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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 | 3 |
| 1858 | 1 |
| 1859 | 5 |
| 1860 | 5 |
| 1861 | 6 |
| 1862 | 7 |
| 1863 | 3 |
| 1864 | 1 |
| 1872 | 12 |
| 1876 | 57 |
| 1877 | 49 |
| 1878 | 15 |
| 1879 | 1 |
| 1880 | 19 |
| 1882 | 10 |
| 1883 | 49 |
| 1884 | 40 |
| 1885 | 75 |
| 1886 | 37 |
| 1887 | 52 |
| 1888 | 28 |
| 1889 | 122 |
| 1890 | 20 |
| 1891 | 116 |
| 1892 | 204 |
| 1893 | 227 |
| 1894 | 213 |
| 1895 | 305 |
| 1897 | 7 |
| 1898 | 22 |
| 1899 | 61 |
| 1900 | 5 |
| 1902 | 5 |
| 1903 | 103 |
| 1904 | 90 |
| 1905 | 9 |
| 1907 | 7 |
| 1908 | 29 |
| 1909 | 110 |
| 1910 | 28 |
| 1911 | 16 |
| 1912 | 5 |
| 1914 | 13 |
| 1915 | 18 |
| 1916 | 47 |
| 1917 | 15 |
| 1918 | 3 |
| 1922 | 2 |
| 1923 | 6 |
| 1924 | 5 |
| 1925 | 4 |
| 1928 | 3 |
| 1929 | 7 |
2,302 stories matching question
- The Test of Conscience for Seattle’s Citizen Militia
Company E implements a rigorous questionnaire for recruits, aiming to filter out labor unionists and drinkers in an era of intense industrial unrest.
- Major McKinley's Interplanetary Campaign
A satirical set of questions directed at the inhabitants of Mars, lampooning the economic protectionism of the 1892 presidential campaign.
- The Pony Legislature’s Last Stand
In Olympia, a defiant territorial delegate denies rumors that the 'rump' legislature met to move the state capital away from Seattle.
- The Civic Tug-of-War Over Sewer Expansion
Seattle weighs a massive bond measure for sewers, raising questions about accountability and who benefits from public infrastructure.
- The Political Primary of 1912
Everett voters head to the polls to narrow down candidates, with the 'wet or dry' saloon question looming over the civic contest.
- The County Seat Was in the Courtroom
Defendants in a Snohomish debt suit tried to derail the case by arguing the county seat had moved to Everett—and that the court was therefore sitting in the wrong place.
- The Butcher Who Wouldn't Count His Cows
A census enumerator demanded Louis Kirchan report exactly how many animals his packing house slaughtered each year. Kirchan said no such records existed. The federal government arrested him.
- A City Divided Over Its Water: Newport's Council Fights Over the Carter Springs Warrants
A taxpayer lawsuit over warrants for Carter Springs split Newport's council, with the mayor warning the city could not afford a $30,000 water plant.
- The Judge Takes the Stand
A trial in the superior court becomes heated when a Seattle judge takes over the cross-examination of a land agent.
- Police Raid Pike Street Poker Room
Seattle authorities seize gambling paraphernalia from a cigar store, leading to a test case for local law enforcement.
- Walla Walla Questions Paying Twice for Water Rights
City officials and the press lock horns over a costly, potentially unnecessary land acquisition for a municipal gravity water system.
- A Circular Saw Opened His Skull. He Is Still Answering Questions.
A week after a circular saw tore into his head, Stetson remains lucid in Seattle, and his doctor says the wound shows no inflammation.
- Ione Wants to Incorporate — Unless the Sawmill Has to Join
Residents pushed for town incorporation, but the Panhandle Lumber Co. and neighboring landowners balked at being included; the saloon question hovered over the whole fight.
- Yakima Jail Overflowing with 'Drunk and Disorderlies'
A frustrated prisoner asks a pointed question as the city lock-up fills up with residents.
- A Municipal Debt Crisis
Chehalis County commissioners find themselves over their legal debt limit, triggering a halt on all warrants and a potential bond issuance.
- The Battle for Yesler’s Hall: Court vs. Convention
As Seattle prepares for the Republican Territorial Convention in August 1876, a scheduling conflict with the District Court raises questions about civic priority and power.
- The Great Greenback Tug-of-War
A Seattle reader squares off against national editors over the power of the government to define the value of money itself.
- The Battle for the Assessor’s Office
A Seattle taxpayer challenges the hiring of a deputy, sparking a tense public exchange in the press over bureaucratic authority and civic competence.
- Speculators Send a Surveyor to San Juan, and a Boundary Dispute Turns Hot
Americans from Victoria and Puget Sound move to preempt land on the disputed island, betting that U.S. jurisdiction will follow—and warning that trouble may follow first.
- The Struggle for a Seattle World's Fair
Promoters for a Seattle exposition are already hitting walls as they debate locations and worry about the structural integrity of the Armory Hall.
- The Ghost of Ballast Island
A laborer’s body washes up on the Seattle waterfront, leaving a trail of questions about a midnight splash and a missing man with a light overcoat.
- An Editor's Dilemma in the Civil War
The Olympia Standard defends its editorial stance against critics who charge the paper with abandoning the cause of the Union by questioning the immediate abolition of slavery.
- A Public Scrutiny of the Relief Home
A club woman challenges the management and endowment of the Ladies' Relief Society home, questioning its financial transparency and restrictive admissions.
- The Fight to Fund the Territorial University
Legislators debate the future of education in Olympia, questioning the status of the University's land title and its academic standards.
- The Hidden Passenger in the Boxcar
A railroad worker discovers a surprisingly cozy, well-stocked 'home' inside a freight car, sparking questions about the hidden lives of transients traveling across the continent.