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 | 2 |
| 1858 | 4 |
| 1859 | 10 |
| 1860 | 2 |
| 1861 | 4 |
| 1862 | 3 |
| 1863 | 4 |
| 1864 | 2 |
| 1865 | 1 |
| 1871 | 1 |
| 1872 | 14 |
| 1876 | 71 |
| 1877 | 68 |
| 1878 | 49 |
| 1879 | 3 |
| 1880 | 13 |
| 1882 | 12 |
| 1883 | 107 |
| 1884 | 47 |
| 1885 | 56 |
| 1886 | 57 |
| 1887 | 43 |
| 1888 | 36 |
| 1889 | 151 |
| 1890 | 23 |
| 1891 | 118 |
| 1892 | 225 |
| 1893 | 208 |
| 1894 | 228 |
| 1895 | 299 |
| 1896 | 1 |
| 1897 | 4 |
| 1898 | 28 |
| 1899 | 49 |
| 1900 | 3 |
| 1902 | 6 |
| 1903 | 81 |
| 1904 | 78 |
| 1905 | 7 |
| 1907 | 8 |
| 1908 | 58 |
| 1909 | 133 |
| 1910 | 35 |
| 1911 | 12 |
| 1912 | 5 |
| 1914 | 16 |
| 1915 | 24 |
| 1916 | 35 |
| 1917 | 12 |
| 1918 | 1 |
| 1920 | 1 |
| 1923 | 9 |
| 1924 | 7 |
| 1925 | 4 |
| 1928 | 3 |
| 1929 | 6 |
36 stories matching point
- The Boom on the Sound
A look at the rapid industrial and commercial expansion of Port Townsend in 1888.
- The Day the Territorial Supreme Court Killed Women's Suffrage in Washington
In a landmark test case from May 1902, Judge Sash ruled that the Organic Act of Washington Territory only granted voting rights to males, effectively striking down local efforts to enfranchise women.
- The Chautauqua Assembly's First Season at the Sound
After a summer of lectures and illumination, Seattle and Tacoma residents bid farewell to the gathering that organizers hope will define a permanent Puget Sound cultural tradition.
- The Ghost of a Civic Dream: Seattle’s Lost City Hall
A century-old bequest for a grand municipal building sits unclaimed, as a local property owner laments the city's scattered, inefficient offices.
- The Iron City on the Lake: Peter Kirk’s $20 Million Steel Empire Rises in Kirkland
British industrialist Peter Kirk has secured 2,000 acres on Lake Washington to build a massive iron and steel works, complete with a planned company town. Local leaders hail it as the catalyst for Seattle's transformation into a global manufacturing hub.
- The Iron Mountain That Built a City: How Denny’s Discovery Fueled Seattle’s Industrial Ambition
A national mining expert confirms the rich iron deposits on Mount Rainier are ready for exploitation, promising to turn Seattle into the steel-making capital of the Pacific Northwest.
- The Great Sound City Feud of 1888
A Spokane visitor to Tacoma and Seattle observes the intense, pre-statehood rivalry between the two cities as they jockey for economic dominance in Washington Territory.
- The Ghost in the Yellow Trunk
A tip from surveyors leads two intrepid reporters to the shores of Alki Point, where they unearth a grim secret hidden in the brush.
- Seattle Deeds Top $29,000 in a Single Day
Public records from July 1888 detail a frantic wave of property transfers, capturing the speculative fever that defined the city's early expansion.
- 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 Iron Giant Lands: Moss Bay Steel Chooses Seattle Without Asking for a Penny
In a stunning victory for civic pride over corporate bribery, the massive Moss Bay Iron and Steel Company has selected Lake Washington as its site, rejecting lucrative bonuses from rival cities and the Northern Pacific Railroad.
- The Tramp-Jail Breakout on the Waterfront
A routine arrest for vagrancy at the Seattle railyards escalated into a chaotic chase, drawing a crowd of hundreds to witness the struggle.
- 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 Judge, The Dog, and the Mystery of the Missing Pet
A Tacoma judge’s peaceful afternoon nap is interrupted by a miraculous reunion with his beloved terrier, who vanished months ago.
- The Shipyard That Moved: How Hall Brothers Brought 500 Jobs to Seattle
As the nation debates tariffs and statehood, a major industrial shift is reshaping Seattle's economy. The country's largest shipbuilding firm has relocated its operations here, promising an immediate influx of workers and capital.
- Variety and Hilarity at Frye’s Opera House
A packed house in 1888 Seattle revels in everything from German mimicry to 'dashing soubrettes'—with one notable exception.
- The Great Flour Rush: Arkansas Millionaire Plans to Reshape Seattle’s North End
N.P. Elsenmeyer arrives from Little Rock with hundreds of feet of waterfront property and a promise to build a massive mill, sparking hopes for a new industrial boom in the city.
- 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 Great Rainier Climbing Debate
A classic Pacific Northwest squabble over who actually reached the summit of Mount Rainier first.
- The 'Sot Guilty' Scandal: How a Legal Loophole Freed a Murderer in Washington Territory
A detailed account of the chaotic grand jury proceedings in Port Townsend that resulted in the dismissal of an indictment against a man accused of killing his wife, exposing deep flaws in territorial law.
- The Great Freight War: Tacoma vs. Seattle
Seattle merchants accuse the Pacific Coast Steamship Company of deliberately starving the city of goods to favor rival Tacoma, sparking a public dispute over civic equity and economic survival.
- The Day Seattle Stood Still: A Century of Celebration on the Frontier
On July 4, 1897, Governor John H. Temple welcomed thousands of visitors to a parade so massive it stretched half a mile long, featuring floats from local industries and veterans of the Spanish-American War.
- The Bridge That Broke: Tacoma's Infrastructure Crisis and the Union Mutiny
As a vital bridge spanning the Puyallup River collapses under its own weight, Tacoma residents face logistical chaos while a separate maritime labor dispute erupts into violence on the docks.
- The Steel Giant That Will Double Seattle’s Population
An editorial analysis of the Moss Bay Iron and Steel Works in Kirkland, predicting how a single industrial site will transform King County into a manufacturing hub.
- The Smuggler's Shield: How a Seattle Customs Chief Defended Himself in Tacoma
In the height of the 1888 opium smuggling scandal, Chief Inspector Gardner takes the stand in Tacoma, claiming he was set up by political rivals to cover his own failures.