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.
Refine
Show the numbers
| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1854 | 1 |
| 1862 | 1 |
| 1865 | 1 |
| 1872 | 1 |
| 1876 | 21 |
| 1877 | 10 |
| 1878 | 8 |
| 1879 | 1 |
| 1880 | 6 |
| 1882 | 1 |
| 1883 | 19 |
| 1884 | 7 |
| 1885 | 24 |
| 1886 | 15 |
| 1887 | 10 |
| 1888 | 9 |
| 1889 | 33 |
| 1890 | 6 |
| 1891 | 26 |
| 1892 | 54 |
| 1893 | 63 |
| 1894 | 58 |
| 1895 | 63 |
| 1897 | 1 |
| 1898 | 1 |
| 1899 | 9 |
| 1900 | 1 |
| 1902 | 1 |
| 1903 | 23 |
| 1904 | 17 |
| 1907 | 2 |
| 1908 | 8 |
| 1909 | 38 |
| 1910 | 6 |
| 1911 | 2 |
| 1912 | 1 |
| 1914 | 4 |
| 1915 | 5 |
| 1916 | 6 |
| 1917 | 5 |
| 1923 | 3 |
| 1924 | 2 |
573 stories matching lock
- The Morning Glory Fizzle
A group of Vancouver Southern sympathizers attempted to print a campaign paper in Portland, only to have their equipment and their vanity locked away in a safe they couldn't open.
- Stanwood Child Attempts to Burn Down Family Home
After being locked in a room by his mother for unruly behavior, a five-year-old boy used matches to ignite a fire that nearly destroyed the family's restaurant apartment.
- The Great Northern Smuggling Case
A train conductor faces federal charges for allegedly attempting to transport Chinese passengers across the border.
- Inside Job Suspected at Mount Vernon Depot
The Great Northern depot in Mount Vernon was robbed of $40 in cash, suggesting the thief had intimate knowledge of the office.
- The Mud-Locked Road: Seattle’s 1878 Infrastructure Feud
A bitter war of words erupts in the press over the impassable Snoqualmie road and the 'cheek' of local politicians asking for funding they refused to spend.
- The 'Snake' Delusions of Thomas McManus
A man’s frantic attempts to escape imaginary pursuers leads to a series of captures and a medical examination in rural Adams County.
- The Populist Orator's Family Sues Tacoma Over a Bruising Arrest
James H. Ross and his wife seek $15,080, alleging that police locked up a screaming child and treated the family indecently after a theft charge.
- A Tacoma Pastor Played Detective and Freed a Girl Locked in a Room for Ten Days
Rev. F. H. Groom of the Central Christian Church did the detective work that released a 16-year-old girl from what the paper called 'involuntary white slavery'; her alleged captor, 18-year-old Tony Millioa, sits in the city jail.
- The Building of South Aberdeen
Real estate developers promote the rapid expansion of rail infrastructure and 'land-locked' deep water port access in the booming industrial town.
- A Fire, a Locked Door, and a Daring Escape
A local reverend barely survived the blaze that destroyed his home in Black Diamond by shattering a window to escape the flames.
- The Lawyer Locked Out
A prominent Tacoma politician finds himself stranded on the street in his gym clothes after a drafty gymnasium door leaves him quite exposed.
- Marshal Narrowly Survives Jailhouse Shootout
A prisoner in Colfax, suspected of being a relative of the James brothers, opens fire on the police chief while being locked in a cell.
- The Desperate Choice of John Thomas
A hungry and freezing man purposefully steals trousers in broad daylight, hoping for an arrest and a winter meal in the county jail.
- The Potato Patch Fraud
A federal investigation reveals that a 'homestead' in Everett was nothing more than a few spuds and a locked door.
- A Miner, a Revolver and a Pair of Suspenders
John Purse had lived in the coal town of Wilkeson for eighteen years. In one drunken night he shot his eldest son, was locked in the town jail, and hanged himself before anyone could stop him.
- The Topic Saloon Pipe Heist
Two men were arrested after an early morning smash-and-grab at a downtown saloon’s outdoor cigar showcase.
- Relics of a Coast Salish Landing Found Beneath Seattle’s Locks
Stone tools and bone implements from an old Native American gathering place have been classified and added to the University of Washington’s Coast Salish collection.
- The Jailhouse Drinker of Tenino
A clever prisoner manages to steal a gallon of whiskey while locked in a closet by using a funnel and his own fingers.
- The Engine House Was Locked—and the Janitor Was at Church
When two fires broke out in Seattle's Chinese quarter, the engine house was locked and the janitor held the key. Bystanders put out the flames—and the paper demanded a fire department overhaul.
- Tacoma Printers' War Against the Ledger
A standoff in Tacoma pits union printers against a newspaper management that replaced them with imported 'rat' labor.
- Naming a Peak for an Infidel
Local climbers conquer a previously unclimbed mountain and name it after a controversial figure.
- An Umbrella, A Locked Door, and a Young Girl's Ordeal
A teenager finds herself an unwilling prisoner in a Pacific Avenue hotel room after a chance meeting on a streetcar leads to an alleged theft and coercion.
- The Garment Workers' Cross-Country Crusade
Two strikers from St. Louis arrive in Everett to rally local labor against the unfair practices of the Marx & Haas firm.
- A Locked Door, a Dead Wife, and Three Doctors' Verdict
Spokane's rumor mill churns after a restaurateur finds his young wife dead on the floor of their locked room—until a physician's panel rules out foul play.
- A Bloody Melee at the Saloon
A violent brawl involving 'tramps' and razors spills out onto the streets of Spokane Falls, ending with multiple arrests.