Research the archive
Narrow 22,457 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 | 59 |
| 1858 | 23 |
| 1859 | 27 |
| 1860 | 12 |
| 1861 | 86 |
| 1862 | 77 |
| 1863 | 63 |
| 1864 | 31 |
| 1865 | 10 |
| 1871 | 11 |
| 1872 | 140 |
| 1876 | 799 |
| 1877 | 667 |
| 1878 | 526 |
| 1879 | 64 |
| 1880 | 179 |
| 1882 | 130 |
| 1883 | 731 |
| 1884 | 393 |
| 1885 | 837 |
| 1886 | 483 |
| 1887 | 484 |
| 1888 | 440 |
| 1889 | 1,301 |
| 1890 | 266 |
| 1891 | 1,023 |
| 1892 | 2,551 |
| 1893 | 2,661 |
| 1894 | 1,989 |
| 1895 | 376 |
| 1896 | 2 |
| 1897 | 20 |
| 1898 | 76 |
| 1899 | 445 |
| 1900 | 106 |
| 1901 | 1 |
| 1902 | 34 |
| 1903 | 1,202 |
| 1904 | 993 |
| 1905 | 112 |
| 1907 | 17 |
| 1908 | 42 |
| 1909 | 939 |
| 1910 | 163 |
| 1911 | 141 |
| 1912 | 62 |
| 1914 | 239 |
| 1915 | 271 |
| 1916 | 479 |
| 1917 | 289 |
| 1918 | 39 |
| 1919 | 5 |
| 1920 | 1 |
| 1922 | 14 |
| 1923 | 142 |
| 1924 | 126 |
| 1925 | 58 |
112 stories
- The Water Wars: Irrigation Company Agents Arrested for Sabotage
A desperate battle over water rights in the Yakima Valley turned explosive when engineers were caught dynamiting a rival company's dam.
- The Man Who Came Back from the Tundra with $1.8 Million
Nels Peterson sinks his fortune in a Yukon steamboat, hits rock bottom in Nome, then strikes it rich on a bench claim—arriving in Seattle with enough gold to buy a city block.
- The Colfax Contempt: A Honeymoon on the Chain Gang
In a bizarre twist of justice and timing, D. Franklin Squibb married his new bride just weeks after his divorce was finalized—only to find himself serving hard labor for contempt of court.
- A Near-Fatal Train Wreck Averted by a Rooftop Signal
A head-on collision between a passenger train and a freight train on the outskirts of Kennewick results in mass wreckage but miraculous survival.
- The Razor’s Edge: A Wenatchee Family Erased in One Night
On July 13, 1905, Charles H. Davis, a former bartender, killed his wife and infant son before taking his own life at their Boone Avenue home.
- The Blueprint for a Desert Oasis
Federal engineers release a comprehensive plan to tame the Yakima River, setting the stage for decades of regional irrigation development.
- The Confessions of 'Hike' Hall
A gray-haired stranger arrested in Toledo, Washington, admits to a string of killings and claims he does society a favor by making men 'good.'
- Water War Hits Federal Court
A legal fight over irrigation rights moves from local courts to the federal circuit, testing whether government officers can be overruled by state injunctions.
- The City Says 'No' to the Power Barons: Wenatchee Rejects Electric Company Buyout
In a bold move for municipal independence, the Wenatchee City Council rejects a $100,000 offer to buy the local electric plant, citing exorbitant prices and inadequate infrastructure.
- The Trusted Watchman’s Secret Life
After 16 years of loyal service, a Hoquiam mill watchman is caught red-handed with a secret kit of burglary tools.
- A Near Miss for Kennewick’s Warehouse District
A passing locomotive sparked a blaze in the sagebrush that nearly razed the town's lumber yards and warehouses.
- The Mystery of the Amal Bar
A man lies dead in a Spokane saloon with no identification but a letter from 'Maggie' and a question about a baby.
- The Battle for the Washtucna Coulee
A railroad and the government clash over a plan to turn a vital transportation artery into an irrigation reservoir.
- The Great Irrigation Shortchange
Washington's arid lands remained parched while millions of dollars in federal irrigation funds, contributed largely by Washington and Oregon, were diverted elsewhere.
- The Sunnyside Canal Sale
Irrigation officials discuss selling the Sunnyside Canal system to the U.S. government to secure Yakima Valley land rights.
- The Looming Water Wars of the Yakima River
Prosser Falls Irrigation Company threatens litigation against upper-valley users, claiming their senior water rights are being drained by newcomers.
- The Bureaucratic Battle for the Yakima Valley’s Water
Federal engineers issue an ultimatum: clear the state’s land claims or lose government irrigation for the entire region.
- The Fight for Yakima Valley Water Rights
State officials abandon their opposition to federal reclamation investigations, clearing the way for government-led irrigation projects.
- The $5,400 Handshake
A state land commissioner faces a Supreme Court battle over whether he can bypass a high-dollar bid for school lands in favor of a personal deal.
- Racial Violence Erupts in Blaine
A confrontation between Japanese and white residents leaves five injured in the border town.
- The Wheat Pool Revolt
Central Washington farmers organize a massive collective bargaining effort to set their own price for the harvest.
- Major Wholesale District Fire Strikes Spokane
A Tuesday morning blaze destroys $150,000 in property, threatening an entire block along Railroad Avenue.
- The Struggle for North Yakima’s Beet Sugar Fields
Federal authorities authorize the leasing of Yakama Reservation land to a sugar beet corporation, setting strict conditions for tribal employment and long-term land improvements.
- Taming the Yakima: A Massive Engineering Overhaul
Facing record-low river levels, the Northern Pacific Irrigation Company launched an extensive repair project to shore up their dam and ensure the region’s water supply.
- The North Coast Railway Sets Sights on Yakima Valley
Robert E. Strahorn announces a new system of steam railways designed to dominate unoccupied territory and connect remote coal and agricultural districts to North Yakima.