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 |
911 stories
- The Price of a Shoddy Crossing
A railroad conductor is killed in a derailment caused by an improperly filled track crossing.
- The Looming Rivalry Between Seattle and Portland
A visiting correspondent examines the high-stakes battle for Pacific Northwest dominance as the Northern Pacific Railroad nears completion.
- The Fight for the Schoolhouse Ballot
When women in Olympia were finally allowed to vote in a school board election, they turned out in force, defying expectations and voting for education against the grain of local political orthodoxy.
- The Struggle of the Nicholson Family
A coal miner in distress highlights the precarity of laborers facing mental health crises while attempting to relocate their families.
- The Fight for Washington’s Soul
Legislators clash over a proposal to split the Washington Territory, revealing deep-seated animosity between the eastern and western regions.
- Fatal Blasting Accident at Blue Mountain
A foreman is killed in a gruesome explosion while attempting to clear a stalled dynamite charge on the railroad grade.
- Tragedy at Sea Claims Four Men
A rough night and a cross sea turn a routine Pacific crossing into a desperate, failed rescue mission.
- The Acquittal of John Williams
A jury exonerates a man accused of killing William Lockenfritz, accepting a plea of self-defense.
- The Hunt for 'Stone'
A vigilante call to action follows the murder of a citizen.
- Northern Pacific Unearned Lands Spark Public Domain Push
Citizens launch a movement to reclaim Northern Pacific land grants for the people.
- The Territory's First Women Jurors Take Their Seats
A landmark moment in Washington history sees three women summoned for grand jury service in Island County, marking a first for the Pacific Coast.
- The Fight for Seattle’s Commercial Future
A local merchant defends Seattle against the Northern Pacific Railroad's efforts to favor Tacoma as the terminal city.
- Bloody Jailbreak at Walla Walla
Two prisoners pull off a brutal escape, leaving a sheriff and jailer wounded as a citizens' committee takes up the hunt.
- Tragedy at the Black Diamond Sewer Pipe Works
A boiler explosion in the works at Black Diamond Landing resulted in one death and multiple fatal injuries.
- City Hall's Construction Contractor Fails to Pay Up
Creditors are circling the new city building on Third Street as liens are filed against the project.
- The Struggle to Open Snoqualmie Pass
A pioneer successfully demonstrates the feasibility of winter transit, igniting hope for a direct route between Eastern and Western Washington.
- The Deadly Hazards of the Timber Frontier
Tragedy strikes workers in Lewis and Thurston counties as multiple men are killed by falling trees during the logging season.
- A Landmark Ruling for Donation Land Claims
The federal government establishes a precedent for canceling land claims after a Puyallup Valley settler failed to live on his property.
- Tragedy at the Stringham Place
A falling cedar tree claims the life of a shoemaker on a homestead between Seattle and Lake Washington.
- The Landlord Who Stole the Doors
A landlord attempts to evict an 'unwelcome tenant' by physically removing the doors and windows from the residence.
- Diphtheria Grips Lewis County
A tragic account of a local diphtheria outbreak that has claimed multiple children and left families in mourning.
- Railroad Monopoly Tightens Grip on Lumber
A newly formed 'Improvement Company' linked to the Northern Pacific Railroad establishes a monopoly over regional lumber trade.
- Seattle's $160,000 Gamble on a Railroad
Citizens paid Mr. Villard's corporations to push a line into the Cedar and Green River coal and timber country—and Walla Walla was warned not to be left behind.
- The Tax Collector’s Quiet Heist in Thurston County
Assessments against “unknown owners,” doubled fees and $9,000 in illegal exactions left property titles tangled and taxpayers furious.
- The Ghost of Octavia
In a small cabin near Spokane, a widower finds comfort in a persistent, loving vision of his long-dead wife.