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 | 2 |
| 1858 | 2 |
| 1859 | 3 |
| 1861 | 3 |
| 1862 | 9 |
| 1863 | 2 |
| 1865 | 1 |
| 1871 | 1 |
| 1872 | 8 |
| 1876 | 38 |
| 1877 | 31 |
| 1878 | 31 |
| 1879 | 5 |
| 1880 | 7 |
| 1882 | 6 |
| 1883 | 65 |
| 1884 | 27 |
| 1885 | 45 |
| 1886 | 23 |
| 1887 | 23 |
| 1888 | 41 |
| 1889 | 77 |
| 1890 | 19 |
| 1891 | 86 |
| 1892 | 153 |
| 1893 | 155 |
| 1894 | 131 |
| 1895 | 192 |
| 1897 | 9 |
| 1898 | 25 |
| 1899 | 47 |
| 1900 | 9 |
| 1902 | 5 |
| 1903 | 97 |
| 1904 | 92 |
| 1905 | 5 |
| 1907 | 8 |
| 1908 | 60 |
| 1909 | 133 |
| 1910 | 43 |
| 1911 | 5 |
| 1912 | 5 |
| 1914 | 16 |
| 1915 | 32 |
| 1916 | 67 |
| 1917 | 26 |
| 1918 | 2 |
| 1922 | 4 |
| 1923 | 21 |
| 1924 | 7 |
| 1925 | 5 |
1,909 stories matching oper
- The Usk Station Forgery
A railroad operator's attempt to cash stolen money orders in Newport leads to a swift arrest and a multi-year sentence.
- Tacoma Takes the Reins of Interurban Rail
Consolidation moves the entire Interurban Electric system operations and repair shops from Kent to Tacoma.
- Telegraph Operators Walk Out Nationwide in 1883
Across the nation and deep into the Pacific Northwest, 22,000 workers have walked off the job in a massive clash against the Western Union monopoly.
- Spokane Phone Strike Sparks Boycott Threat
Labor organizers in Spokane threaten a city-wide boycott of the telephone company, though Walla Walla unions keep their distance.
- The Beer Trust Comes to Seattle
Three major local breweries have consolidated into the 'Seattle Brewing and Malting Company' to eliminate cutthroat competition.
- The Promoter Who Built a Town on Paper
J.K. Edmiston promised Columbia City buyers houses, church sites and Rainier Avenue lot profits. They got a lawsuit and a clouded title.
- The Check Passers: Seattle Sheriff Breaks Up a Coastwide Confidence Ring
Four alleged ringleaders—including a man known to police in three cities and a woman wanted in Everett for a jail break—are arrested in Seattle.
- Newport Telegraphers Brace for a Strike Over the Nine-Hour Day
With Newport as headquarters for the Great Northern grievance committee, operators await a national conference that will decide whether the new federal nine-hour law is applied—or fought.
- The Broken Promise of the Rail
Farmers organize a protest against a railroad company for failing to operate the line between Tacoma and Seattle as contractually obligated.
- The Renton Coal Mine Reopens
A new co-operative venture aims to reopen the long-shuttered Renton coal mine, promising jobs and coal at fair prices for the community.
- A Boy Carrying His Little Brother Dies After a Fall on Fence Rails
Fifteen-year-old Stanley Tarbox of Usk stumbled while giving his six-year-old brother a piggyback ride. Days later, an intestinal obstruction killed him on the operating table in Spokane.
- The Loophole Draining Washington's Industrial Insurance
Employers are gaming the system to dodge accident premiums, leaving responsible businesses to foot the bill.
- Seattle’s Short-Lived Ambition to Become a Whaling Hub
A newly formed San Francisco company eyes Seattle as the base for its North Pacific whaling operations.
- Federal Court Takes Control of the Lake Shore Railroad
After legal intervention, a federal receiver takes the helm of the beleaguered Lake Shore and Eastern line, keeping operations under the Northern Pacific contract.
- 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 Price of a Perfect Apple
How the struggle to market 'seconds and culls' reveals the hidden cracks in the Pacific Northwest’s fruit economy.
- Feared Lost in the Wellington Avalanche, a Newport Operator Writes Home
City Clerk Britton's brother was reported missing after the deadliest avalanche in U.S. history. He was actually in an Everett hospital and has returned to duty.
- Spokane Workers Spark Telephone Revolution
A labor strike by telephone operators prompts a move toward an independent, city-wide network to break the grip of a monopoly.
- The Struggle for the Seattle Mills
Striking workers at the Seattle mills face a stalemate as employers struggle to find enough non-union labor to maintain operations.
- The Mail Carrier's Perilous Muck
A routine trek between Mukilteo and Priest's Point nearly turns deadly for a mail carrier trapped in the marsh.
- The Opium Dealer Next Door
In the early days of Seattle, a Chinese merchant operated not just a grocery, but an 'intelligence office' and opium den on Washington Street.
- Railroad Operator Arrested for Money Order Forgery
After stealing blank money orders from the Western Express Co. in Usk, a railroad operator was apprehended in a Newport saloon.
- A Cheery Booster Lost
A White Bluffs orchard worker dies following a failed medical operation in Yakima.
- Coroner's Jury Clears Elevator Operator in City Hall Fatality
A janitor's death in the elevator shaft was ruled an accident, as the operator testified he believed the path was clear.
- The Divine Healer Who Left a Trail of Duped Women
Letters to Tacoma's prosecutor tied a self-styled 'divine sympathizer' to frauds in Eugene, Bellingham and beyond — and to a wife and children he claimed were outside his 'psychic sphere.'