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 |
|---|---|
| 1882 | 98 |
| 1883 | 511 |
| 1884 | 326 |
| 1885 | 566 |
| 1886 | 361 |
| 1887 | 327 |
2,189 stories
- The Land Office Commissioner Caught in a Crossfire of Corruption
When Commissioner William Sparks began fighting land-grabbing monopolies, the corporate press launched a smear campaign calling him insane, ruffian, and incompetent.
- The Street Hawker's Stand Against Discriminatory Laws
When a Chinese produce seller was arrested for violating city peddling ordinances, he challenged the legality of a law targeting his livelihood all the way to the Chief Justice's chambers.
- The Great Land Reclaim: The Fight Over Northern Pacific’s Unearned Rails
A legislative push in 1886 aimed to strip the Northern Pacific Railroad of vast swaths of public land it held but failed to build upon, seeking to return it to settlers.
- Brutal Murder of Two Settlers
A Canadian man and his sons arrested for the cold-blooded killing of two men traveling to Seattle to provide evidence in a murder case.
- President Cleveland Speaks on Chinese Exclusion
A presidential message to Congress calls for federal restraint amidst rising anti-Chinese violence in Wyoming and Washington Territories.
- A Deadly Valentine's Day Shooting
A young woman shoots and kills her former suitor after he breaks his promise of marriage.
- Seattle Business Leaders Condemn Railroad Monopoly
Local merchants organize to protest the Northern Pacific Railroad's mishandling of local commerce and their shift from rail service to land speculation.
- Streetcar Strike Paralyzes Seattle Transit
Conductors and drivers halt operations across the city, leaving only two lines running as labor disputes escalate.
- The President Intervenes for Chinese Merchants
President Cleveland challenges Congress to reconcile the restrictive Chinese Exclusion Act with the reality of international trade.
- The Fight to Forfeit the Northern Pacific Land Grants
A fiery congressional minority report slams corporate lobbyists and land speculators while demanding the government reclaim unfinished rail corridors.
- The War of Words at the Edge of the Frontier
In an era of unchecked corporate power, a fiery letter from labor leader T.V. Powderly to tycoon Jay Gould exposes the raw nerves of a nation in the throes of a massive railroad strike.
- Committee Urges Forfeiting Northern Pacific Railroad Land Grant
A scathing House committee report accuses the Northern Pacific Railroad of failing its contractual obligations while hoarding millions of acres of public domain.
- The True Cost of the Eight-Hour Day
As 1886 labor strikes roil the nation, local analysis weighs the temporary gains of the eight-hour movement against the looming threat of business closures and a housing market in decline.
- Seattle Coal Workers Strike at the Docks in 1886
A tense confrontation unfolds at the Seattle coal bunkers as workers strike against company intimidation.
- The Senate's Sudden Revolt Against Corporate Power
In an unexpected political shift, the U.S. Senate moves to curb the influence of corporations on Congress, shaking up the power dynamics in Washington Territory and beyond.
- The Point Roberts Dinner Party Murder
A celebratory dinner at the border turned fatal when a drunken argument over whiskey escalated into a stabbing, leaving one man dead and a community in shock.
- The Renegade's Return: A Confederate Exile's Seattle Confession
Decades after the Civil War, an expatriate recounts his painful realization of displacement while watching the American flag from across a border.
- Senate Votes to Forfeit Unearned Northern Pacific Lands
As the Senate debates the forfeiture of Northern Pacific Railroad land grants in the Washington Territory, legal experts and legislators clash over whether corporations should be held to the same standards as individuals.
- The Unbelievable Survival of a Castaway
A mariner survives eight days adrift in a small, waterlogged boat after his ship collided with a mystery vessel in the Pacific.
- The Political Brawl for the Soul of Pioneer Seattle
As the city approaches a high-stakes municipal election, a local newspaper mounts a vitriolic defense of the business class against a 'People’s' movement they claim will bring anarchy and mob rule.
- The End of the Railroad Monopoly
Seattle shippers finally find relief from Northern Pacific's long-standing grip on local commerce as new transportation lines offer competitive rates.
- The Iron Stranglehold on Seattle’s Waterfront
A powerful railroad uses its monopoly on transportation to freeze out competitors and strangle the city's independent growth.
- The Mob That Didn't Hang Wallace
A vigilante mob strings up a man in Seattle, only to be turned back by a local citizen standing between the prisoner and the rope.
- A Lawyer's Desperate Flight
A prominent attorney vanishes, leaving behind a wake of financial ruin and betrayal.
- The Waterfront Labor Squeeze
A standoff at the Seattle docks over shipping contracts and idle labor leaves the local waterfront in turmoil.