Research the archive

• “bear” ×

1. The Bear on the Hoquiam Trail

   A hunting party encounters a formidable bear while tracking game, resulting in a fierce struggle and the eventual demise of the animal.

   Aug 6, 1891Aberdeen HeraldHoquiam, Grays Harbor CountyStrange But True

2. Bears on Driftwood and Bridge Washouts in the Skykomish River

   Heavy rains trigger a freshet in the mountains, leading to washed-out bridges and one very calm bear navigating the rapids on a log.

   Jun 15, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSkykomish River, Gold Bar, Snohomish CountyDisasters

3. The Great Apple-Thieving Bear of Seattle

   Local boys and a captain team up to take down a persistent bruin that had been raiding a private orchard.

   Aug 28, 1886Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyStrange But True

4. The Bear at 8th and Cherry

   An early morning kitchen encounter with a cub ends abruptly for a Seattle resident.

   Aug 25, 1893The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyStrange But True

5. A Dangerous Scuffle in the Ahtanum Orchard

   A local man narrowly survives a hand-to-claw wrestling match with a bear in his orchard.

   Aug 27, 1891The Yakima HeraldAhtanum Valley, Yakima, Yakima CountyStrange But True

6. Miners Win Hearing Against Northern Pacific Land Grab

   After the railroad tried to claim their properties, miners in the Marshall Lake district have secured a hearing before the General Land Office to prove the land is mineral-bearing.

   Aug 26, 1909The Newport Miner (Newport, WA) 1899-CurrentNewport, Pend Oreille CountyWork & Pay · Follow the Money

7. Dr. Hannibal Mills and the Self-Impelling Motor

   An aspiring inventor blames 'poison rum' for his recent legal troubles and pleads his case in the newspaper.

   Mar 3, 1893The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyBoom & Bust · Local Legends

8. A Close Encounter in the Ridgedale Addition

   A carriage ride turns tense when a black bear crosses the road near the city's edge.

   Jul 7, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerTacoma, Pierce CountyStrange But True

9. The Bear That Earned Its Salt

   A traveling menagerie arrives in Pullman, offering a rare glimpse into the oddities of frontier entertainment and the community's skeptical gaze.

   Nov 24, 1888Pullman HeraldPullman, Whitman CountyStrange But True

10. Bears Saved from Madison Street Blaze

    A photograph gallery fire triggers a frantic rescue of two captive bears at the Lake Washington terminus of the cable line.

    Aug 15, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyDisasters

11. A Royal Hunt in Kitsap

    Seattle businessmen celebrate a successful bear hunt in Kitsap County, reflecting the leisure activities of the city's elite.

    Jul 15, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyStrange But True

12. The Art of Roping a Bear

    After a close call with a grizzly, a local man returns to the wilderness to capture a cub with a lariat for the town's amusement.

    Sep 10, 1891The Yakima HeraldMoxee, Yakima, Yakima CountyStrange But True

13. The Great Maple Valley Bear Panic

    When a black bear wandered into their backyard, a frontier couple abandoned their home and fled on horseback to escape the 'ferocious' beast.

    Jun 19, 1887Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerMaple Valley, King CountyStrange But True

14. An Uninvited Mill Hand

    A black bear wanders into the city limits to inspect a lumber mill, leading to a frantic encounter with local residents.

    Oct 22, 1891Aberdeen HeraldAberdeen, Grays Harbor CountyStrange But True

15. The Grizzly at Point Defiance

    A silver-tip grizzly escapes its cage at Tacoma's Point Defiance Park, wounding three park employees before being put down to protect the zoo’s deer and elk.

    Apr 4, 1904The Tacoma TimesPoint Defiance Park, Tacoma, Pierce CountyStrange But True

16. Miners Urged to Revolt Against the Northern Pacific Land Grab

    The Spokane Mining Review calls on miners across a million acres of mineral-bearing land to file protests before the railroad locks up the ground under them forever.

    May 28, 1895The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSpokane, Spokane CountyWork & Pay · Follow the Money

17. The Great Puma Panic: How a Loose Cat and a Lucky Dog Sparked Chaos at Leschi Park

    In the early days of Seattle's municipal parks, a puma escaped its cage, chased a terrier into a bear pit, and nearly cost the zookeeper his bones in a brawl that read like a cartoon.

    Apr 1, 1899The Seattle StarLeschi Park, Seattle, King CountyStrange But True

18. The Motherhood Suffrage Bill

    Legislators propose a bizarre measure to tie the right to vote to child-bearing, sparking fury among suffrage activists in Olympia.

    Jan 23, 1909The Tacoma TimesOlympia, Thurston CountyCity Hall · Strange But True

19. The Breakfast Guest That Wouldn't Leave

    A morning meal in rural Washington is interrupted by a massive bear, leading to a desperate struggle at the farmhouse window.

    Mar 23, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerChehalis, Lewis CountyStrange But True

20. Bear Hunt on Main Street

    A surprise visitor causes a stir in a small town.

    Dec 23, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerMain Street, Wilbur, Lincoln CountyStrange But True

21. The Pit and the Claw: A Tacoma Man’s Terrifying Tale of Surviving a Bear Attack

    Larsen describes the agony of being pinned in a bear trap, his arm crushed by the beast's jaws, and his desperate fight for survival in the woods near Schomaker.

    Mar 7, 1899The Seattle StarTacoma, Pierce CountyDisasters

22. An Unexpected Huckleberry Picnic

    A timber claim worker in the mountains above Dayton comes face-to-face with a 250-pound visitor while foraging for berries.

    Jul 13, 1903The Evening StatesmanTouchet River, Dayton, Walla Walla CountyStrange But True

23. Gold Rush Near Chewelah: 50 Claims Staked After Rich Strike

    A gold-bearing ledge assaying over $1,100 per ton sparks a rush of claim locators east of Chewelah, Washington.

    Jun 2, 1910The Newport Miner (Newport, WA) 1899-CurrentChewelah, Stevens CountyFollow the Money · Boom & Bust

24. The 'Bear of Third Street' Prank

    A group of rowdy boys in 1880s Seattle found a cruel way to terrorize women walking home alone at night.

    Nov 2, 1880The Daily IntelligencerThird Avenue, Seattle, King CountyStrange But True

25. The Hunter Hunted: A Seattle Man Shot for a Bear

    A Seattle man traveling to Port Townsend to file for government land is mistaken for a bear and shot by a school teacher in the dense brush.

    Sep 12, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerPort Townsend, Jefferson CountyStrange But True

Download all 819 as a spreadsheet (CSV)