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 |
440 stories
- The Fire Chief’s Final Warning
In a 1888 city report, Seattle’s outgoing fire chief slams the 'primitive' volunteer system and warns that the city's rapid growth has left it dangerously under-protected against disaster.
- The Iron Road That Built Seattle
How the Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railroad defied the 'disregard and neglect' of the Northern Pacific to secure the city's future.
- The Ghostly Burglar of the Columbia House
Boarders at a downtown Seattle hotel were baffled by a mysterious thief who appeared to move through locked doors while they slept—only to have the landlady turn the blame back on them.
- The Perilous Fishing Trip of Two Seattle Daredevils
Two young men’s weekend getaway turned into a two-day survival ordeal when they were swept away by tide and wind in the Puget Sound.
- The Solitary End of a Prospector
A prospector returning from the gold fields is found frozen to death in the Cascade mountains, a grim reminder of the perils facing those seeking their fortunes in the wild.
- The Price of Panic in 1888 Seattle
When an unfounded rumor of a merchant’s bankruptcy swept through the city, the local business community banded together to stave off a catastrophic bank run.
- The Struggle to Survey Washington’s Wilds
A historic circular reveals the bureaucratic and financial hurdles homesteaders faced to prove their land claims in 1883.
- The Operator Was Sleeping: A Seattle Telephone Scandal
In 1885, Seattle residents were so fed up with poor service and sleeping operators at the local telephone exchange that the newspaper demanded a total administrative overhaul.
- The Shadowy Real Estate Dealings of Louis R. Kidd
A local legal battle reveals a trail of suspicious property transfers designed to shield assets from creditors in the middle of a city boom.
- The City That Couldn't House Its Own Growth
A frustrated businessman attempts to set up shop in 1888 Seattle, only to find that despite the city's 'boasted enterprise,' the total lack of available real estate is driving investment away to Tacoma.
- The Apple Orchard Bandit
An Olympia fruit thief develops a bizarre, tactical routine to raid orchards under the cover of night, only to be stopped by a shotgun-wielding guard.
- The 1888 Tariff Scramble: How Labor Markets Dictated Washington's Future
A historic dispatch from 1888 Seattle reveals how workers and manufacturing interests in the Pacific Northwest saw their livelihoods tied directly to the political tug-of-war over trade policy.
- The City’s Stinking Secret
In 1888, Seattle's growing pains were literally surfacing on the beach as inadequate sewers turned the bay into an open dumping ground.
- The Annual Hop Picker Scare
For twenty years, growers have panicked over the threat of a labor shortage, but one editor suggests that the 'scare' is more about business than biology.
- Abandoned and Alone in a Growing City
A woman arrives in Seattle looking for a new start, only to be left destitute by a husband who vanished with their life savings.
- The Wild West of Washington Rail Speculation
As Seattle rapidly expanded, a flurry of shadowy railroad companies and land speculators rushed to claim water-front territory, hoping to dictate the future of commerce in the Pacific Northwest.
- The Drummer’s Deed: A Tale of Lost Blocks and Mutual Recrimination
A traveling salesman thought he’d scored a bargain on Seattle real estate, only to discover his deed was for the wrong lot—and his seller had no idea either.
- The Land Grab at Smith's Corner: How Lewis & Gilman Are Selling Seattle's Future
While the rest of the city debates prices and politics, a powerful duo is quietly converting the terminus of the Seattle, Lake Shore & Eastern Railway into a goldmine, with lots selling out in days.
- The Great Evergreen: Seattle’s First Snow in Sixteen Years
Residents gather on rooftops and streets to witness a rare winter spectacle, as snow blankets the city for the first time since 1890.
- The Salted Sea: A Tacoma Captain’s War on the 'Blah' Price Gang
In a fiery letter to the editor, a local shipping captain denounces the collusion of dockworkers and merchants who inflate freight rates, vowing to bypass them entirely for cheaper ports.
- The Real Estate Hustle of 1888
Before the skyline, there were the speculators: a look at how early Seattle developers used the 'Great City' narrative to sell lots in mud-soaked additions.
- The Jailbird Who Refused to Leave
After serving sixty days for grand larceny, a Seattle man found freedom so underwhelming that he immediately tried to steal his way back into a cell.
- The Unwelcome Tax Man
A Seattle poll tax assessor describes the frustration and absurdity of tracking down residents in a city where the transient population and the immigrant community resisted his rounds.
- The Great Rooming Squeeze of 1888
As Seattle prepared for a massive Fourth of July celebration, the city’s committee made a desperate public appeal to residents to open their private homes to visitors.
- The Steamboat 'Fleetwood' Over-Packed
A federal seizure looms after the steamboat Fleetwood is caught hauling dozens of passengers over its legal limit between Seattle, Tacoma, and Olympia.