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 |
|---|---|
| 1903 | 18 |
| 1904 | 788 |
| 1907 | 7 |
| 1909 | 716 |
1,529 stories
- The Logger's Disguise
A Tacoma patrolman pulls off a sting operation against a hotelier selling illicit spirits.
- Laborers Arrested for Risky Commute Over Tacoma Drawbridge
Workers rushing to the tide flats mills are detained for ignoring city ordinances while crossing a moving bridge.
- A Mad Dash for Liberty in Downtown Tacoma
A young burglary suspect escapes police custody and leads officers on a chaotic foot chase from City Hall to the Tacoma Hotel.
- Logging Locomotive Stolen and Abandoned on Tracks
A joyride on the Tacoma Eastern line ends in a collision after thieves abandon a logging engine on a blind curve.
- Filipino Sailors Arrested Over Card Game
A festive dinner in a Chinese chop suey house ended in jail time for nine sailors when police mistook a casual game of cards for gambling.
- Fugitive Arrested in Tacoma for California Extortion Scheme
A man accused of swindling a California woman under the false promise of marriage is captured by local detectives.
- Turning the Chain-Gang Toward Thrift
A city commissioner rejects expensive wood bids for the pumping station, proposing to employ the chain-gang instead.
- Landslide Threatens Streetcar Line at 32nd and G Streets
A South Tacoma resident reports that a major slide has brought the edge of a ravine precariously close to the streetcar tracks.
- The Druggist and the Masked Robber
A Tacoma druggist’s assailant is sentenced to 14 years after pleading guilty, closing a violent chapter on Tacoma Avenue.
- The Hunt for the Abductor
A Tacoma girl is recovered from Vancouver after being enticed away by local underworld figures.
- The Teachers' Fight for School Funds
Tacoma chosen to host state educators as they launch a legal battle to reclaim diverted school funds.
- Tacoma’s Rail Future Hinges on a Tunnel
A Harriman manager promises through Portland–Tacoma trains within 18 months—if the Tacoma tunnel can be finished.
- Tacoma's Water War Ends in a $22,000 Bill
Contractors say the city's political turnaround on Maplewood Springs left them unable to build—and now they want damages.
- The Miner Who Vanished—and Came Back With a Shanghaied Story
Cox disappeared before Christmas. Then he turned up in Tacoma with a tale of drugging, abduction, and a vessel that would not let him go.
- The $750,000 Question Tacoma's Park Board Couldn't Answer
Days before a citywide bond vote, an editorial demanded specifics on parks, playgrounds and boulevards—while a Twelfth Street improvement club secretary insisted the plan had backers.
- The Port of Tacoma's Race for Global Trade
James J. Hill’s new steamship fleet creates a fierce rivalry between Tacoma and Seattle to secure the role of primary Pacific Northwest shipping hub.
- City's Eight-Hour Law Survives Legal Challenge
A local court rules that the city of Tacoma can enforce its eight-hour workday mandate against a construction firm's protest.
- Puget Sound Iron and Steel Works to Relocate
The railway expansion forces a major industrial relocation near the city waterway.
- The Fight for Sanitary Food
Tacoma’s club women are spearheading a radical new ordinance to force bakeries and food merchants to meet strict hygiene standards.
- Dredging the Puyallup
Government engineers signal the go-ahead to turn the Puyallup River into a navigable industrial artery.
- A Murder Trial Turns on Who Pulled the Trigger
Fred Stubbs's fate went to a Tacoma jury after a three-day trial for the killing of Thomas Vandiver; the defense argued the gun went off in a struggle.
- The Lumber Cartel Cracks
A weakening of the Pacific export agreement threatens to destabilize local timber prices as industry giants fall out of line.
- City Council Demands Better Cable Car Service
Tacoma citizens are fed up with broken-down, slow streetcars, and the City Council is finally demanding that the company stop cutting corners on passenger safety.
- The Crackdown on Tacoma’s Fire-Trap Theaters
Mayor Campbell threatens to shutter city theaters unless they upgrade to meet building safety ordinances.
- Tacoma’s Theaters Under Fire Safety Review
Building inspectors find local stages lacking modern fire protections, prompting calls for new safety ordinances.