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 | 53 |
| 1858 | 1 |
| 1859 | 7 |
| 1860 | 13 |
| 1861 | 59 |
| 1862 | 65 |
| 1863 | 46 |
| 1871 | 1 |
| 1872 | 14 |
| 1876 | 9 |
| 1877 | 11 |
| 1878 | 7 |
| 1879 | 3 |
| 1882 | 3 |
| 1883 | 36 |
| 1884 | 11 |
| 1885 | 18 |
| 1886 | 10 |
| 1887 | 9 |
| 1888 | 6 |
| 1889 | 57 |
| 1890 | 8 |
| 1891 | 221 |
| 1892 | 194 |
| 1893 | 107 |
| 1894 | 18 |
| 1895 | 113 |
| 1897 | 2 |
| 1899 | 1 |
| 1902 | 1 |
| 1903 | 23 |
| 1904 | 5 |
| 1905 | 1 |
| 1908 | 1 |
| 1909 | 94 |
| 1910 | 7 |
| 1911 | 11 |
| 1912 | 4 |
| 1914 | 11 |
| 1915 | 8 |
| 1916 | 11 |
| 1917 | 3 |
| 1919 | 1 |
| 1922 | 1 |
| 1923 | 13 |
| 1924 | 2 |
| 1925 | 10 |
1,310 stories
- Washington Kept Dodging Its Own Congressional Map
After the 1890 census gave Washington a second representative, the state spent years avoiding the required division into two congressional districts.
- The Free Train Passes That Kept a Senate Seat in Play
In Olympia, a deadlocked legislature, a withdrawn reform candidate, and John L. Wilson's railroad-funded lobby decide who will represent Washington in the U.S. Senate.
- Tacoma Moves to Halt the New State Capitol—and Seattle Cheers
A Tacoma Chamber of Commerce petition urged lawmakers to stop work on Washington's capitol until land values were settled. Seattle's chamber had just endorsed the opposite, and the House committee chairman blamed 'a few bankrupt land speculators.'
- The Railroads Beat the Farmers in Olympia
A bill to cut freight and passenger rates across Washington goes down in the state Senate after a bruising fight, handing the railroads their biggest Northwest victory yet.
- The Railroad Rate Bill Dies in the Senate—and the Palouse Wants Answers
Washington's Helm freight-rate bill passed the House overwhelmingly, then fell in the Senate. Farmers calculated the loss in dollars; editors told voters to remember the senators who killed it.
- The Case of the Tampered Transcript
A legal battle over a contested election takes a dark turn when unauthorized documents appear in the official court record.
- Lawmakers Pocketed Mileage for Railroad Passes They Rode Free
A Tacoma editor accuses Washington legislators of charging the state for travel they never paid for — and then shouting for reform.
- Employers Fight Washington's Eight-Hour Law for Women
Employers traveled to Olympia by special train to argue that women workers didn't want shorter hours, sparking a legislative firestorm.
- The Fight to Curb Judicial Overreach
A radical proposal to strip Washington courts of the power to declare state laws unconstitutional sparks a fierce debate in the legislature.
- The Eight-Hour Day: Who Gets It and Who Doesn't?
A definitive ruling clarifies that Washington’s landmark labor protections were intended for physical toil, not office work.
- The Looming Birth of a State
As Washington prepares for statehood, the race is on to secure housing and logistics in Olympia for a surge of arriving politicians and militia.
- The Governor's 'Miraculous' Absence
Did Washington's Governor fake an illness to tilt a Senate election?
- The Governor’s Office Emptied
Acting Governor Laughton faces accusations of legal overreach and depletion of state funds, leading to a clash with Governor Ferry.
- Tacoma Manager William Roberts Drowns in Rowboat Capsizing
A husband and father drowns in sight of his family after a small boat capsizes off New Amsterdam.
- The Mystery of the Altered State Tax Law
A suspicious, unexplained edit to an enrolled bill threatens to protect railroads from paying their fair share of taxes.
- The 1914 Ballot: Restricting Alien Land Ownership
Voters face a pivotal constitutional amendment determining if non-citizens can own property within municipal borders.
- The State’s Missing Millions
A massive, systemic theft within the Industrial Insurance Commission leaves taxpayers and contractors to foot the bill while officials stay silent.
- The Expense Account Scandal
An investigation by the state bureau reveals that the Industrial Insurance Commission chairman was padding his vouchers to cover personal travel and family expenses.
- The Great Tax Tug-of-War at the Capitol
As the 1923 state legislature convenes, competing demands for state-funded projects and tax relief pit town against town, leaving lawmakers in a fiscal deadlock.
- Olympia's Legislative Marathon
New lawmakers end the tradition of weekend breaks, mandating a full six-day work week while lobbyists keep the capitol's social scene fueled.
- The Legislative Tangle in Olympia
Washington's 1923 legislative session is paralyzed by competing agendas from farmers, labor unions, and corporate lobbyists.
- The High Stakes of Olympia's Final Session
Legislators face political uncertainty as the 1923 session nears its end, with debates over taxation and state spending threatening to ignite the 1924 campaign.
- The Governor’s Power Grab
New executive bills give Governor Roland H. Hartley unprecedented control over state agencies, budgets, and tax assessments.
- Defending the Union in the Territory
As the Civil War ignites, an editorial calls on Thurston County residents to mobilize and reject neutrality.
- Olympia Trustees Protest County Seat Move to Tumwater
Olympia trustees fight to keep the county seat, accusing Tumwater commissioners of political maneuvering and bad faith in property dealings.
Download all 1,310 as a spreadsheet (CSV) · Show them on the map