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 | 3 |
| 1883 | 35 |
| 1884 | 11 |
| 1885 | 18 |
| 1886 | 10 |
| 1887 | 9 |
86 stories
- The Fight for the Schoolhouse Ballot
When women in Olympia were finally allowed to vote in a school board election, they turned out in force, defying expectations and voting for education against the grain of local political orthodoxy.
- The Fight for Washington’s Soul
Legislators clash over a proposal to split the Washington Territory, revealing deep-seated animosity between the eastern and western regions.
- Should a Woman Lead Washington Territory?
Following the Territorial Legislature's grant of suffrage, a public meeting has petitioned the President to appoint a woman as Governor.
- The Tax Collector’s Quiet Heist in Thurston County
Assessments against “unknown owners,” doubled fees and $9,000 in illegal exactions left property titles tangled and taxpayers furious.
- Olympia’s Blackest Day: A City on the Brink of Ruin
A recent fire in the state capital exposes the desperate need for modern water works and steam engines, as Olympia’s leadership warns that 'any morning may see the balance of the city in ruins.'
- The Shortage Scandal: County Officials Missing Funds
A wave of missing funds across Washington Territory has exposed several deputies and treasurers as they slip away, leaving empty accounts in their wake.
- An Insurance Scandal on the Seattle Waterfront
After his steamer burned to the waterline, a captain takes to the newspapers to publicly shame the insurance companies refusing to pay his claim.
- Territorial Legislators Eye Rail Monopoly
A new memorial in the Washington Territorial Assembly seeks to return vast tracts of land to the public domain, citing the Northern Pacific Railroad's failure to build mandated lines.
- The Resurrection of the Big Chief
A Mud Bay man wakes from a trance to declare himself a prophet, leading hundreds of Indigenous followers into town in a solemn, chanting procession.
- When Washington Territory Granted Women the Vote
A rare 1884 report reflects on the early, controversial experiment of woman suffrage and the inclusion of women on juries.
- Lincoln County Carved Out
Legislative battle ends in the creation of a new county despite local opposition.
- Can a Railroad Cut Timber on Public Land?
Judge Hoyt rules on the definition of 'adjacent' lands, a decision with major implications for Northern Pacific’s expansion in Washington Territory.
- The Great Tax Assessment Revolt
Citizens and officials clash in Olympia over whether property should be assessed at 'full cash value' or kept artificially low to protect against Territorial overreach.
- The Forgotten: Advocating for Washington Territory’s Deaf, Blind, and Feeble-Minded Children
A compelling 1885 editorial highlights the territorial government's failure to educate citizens with disabilities, framing their exclusion as both a moral failing and a future burden.
- The Insurance Company That Refused to Pay
After his steamboat, the Wildwood, burned at the dock in Olympia, Thomas Quail publicly denounced the insurance companies that refused to settle his claim.
- The Captain, the Thief, and the Midnight Chase
When a suspected cattle rustler boarded a steamer to flee across the border, a determined captain navigated a tense confrontation at the Olympia wharf.
- The 1885 Fight to Protect the Workingman’s Tools and Bedding
A proposed territorial law sought to expand property exemptions from debt, shielding everything from a mechanic's tools to a family's bedding from creditors.
- The Right to Seize Silent Tracks
In 1886, territorial legislators debated a radical bill to reclaim abandoned railroad rights-of-way, arguing that the public interest outweighed corporate ownership.
- The Logger's Protective Association
After enduring wage cuts and rising costs, Washington's loggers begin organizing to push back against a legislature that seems determined to strip away their protections.
- The Bid to Bring the Rails to Olympia
When the Puget Sound and Gray's Harbor Railroad Company looked to move its terminal away from the shallow waters of Little Skookum Bay, a committee of Olympia’s finest set out to land the contract.
- The Boomtown Rhythms of Olympia
A report on the rapid industrial growth, real estate speculation, and social life transforming the capital city.
- The Struggle for an Inland Connection
Citizens of Olympia gather to fund and build a new rail line toward the Pacific to break the town's isolation.
- The Fight for a New County: Skagit vs. Whatcom
Legislative debate over splitting Whatcom County highlights the perennial struggle of managing geography and infrastructure in the growing Washington Territory.
- The Ethics of the Free Rail Pass
A territorial representative is caught accepting a railroad pass while charging the government for travel expenses, prompting a sharp rebuke on political corruption.
- The Uninvited Territorial Appointment
Citizens of Washington Territory rail against meddlesome outsiders and the President’s power to appoint their governor.