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.
Refine2 on
Show the numbers
| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1876 | 405 |
| 1877 | 280 |
| 1878 | 64 |
| 1880 | 75 |
824 stories
- The Unexploded Bomb in the Hillside
A curious fragment of Civil War history turns up on Sixth Street, linking Seattle’s quiet streets to the violent Indian Wars of the past.
- The Art of the Lunch-Counter Heist
A hungry traveler uses a sharp tongue and a little bit of 'brass' to get a free meal in 1870s Seattle.
- A Child’s Hazard in a Smoky City
A young girl is severely burned after stepping into a smoldering coal bunker in Belltown, highlighting the dangerous urban conditions of a rapidly growing Seattle.
- The Soil-Killer’s Ledger
An 1878 editorial warns that Pacific Northwest farmers are repeating the mistakes of fallen empires by exhausting their land for short-term profit.
- A Near-Death Experience on Lake Union
Three young men capsized in a pleasure boat, saved by the quick thinking of two local boaters who paddled out to rescue them.
- The Price of Public Service: Seattle's 1878 Austerity Measures
Facing budget pressures, the Seattle City Council slashed the salaries of its top administrators while racing to secure a new steam-powered fire engine.
- The Perilous Afternoon of a Seattle Homeowner
A classic tale of a homeowner's frustration with construction progress takes a literal turn when he gets stranded on his own scaffolding, sparking a tense negotiation with a neighborhood boy.
- The Sawmill Man’s Dream of Refinement
A boisterous sawmill owner, caught drunk and disorderly in Seattle, offers a surprisingly poetic vision of domesticity to a judge in 1878.
- The Lure of the City and the Reality of Hard Times
A frontier editorial warns local farm families that the 'fancied comforts' of Seattle often end in unemployment and vice.
- The Social Climber and the Boarding-House Landlady
When an imposter claiming aristocratic ties tried to swindle a respectable family at a Seattle party, an uninvited cousin from Albany arrived to set the record straight.
- The Unlikely Sweep of 1880
When King County became the 'banner county' for the GOP, local editors credited a clean campaign and a rejection of the 'mud-slinging' tactics of their rivals.
- The Arctic Ghost Ships Found in a Seattle Paper
A haunting inventory of the lost Franklin Expedition, recovered by Lieutenant Schwatka, offers a somber look at the items that survived a generation in the ice.
- The Midnight Screecher: A Hotel Guest's Plea for Quiet
A fed-up boarder at a leading Seattle hotel demands justice—and a good night’s sleep—after being serenaded for nearly two hours by a crying infant.
- The Roads of Seattle: A Grumbling Legacy
A wealthy traveler’s sharp assessment of Seattle’s infrastructure in 1880 highlights a civic struggle over street quality that feels strikingly familiar to modern residents.
- The Perilous Slopes of Columbia Street
A teenage student’s sledding accident sparks a local warning about the dangers of winter recreation on Seattle’s steepest hills.
- A Hearty Welcome to the Newcomers
Fourteen New Brunswick immigrants arrived and built an 18-foot skiff to scout Puget Sound farmland.
- The Forgotten Mother on the Sidewalk
A chance encounter between a group of children and an intoxicated woman in the street reveals a heartbreaking moment of human connection.
- Husband's Public Notice Denies Responsibility for Wife's Debts
In a formal newspaper notice, a disgruntled Seattle man attempts to absolve himself of his wife's debts after she leaves their home.
- The Haunted Theater of Seattle: A Superstition of 1876
A group of locals at the Occidental Hotel exchange tales of theater lore, specifically the peculiar story of a spider that allegedly predicted the success of a New York stage house for ten consecutive seasons.
- The Real Estate Hunt of 1876
A modest listing for a home between Seneca and University hints at the rapid transformation of early Seattle real estate.
- A House and Lot for Sale on Second Street (Dec 16, 1876)
A straightforward classified advertisement for a house and lot on 2nd Street offers a window into the rapid, transactional growth of 1870s Seattle.
- The First Avenue Hill Real Estate Hunt
A straightforward 1876 listing for a 60x120 lot on Second Street captures a moment when the prestigious First Avenue Hill neighborhood was just beginning its transformation into Seattle's urban core.
- A House and Lot for Sale on Second Street (Dec 25, 1876)
A quiet real estate listing from 1876 highlights the rapid development of early Seattle’s residential landscape.
- A Frontier Real Estate Deal
A classic 1876 listing for a house and lot on 2nd Avenue, revealing the mid-development geography of early Seattle.
- The Real Estate Opportunity of 1876
A modest listing for a large lot near the University of Washington's original site offers a glimpse into Seattle's early land rush.