Research the archive
Narrow 22,457 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.
Refine1 on
Show the numbers
| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1876 | 6 |
| 1877 | 7 |
| 1878 | 5 |
| 1879 | 4 |
| 1880 | 1 |
| 1882 | 3 |
| 1883 | 36 |
| 1884 | 18 |
| 1885 | 30 |
| 1886 | 15 |
| 1887 | 59 |
| 1888 | 27 |
| 1889 | 59 |
| 1890 | 4 |
| 1891 | 43 |
| 1892 | 207 |
| 1893 | 209 |
| 1894 | 188 |
| 1895 | 23 |
| 1898 | 1 |
| 1899 | 27 |
| 1903 | 51 |
| 1904 | 711 |
| 1905 | 1 |
| 1907 | 5 |
| 1909 | 608 |
| 1912 | 1 |
| 1914 | 1 |
| 1916 | 5 |
| 1918 | 1 |
| 1924 | 2 |
2,358 stories
- The Last Man Left Behind
A lonely figure in Tacoma navigates a hostile city after a systemic campaign of expulsion drove his neighbors into exile.
- A Death-Trap Elevator in the Ball Block
An 18-year-old stenographer is critically injured after stepping into an open elevator shaft in downtown Tacoma, highlighting a pattern of mechanical neglect.
- The Tragic End of Etta Harris
A daughter is murdered by her own father in Tacoma, exposing a twisted history of obsession, jealousy, and fatal control.
- The Ousting of Professor Willers
A prominent Tacoma linguist and ordained minister is kidnapped by a group of men following allegations of 'unnatural conduct' with his students.
- A Revolver in the Mouth: Immigration Conflict on the Steamship Mogul
Tensions boil over in Tacoma as federal inspectors clash with ship officers while attempting to enforce strict Chinese exclusion policies.
- A Secret Birth on the Walk to Tacoma Avenue
A young woman collapsed from labor pains while climbing a steep Tacoma hill, forcing a druggist to assist in an unexpected roadside delivery.
- Habeas Corpus Intervention for Chinese Merchants
A local judge intervenes to stop the deportation of Chinese merchants aboard the SS Victoria in Tacoma harbor.
- Puyallup Tribe Demands Accountability
A committee of twelve Puyallup tribal leaders issued an ultimatum to land commissioners they claim are avoiding open discussion of reservation rights.
- The Detective and the Sheriff
A brutal confrontation in a Tacoma hotel lobby leaves a well-known detective dead from a heart failure.
- The Great Railway Tie-Up
As the Pullman strike brings regional rail service to a halt, Seattle residents look to Tacoma, where the labor struggle has turned violent and service is at a standstill.
- Spokane Guardsmen Refuse to Break Strike
A Washington state militia company refuses to man a non-union train, sparking a tense standoff over labor loyalty and the role of the National Guard.
- A Banker, a Stolen Watch, and a Servant Girl’s Accusation
Herman L. Chase—already accused of assaulting his servant girl—is arrested in Tacoma after a silk robe and gold watch vanish from a hotel. His friends cry blackmail.
- No Work, Then Gunshots: A Tacoma Family's Despair
Albert McAchren shot his wife and himself in a Tacoma lodging house after a year without steady work; his young daughter survived to tell the story.
- Safe-Crackers Raid Local Steam Laundry
A band of robbers broke into the Tacoma Steam Laundry, held two employees at gunpoint, and used nitroglycerine to blast open the safe.
- The Ghost Stories of the City Reservoir
While typhoid fever rages in Tacoma, the city council struggles to address public panic over rumors of bodies dumped in the water supply.
- Predatory Saloon Keeper Targets Puyallup Landholder
An Indian man faces the potential loss of his property after signing a document he believed was a loan mortgage, but which turned out to be a deed.
- City Hall Balances the Books on the Backs of Women
Mayor Wright’s new municipal policy involves collecting fines from the city's 'fallen women' to cover routine operating expenses.
- The Midnight Flight of a Telephone Lobbyist
A franchise promoter vanishes before a bribery investigation, leaving behind a locked room and a trail of conflicting telegrams.
- The Bribe That Killed the Telephone Franchise
A Tacoma councilman reveals a $132,000 bribery attempt, blowing up a major deal to challenge the local telephone monopoly.
- Rejected Suitor Shoots Tacoma Woman and Ends His Life
A young worker targeted by a spurned admirer survives the shooting while the assailant commits suicide outside her home.
- City Faces Lawsuit After Fatal Electrocution
Lawyers prepare to sue the city over the deaths of two men who were killed while turning on electric lights.
- The Scandal of the Sandberg District
City council members launch a blistering investigation into a protected 'vice syndicate' they allege is forcing hundreds of women into a restricted district.
- The Secretary Asks the Puyallups Whether They Are Fit to Hold Their Own Land
Interior Secretary John W. Noble met 200 Puyallup people on the reservation and promised to carry their wish to sell to President Harrison — after satisfying himself that they could be trusted with the money.
- The Great Telephone Wars of Tacoma
A rival phone company manager staged a bizarre arrest of his competitor to derail a franchise bid—only for the plot to unravel at the police station.
- Judge Hanford Rules on Native Rights to Personal Autonomy
A landmark federal court decision affirms that Indigenous citizens holding land in severalty are not subject to the same liquor restrictions as those on reservations.
Download all 2,358 as a spreadsheet (CSV) · Show them on the map