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 |
838 stories
- The Hop Pickers' Labor Pipeline
Business leaders in 1885 Seattle formalize the recruitment of Chinese labor to fuel Washington's booming hop harvest.
- The High-Fence Strategy Against 'Vagabonds'
In an attempt to deter 'traveling vagabonds' from loitering in Seattle's waterfront district, the city's rail companies have erected a 16-foot-high barricade.
- When Washington Territory Granted Women the Vote
A rare 1884 report reflects on the early, controversial experiment of woman suffrage and the inclusion of women on juries.
- The Birth of Ellensburg
A railroad company, a local politician, and a handful of property owners cut a deal to secure the future of a new town in the Kittitas Valley.
- The New Yakima Depot: Planning a City from Scratch
Northern Pacific Railroad directors map out a new town with schools, churches, and canals in Eastern Washington, signaling a transformation for the frontier.
- The Last Stand at the Rail Bridge
When a bridge collapses into a remote ravine, a young train worker stages a desperate, days-long defense against a hostile raiding party to protect his dying comrade.
- Suspicious Land Deals on the Northern Pacific
Settlers are being shut out of a questionable land grant adjustment that may benefit the railroad at the public's expense.
- The Sudden Collapse of the Farmers' Bank
Seattle's financial community was left in shock as a major institution shuttered its doors, leaving depositors and creditors in the lurch.
- The Midnight Blaze That Leveled Seattle’s Largest Sawmill
A devastating fire at the Stetson & Post mill in 1885 left 40 men unemployed and destroyed a vital industrial hub, all while a night watchman pointed fingers at a scapegoated worker.
- The Great April Snowstorm of 1885
A record-breaking blizzard buries Seattle, collapsing roofs across the territory and disrupting the spring thaw.
- The Seattle Grist Mill Tragedy
A boiler explosion in the heart of Seattle claims the lives of three workers, leaving the community reeling.
- The Last Bridge Isn't Crossed Yet
A Seattle prisoner reacts to a five-year sentence with a defiant promise to keep fighting, despite the jury's unanimous verdict.
- The 17,000-Acre Land Grab
A federal decision exposes how settlers were misled by illegitimate land claims near Wallula, Washington, setting off a scramble for government property.
- Corruption at the Naval Department
A scathing report exposes rampant incompetence, fraud, and systematic disorganization within the Naval Department, leaving public service in tatters.
- The Indian Council’s Rebellion Against the White Shopkeepers
When an Indian girl was fined by her tribal council for purchasing flour at a white-owned store, a legal crackdown by territorial authorities sparked a tense political standoff.
- The Christmas Eve Brawl at the French Woman’s Saloon
A holiday celebration in Seattle ends in a violent saloon assault, leaving a mill worker clinging to life.
- Tragedy on the Snohomish: A Holiday Mission Ends in the River
A Christmas errand to Seattle turns fatal for a local woman and her companion when their canoe capsized on the Snohomish River.
- A Victory for Women in the Law
Justice Deady formally admits Mrs. Mary A. Leonard to the bar of the U.S. Circuit Court, citing Congressional legislation supporting gender equality in legal practice.
- The Perils of the Columbia Gorge Rail Route
A critical 1885 editorial argues that the treacherous, storm-battered rail line along the Columbia River is failing, urging the Union Pacific to build a direct, reliable connection to Puget Sound.
- The Strange 'Hamlet' Scandal that Wasn't
When a malicious rumor about a local politician’s past as a failed actor spread across the territory, the press had to step in to set the record straight.
- Seattle's Saloon Keepers Face the 'High License' Squeeze
As 1885 begins, the city cracks down on liquor sellers, leaving many owners struggling to pay their bonds—and prompting some to consider an honest day's work instead.
- The Juvenile 'Junk' Gangs of Seattle
Local business owners report a wave of petty thefts by children as young as ten, raising alarms about the city's future.
- The Sinking of the Underwriter
A tragic maritime accident in Port Townsend harbor leaves a local captain’s schooner at the bottom of the channel.
- The Express Driver's Abandonment: A Frontier Scandal
A local expressman faces public condemnation after seducing two young women in northern settlements and fleeing town with his family's savings.
- The Fight for Seattle’s Waterfront Sovereignty
A historic local Board of Trade meeting reveals early clashes over civic power, the control of harbor lands, and the desperate bid to keep Seattle’s trade economy local.