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 Ghost in the Boarded-Up Cottage
A reporter’s late-night stakeout of a supposedly abandoned home reveals mysterious machinery and strange chemical equipment.
- The Sheriff’s Frustration with Aberdeen’s Courts
A local officer vents his rage at the judicial system after a robbery investigation falls apart.
- The Devil-Fish of the Chehalis
Two local fishermen survive a terrifying encounter with a massive, tentacled monster in the waters of Grays Harbor.
- The Broken Promise of the City Water System
Aberdeen’s municipal water works are failing, and the city’s struggle to move residents away from private systems reveals a tangle of missing infrastructure and unfair billing.
- The Town Debt Showdown
Aberdeen citizens pack the Chamber of Commerce to argue whether to bail out city finances or force delinquent land-barons to pay their share.
- Aberdeen’s Municipal Debt Gamble
City council seeks to exceed debt limits to fund municipal operations and bridge purchases.
- Home of Boom Overseer Destroyed by Fire
Passengers on the Clan McDonald discover a house engulfed in flames while passing, but it is too late to save the structure.
- Grays Harbor Voters Skeptical of McGraw's Ditch Scheme
A visit from Republican gubernatorial candidate John H. McGraw leaves local voters cold as he doubles down on the controversial Lake Washington canal project at the expense of local harbor interests.
- Vigilante Threat Forces Ocosta Resident Out of Town
A 'White Cap' warning left on a door successfully intimidated a local man into leaving town within 24 hours.
- A Vashon Rancher's Bizarre Gift
A post-office clerk finds herself in an awkward position after a regular patron deeds her five acres of his property.
- The Battle Over Seattle’s History
Pioneer C. B. Bagley takes to the pages of the P-I to correct misstatements about the city's early development and street history.
- A Stabbing, a Secret, and a Domestic Dispute on Tenth Street
An officer lies about a stabbing to 'protect' a woman, revealing a messy local entanglement involving a jealous husband and a neglected child.
- The Great 'Ram's Horn' Railroad Conflict
A proposed plan to reroute Seattle’s waterfront rail tracks onto the 'Ram's Horn' right-of-way promises to end the city's long-standing struggle with grade crossings.
- The Carpenter Who Went to Jail on Principle
A local carpenter faces jail time after refusing to pay a poll tax, equating his plight to the political climate of Tsarist Russia.
- Drowned in the San Juan Islands
A sailing excursion from Victoria to Anacortes ends in tragedy when an experienced sailor vanishes during a sudden storm.
- The Price of Reform: A New Inspector and a New Horse
The city's 'reform' administration creates a new office for a political supporter and is immediately asked to fund a luxury buggy.
- The War on the Hop Aphis
As hop growers in Puyallup and Kent prepare for the season, a new state law empowers the horticulturist to force farmers to spray for pests.
- A Daughter’s Rescue from a Predator
Following a previous dismissal due to a missing witness, a man is rearrested for an attempted criminal assault on a young girl.
- East Side Workers Demand a Free Bridge
Fed up with paying tolls while their taxes fund empty infrastructure projects elsewhere, east side residents threaten to block city bond measures.
- Expulsion of Two Chinese Laborers
Two Chinese men fleeing Victoria are apprehended near the Quiniault reservation and prepared for deportation.
- The Boycott of the Famous Shoe House
Nine clerks are arrested for libel after attempting to organize an 'early closing' movement by boycotting a merchant who refused to shut his doors at 6 p.m.
- An Escape Ends in the Sound
A teenage prisoner, wanted for larceny in Everett, chooses the water over custody and drowns while fleeing transport.
- Fireboat Failure at the Waterfront
Public outcry mounts after Seattle's fireboat fails to save the burning steamer Flyer, leading to a command shake-up.
- Expulsion of Chinese Laborers
Two Chinese men arrested at a cannery are sent to McNeil Island before deportation.
- A Tense Welcome at the Pier
Tacoma celebrates a new trans-Pacific trade route, but the arrival of Chinese passengers aboard the Phra-Nang serves as a dark reminder of the city's history of expulsion.