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
- Two Respected Sea Captains Caught Smuggling Cigars at Gray's Harbor
Capt. C. B. Hughes and Capt. John C. Reed were bound over for trial after unstamped Mexican cigars turned up in a Hoquiam drug store.
- The Vanishing of Seth Catlin
Seth Catlin, 18, of Tacoma, disappeared while camping in the foothills of Mount Rainier. His horse was found tied to a tree, his canoe missing, and the river is being dragged for his body.
- The Corpse in the Drifting Boat
A body found in an open boat in the Strait of Juan de Fuca leads authorities to a sealing schooner and a missing companion. Was it murder, or did both men drown?
- Fire at Tchewasan: A Point Roberts Indigenous Village Loses Homes and Orchards
Five houses and 27 tents burned near Point Roberts, prompting an Indian agent to bring bedding and food to a hard-working community.
- The Night the Wasco Lost Power in Peavine Pass
Heavy seas swept the Bellingham Navigation Company steamer Wasco, broke her piston rod and blew out a cylinder head before the State of Washington rescued passengers and towed her into Anacortes.
- The Bondholders Take the Terminal Elevator
After years of litigation, the Seattle Terminal Railway Elevator and Warehouse properties are sold at sheriff's sale to the bondholders for $34,178.66, clearing title and opening the way for larger wheat shipments.
- Fifteen Property Owners Say the Yesler Avenue Assessment Is Illegal
Residents petition City Hall against a reassessment for grading Yesler Avenue—formerly Mill Street—arguing the work was already paid for, the statute of limitations has run, and the city has no authority to charge them twice.
- The Burglar Who Found Religion—and Then Turned Himself In
Elijah Brown, an escaped Kansas convict who had been converted at a Salvation Army meeting in Seattle, walked into police headquarters and surrendered to Chief Rogers.
- A Streetcar Line Asks Seattle for Fifty Years and No Streetlights
The Union Trunk line petitions the city council to extend its franchise from twenty-five to fifty years and drop its obligation to light the streets along its routes.
- Seattle's Revenue Cutter Heads to Bering Sea to Crack Down on Seal Poachers
The U.S. revenue cutter Grant sails from Seattle for Sitka and the Bering Sea, carrying orders to seize illegal sealers; two fast new launches are being built at Port Townsend.
- The Stone Capitol Olympia Was Promised
Architect Ernest Flagg says the foundation is finished and bids are about to go out for a fireproof statehouse—one built to last, if the legislature will pay for it.
- Everett Hands Its Water Away for Fifty Years
In a single night the council grants a private water company a half-century franchise — a free drinking fountain and city-hall water in exchange — while also founding a public library and selling off the fire team.
- Tacoma Sealed Its Waterfront Deal With a Telegram
The city council approved a tide-land plat after railroad and land-company officials promised rights-of-way and waterways—over dissenters who wanted more than long-distance assurances.
- The River Would Not Give Seth Catlin Back
After Seth Catlin drowned, his father and a crew of searchers fought an eight-mile-an-hour current with fish nets and telegraph wire.
- The County Farm That Feeds the Poor—and Buries Its Unknown Dead
Diked, drained and worked by its own patients, King County's poor farm on the Duwamish is nearly feeding itself, with a new potter's field filling at its southern edge.
- Steamboat Showdown: Mabel vs. Clan McDonald on the Snohomish
A Friday afternoon steamer race from the mouth of the Snohomish River to Priest Point drew a crowd to the Everett wharf, with both captains claiming victory.
- A Secret Prize Fight in the Southern Woods
A small group of spectators gathered in a secluded nook to watch a 'scientific contest' between two local pugilists.
- The National Guard Prepares for Reorganization
Washington's National Guard faces a major shake-up as new state laws mandate a reduction in companies and a focus on target practice and efficiency.
- A False Alarm on Second Street
Police rushed to a residence expecting a gruesome tragedy, only to find a quiet house and a domestic misunderstanding.
- Canoe Capsizes on Lake Washington
Two men were rescued by a passing steamer after their canoe was swamped by high winds near Madrona Park.
- A City Divided Over Disease
As scarlet fever spreads through Seattle, the Board of Health and the House of Delegates clash over funding for an inspector, leaving the city vulnerable.
- A Bribe Offer on the Witness Stand
A Tacoma gambling inquiry turned stranger when the police chief mentioned an attempted payoff—then declined to name names before Friday.
- Two Chinese Men, Forged Papers, and the Exclusion Law's Long Reach
Federal officers in Seattle charged Wah Ah Ling and Wang Chong with being in the country illegally, setting off a paper chase over certificates, residence and a Washington Street address.
- After the Roslyn Mine Disaster, Widows and Children Get Their Settlement
Nearly all lawsuits from the Roslyn mine explosion were settled, with each widow offered $1,000 and each child $100 in exchange for releasing the company from further liability.
- An Acre of Mine Fell In. His Estate Wants $20,000.
Thomas Anderson died in a December 1894 cave-in at the Carbon Hill mine. In Tacoma, his administrator alleges the company was negligent and seeks $20,000.