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 |
1,830 stories
- The Anti-Catholic Crusade That Filled a Seattle Hall
In 1895, an overflow crowd packed a Masonic hall on Pike Street to hear the American Protective Association promise a nativist 'second grand army' against the Catholic Church.
- A Razor and a Riot in Seattle's Tenderloin
A crowded Italian saloon at Third and Washington erupted into a free-for-all that took a squad of police to break up—and left the neighborhood talking.
- Seattle Aldermen Kill Scurry's Confirmation in a Jiffy
A raucous 1895 council session turns into a fight over public works, unemployment relief, and a telephone monopoly.
- Mount Rainier Was Smoking, and Olympia Noticed
In January 1895, a correspondent watching through a glass saw great volumes rising from the summit — and wondered whether the mountain had awakened.
- The Tugboat Race to a Distant Sail
Off Cape Flattery, crews raced rivals for incoming ships and went months without seeing home — while rum-drunk gulls kept them company.
- The Detective, the Forger, and the Silverton Fiancée
Detective Sam Sumner captures a smooth-talking con man who posed as a Northern Pacific railroad official and nearly married into a Silverton family.
- When Seattle's Mayor Took on Poverty: The 1895 Charity Bureau Meeting
At the Chamber of Commerce, Mayor Byron Phelps and local leaders discussed unemployment, aid to families, and the growing demand for relief during a depression year.
- A Legal Dispute Over Ballard's City Debt
Attorney Fred H. Peterson defends his professional reputation after being accused of negligence by the Ballard City Council.
- The Battle for the Steamer Delta
A bitter dispute over ownership and control of a Puget Sound steamer leads to a legal standoff and a libel suit.
- The School Fire Drill Revolution
Seattle’s fire chief praises the rapid evacuation of public schools, where students now clear buildings in under two minutes.
- A Fierce Windstorm Batters Tacoma
An unusual east-northeast gale shakes the bluff, topples chimneys, and sends ships drifting across the harbor.
- The Courthouse Bond Battle
King County commissioners face a high-stakes decision on competing bonds from I.W. Maple and A.P. Mitten, sparking a debate over political influence versus business integrity.
- The Petrified Frog of Newcastle
A geological curiosity unearthed 700 feet below the surface in a local coal mine.
- The Willapa Prepares for the North
A new steamship line launches its pioneer vessel to capture the growing trade between Puget Sound and Alaska.
- The Child Left at Lake Sammamish
An 1895 letter to the editor describes a 12-year-old girl given to an Indigenous couple near Lake Sammamish, and the neighbors who wanted county officials to remove her.
- The Pigeon Shoot That Turned Tacoma's Traps Into a Free-for-All
Seattle's Stevens outgunned Tacoma's Ed Barlow 85 to 76 before a roaring crowd, while side bets, civic rivalry, and a rogue band of skirmishers turned a genteel trap match into barely controlled chaos.
- The Smooth-Talking 'Distressed Brother' Who Worked the Masons
An impostor posing as a stranded fellow Mason bilked lodges from coast to coast. Seattle's United Lodge No. 92 — whose safe was cracked last summer — believes it unknowingly armed him with the forged receipts he used to collect.
- The Girl Who Wanted to Make a Sensation
A 15-year-old from Los Angeles was stopped at Yesler dock on her way to a Tacoma elopement—and told Seattle police she had only been bored.
- The Night Seattle's Athletes Took On Tacoma and Found a Champion
A packed Armory crowd watched the Seattle Athletic Club's indoor meet, where H. H. Connor won the diamond-studded Hansen medal and Tacoma took the relay.
- A Public Separation on the Courthouse Steps
A Tacoma couple’s attempt to end their marriage in Seattle ends in a public spectacle of incompatibility.
- The Bathtub Comedy That Saved the Day
A struggling young couple in a Seattle play find their only salvation in a piece of furniture that isn't quite what it seems.
- The Midnight Saloon Bill Fails in Olympia
Washington state legislators reject a proposal to force saloons to close at midnight, with some arguing that patrons should be allowed to stay warm by the fire.
- The Library Was Closed Because the Landlord Wouldn't Turn Up the Heat
In 1895, Seattle's public library shut its doors over a $25 balance, unpaid rent, and a landlord who promised warmth 'in the spring.' City Council considered a rescue.
- The Grandfather, the Grandson, and the Five Acres That Vanished From the Deed
Seymour Wetmore meant to give 14-year-old Clyde a share of the family farm. A guardianship fight and a pair of recorded deeds left the boy with nothing—so the old man is suing to undo the transfer.
- England Wants Glacier Bay: A Seattle Miner’s Alaska Warning
Miner W. Bruce tells Seattle that Britain’s boundary claim would seize the Lynn Canal trail and Glacier Bay—and hand the Alaska tourist trade to Canadian Pacific steamers.