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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.
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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1854 | 2 |
| 1858 | 1 |
| 1859 | 2 |
| 1861 | 2 |
| 1863 | 2 |
| 1872 | 3 |
| 1876 | 10 |
| 1877 | 7 |
| 1878 | 4 |
| 1879 | 3 |
| 1880 | 1 |
| 1882 | 3 |
| 1883 | 11 |
| 1884 | 9 |
| 1885 | 9 |
| 1886 | 10 |
| 1887 | 10 |
| 1888 | 9 |
| 1889 | 25 |
| 1890 | 3 |
| 1891 | 15 |
| 1892 | 32 |
| 1893 | 26 |
| 1894 | 26 |
| 1895 | 50 |
| 1898 | 1 |
| 1899 | 11 |
| 1900 | 1 |
| 1903 | 11 |
| 1904 | 10 |
| 1905 | 1 |
| 1908 | 4 |
| 1909 | 10 |
| 1910 | 4 |
| 1915 | 2 |
| 1916 | 5 |
| 1917 | 6 |
| 1919 | 1 |
| 1922 | 1 |
| 1923 | 3 |
| 1924 | 1 |
347 stories matching difficult
- The Yakima Valley's Great Hop Boom
Farmers across the Yakima region are racing to plant hops, betting that local soil and climate will dominate the industry as neighboring districts struggle with pests.
- The Great Ice Blockade of the Snohomish River
A historic winter freeze has choked the river with ice, threatening the timber industry and commerce in the early days of Snohomish.
- The False Slander of Captain Mulcay
A shipping captain's reputation was nearly destroyed by a malicious, unverified rumor sent to San Francisco agents during a difficult labor shortage.
- Richland Farmers Fight for Better Rail Access
Local farmers advocate for a new, flatter road to the Leslie Siding, seeking to reduce transport costs and bypass difficult terrain.
- The Wild West of Clock-Watching in Seattle
Before standardized time zones arrived in Seattle, residents had to contend with a city where every jeweler and church bell kept their own schedule.
- The Struggle for the Puyallup Hop Market
As global buyers shun local crops, growers grapple with the high cost of quality and a market that refuses to pay.
- The Russian Thistle Invasion
Okanogan County declares war on an invasive weed threatening local agriculture.
- Cottage Home Reduced to Ashes
A summer resort property at Lillewaup Falls is destroyed by a mysterious overnight fire, leaving guests and owners scrambling to save what they could.
- The Teachers' Pay Gap
An editorial from 1887 argues that Seattle’s teachers are overworked, undervalued, and paid significantly less than city laborers.
- The March of the 'Industrial Army'
Impoverished marchers, known as Coxeyites, are forced to continue their trek to Spokane on foot after local resistance and railway crackdowns.
- Copper World Extension Puts Hopes on a Smelter Test
After years of inactivity and economic hardship, local miners attempt to prove the viability of a massive, long-neglected ore deposit.
- Jury Returns Second-Degree Verdict for Goldendale Murder
John Green, 21, narrowly avoids a first-degree murder conviction for the killing of William Dunn at a local hotel.
- The Political Battle for Seattle’s Soul in 1880
A rare glimpse into the intense, hard-fought campaign that cemented Republican power in late 19th-century Seattle.
- Confessions of a Theatrical Manager
Daniel Frohman, the famous theater manager, discusses the high-stakes gamble of producing stage plays in the late 19th century.
- The Christmas That Almost Wasn't
A local carpenter's struggle to collect payment before the holidays highlights the precarity of working families in early Seattle.
- The Grim Toll of the Upper Columbia
Multiple unidentified bodies recovered near Kettle Falls, sparking a grim puzzle of identity and drownings along the river.
- The Logging Industry Adjusts to New Standardization
Loggers and millmen debate the shift toward standardized 16-foot log lengths to meet Eastern market demands.
- The Hard Choice: Keeping the Farm During the Lean Years
Dean Edward C. Johnson of the State College of Washington weighs in on whether young men should abandon agriculture during an era of historic economic struggle for farmers.
- The Price of Friendship in the Melon Patch
A local farmer laments the 'friends' who think helping themselves to his crop is all in good fun, pushing his farm toward financial ruin.
- The Seattle Police Force Shuffle
Mayor Ronald's 'reform' administration clears house to install political allies with troubled pasts.
- Seattle’s Missing $5,500: A Treasurer, a Fire, and a Quiet Committee Settlement
Ex-City Treasurer W. L. Ames’s accounts were short. His bondsmen admitted it and the finance committee looked for a settlement—no prosecution, just a deal.
- The Unraveling of the Washington Savings Bank
Facing a stagnant real estate market and steady deposit withdrawals, a downtown bank opts for an orderly closure to protect its depositors.
- The Strange Case of the 'Boy Burglar' and His Well-Connected Father
A young man charged with several local burglaries is released after his father, a Chicago official, settles all claims and promises to take him home.
- A Brutal Attack on a Prisoner
An Indigenous man held in the Spokane jail is shot through the bars by an unknown assailant in a cowardly act of violence.
- The Mud That Stalled Seattle: Why Our Hills Are Unrideable
Four months of relentless rain have turned Seattle’s steep streets into impassable quagmires, halting commerce and terrifying travelers. As the city debates reform elsewhere, locals demand immediate graveling or paving before the mud claims another season.