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.
Refine2 on
Show the numbers
| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1882 | 1 |
| 1883 | 6 |
| 1884 | 5 |
| 1885 | 15 |
| 1886 | 4 |
| 1887 | 1 |
32 stories
- The Siege of Port Blakely
When mill workers organized for better conditions at the Port Blakely mill, the company responded by calling in the National Guard, turning a labor dispute into a military occupation.
- The Tragedy at Port Blakely
A brutal killing on the bridge at Port Blakely sparks an investigation into the violence and instability fueled by alcohol access.
- Knights of Labor Force Displacement of Chinese Workers
The Port Blakely Mill Company agrees to terminate its Chinese workforce following organized pressure from local labor groups.
- The Charity Case Who Came Back a Brutal Husband
Port Blakely mill hands passed the hat for a crippled co-worker and sent him home to Kentucky. He came back married — and the town's justice of the peace had to take his wife away from him by night.
- The Tragedy of the North Star: A Lost Crew and a Community’s Grief
Fifty-two days after departing for San Diego with a heavy timber load, the brig North Star is officially presumed lost, leaving a community to reckon with the perils of the Pacific and the cost of the lumber boom.
- A Laborer's Hazard at Port Blakely
A tally man suffers a catastrophic injury on the docks while working a pile shipment.
- The Struggle for the Eight-Hour Day
While Seattle’s mills slash hours and wages amid a lumber market slump, labor organizers face stiff resistance from manufacturers and owners.
- The Last Voyage of a Lost Boat
A tragic discovery on Bainbridge Island confirms the worst fears regarding a missing young man.
- Fatal Brawl in Port Madison
A domestic dispute involving a mill worker and a lighted lamp ends in a deadly fire.
- The Clam Bake That Defined a City
When a visiting delegation of Midwesterners arrived in 1886, Seattle citizens didn't just host them—they illuminated the hills and threw a massive communal feast on the Sound.
- The Boss’s Iron Rule at Port Madison
At the isolated timber colony of Port Madison, the mill owner maintains total control over his workers' lives—and is preparing to banish any employee who dares frequent a new saloon.
- A Logger's Close Call
A Bainbridge Island logger survives a horrific accident after accidentally slicing his own wrist.
- Inside the Mammoth Port Blakely Sawmill
A reporter visits the industrial powerhouse of Bainbridge Island, where steam-fed saws and massive shipments connect the Pacific Northwest to the world.
- A Journey to the Timber Powerhouse of Port Blakely
An eye-witness account of the massive industrial machinery and global trade routes operating just nine miles from Seattle in 1883.
- The Shipyard Walkout at the Port Blakely Mill
When an employer mandated a ten-hour workday, laborers staged a strike that pitted the mill's authority against the collective will of the workers.
- The Eight-Hour Day Battle at the Port Madison Mill
After the mill workers in Port Madison held a meeting to demand the eight-hour day, they successfully pressured management into alignment with the major mills in Tacoma and Seattle.
- Loggers' Narrow Escape
A dangerous workplace accident on Bainbridge Island leaves a logger hospitalized in Seattle.
- A Night Watchman's Final Request
A Port Madison worker predicts his own death and seeks to settle his affairs in a haunting, sudden passing.
- The Industrial Heartbeat of Port Madison
A century-old giant of the timber trade hits record-breaking production levels as demand for Washington lumber skyrockets.
- The Ghost Ship of Port Madison
A mysterious, unmanned scow drifts into the bay, sparking speculation about the missing crew.
- The Unlucky Mill Worker
A workplace accident at the Fort Blakely mill results in a serious injury for a local laborer.
- A Frontier 'Scraping Match' in Fort Blakely
A rough-and-tumble dispute between two citizens reveals the volatile nature of 1880s Puget Sound life.
- The Great Clam Bake of 1885
A Seattle party crosses the Sound to Port Blakely, where local Indigenous hosts treat the visitors to a massive, traditional clam bake that captures the awe and appetite of the pioneer era.
- The Clam-Bake Diplomacy of 1885
When a visiting excursion party arrived in Seattle, they were treated to a massive, industrial-scale clam bake at Port Blakely—and the spectacle of geoduck-sized clams that baffled the visitors.
- The Rapid Rise of Eagle Harbor
A quiet settlement nine miles from Seattle transforms into a thriving community with a school and regular preaching.