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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 | 2 |
| 1859 | 2 |
| 1861 | 7 |
| 1862 | 8 |
| 1863 | 4 |
| 1864 | 2 |
| 1865 | 1 |
| 1872 | 13 |
| 1876 | 30 |
| 1877 | 29 |
| 1878 | 20 |
| 1879 | 3 |
| 1880 | 11 |
| 1882 | 7 |
| 1883 | 48 |
| 1884 | 39 |
| 1885 | 60 |
| 1886 | 35 |
| 1887 | 43 |
| 1888 | 49 |
| 1889 | 99 |
| 1890 | 14 |
| 1891 | 69 |
| 1892 | 263 |
| 1893 | 245 |
| 1894 | 250 |
| 1895 | 220 |
| 1897 | 2 |
| 1898 | 12 |
| 1899 | 37 |
| 1900 | 11 |
| 1902 | 5 |
| 1903 | 94 |
| 1904 | 104 |
| 1905 | 6 |
| 1907 | 5 |
| 1908 | 14 |
| 1909 | 109 |
| 1910 | 29 |
| 1911 | 12 |
| 1912 | 4 |
| 1914 | 8 |
| 1915 | 7 |
| 1916 | 25 |
| 1917 | 14 |
| 1918 | 3 |
| 1922 | 1 |
| 1923 | 4 |
| 1924 | 4 |
| 1925 | 1 |
| 1928 | 1 |
| 1929 | 2 |
2,090 stories matching refus
- Will Yakima Growers Organize?
A government-backed marketing plan for fruit crops is stalling because local growers refuse to engage with the system.
- The Perennial Struggle of the Local Press
A century and a half ago, Seattle editors were already trading barbs about the 'eternal fitness' of readers who sponge news and merchants who refuse to advertise.
- The General Who Refused to Work Sundays
A Civil War veteran turned customs official risks his government pension to stand against a 41-hour shift demand at the Port Townsend docks.
- Medical Standoff at the Courthouse
Colfax physicians go on strike against the county commissioners over pay for mandatory insanity examinations.
- The Insurance Company That Refused to Pay
After his steamboat, the Wildwood, burned at the dock in Olympia, Thomas Quail publicly denounced the insurance companies that refused to settle his claim.
- Labor Dispute Ends in Street Attack
A local contractor was beaten with a revolver and slungshot by a group of men after he reportedly refused them work.
- A Waterfront Brawl Over a Knife
When a sailor from the USS Iowa gets slashed in a street quarrel, he refuses to press charges against his shipmate.
- The Great Yakima Salary Standoff
A budget dispute between county officials and the courts threatens to leave the treasurer empty-handed and the county’s finances in limbo.
- Push to Secure Stubblefield Home Faces Minority Resistance
Prominent property owners in Walla Walla are being asked to fund a $10,000 contribution to bring the Stubblefield institution to the county.
- Seattle Bakers Threaten New Year’s Strike
Local union demands an end to grueling night shifts, as bakery owners signal a refusal to yield.
- The Captain's Peculiar Cargo
A maritime dispute reveals a ship captain’s bizarre refusal to transport freight after discovering a hidden shipment of 'stolen' or suspicious barrels.
- Union Longshoremen Boycott Lodging House
A seaman is assaulted for refusing to leave a blacklisted boarding house in a labor dispute.
- The City vs. The Citizens: A Sewer Standoff
Property owners refuse to pay for city improvements they claim were botched, poorly contracted, and overpriced.
- The Battle for the Courtroom Door
Mayor Ronald and Judge Rivers engage in a bizarre standoff over who has the authority to fire and appoint a municipal court bailiff.
- Judicial Gridlock in King County
The Supreme Court intervenes when two Seattle judges refuse to finalize a case, each insisting the other should sign off.
- Great Northern Refuses to Pay the Salary Loan Sharks
The railroad tells a Spokane court that an employee's wage assignment is usury, setting up a test case over predatory lending.
- Tacoma Man Arrested for Refusing Smallpox Vaccination
As fear of disease grips the border, travelers are being forcibly vaccinated and quarantined in a climate of escalating hysteria.
- The Registration Wars of 1892
A political brawl spills into the courts as Tacoma’s city clerk is arrested for refusing to register voters pushed by out-of-town Democratic ward workers.
- Violence at Easton Over a Drink
A railroad worker is shot at a station near Yakima following a refusal to share a drink.
- The Ship That Could Be Scraped With Fingernails
A Port Townsend jury acquitted a sailor who refused duty on the bark Caroline Reed after the vessel was shown to be dangerously rotten.
- The Shingle Trust Faces a Revolt
Independent dealers refuse to join a new price-fixing association, setting the stage for a showdown in the regional timber market.
- Chief Moses Demands His Land—and a Hearing
A Columbia chief says the government cannot take back a reservation just because his people refused to move onto it; the cabinet agrees he has grounds.
- Hoquiam Mill Workers Strike for Living Wage
Employees walk out at the Northwestern lumber mill after management refuses a raise from $1.75 to $2.00 per day.
- Teamsters Stand Firm Against Seattle Transfer Giants
Over 750 workers refuse to back down as employers seek police intervention to break the standoff.
- Blaine's Dry-Town Experiment
The city council refuses liquor licenses, forcing the town's saloons to shut their doors as the temperance movement gains a local victory.