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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.
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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1854 | 1 |
| 1859 | 1 |
| 1862 | 3 |
| 1863 | 1 |
| 1864 | 1 |
| 1872 | 1 |
| 1876 | 15 |
| 1877 | 10 |
| 1878 | 10 |
| 1880 | 4 |
| 1882 | 4 |
| 1883 | 2 |
| 1884 | 4 |
| 1885 | 11 |
| 1886 | 10 |
| 1887 | 5 |
| 1888 | 5 |
| 1889 | 17 |
| 1890 | 1 |
| 1891 | 7 |
| 1892 | 18 |
| 1893 | 24 |
| 1894 | 18 |
| 1895 | 26 |
| 1897 | 1 |
| 1898 | 1 |
| 1899 | 8 |
| 1900 | 2 |
| 1902 | 2 |
| 1903 | 12 |
| 1904 | 10 |
| 1907 | 1 |
| 1908 | 2 |
| 1909 | 18 |
| 1910 | 3 |
| 1911 | 4 |
| 1912 | 1 |
| 1914 | 3 |
| 1915 | 4 |
| 1916 | 4 |
| 1917 | 2 |
| 1918 | 1 |
| 1923 | 1 |
| 1928 | 1 |
| 1929 | 1 |
281 stories matching plea
- A Family’s Quiet Plea for a Daughter
In an era of hard labor and rugged expansion, one Seattle couple sought to expand their home through an adoption request published in the local paper.
- The Struggle to Build the Territorial Penitentiary
A desperate plea from the prison board for funding to build essential living quarters, highlighting the dire state of the Washington Territorial Penitentiary in 1887.
- The Plea of an Ex-Convict
A man caught breaking into a North End residence claims poverty drove him to steal, sparking a brief glimpse into the struggle for survival in 1910s Tacoma.
- The Venison Peddler of South Tacoma
A Thurston County man finds the local market for illicit game isn't as lucrative as he hoped after a run-in with a game warden.
- The Search for a Missing Horse
A classic 1876 plea for the return of a stolen or wandered animal highlights the reliance on equine transit in pioneer-era Seattle.
- The Search for Zinham's Cattle
A classic Pacific Northwest plea for missing livestock offers a window into the daily rhythm of 1877 Seattle.
- A Prospector's Plea for Support
A former Yukon miner writes to the editor asking for help to fund a prospecting expedition.
- A Call for a Waterfront Mission
Chaplain Stubbs makes a plea to the First Presbyterian Church to move the Seamen's Friend Society closer to the busy Eleventh Street bridge.
- Eight Months Forgotten in the County Jail
Charles K. Steele sat in the Tacoma jail awaiting trial until the evidence, the witness, and finally the prosecutor's memory all vanished — so he pleaded to a lesser charge and walked out in 90 days.
- The Price of a Madison Street Robbery
A young man is sentenced to prison after holding up a bystander at knifepoint.
- A Plea for Safety: Katharine Mackey’s Divorce Filing
A woman sues for divorce on grounds of cruelty, alleging her life is in danger from her husband, Timothy.
- A Husband's Public Plea After Wife Departs
Lee Smith seeks the apprehension of his wife and three children after she left the city to start a new life with another man.
- The Tragic End of a Young Woman in Love
A nineteen-year-old Seattle woman dies by suicide after a romantic disappointment, sparking local gossip about strychnine and heartbreak.
- A Woman’s Plea for Autonomy in 1892
After decades of marriage, Margaret Brown files for divorce, seeking to secure her household goods and land against a husband she says has abandoned and abused her.
- The State Supreme Court Shuts Down Bremerton Saloons
The high court denies a plea to keep saloons operating, marking a legislative victory over the liquor trade.
- The Struggle for a Collapsing Bank
A legal power struggle unfolds between the Washington National Bank of Tacoma and federal regulators.
- The Man Who Paid to Live: A Tacoma Resident’s Plea for Relief
In an era of unchecked capitalism and political corruption, one man in Tacoma offers a stark, personal testament to the crushing weight of poverty—proving that even in the 'Land of Opportunity,' survival is not guaranteed.
- A Fatal Jealousy in the City's Red-Light District
A jilted lover kills a woman at a brothel on West Third Street after she refuses his plea to return to him.
- The Desperate Plea of a Hungry Man
A homeless worker chooses jail over starvation after failing to find employment in Seattle.
- City Council Rejects Safety Standards for Electrical Workers
The Everett City Council ignored the desperate pleas of local electricians for basic workplace safety ordinances.
- The Fight for Tacoma’s Pool Rooms
City council weighs whether to lower the age limit for young men in Tacoma's billiard parlors.
- The Blackmail Artist of Seattle
A man attempts to extort cash from his former employer by sending letters from behind bars, only to find himself trapped by the very schemes he designed.
- Teachers Weep Over the Ruthless Slaughter of Birds
A visiting conservationist urges Tacoma educators to abandon feathered hats in protest of plume hunting.
- The Secret Cockfight that Ended in a Riot
A high-stakes cockfight in Tacoma, held behind barred doors, descended into chaos and threats of police exposure when a referee declared a controversial draw.
- The Great Disenfranchisement Fight
Legislators clash over an apportionment bill that threatens to strip the growing eastern population of representation, sparking fears of a political outrage.