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.
Refine1 on
Show the numbers
| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1903 | 21 |
| 1904 | 982 |
| 1907 | 7 |
| 1909 | 903 |
1,913 stories
- The City of Destiny Lights Up for the Fair
Tacoma plans a massive electrical display of double arches across Pacific Avenue to welcome visitors for the upcoming A.-V.-P. fair.
- Tacoma Students Fight for Better School Lunches
High school students petition the board for healthy, affordable meals, rejecting 'unwholesome' private management.
- Tacoma Park Board at War with Taxpayers
Public officials trade insults with citizens after a lopsided vote against a park bond proposal.
- The Stubborn Clerk and the Mayor's Keys
A city employee faces arrest and a $100 fine for refusing to surrender his office keys after being fired for poor housekeeping.
- The Power Trust Tries to Woo Tacoma
A regional power company offers the city cheaper rates, fueling the municipal argument for public utility ownership.
- Who Should Pay for City Fire Protection?
A debate over whether Tacoma’s waterfront industrial interests should fund their own fire safety apparatus.
- Tacoma’s Twenty-Year Tab
The state government threatens legal action over unpaid saloon license fees dating back to 1890.
- Tacoma Hires Its First Woman Detective
Helen Beardsley takes the badge to protect vulnerable girls arriving in the city.
- Student Athlete Revolt at Whitworth College
A campus power struggle erupts after the faculty fires the football coach, leading to mass resignations and the cancellation of the upcoming season.
- Tacoma Cracks Down on Dirty Diners
A new health ordinance forces restaurants, fish markets, and milk stores to secure city licenses or face closure.
- Congressman Cushman's Nepotism Scandal
Federal judicial appointments in Tacoma stall as local power brokers favor family over public endorsement.
- The Fortune Teller's Change of Heart
A local clairvoyant, weary of peddling fake love charms to desperate women, finds an unexpected path to a simpler life.
- Tacoma's Federal Bench Snub
Congressman Cushman is under fire for failing to secure a local appointment for a federal judgeship, allegedly sacrificing Tacoma's interests for Seattle candidates.
- The 12-Ton Visitor
A Tacoma timber cruiser wins the right to claim a massive meteorite found in the Washington national forest after the government bows out.
- Death in the Day Coach
A critique of railway safety inequality: why the public travels in 'flimsy' coaches while officials ride in reinforced steel.
- Fairfax Mine Workers Await Paychecks
After the closure of the Montezuma and Washington Co-operative mining operations, workers expect overdue wages in the form of receiver's certificates.
- The Vanishing Tailor
A charismatic salesman bilks local businesses out of hundreds of dollars before fleeing the city, leaving his manager and creditors in the lurch.
- The Laborer Who Wasn't
A clever con man successfully targets Tacoma merchants by impersonating a well-known local contractor and paying with forged checks.
- Bankrupt Merchants Jailed for Contempt
Judge Hanford jailed Seattle clothier Samuel Njac and Alexander Isaacs for contempt over $15,000 owed creditors.
- The Price of Private Monopolies
An editorial critique of William C. Whitney's $20 million fortune, built on public franchise exploitation.
- The Fight for Clean Water in Parkland
City officials take aim at sanitation hazards at Parkland College that have been contaminating the local water supply.
- Tacoma Manufacturers Fight Rail Freight Discrimination
Local business owners urge the Interstate Commerce Commission to intervene against unfavorable rail rates.
- The Fugitive 'Dude'
A local Indigenous man is pursued by the sheriff for an alleged land fraud scheme involving Puyallup tribal property.
- Scandinavian Reformers Eye Municipal Power
A powerful local organization gathers in the Swedish Baptist Church to solidify their influence on the upcoming municipal election.
- Tragedy Challenges Church Dogma
The death of a prominent Methodist in the Iroquois Theater fire forces Tacoma’s religious leaders to grapple with the church's strict ban on theater-going.