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 |
484 stories
- The Silent Cutters of Puget Sound
A standoff at the Custom House reveals that government revenue vessels sat idle while local sailors risked their lives in the waves.
- The Unlucky Wagoner of Tacoma Avenue
A local delivery worker endures a harrowing accident on an unfinished street, leaving him battered but back to business by the following day.
- The Unlikely Nihilist of Seattle
A Polish exile who survived the mines of Siberia and the horrors of Andersonville finds a new life in the Pacific Northwest.
- The Man Who Was Hanged Twice
A condemned murderer facing execution in Colfax reveals his harrowing, accidental survival of a previous lynching by an angry mob.
- The Farmer Who Halted the Railroad
When a railway company tried to seize land for a branch line without fair payment, a Whitman County farmer fought back by having the construction crew arrested.
- The Daily Struggle of the Henderson’s Bay Ferry
A frustrated settler recounts three months of stranded strawberries and broken promises as the unreliable 'Clara Brown' service leaves local farmers in the lurch.
- The Bridge at the Commissioner's Back Door
A group of settlers in the White River Valley accuses a King County commissioner of misusing taxpayer money to build a bridge near his own property, ignoring the needs of the actual traveling public.
- The Great Second Street Brawl: A City Hall Conflict Over Progress
When Seattle’s city leaders proposed widening a major downtown street in 1892, they ignited a bitter debate over property rights, public vs. private cost, and the relentless march of urban expansion.
- Northern Pacific Piles Block Commencement Bay Landing
Business owners clash with the Northern Pacific Railroad over the blocking of a vital waterway, forcing a community to fight for their access to the harbor.
- A Desperate Hour in Chehalis
After a domestic quarrel, a former probate judge in Chehalis attempts to end his life in the same room where a gruesome murder occurred years prior.
- The Struggle for Tacoma Avenue
When the city of Tacoma withheld payment from contractors Cadwell & Vesey, labor tensions boiled over into a stand-off, highlighting the recurring fight to ensure workers get paid for their toil.
- A Solitary Death in the Harbor
A young man, seemingly alone in the world, is discovered in Seattle's harbor, his pockets containing only letters from a jilted former flame.
- Runaway Gravel Train Near Hood Canal
A dozen laborers on a Port Gamble railroad work train are forced to jump for their lives as their cars lose control on a steep grade.
- The Jury That Called Out King County’s Corruption
A scathing 1887 report from the Grand Jury exposes the mismanagement, dangerous roads, and broken record-keeping systems of pioneer-era Seattle.
- A Labor Solidarity Pact in 1887 Seattle
When local shopkeepers were pressured by long hours and the threat of boycotts, the trades unionists of Seattle stepped in with a formal resolution to end their shopping by 6:00 p.m.
- The Waterfront Stabbing
A discharged sailor commits a gruesome, unprovoked assault on a steward in a Seattle saloon, leaving the victim’s life hanging in the balance.
- The Great Fourth of July Fireman’s Brawl
A celebratory fire competition in Tacoma turned sour as fire companies from across Washington Territory clashed over disputed rules and near-riotous crowds.
- The Sheriff vs. The Election Posters
A Seattle lawman is arrested after he goes on a rampage tearing down political advertisements, leading to a physical showdown with a local citizen.
- The Depot Brawl: A Railway Scuffle Over Booze and Conduct
A barkeeper’s attempt to 'work' a drunken traveler off on a train descends into a violent, chaotic melee involving railroad men, heavy boots, and a crowd expecting a murder.
- A Boy’s Quick Thinking Saves the May Creek Trestle
When a youth discovered a blaze on a high railway bridge, his rapid response prevented a catastrophe for the incoming train.
- The Hop Harvest: A Seasonal Tug-of-War
As hop growers in the Puyallup and White River valleys race to harvest before the rains, a debate stirs over the reliance on Indigenous and migrant labor versus the desire for white, school-aged workers.
- The Building Boom vs. The Tenant's Plight
Seattle pioneer H. L. Yesler contemplates clearing his property on Mill Street, leaving local business owners scrambling for space as he pivots to ambitious new construction.
- The Health Officer's Boycott
A shipping standoff at the Seattle wharf reveals the messy intersection of port labor, professional fees, and city bureaucracy.
- The Fishermen’s Union Organizing Meeting
A representative from the Columbia River Protective Union arrives in Seattle to organize local fishermen, leading to a clash over labor inclusion and the definition of a 'good man.'
- The Annual Migration to the Seattle Waterfront
As the hop-picking season nears, hundreds of Indigenous families from as far north as Sitka gather on the tide flats below the mills, turning the city's shore into a bustling hub of commerce and seasonal labor.