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 |
2,855 stories
- The $100,000 Heartbreak in Federal Court
A Port Townsend woman sues her former fiancé in a sensational trial involving alleged hotel scandals, religious ultimatums, and a dramatic cross-country journey.
- City Hall's Petty Wars and the Cost of Patronage
Seattle's water and fire departments are being crippled by the 'reform' administration's obsession with political spoils and patronage over efficiency.
- Pushing for the Puyallup Reservation Bill
Seattle property owners pressure U.S. Senators to open the Puyallup reservation for development.
- Renton Vigilantes Tear Up Railroad Tracks
After failing to secure an injunction against the Oregon Improvement Company, fed-up citizens of Renton took matters into their own hands and destroyed a controversial spur track overnight.
- The Corpse, the Fire, and the Vanishing Policy
William Radloff disappeared after putting a corpse in his house and torching the structure. With his life-insurance policy now lapsed, his wife has filed no claim—leaving Seattle to wonder what really happened.
- The Mayor's Private Police Force
A police commissioner resigns after Mayor Ronald demands the dismissal of specific officers to clear the way for his own political appointees.
- The Bank of Shelton Collapses
Creditors force closure of the Mason County institution following reports of bad management and dwindling public confidence.
- Uprising on the Colville Reservation
Indigenous residents are firing the brush and driving off encroaching prospectors in a desperate attempt to protect their land from white invaders.
- The Political Machine Chugs to Life in 1892
Seattle's John H. McGraw clinches the Republican gubernatorial nomination, signaling a shift in the balance of power between King and Pierce counties.
- The Political Gamble of the Century
How King County forced the hand of the state Republican convention to secure John H. McGraw as their gubernatorial pick.
- The End of the Snoqualmie Toll
After years of litigation, King County settled a dispute with a private wagon road company, finally opening the Snoqualmie Pass route to the public for free.
- Tacoma City Council in Total Chaos
Local taxpayers move to overthrow the entire city government following a series of corruption charges and aggressive infighting between the council and the board of public works.
- A Landmark Hotel Burns, and a Sawyer Dies Trying to Save His Trunk
The International Hotel in Blaine, the first large hotel in the county, was destroyed by fire, killing Ed Jacobson, a head sawyer who went back for his belongings.
- King County Democrats Revolt Over an Anti-Canal Platform
At the 1892 state Democratic convention, a plank against the Lake Washington canal so enraged Seattle Democrats that many vowed to vote for Republican John H. McGraw — “patriotism first, partisanship after that.”
- The Ship Canal Double-Cross at the Democratic Convention
Seattle's delegates went to Olympia ready to die on the canal plank. Their own campaign manager had already sold them out.
- Salmon War on the Waterfront
Seattle fishermen organize a new union to challenge cannery owners over falling fish prices.
- A Young Hero of the Sound
While canoeing near Tacoma, a young boy risks his life to rescue his brother and a friend from drowning in the icy waters of the Sound.
- The Corporate Ballot: A Senate Seat for Sale
Democratic candidate Col. C.W. Griggs claims he can deliver the votes of 6,000 Great Northern Railway laborers to win a Senate seat, sparking a fierce clash over political integrity and union coercion.
- The Telegraph's Sudden Pivot
Seattle paper accused of selling out to Tacoma interests over the Lake Washington canal.
- The Bureau of Charities Files for Guardianship of Five Children
A legal battle begins to rescue five children from a mother who allegedly forced them into begging and prostitution.
- The Senatorial Candidate Who Claimed 8,000 Votes
A railroad tycoon attempts to treat his employees' votes as corporate property, drawing sharp condemnation from local editors.
- The Veterans' Colony at Port Angeles
A dedicated movement settles hundreds of Union veterans in a planned colony, promising a new boom for the Olympic Peninsula.
- Pacific Northwest Lumber Barons Push for Price Fixing
A secret meeting in San Francisco may spell the end of independent competition in the region's most vital industry.
- Canada’s Naturalization Papers Denied at the Border
Federal authorities reject the residency status of Chinese British subjects, sparking a test case for immigration restrictions.
- The Sarah B. Yesler Hotel Opens its Doors
A new institution for working women, championed by the city's society women and funded by Henry L. Yesler, officially opens to a crowd of one thousand.