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 |
|---|---|
| 1888 | 2 |
| 1889 | 17 |
| 1891 | 6 |
| 1892 | 44 |
| 1893 | 35 |
| 1894 | 38 |
| 1895 | 35 |
177 stories
- The Boomtown Blueprint: Spokane's Rapid Rise
A vivid 1889 account of how an empty wilderness became a bustling metropolis, and the speculative fever that drove early Seattle-era pioneers to transform Washington's landscape.
- The Senator Who Stood on the Train
In the dead of night, a torch-lit mob marched through Spokane to greet U.S. Senator Warren G. Squire. But as he stepped onto the platform to deliver his victory speech, the rails betrayed him: the train pulled away before he could finish, leaving only his voice echoing into the dark.
- The Rival Reporters of Spokane
A bitter feud between rival newspapers in Spokane turns into a bizarre scheme involving fake telegrams, impersonated police, and a plot to drug a colleague.
- The Juvenile 'Stables' Syndicate of 1892
A band of boys from Spokane's elite families formed an organized criminal ring, stealing horses and sleighs to stash in a secret suburban hideout.
- Armed Robbery on the Arlington Heights Line
Masked men hold up a streetcar three miles outside Spokane, shooting a passenger who attempted to flee.
- Cattle Rustlers Reclaim Their Horses in Spokane
After a timber speculator used stolen horses as collateral for a bond, the original owners simply took them back.
- Sheriff and Editor Clash in Spokane
An intoxicated Sheriff and a local editor settle a long-standing journalistic feud with revolvers in downtown Spokane.
- Tragic Industrial Death at Spokane Rail Yard
A switchman is killed instantly after his foot is trapped at a crossing during a freight car maneuver.
- An Elopement by Rail
A determined suitor battles his love's father across the tracks from Oakesdale to Spokane.
- The Underground Opium Pipeline
A bold smuggling operation involving pack animals and stages ends in a Spokane arrest.
- Centenarian tribal elder killed by train in Spokane
A historic figure known as 'Indian Tom' is struck by a switch engine at a crossing.
- The Coxeyites Descend on Spokane
Populist supporters and unemployed 'Industrial Army' marchers head toward Spokane, setting up a confrontation with the city's new leadership.
- A Variety Theatre, a Bundle of Testimonials, and the Preachers Who Wanted It Shut
Seattle's theatrical impresario John Considine fights for a Spokane theatre license against a gallery full of clergymen — and answers them with a who's-who of Seattle's leading names vouching for his honor.
- The Mine That Wasn't: A Spokane Man's $5,000 Hole in the Ground
C. P. O'Brien swears he was sold a fourth interest in the O.K. mine for $5,000 — a claim that turns out to have no ore, no ledge, and no existence at all. Clerks, businessmen and a woman stenographer say they were fleeced too.
- The Poison-Peddling Pharmacist
The head of the state board of pharmacy is caught stealing and adulterating strychnine intended for local farmers.
- Spokane Judge Rejects a Cut-Rate Pauper Burial Contract
A county deal that paid a premium on each pauper's grave is struck down as against public policy—even after another bidder offered to bury the dead for a penny apiece.
- A Model Young Man, Wanted for Robbery
A California arrest reveals the bandit who robbed a station agent of $7,250 to be Charles Clayton Bump — a Spokane high-school graduate, former deputy city clerk, and 'one of the best known young men of this city.'
- The Mining Promoter Who Told Would-Be Miners to Stay Home
Col. W. Thomas Hart has bonded claims and cut a trail in the new Slate Creek district, but he begs the press not to inflate the strike: there is no work, no mill, and too much snow for prospecting.
- Spokane Murder Case Ends in Finality
Governor Ferry denies clemency to a man convicted of killing his wife.
- The Farmers' Alliance Insurance Swindle
A political organization's insurance arm leaves Palouse farmers in financial ruin while the leadership lines their own pockets.
- Spokane Victory for Day Labor
A permanent injunction halts a private contract, forcing the city to hire workers directly.
- The Great Wheat Heist
Spokane elevator manager S.F. Sherman and aide E.C. Loveridge were arrested for stealing 27,290 bushels of wheat.
- Farmers and Railroads: A Legislative Clash
Eastern Washington farmers celebrate a hard-won freight rate reduction, while bitter rivalries emerge between Spokane and the Palouse country.
- The Opium Smuggling Ring Hidden in Plain Sight
A federal investigation reveals that opium smuggling in Spokane was a widespread enterprise involving a 'legion' of local beneficiaries, as detailed in a scathing Treasury report.
- Two Spokane Chiefs Sign a Reservation Agreement After Years of Refusal
Enoch and Louis, leaders of the Upper and Middle Spokane, agree to move to reservations set by the 1887 treaty after years of living in the canyons.