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 |
499 stories
- Spokane Cuts Itself a New County — and Expects the Courthouse
The Territorial legislature carves a new county out of Spokane, placing Spokane Falls near its center. The town is 'exceedingly happy,' and already counting on the county seat, the land office, and the records that come with them.
- A Joint-Stock Stage Line to Beat the Railroad to the Mines
Spokane businessmen subscribe a $20,000 company to run daily stages and freight to Eagle City, betting the gold rush will make their town the gateway to the Coeur d'Alenes.
- A Night at the St. Charles Hotel
A local journalist's late-night attempt to 'clean out' a hotel leads to a public brawl and a courtroom spectacle.
- The New Year’s Baby Snatcher
A Seattle caller attempts to kidnap a child during a New Year’s visit, marking a disturbing escalation in his annual crime spree.
- The Promised Valley: A Land of Promise and Grit
A detailed dispatch from Kittitas County outlines the rapid transformation of the wilderness into a grain-producing powerhouse and the desperate need for rail infrastructure.
- The Brutal End of a Winter Manhunt
After escaping custody, two fugitives are recaptured on the Walla Walla River, suffering from frostbite and starvation.
- Seattle’s Relentless Boom
A rival paper questioned Seattle's future without a railroad, but the Post-Intelligencer argues that the city's growth is too rapid to ignore.
- Walla Walla’s 1884 Sales Pitch: From a Tent Store to a ‘Metropolitan’ City
A reprinted commercial sketch boasts of wheat, railroads, gasworks and thousands of souls — and lets slip the town’s whole origin story, from a tent on Mill Creek to the great fire of 1866.
- The Unprecedented Land Boom of 1883
Official records show a staggering surge in Seattle property transactions, dwarfing neighboring Tacoma's growth.
- The Death of Canada Owenby
A notorious prisoner faces his end in Dayton, avoiding the gallows through a rapid decline in health.
- Street Robbery Near Hanson’s Mill
A man walking home alone at night is ambushed by a gang on the beach road.
- The Uninvited Territorial Appointment
Citizens of Washington Territory rail against meddlesome outsiders and the President’s power to appoint their governor.
- The Proprietor of Maison Dore Defends His Business
After local reports of a disturbance at the theater, B. Howard hits back at 'temperance religion' and demands respect for his venue.
- The Fight for a New Land Office
Citizens of the Eastern Sound protest a proposal to center federal land business in Port Townsend, arguing it is inaccessible and indifferent to their needs.
- Showdown at the Whatcom Land Dispute
A contentious meeting regarding a contested land claim ended in an attempted confrontation with the Pettibone brothers.
- The Struggle for the Mountain Pass
A plea to Congress to finish the Snoqualmie Wagon Road, a vital link intended to connect the farmers of the Cascades to the markets of Seattle.
- The Skagit County Sheriff’s 'First Class' Hotel
Newly formed Skagit County lacks a proper jail, forcing the sheriff to board inmates at local hotels at public expense.
- The Squatter’s Right to the Land
The federal government defines the fine line between a settler's homesteading right and illegal timber harvesting on public lands.
- The Mysterious Disappearance of Grace Norton
A young visitor from New York goes missing in Seattle, leaving her family in distress.
- The Struggle for a Road from Duwamish to Seattle
A local settler demands a plank road to town, arguing that poor infrastructure is stifling growth and discouraging new arrivals.
- The Tragedy of a Duck Hunt on Cedar Creek
A young man loses his arm after a shotgun accident during a hunting trip, prompting an urgent rescue effort.
- The Price of Rail Dominance
A clash over mileage rates and interest terms strains the relationship between the Oregon Railway & Navigation Company and the Northern Pacific.
- The Day Seattle's Railroad Men Faced Down the Company
After refusing worthless paper scrip, workers at a Seattle railway firm stood their ground and demanded their wages in hard cash.
- Catholic Order Plans Expansion in Olympia
Religious orders in the territorial capital announce plans for a new academy for boys, the platting of Priest's Point, and the construction of a much-needed hospital.
- The Cascades Rail Standoff
High hopes for the Northern Pacific’s Cascade branch crumble as work on the massive infrastructure project hits a total standstill.