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 |
|---|---|
| 1858 | 2 |
| 1860 | 2 |
| 1862 | 7 |
| 1863 | 1 |
| 1872 | 4 |
| 1876 | 42 |
| 1877 | 19 |
| 1878 | 3 |
| 1880 | 1 |
| 1882 | 2 |
| 1883 | 14 |
| 1884 | 2 |
| 1885 | 19 |
| 1886 | 6 |
| 1887 | 5 |
| 1888 | 20 |
| 1889 | 18 |
| 1890 | 1 |
| 1891 | 8 |
| 1892 | 42 |
| 1893 | 59 |
| 1894 | 35 |
| 1895 | 36 |
| 1899 | 1 |
| 1903 | 1 |
| 1904 | 8 |
| 1909 | 1 |
| 1910 | 1 |
360 stories
- The Ghost of a Shipwrecked Log
A bottle washed ashore at Cape Flattery brings a message from a ship doomed by fire, while a local business turns the tragedy into a strange marketing stunt.
- The High Price of Opium Smuggling
A ship's cook is arrested in Port Townsend after attempting to bribe an inspector to ignore a hidden cache of opium.
- The Fight Over Washington’s Missing School Sections
A Port Townsend case over “lieu lands” reaches a federal courtroom—and the title to hundreds of thousands of acres of school land.
- Tragedy at Sea
A squall off Cape Flattery claims the life of a captain's wife and child.
- The Messy Business of Mapping the Waterfront
A state land commission discovers chaotic record-keeping that effectively clouded the titles to Jefferson County’s prime waterfront property.
- The Collector’s Trap: A Seattle Customs Scandal
A clever merchant’s attempt to recoup a fine through a legislative loophole backfires, leaving him out $500 in an era of federal bureaucracy.
- A Heartbreaking Reunion Aboard the Dakota
The final journey of a dying man and his devoted wife captures the cruel reality of terminal illness in the pioneer era.
- The Great Sweep: Jefferson County Goes Republican for the First Time
In a historic political shift for Washington Territory, the newly elected county officers in Port Townsend take office, marking the first time Jefferson County has been governed exclusively by Republicans.
- The Fight for a Port Townsend Customs House
A Congressman makes a spirited plea to Washington D.C. for funds to house the booming commerce of the Puget Sound district.
- The Narrow Escape of the Ship Spartan
A historic vessel remains in Port Townsend Bay, a survivor of a devastating waterfront fire that nearly cost its captain his life.
- Midnight Collision on the Sound
A steam tug towing a barge is struck by an ocean-going ship in the dark of night, leaving the tug's crew scrambling for their lives.
- The Opium Sloop of Port Townsend
A routine smuggling bust on the Puget Sound uncovers a cargo of opium, a piano, and a fugitive deserter, sparking a legal struggle over seized property.
- Search for Missing Tugboat Crewman
Anton Anderson, a deckhand on the tug Holyoke, vanishes into the cold waters of Port Townsend after a night on shore.
- A High-Stakes Divorce and Property Battle
Catherine Philbrick files for divorce and moves to void property conveyances in the heart of Port Townsend.
- The Tragedy of the Tug 'Mogul'
A young seaman from Maine loses his life in the waters of Port Townsend after a fatal fall from his vessel.
- A Jurisdictional Clash Over the Port Townsend Belt Railway
Competing court orders lead to an unusual standoff between the local sheriff and a federal receiver.
- The Trial of John Trumbull
A Port Townsend lawyer is accused of facilitating the unlawful entry of Chinese immigrants into the United States via forged certificates.
- A Sick Hospital for Seamen
Senator Squire intervenes as reports surface about the wretched, dilapidated state of the Port Townsend Marine Hospital.
- Surveying the Frozen Frontier
Government engineers and international commissions prepare to map the contentious boundary between Alaska and British Columbia, impacting the future of vital salmon canneries and gold mines.
- The Steamship City of Seattle Runs Aground in Thick Fog
A dangerous collision with another vessel narrowly avoided, but the steamer finds itself high and dry on a Point Ringgold sandy beach.
- A Custom Official's Reputation Cleared
A malicious smear campaign against a Seattle official, fueled by Tacoma gossip, falls apart after the accuser retracts his claims.
- The Unsinkable San Pedro Stays Put
After two years and over $200,000 in salvage efforts, experts concede defeat on the wreckage of the steamer San Pedro.
- The Customs Wars at the Port of Townsend
A power struggle over maritime jurisdiction leaves a British ship detained and the business community in an uproar.
- Fire Destroys Port Townsend’s Marine Hospital
A defect in a flue triggers a blaze that consumes the upper floor and roof of the government hospital, forcing the evacuation of eighteen patients.
- Former County Clerk Sentenced for Embezzlement
William P. Fenimore receives the minimum sentence after a jury recommends leniency due to his 'exemplary character'.
Download all 360 as a spreadsheet (CSV) · Show them on the map