergyman confesses to his deacon that the city's news cycle is so dry he can't even find material for Sunday's sermon.
- The Territory That Demanded Its Right to Grow
When Washington was treated like a 'rotten borough' in Washington D.C., the local press fired back to prove the territory was ready for statehood.
- The Tragedy at the Cabin
A pioneer settler is found dead in his home after a brutal struggle, sparking a local manhunt near Colfax.
- The Trial of Dr. Jack
An elderly Indigenous man is sentenced to three years of hard labor in a case that drew crowds of grieving community members to the courthouse.
- A Cowardly Assault on Third Street
When a sick man defended his son from a neighbor's violence, the local justice system failed to provide justice.
- Seattle’s Irish Community Rallies Against Landlordism
A historic convention of the Irish National Land League in Seattle condemns the 'piratical' land system of Ireland and vows financial and moral support to struggling tenant farmers facing eviction.
- The Great Divide: The Fight for a Mountain Rail Link
As the population of Western Washington booms in 1882, Seattle residents grow tired of paying for infrastructure projects while Eastern Washington neighbors demand the work for free.