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 |
|---|---|
| 1858 | 1 |
| 1859 | 1 |
| 1861 | 1 |
| 1862 | 4 |
| 1864 | 1 |
| 1865 | 1 |
| 1871 | 1 |
| 1872 | 6 |
| 1876 | 28 |
| 1877 | 22 |
| 1878 | 55 |
| 1879 | 5 |
| 1880 | 8 |
| 1882 | 9 |
| 1883 | 37 |
| 1884 | 18 |
| 1885 | 40 |
| 1886 | 17 |
| 1887 | 11 |
| 1888 | 21 |
| 1889 | 62 |
| 1890 | 4 |
| 1891 | 45 |
| 1892 | 61 |
| 1893 | 97 |
| 1894 | 80 |
| 1895 | 137 |
| 1896 | 1 |
| 1897 | 6 |
| 1898 | 19 |
| 1899 | 19 |
| 1900 | 5 |
| 1902 | 2 |
| 1903 | 64 |
| 1904 | 31 |
| 1905 | 4 |
| 1908 | 16 |
| 1909 | 55 |
| 1910 | 16 |
| 1911 | 1 |
| 1912 | 1 |
| 1914 | 8 |
| 1915 | 8 |
| 1916 | 20 |
| 1917 | 12 |
| 1918 | 4 |
| 1923 | 6 |
| 1924 | 3 |
| 1925 | 3 |
| 1928 | 1 |
37 stories matching sold
- The Soaring Value of Seattle Dirt
A look at the rapid rise of local property values, as pioneer church lots worth a dollar reach thousands in gold.
- The Roadmaster's Gold Watch and the Mail Robber Who Came Back for More
Samuel Henry of the N.P.R.R. woke to find his watch gone and assumed it was a joke. A Tacoma marshal followed a hunch to a young man fresh out of the penitentiary — who confessed, sold the watch on Pacific Avenue, and then disappeared.
- New Life for the Halstead Hotel
A longtime coal miner purchases a familiar local establishment at a public auction.
- Seattle’s First Chinese-Owned Cigar Factory
Wa Chong Co. launches a manufacturing venture on Third Street, aiming to keep local profits within the community.
- The Odyssey of Two Stolen Bays
A pair of horses stolen in Klickitat County resurface in Seattle, changing hands multiple times before their original owner comes to collect.
- City Council Launches Investigation into Police Judge
Corruption allegations involving the 'bartering' of justice lead to a formal probe by Seattle officials.
- The Queen City of the Northwest
A visitor from Oregon praises the rapid real estate growth and the 'model' atmosphere of the bustling Seattle scene.
- The Great Clothing Fiasco
A group of citizens in Cheney ordered clothing from a traveling salesman, only to find the garments were comically undersized.
- The Hard Sell at the Church Social
A bashful young man finds himself trapped at a church fair, unable to escape the relentless solicitation of two persistent young women.
- 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.
- A Sad Discovery Near the Barrel Factory
A German immigrant who arrived in Seattle to start a new life dies by suicide, leaving behind his wife and business worries.
- The Great Vegetable Stand-off
A local farmer fights for payment against a stubborn restaurant owner on Pacific Avenue.
- Harrington & Smith Secure Waterfront Legacy
A landmark property transfer on Commercial Street marks the largest private real estate sale in the Territory's history.
- A $1,000 Lot Sells for $16,000 as Tacoma Booms
A bank building and lot on Pacific Avenue fetches a record price, a sign of the speculative frenzy sweeping the new city.
- The Rivalry for Sound Trade
A Port Townsend newspaper critiques Seattle's aggressive expansionism and 'booster' mentality in an effort to rally its own merchant class.
- Bank Bets Big on Spokane Falls Corner
A livery stable lot at Main and Howard sells for a tidy sum as the National Bank plans a three-story brick block, proof of the city's soaring property market.
- Walla Walla Editor Shoots Brewery Owner
A political leader and newspaper man fires on a local businessman after a dispute over a published critique of the brewery's beer.
- The Price of Convenience in the White River Valley
A model dairy operation is threatened not by failure, but by the overwhelming success of nearby transit and real estate.
- The Ghost of the Well
A skeptical homesteader uncovers a decade-old double murder at an 'abandoned' property in Oldtown.
- The Struggle for a Snoqualmie Road
A cattle driver arrives in Seattle via Snoqualmie Pass, arguing that a functional wagon road would be more transformative for Seattle's economy than a railroad connection.
- A 100-Acre Bet on North Spokane
An Eastern investor buys a tract north of the river for $12,500 and plans to plat it into lots and build houses—classic Spokane booster speculation.
- The Boom of Chehalis County
A booster-style report on the rapid growth of the timber and agricultural sectors along Gray's Harbor, highlighting the proposed railroad to Seattle.
- The Widow, the Mayor, and the Killing of William Three Mountains
After a Spokane chief was killed, his widow walked into Mayor Glover’s office to settle a five-year-old debt—a story the paper framed with the era’s racism.
- An 1854 Storehouse, a Saloon, and a Building on Wheels: Seattle’s Old Blocks Give Way
As Schwabacher Bros. cleared Mill Street for a new brick block, an 1854 storehouse with a saloon past was torn down and another old building was rolled toward the waterfront.
- The Boom on White River
Railroad expansion and hop farming are bringing sudden, unprecedented prosperity to the valley.