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 | 62 |
| 1858 | 29 |
| 1859 | 52 |
| 1860 | 27 |
| 1861 | 101 |
| 1862 | 87 |
| 1863 | 69 |
| 1864 | 32 |
| 1865 | 11 |
| 1871 | 11 |
| 1872 | 140 |
| 1876 | 812 |
| 1877 | 678 |
| 1878 | 526 |
| 1879 | 64 |
| 1880 | 180 |
| 1882 | 130 |
| 1883 | 911 |
| 1884 | 499 |
| 1885 | 838 |
| 1886 | 492 |
| 1887 | 484 |
| 1888 | 440 |
| 1889 | 1,324 |
| 1890 | 287 |
| 1891 | 1,115 |
| 1892 | 2,855 |
| 1893 | 2,829 |
| 1894 | 2,116 |
| 1895 | 1,830 |
| 1896 | 2 |
| 1897 | 62 |
| 1898 | 196 |
| 1899 | 446 |
| 1900 | 114 |
| 1902 | 34 |
| 1903 | 1,332 |
| 1904 | 1,126 |
| 1905 | 124 |
| 1907 | 53 |
| 1908 | 351 |
| 1909 | 1,545 |
| 1910 | 413 |
| 1911 | 160 |
| 1912 | 73 |
| 1914 | 261 |
| 1915 | 300 |
| 1916 | 545 |
| 1917 | 332 |
| 1918 | 45 |
| 1919 | 5 |
| 1920 | 1 |
| 1922 | 18 |
| 1923 | 185 |
| 1924 | 151 |
| 1925 | 64 |
| 1928 | 14 |
| 1929 | 19 |
27,002 stories
- He Walked 600 Miles for Work—Then Seattle Called Him a Tramp
In a letter to the editor, Harry Wright defends the men sleeping at the City Mission, tracing his path from a Missoula hotel job to six weeks broke in Seattle.
- The Lonely Death of a Local Restaurateur
Louis Marri, owner of the Maison Riche, was found dead in his room after expressing despair over his failing business.
- Railroad War on the Waterfront
A bitter legal battle over a disputed right-of-way erupts into accusations of perjury in court as railroad crews prepare to tear down a local businessman’s building.
- The Ballard City Hall Meltdown
A local council meeting descends into chaos as officials trade corruption accusations and threats of physical violence.
- The Plot to Rob Lou Graham
Police thwart a desperate plan by criminals to hold up the city's most famous madam for her diamonds.
- The Political 'Sucker' and the Price of a Pint
After insulting local German-Americans, a desperate campaigner tried to buy forgiveness with free beer at Turner Hall—and failed miserably.
- A Desperate Night at the Clifton House
A Clallam County resident struggling with alcoholism and personal heartache attempts to end his life in a downtown hotel.
- The Mayor's Flag Fight
A Seattle opera house owner sparks a civic brawl by flying a green flag above the Stars and Stripes, leading the mayor to forcibly intervene.
- The Tyee Saloon Brawl
A disagreement over business in a Seattle tavern erupts into a violent fight involving a revolver and human teeth.
- The Northwest’s Industrial Army Takes Shape in Seattle
Seventy-two unemployed men gather at a storefront on South Second Street to march on Washington D.C., demanding economic relief during the Great Depression of the 1890s.
- The Northwestern Industrial Army Organizes in Seattle
Unemployed men gather at Second and Weller to form a peaceful labor collective as the city braces for economic depression.
- The Wealthy Tramp of the Waterfront
A disheveled rancher found sleeping on the Seattle waterfront was revealed to be carrying a small fortune, catching local police and confidence men by surprise.
- Seattle's Unemployed Organize for the March on Washington
Members of the local 'Industrial Army' parade through Seattle, while local women rally to form an auxiliary and raise funds for the cross-country trek.
- The Industrial Army Marches Through Seattle
Hundreds of unemployed laborers parade through downtown with banners and brass bands, seeking work and recognition.
- The Mother, the Boarding House, and the Hostage Baby
A mother is forced to involve the police when a boarding-house keeper attempts to hold her four-year-old son as collateral for an unpaid debt.
- A Sermon on Coxeyism and Industrial Slavery
At the Jewish Synagogue, a lecture connects the ancient Mosaic laws of land and rest to the desperate economic realities of the 1894 Depression.
- The Narrow Streets of Early Seattle
A three-year-old child is severely injured after being struck by a cable car on Front Street, highlighting the dangers of growing city transit.
- The Opium Smuggler's Revenge
A Whatcom man claims he was framed by corrupt officials in a botched smuggling sting, and he's ready to tell all in court.
- The City Lays the Foundation for its Future
On the Fourth of July, 1894, Seattle gathered between Lake Union and Lake Washington to lay the cornerstone of the University of Washington's new main building.
- A Desperate Escape from Cruelty
A Seattle dressmaker seeks legal protection from her abusive husband after he breaks into her home to harass her.
- The Warden Stole His Son’s Fiancée—Then Got Fired Over Eggs
A federal prison appointment at McNeil’s Island unearths a family romance gone wrong and an expense account full of phantom eggs.
- The Father Who Wanted an Affidavit That the Flour Was Not Poisoned
Seattle's charity superintendent found William Emrich's family living in an old store without food or bedding, the children blistered by their father's poison fears. The case became a window into destitution, paranoia, and who deserved public aid.
- A Revolver at the Polls: Seattle’s Republican Primary Erupts
Seattle’s Republican primaries collapsed into shouting, challenged voters, fake tickets and a police chief drawing his revolver to declare the polls open.
- The Shadowed Life of a Russian Emigré
A man pursued from London to New York and Denver finds himself under arrest for arson in Seattle, caught in the web of international extradition.
- The Woman Who Refused the Judge
A Seattle woman stands her ground in municipal court, calling out a judge's election fraud and choosing jail over a fine.