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 | 314 |
| 1889 | 785 |
| 1891 | 328 |
| 1892 | 1,308 |
| 1893 | 1,604 |
| 1894 | 1,246 |
| 1895 | 1,087 |
6,672 stories
- The Laundry Business Dispute
A lawsuit reveals the hidden profits of a Chinese laundry operation on Fourth and Main streets.
- The Tragedy at the Grandvue Hotel
A scandalous love affair and a newspaper exposé drive a Seattle woman to a fatal act of desperation.
- The Senator Who Betrayed the County
A political firestorm erupted in Seattle after Senator W.O. Rutter broke his pledge to vote for John B. Allen, sparking widespread public indignation and calls for his political exile.
- Firefighters Battle Freezing Hose at 1893 Blaze
When an arctic blast hit Seattle, firemen responding to a blaze returned to their stations as living statues of ice.
- A Rent Dispute Turns Violent in the Alley
When a tenant in a Main Street lodging house couldn't pay his $24 debt, his landlord was attacked with a knife.
- The Deadly Alley Between Cherry and James
Fire Chief A.B. Hunt races to protect Seattle firefighters from electrocution in the city's most hazardous alleys.
- A Marriage Cut Short by Tragedy
A young bride dies suddenly on her second wedding anniversary, triggering a callous rumor mill that the press quickly works to correct.
- The Church Coup d'Etat
A bitter schism at the Market Street Baptist Church culminates in a hostile procedural maneuver to re-elect a controversial pastor.
- The Price of Restraint
A Seattle patrolman is docked a week's pay for failing to kill a fleeing suspect at close range.
- The House-Worker's Manual
As police struggle with a crime wave, residents discover that daylight burglars are using coded notebooks to track their movements.
- Seattle Wined and Dined the Legislature to Sell the Ship Canal
In February 1893, city leaders invited every state lawmaker to Seattle at city expense—then walked them to the Lake Washington portage to argue for county bonds and a canal.
- The Ghost of the Chicken Ranch
After E.G. Radloff faked his own death by burning another man's body in his home, the insurance company he tried to defraud is finally coming for his property.
- Acquittal for a North Second Street Shopkeeper
A jury deliberates for less than fifteen minutes before acquitting a man accused of assaulting a young girl.
- The Great Northern's Secret Path Through Seattle
A quiet scheme to carve a tunnel through Beacon Hill and reshape the city's rail infrastructure.
- The Unexplained Death of a Millman
A healthy man collapses in a Seattle office building, but two autopsies fail to reveal why.
- Late-Night Burglary Ends in Foot Chase
A drug store break-in at Commercial Street leads to a wild foot pursuit across downtown alleys.
- Brutal Saloon Brawl Leaves Man with Fractured Skull
A card game dispute at a Seattle saloon escalated into a violent attack, landing two brothers in police custody.
- A Neighborhood Rises to Protect a Mother and Child
A desperate father tried to kidnap his daughter from a Seattle home, only to be stopped by the quick-thinking neighbors he underestimated.
- Old Buck Delivers a Knockout Blow
A saloon owner on Railroad Avenue disarms an armed intruder after a night of crime in Seattle.
- The Fire Chief’s Citizenship Trial
Seattle’s fire chief faced a dramatic trial over his citizenship, accused of obtaining naturalization papers fraudulently while a member of the force.
- The Conductors' Deception and the Streetcar Showdown
A bigamous electric car conductor is chased through the streets of Seattle by two women he had convinced he was their husband.
- The End of a Beer Garden
Developers are grading the site of a historic park and beer garden on Second Street to make way for a row of temporary brick storefronts.
- Seattle's Building Boom Hits the Streets
High rents and a rapidly growing population drive a citywide rush to build one-story retail stores.
- The Mystery of the Girl in Trousers
A stylish, cigarette-smoking visitor at the Windsor Hotel turns out to be a local mystery when Seattle police realize a woman is masquerading in men's clothing.
- City Hall's Incompetent Board of Works
A critical letter exposes the lack of qualifications among the men overseeing Seattle's infrastructure, from water pipes to sewer systems.