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 |
4,679 stories
- Miners Clash at a Wilkeson Roadhouse
A quarrel over a woman and drinks ends in a shooting, sparking a community uprising in the coal-mining town.
- The Price of a Lost Limb
A teenager files suit after a gruesome factory accident left him permanently disabled while working on machinery.
- The Battle for Cheaper Lights
Mayor Campbell's administration faced intense pushback from the city council while attempting to dismantle an electric lighting monopoly.
- Smelter Boarding House Reduced to Ash After Brawl
A drunken dispute between boarders turned into an explosive inferno at the smelter district, leaving residents fleeing for their lives.
- Tragedy on the Muckleshoot Reservation
A jury convicts Jacky Smokalem of killing his wife after a fatal domestic dispute, while a local tribal leader's own heroism in the Indian Wars is recounted during the trial.
- Railroad Giant Grants Land Reprieve to Settlers
After losing the 'overlap' land court battle, the Northern Pacific Railway signals it will let families stay on their homesites.
- Domestic Abuse in the Care System
A Tacoma widow seeking work finds the woman paid to watch her children was beating them with a leather strap.
- The Final Stand of a Wanted Outlaw
A manhunt across Eastern Washington ends in a fatal shootout at a Spokane cabin.
- Refugees Fleeing the Russian Empire Reach Tacoma
Two Jewish merchants arrive in Tacoma after a thousand-mile sledge journey to escape military persecution in Vladivostok.
- Logging Camp Dispute Leaves Man Near Death
A violent confrontation at a Kapowsin logging camp results in a shooting that hospitalizes one worker and lands another in jail.
- The Con Man and the Tacoma Jail
After swindling banks for a half-million dollars, a notorious criminal is captured in Tacoma and offers an interview from behind bars.
- The Millionaire Forger in a Hospital Bed
A notorious mail robber and master forger is caught in Tacoma after a nationwide manhunt, but the city isn't letting him go just yet.
- A Predatory Property Theft
An Indigenous woman fights to reclaim land she says was swindled from her in a saloon transaction.
- The Fight Over Who Owns the Reservation
A legal battle over assessing Puyallup Indian lands triggers a debate on citizenship and taxation in the Superior Court.
- An Illiterate Man's Ten Acres Stolen for Ten Dollars
A local Indigenous man has sued to reclaim land he says he was swindled out of while intoxicated.
- Lost in the Quinault Wilderness
After a three-week search, the fate of a Tacoma hunter who vanished into the mountains is finally understood.
- Congress Opens Puyallup Reservation Lands to Private Sale
A federal decision ends long-standing ambiguity, allowing the Puyallup people to sell or lease their allotted lands and subjecting the property to taxation.
- 1904 Whitworth College Students and Faculty Challenge Board's Authority
A campus in crisis as trustees move to fire the president and faculty, sparking student protests and rumors of internal power struggles.
- Neighborhood Alert After Assault on Teen
A railroad worker was apprehended by police following an alleged assault on a girl in a shed near Jefferson Avenue.
- The City that the Railroad Built—and Abandoned
A scathing editorial on Tacoma's dependence on the Northern Pacific and the desperate need to diversify its transportation links.
- Two-Year-Old Vanishes in Seattle Kidnapping Mystery
A young child disappeared from a forested area near a popular summer resort, leaving behind a frantic search and local detectives suspecting foul play.
- Monopoly on the Rails
Tacoma shippers fight against Northern Pacific's refusal to grant access to competing railroads, stifling the city's trade.
- Republican Convention Erupts Over Railroad Regulation
A bitter, chaotic fight at the state GOP convention sees Eastern Washington reformers crushed by the party machine.
- The Iron Grip of the Railroad Lobby
Tacoma’s newspaper calls out the Northern Pacific for its historic dominance over city politics and its successful efforts to block competition on the waterfront.
- Tacoma’s Mayor Defends ‘Liberal’ Vice Policy
Mayor Wright responds to allegations that Tacoma is a hotbed of corruption, arguing that tax revenue from gambling is necessary for city operations.