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 Rattlesnake Revenge
A lawyer’s bluffing of a client's son ends in a bizarre, fatal trap set in a bachelor bedroom.
- The Unlucky Entrepreneur of Seattle
A hopeful man attempts to launch a steamship business in Seattle, only to be outmaneuvered by a rival and left with a rotting boat.
- The Scandal of the Crumbling Hospital
An architect blows the whistle on shoddy bricks and corner-cutting builders at the new Territorial Hospital.
- The Passing of a Respected Elder
The community mourns Ataxia, an interpreter and advocate for the Suquamish people, following his sudden death.
- The Tragic Passing of Nettie Dinsmore
A beloved Seattle teacher succumbs to typhoid fever, revealing a grim public health warning for the city.
- Labor Parades Through Seattle
A display of strength as Seattle workers host a grand procession to honor the visiting leadership of the Knights of Labor.
- The Strategic Expansion of the Oregon Improvement Company
Boosterism and railroad strategy collide as company leadership plans expansion to protect their stake in the Pacific Northwest.
- Old Soldiers Fight Politically Motivated Firing
A local group of veterans protests the sudden, unexplained removal of a fellow Union soldier from the Board of Examining Surgeons.
- Seattle Gripped by Baseball Fever
When the Chicago White Stockings clinched the pennant in 1886, Seattle telegraph offices became the scene of a downtown riot of excitement.
- The 'Damn the Old Soldiers' Scandal of 1886
A political rumor, a fiery public denial, and the high-stakes battle for the soul of Washington Territory.
- The Struggle to House the Poor in Early Seattle
As the number of county residents in need grows, officials weigh ending the Sisters of Providence’s long-standing contract for a public poor farm.
- The Fight for the Ten-Hour Day on the Puget Sound
A historic, voluntary move by the Puget Mill Company to limit the workday sparks a push for better labor conditions in the mills.
- The Ballot Box Tug-of-War
When the right to vote was first won, newly enfranchised women in Seattle faced an immediate, domestic gauntlet of political pressure and neighborhood intrigue.
- The Dream That Cracked the Theft Case
A jailed boarder's dream led police to a stolen gold watch and chain hidden under foundation blocks.
- The Myth of the Rain-Soaked Seattle Winter
An 1886 editorial blasts federal meteorologists for misrepresenting Puget Sound weather to the rest of the nation.
- Domestic Violence at the Gas Works
A husband is sentenced to the county jail after a brutal assault on his wife using a grindstone and a revolver.
- The Captain's Peculiar Cargo
A maritime dispute reveals a ship captain’s bizarre refusal to transport freight after discovering a hidden shipment of 'stolen' or suspicious barrels.
- The Unsolved Disappearance of John H. Wisely
A man disappears from his home in broad daylight, only for his body to be discovered days later on the shores of Elliott Bay.
- The Mystery of the Man on Brannan Place
A brutal murder discovery in Seattle sends a shockwave through the city after a dock worker is found with his pockets turned inside out.
- The Tragedy on the Sound: A Monday Morning Lost
A routine morning boat trip near Seabeek turns fatal when a sudden lurch of the sail boat claims the life of a worker, leaving his companion to tell the story.
- The Great Pig Entrapment of 1886
A pig's quest for kitchen scraps leads to a neighborhood-wide ordeal in downtown Seattle, involving the Fire Department and a very persistent squeal.
- A Holiday Call for a Broken Family
A mill worker’s leg injury at the dawn of 1887 leaves his eleven children in dire need, sparking a rare community effort in early Seattle.
- The Tragic Fall at the Bluff
A prominent former judge meets a fatal end after a night-time misstep in early Seattle.
- The Bold Burglars of North Seattle
Citizens are arming themselves as a crime wave sweeps through the growing city, leaving residents on edge as night-time prowlers evade the law.
- The Unseen Cost of a Changing Railroad
A 1887 editorial warns that new federal commerce regulations could dismantle local trade networks in Seattle and beyond, favoring big cities at the expense of regional producers.