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.
Refine
Show the numbers
| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1854 | 1 |
| 1858 | 1 |
| 1860 | 3 |
| 1861 | 3 |
| 1862 | 6 |
| 1863 | 1 |
| 1864 | 1 |
| 1871 | 1 |
| 1872 | 9 |
| 1876 | 47 |
| 1877 | 40 |
| 1878 | 28 |
| 1880 | 4 |
| 1882 | 9 |
| 1883 | 38 |
| 1884 | 20 |
| 1885 | 48 |
| 1886 | 22 |
| 1887 | 26 |
| 1888 | 31 |
| 1889 | 65 |
| 1890 | 8 |
| 1891 | 66 |
| 1892 | 149 |
| 1893 | 157 |
| 1894 | 172 |
| 1895 | 162 |
| 1898 | 7 |
| 1899 | 24 |
| 1900 | 8 |
| 1902 | 1 |
| 1903 | 74 |
| 1904 | 53 |
| 1905 | 2 |
| 1907 | 1 |
| 1908 | 7 |
| 1909 | 44 |
| 1910 | 11 |
| 1911 | 4 |
| 1912 | 1 |
| 1914 | 10 |
| 1915 | 2 |
| 1916 | 11 |
| 1917 | 3 |
| 1923 | 3 |
| 1924 | 4 |
| 1925 | 1 |
| 1928 | 1 |
| 1929 | 1 |
1,391 stories matching wit
- A Church Scandal Erupts in a Seattle Libel Trial
M. H. Nichols stood accused of criminally libeling Presiding Elder T. B. Ford. The defense spent the day trading rumors, old grudges, and one complaint about the prosecutor's booming voice.
- A Christmas Saloon Fight in Elk Left a Lumberjack Maimed for Life
Two lumberjacks mixed holiday liquor with violence at an Elk saloon, and a 50-minute brawl ended with three fingers bitten off and charges likely for everyone involved.
- A Dugout, a Gunny-Sack Sail, and a Boy Lost on Lake Washington
Harvey Wehn was 15 when his makeshift sail capsized near Taylor's mill. A 4-year-old was the only witness.
- The Inspector and the 'Kickers': Sea Captains Rally to Bryant
A Puget Sound steamboat inspector fights charges in a Seattle hearing as captains line up to praise his reputation—and his accusers hint at old grudges.
- The Puyallup 'Dry' War Turns to the Grand Jury
A simmering conflict between local factions erupts into a legal investigation, with druggists under fire for allegedly selling liquor in a 'closed town.'
- The Walla Walla Track Record Falls
During a massive fair week gathering, spectators witnessed the local track record shattered as horses competed for a $500 purse.
- The Trial That Wasn't: Tacoma’s Libel Case Collapses Into Farce
A high-profile libel trial in Tacoma devolves into legal sophistry and personal insults, revealing the chaotic state of territorial justice.
- A Heartbreaking Reunion Aboard the Dakota
The final journey of a dying man and his devoted wife captures the cruel reality of terminal illness in the pioneer era.
- The Price of Justice in Pend Oreille
The county tallies the steep financial burden of the Logan trial, revealing the high cost of local criminal prosecution.
- The Tragedy of Ursula Unfag
In a sensational murder trial, defense attorneys reveal a harrowing cycle of abuse and exploitation behind the death of a local editor.
- Bribery Scandal Rocks Great Northern Condemnation Trial
A railroad condemnation suit descends into chaos as court witnesses reveal a plot to buy off the jury.
- The Tragedy at the Corral: A Fatal Dispute in the Pioneer Era
A violent confrontation over a cattle dispute in rural Washington territory leaves one dead and exposes the raw edges of frontier justice.
- A Principal on Trial Behind a Closed Door
Tacoma's school board barred reporters, witnesses and both professors from its 'war chamber' inquiry into charges against high school principal Roberts, where teachers described a temper and an implied threat.
- Seattle's Sewer Scandal Exposed
Newly unearthed records reveal massive overspending and corruption in the city’s sewer construction projects.
- Hop Field Knife Fight Ends in Acquittal
A dispute over work performance in a Green River hop field leads to a court appearance and a surprising verdict for an accused man.
- The Judge Who Was Both Defendant and Accused
In a stunning legal double-header, Judge Wickersham is convicted of seduction in one court, then immediately indicted for perjury by the federal grand jury in the very same day.
- A Counterfeiter's Dramatic Courtroom Scandal
Dr. J. B. Methvin, on trial for counterfeiting, faced high drama in court as his current 'wife'—who had left her husband and children in Texas to elope with him—flew into a rage at the testimony.
- The Coal-Throwing Lodger
A domestic dispute in a third-floor rooming house leads to a trial over property and manners.
- The Unwanted Charity of a Courtroom Foe
A woman pays her assailant's fine, leaving the man outraged by her unwelcome generosity.
- A Convicted Killer Gets a Second Trial on a Legal Technicality
James Murphy, convicted of shooting Philip Dawe across the counter of a Seattle saloon, won a new trial and was being brought back to face the charge again.
- The Outlaw and the Neckties
After months of eluding sheriffs across the Pacific Northwest, a horse thief and burglar is captured in Spokane, but his case leads to a messy legal feud back in Colfax.
- The Prosecutor Says He Is Not in the Gamblers' Pocket
Seattle's prosecuting attorney goes on the record to deny a deal with a gambling fixer, and dares the sheriff and the chief of police to bring him a single witness.
- The Midnight Carriage in Seattle
A witness recounts a harrowing night ride through Seattle’s alleyways, carrying a trunk that smelled of 'decaying flesh' and the suspected secret of a doctor’s botched surgery.
- The Judge and the Skunk Hole
A local editor alleges that a Whitman County judge engaged in witness tampering, perjury, and attempted kidnapping to secure testimony in a personal vendetta.
- The Farcical Business of Assessing Land
A scathing look at state tax commissioners who fly through town to set property values based on faulty data.