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 |
1,324 stories
- Seattle’s Fire Chief Outlines Urgent Modernization Plan
Newly appointed Chief J.F. McDermott details the department's struggle with outdated equipment and calls for a complete overhaul of alarm systems and engine house standards.
- The Great Seattle Rebound
A fiery defense of the city’s resilience following the Great Fire, dismantling rumors that the local economy had collapsed.
- The Anthracite Rush in Naches Pass
A new coal discovery near the mountains promises to be the most extensive field on the Pacific Coast.
- Tragedy on the Tracks: A Young Newsboy Crushed
A teenage news-agent is killed in a switching accident at the Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern railway yard.
- The Great Courthouse Debate
A citizen weighs in on the bitter feud over where to build King County's new courthouse, pitting the convenience of the downtown business district against the grandeur of the hill.
- Guy Phinney's Brick Building Rises First After Seattle Fire
How Seattle’s downtown business district—scorched by the Great Fire—was transformed by private investment into a modern, fireproof city in just over a year.
- The Iron Road Reaches the Snoqualmie River
As construction on the Snoqualmie branch of the Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railroad nears its completion, a new frontier town emerges on the South Fork of the river.
- Rising from the Ashes: How Seattle Met Its Great Fire
A look back at the resilience of the local business class in the immediate, charred aftermath of the 1889 Great Seattle Fire.
- The Hidden Alleys of Pacific Street
A look into the segregated and overlooked corners of Seattle's 1889 Chinatown, where children and passersby mingled with the isolated lives of Chinese women.
- The Millionaire and the Deputy: A Seattle Process Serving Scandal
A Tacoman millionaire tries to dodge a divorce summons, leading to a frantic game of cat-and-mouse in downtown Seattle.
- The Struggle for Seattle's Classrooms in 1889
A frank report from the city’s school leaders reveals a system straining under explosive population growth, inadequate facilities, and a desperate need for trained teachers.
- The Holy Legal Battle on Front Street
A Seattle church congregation takes their pastor to court, accusing him of locking them out of their own place of worship.
- The Textbook Battle of 1889
A territorial judge intervenes in a shady school board maneuver, protecting a private contract against a chaotic board meeting.
- The Narrow Escape of Tacoma
A painting shop blaze threatened to raze a downtown block, but a fast-acting fire department and a bit of luck spared the city from a worse catastrophe.
- The Perilous Life of a High-Flying Acrobat
An aerial gymnast recounts the brutal physical toll, the thrill of the heights, and the changing landscape of show business in the Pacific Northwest.
- The Tragedy of the Missing Mill Worker
A husband and father vanishes into the woods, leaving his family behind as the town whispers of a dark insurance scheme.
- The Miracle at the Bend
An engineer’s harrowing account of a toddler playing on the tracks, the desperate silence of the brakes, and an inexplicable survival.
- A Deadly Connection
A young Seattle telephone lineman suffers a horrific electrical shock while working, sparking a community plea for better workplace safety.
- The Balloon Boy of Seattle
A 12-year-old boy is snatched into the sky after becoming entangled in a hot-air balloon's rigging, leading to a desperate mid-air struggle.
- The Boom on the Bay: Seattle’s Economic Surge of 1888
New clearing house reports and shipping data reveal a city rapidly transforming from a frontier port into a commercial powerhouse.
- The Mysterious Case of the Missing Fan
A high-society mix-up at a Seattle art exposition sparks a frantic search, a secret engagement, and a lesson in the dangers of public gossip.
- The War on the Wharf-Eating Teredo
After five years of experimentation, a Seattle developer discovers that creosoted piles are the only way to save the city's waterfront from the voracious wood-boring mollusk.
- The Political Boomerang of 1889
An editorial reflects on a controversy involving a judge candidate and the toxic, defamation-heavy political climate of young Washington State.
- The Tragedy of the Salmon Bay Shipyard
A maritime accident in the newly developing industrial tideflats of late 1889 reveals the human cost of Seattle's rapid expansion.
- The Political Price of Free Trade in 1889
As Washington Territory prepared for statehood, a fierce political battle erupted over how the Mills Tariff Bill would impact local timber, coal, and iron industries.