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 |
1,332 stories
- College in Mourning After Sudden Death
A tragic appendicitis operation claims the life of Whitman Academy student Caroline Bassett, bringing grief to the campus.
- Commencement at the Opera House
A packed Opera House celebrates the graduation of three nurses from the Walla Walla Hospital.
- The Price of Freedom
A local man chooses to serve time in the county jail rather than have his cash bond seized to pay his legal fines.
- Shotgun Wedding Party: A Close Call in Ping Gulch
A celebratory charivari turns dangerous when wedding guests accidentally riddle the newlyweds' home with lead.
- The Town Council Invites the Cattle to Roam
In a baffling policy shift, the city abolishes the poundmaster, effectively turning the downtown streets and the courthouse lawn into free-range grazing land.
- A Mid-Winter Success at Whitman
Student body cheers alumni leader after a successful circus fundraising effort despite bad weather.
- The Walnut Grove Tax Swindler
An imposter is visiting homes in the Walnut Grove addition, masquerading as a deputy treasurer to shake down residents for fake tax debts.
- The Ghost in the Church Window
A young man encounters a spectral presence behind a local church, sparking a mystery that has the town of Kalama whispering.
- The Whole Thing
A heated clash between a city councilman and the acting mayor erupts over procedural power struggles.
- The Rent Strike Scheme Next Door
A clever tenant proposes a noise-based sabotage plan to force a landlord into a lower rent agreement.
- The Flagpole Mystery at Whitman College
A red and green sweater displayed as an effigy on the conservatory flagpole has students speculating on freshman-sophomore rivalries and campus politics.
- A Father’s Long Journey to Reclaim His Daughter
A desperate father travels to Colfax to bring his teenage daughter back home after she was found in a locked room.
- The Uncertain Fate of a Convicted Killer
Edward Spencer awaits transfer to the Walla Walla penitentiary, sparking speculation about his potential work assignment behind bars.
- Young Boy Shot in Accidental Gunfire
A tragic lapse in judgment by a group of boys near Waterville led to a severe injury.
- The Domestic Toll of 'Race Suicide'
A skeptical response to President Roosevelt's rhetoric on birth rates, highlighting the physical, financial, and emotional costs of motherhood at the turn of the century.
- Trades Council Denies Political Endorsement
Union leadership speaks out to clarify that labor organizations are not backing candidates in the city election.
- An Etiquette Dispute Over a Business Letter
A Walla Walla man takes deep offense at the formal address used in a professional letter to his wife, revealing the rigid social anxieties of the era.
- Harvest Disappointment on the Flat
Walla Walla farmers return from Pleasant View with grim reports of wheat yields well below expectations.
- The Local Harness Heist
A string of barn burglaries in Walla Walla leads police to suspect a prolific thief is targeting local agricultural equipment.
- Federal Bureaucracy Stalls Salmon Hatchery Plans
The State Department blocks a joint American-Canadian salmon hatchery on the Fraser River, leaving Washington officials to fend for themselves.
- Clairvoyant Wins Divorce Suit
A woman who supported her family as a fortune teller successfully petitions the court for an absolute divorce.
- The Sad Tale of a Funeral Con
A man in mourning clothes successfully swindles a local funeral director out of three dollars under the guise of grieving for his dead wife.
- Prominent Pioneer Olive Delaney Dies After Surgery
A life spanning the cross-country emigrant trails to the settlement of the Walla Walla valley ends following complications from an operation.
- The Prosecution's Gamble for a Fine
A legal dispute arises in superior court over whether the state can garnish a cash bond to pay a criminal fine, rather than letting the convicted man serve time.
- Produce Bottleneck Hits Local Growers
A regional shortage of rail cars leaves potato and vegetable shipments languishing in Walla Walla warehouses.