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 | 6 |
| 1858 | 2 |
| 1860 | 3 |
| 1861 | 7 |
| 1862 | 2 |
| 1863 | 1 |
| 1864 | 1 |
| 1865 | 1 |
| 1872 | 5 |
| 1876 | 22 |
| 1877 | 11 |
| 1878 | 20 |
| 1880 | 2 |
| 1882 | 5 |
| 1883 | 49 |
| 1884 | 39 |
| 1885 | 48 |
| 1886 | 25 |
| 1887 | 26 |
| 1888 | 31 |
| 1889 | 89 |
| 1890 | 15 |
| 1891 | 111 |
| 1892 | 176 |
| 1893 | 171 |
| 1894 | 132 |
| 1895 | 190 |
| 1896 | 1 |
| 1898 | 4 |
| 1899 | 62 |
| 1900 | 4 |
| 1902 | 2 |
| 1903 | 128 |
| 1904 | 126 |
| 1905 | 8 |
| 1907 | 2 |
| 1908 | 30 |
| 1909 | 202 |
| 1910 | 43 |
| 1911 | 44 |
| 1912 | 15 |
| 1914 | 20 |
| 1915 | 16 |
| 1916 | 27 |
| 1917 | 12 |
| 1918 | 2 |
| 1922 | 1 |
| 1923 | 3 |
| 1924 | 3 |
| 1925 | 1 |
| 1928 | 2 |
| 1929 | 4 |
48 stories matching council
- 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.
- Seattle’s First Great Austerity Drive
Facing municipal budget woes in 1885, the City Council slashed worker salaries and abandoned the investigation into a scandal involving the Police Chief.
- The Saloon-Keepers’ Council
A scathing editorial exposes how Seattle’s early city government was dominated by saloon owners, liquor distributors, and property men who thrived on the vice trade.
- The City Council vs. The Slaughterhouses
In an early effort to clean up the city's streets, the Seattle City Council orders the immediate abatement of butcher-shop nuisances.
- The City Council Seized Our Engine: A Firehouse Rebellion
When the city government stripped Seattle Engine Company No. 2 of their apparatus to give it to a new company, the firefighters organized a defiant public meeting to protest the 'unwarranted usurpation of authority.'
- The Powder Barrel Scandal: Seattle’s City Council vs. The Police Chief
A fiery public dispute over missing dynamite and unauthorized absences exposes deep friction in the Seattle city government of 1885.
- The Trial of the City Marshal
In 1885, Seattle’s police chief faced an impeachment trial over the politics of morality, saloon regulation, and the limits of the Mayor’s authority.
- The City Council Clears the Slate
In an era of rapid expansion, Seattle's city officials scramble to fix the city's plumbing and define a new vision for local governance.
- The Chief of Police, The Saloon, and The Impeachment
In 1885, Seattle’s City Council moved to impeach Chief of Police James H. Woolery for allegedly turning a blind eye to unlicensed saloons and failing to enforce the law.
- Tacoma’s Merry Municipal Mayhem
While Seattle navigates its own growing pains, its 'younger sister' Tacoma finds itself in a state of total civic disorder, from impeached marshals to liquor license wars.
- The Drive for Anti-Chinese Ordinances in 1885 Seattle
A local petition sought to bar Chinese laborers from laundry businesses and vegetable peddling, laying the groundwork for a wave of exclusionary legislation.
- The Struggle for a Sidewalk
Citizens and the City Council wrangle over basic infrastructure as Seattle grapples with rapid growth and urban order.
- The Battle Over Sidewalks: When Seattle's Poor Were Forced to Pay for Progress
In 1885, a divided City Council grappled with whether to tax struggling residents for public infrastructure or use the city's general fund.
- The Mayor's Private Mill: A Conflict of Interest in Old Seattle
Mayor Henry Yesler, facing accusations of professional misconduct, attempts to lease city-owned facilities to his own timber business under the guise of municipal efficiency.
- The Struggle for Local Control Over Seattle's Saloons
A new 1886 ordinance tightened the grip of the City Council on the city’s liquor trade, imposing strict licensing, background checks, and Sunday bans in an attempt to regulate the chaos of the frontier economy.
- The Political Tax Revolt of 1885
In a scorched-earth letter to the editor, a Whatcom resident decries the rise of 'Knights of Labor' candidates, claiming their victory at the polls signaled a collapse of property values and fiscal responsibility.
- The Great North Seattle Fire Engine Turf War
A bitter neighborhood battle erupts over the city’s decision to move vital fire equipment, exposing growing pains in a rapidly expanding 1885 Seattle.
- The High-License Fight of 1885
As Seattle grapples with the rise of saloons, local temperance advocates and city officials debate the 'high license' strategy to curb the city’s drinking problem.
- The Price of a City's Ambition
A Seattle City Council report warns that aggressive infrastructure grading, fueled by debt-financed city scrip, is pushing property owners to the brink during an economic downturn.
- The Rogue Marshal of Tacoma
Citizens formally impeach the City Marshal for cozying up to brothel owners and ignoring the law.
- The Sunday Saloon Wars: How Seattle Debated the 'Law and Order' Ordinance
In 1885, Seattle’s City Council erupted into a fierce debate over a proposal to force saloons to close on Sundays, pitting reformers against tavern owners in a struggle over civic control and personal liberty.
- Seattle's Water System Passes Its First Big Test
A morning fire reveals that recent upgrades to the city's hydrant system are already paying dividends for public safety.
- The Search for a Proper Resting Place
When Seattle officials sought a name for a new city cemetery in 1885, they turned to Makah traditions to find a title befitting the 'land of the hereafter.'
- The Great Seattle Main Street Flood of 1886
Heavy rains turn a bustling thoroughfare into a literal river, driving residents from their homes and stalling city business.
- The Price of a Drink in 1885 Seattle
A newly passed city ordinance lays out a complex, bureaucratic, and cash-heavy system for anyone hoping to open a saloon or bottle house.