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 |
|---|---|
| 1883 | 2 |
| 1889 | 2 |
| 1890 | 22 |
| 1891 | 153 |
| 1892 | 130 |
| 1893 | 85 |
| 1894 | 72 |
| 1895 | 7 |
| 1903 | 5 |
| 1909 | 1 |
| 1910 | 4 |
| 1912 | 2 |
| 1914 | 3 |
| 1923 | 3 |
| 1925 | 1 |
492 stories
- The Souvenir That Sold Washington by the Page
A state pamphlet meant to promote Washington at the World's Fair gave Tacoma ten pages and Aberdeen not a line—unless towns paid. South Bend's mayor had already refused.
- The Women Who Would Make Aberdeen Dry
A Sunday mass meeting and a state W.C.T.U. leader restart the local temperance crusade.
- Eighty Couples and a Brass Band: Aberdeen's Firemen Throw a Third-Anniversary Dance
The volunteer department celebrates three years with a free dance at Koehler's hall, drawing guests from across Grays Harbor.
- Aberdeen Fishermen Hold the Line for a Better Price
The fishermen's union signs for 4 cents a pound—nearly triple the buyers' opening offer—and vows to stay with the contract as packers try to undercut it.
- Two Respected Sea Captains Caught Smuggling Cigars at Gray's Harbor
Capt. C. B. Hughes and Capt. John C. Reed were bound over for trial after unstamped Mexican cigars turned up in a Hoquiam drug store.
- The Rich Dodge the Tax Collector While the Rest of Us Pay
A labor paper seethes over a Supreme Court ruling that let corporations issue stock dividends tax-free — and demands the working class stop carrying the burden of government.
- The Oil That Bought a Port: How New York Tycoons Turned Aberdeen into a Petroleum Hub
While the town buzzes with lumber and politics, a quiet deal is reshaping Grays Harbor’s economy. Ex-Mayor Grace of New York has secured exclusive rights to ship timber from Aberdeen to his oil fields in Peru, proving that local resources are now tied to global capital.
- The Prairie Schooner Pilgrims: From Texas to the Timber Barons
Two men from a thirty-strong wagon train arrive in Aberdeen after a six-month odyssey across the continent, proving that even with poor roads and vast distances, Grays Harbor is the new promised land for ambitious settlers.
- The Great Liquidation: Herman Wise’s Desperate Plea to Sell Everything in Aberdeen
A frantic letter from a Seattle merchant to his Aberdeen agent reveals the volatile nature of late-19th-century real estate and retail, urging a fire-sale 'regardless of cost' as business conditions sour.
- The Last Laugh on the Tariff: A Farmer’s Satirical Roast of McKinley
In a December 1890 edition of the Aberdeen Herald, a poem titled 'Better Than a Gold Mine' mocks President-elect William McKinley’s protectionist policies with biting wit.
- The Tragic End of a Wishkah River Dog
A local Aberdeen canine displays an unsettling, deliberate act of self-destruction in a town where human-interest stories often took a dark turn.
- The Baron Who Couldn't Speak a Word: How Two German Nobles Found Home in Aberdeen
In January 1902, two German barons arrived in Washington state with no English and a fortune to spend. While one settled near Chehalis, the other’s brief stop in Seattle revealed the city's growing cosmopolitan charm—and its linguistic barriers.
- The Price of Prejudice
A local editor slams a former prosecutor for wasting public money on a frivolous, anti-Chinese lawsuit.
- Aberdeen’s New Landmark Hotel
Investors raise $30,000 for a grand four-story hotel to anchor the city’s booming downtown.
- The Burglar and the Sleeping Giant
An attempted break-in on the Hoquiam road ends in a bizarre failure when the thief discovers the occupant's surprising immunity to being disturbed.
- Aberdeen Capitalists Eye Mexican Sugar Trade
Local investors pour $120,000 into a grand scheme to import sugar cane production from Sinaloa, Mexico.
- Will Aberdeen Get a Grand Hotel or Just More Offices?
Prominent developers W. P. Book and Samuel Benn are ready to construct a massive, fireproof building on Heron Street, but the ultimate purpose of the structure remains a local question.
- The Telegraph Arrives in Aberdeen
A Western Union crew arrives to modernize the city's connection to the outside world.
- The Great Chicken Flood of 1892
When the waters of Grays Harbor rose in the night, the town's backyard livestock paid the ultimate price in a bizarre local tragedy.
- Aberdeen Council Bickers Over Bridge Purchase
A procedural stalemate arises as council members argue over the best way to secure bonds for the city’s acquisition of the Heron Street bridge.
- Mill Whistle Stampedes Team
A local teamster suffers serious injuries after a mill whistle spooks his horses, leading to a runaway accident.
- Major McKinley's Interplanetary Campaign
A satirical set of questions directed at the inhabitants of Mars, lampooning the economic protectionism of the 1892 presidential campaign.
- Is Immigration the Key to Worker Wages?
A local editor argues that the recent stoppage of immigration due to a 'cholera scare' provides an accidental experiment in labor supply and demand.
- The Banker and the Brass Brick
An unnamed Aberdeen financier fell for the classic 'antique gold' swindle, paying $5,000 for a metal bar that turned out to be mere brass.
- Aberdeen Establishes Its First Board of Health
A newly passed city ordinance formalizes local medical oversight and mandates reporting of contagious diseases to combat epidemics.
Download all 492 as a spreadsheet (CSV) · Show them on the map