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
- The Slugger Monopoly of Pacific Avenue
A local slot machine monopolist deploys hired thugs to enforce his trade, leading to a public street fight and a day in court.
- The 'Messiah' of North Tacoma
After his arrest for assault, police uncovered a stash of love letters from women across the country who believed Joshua Klein was a spiritual master.
- Fatal Surge on Pacific Avenue
High-voltage electricity crosses wires at a construction site, claiming the lives of two local workers and endangering several others.
- The Health Board Targets Opera Alley's Squalor
City officials inspect disease-breeding housing conditions occupied by foreign laborers.
- Despair in the Tenth Ward
A Tacoma resident survives a desperate act of self-harm, only to face further neglect from city services.
- Tacoma Park Board Erupts in 'Fossil' Feud
Facing mounting debt and public scrutiny, the city's Park Board lashes out at 'meddlers' and critics.
- Vengeance at the Dog Show
A Fox Island rancher executes a bloodhound on the streets of Tacoma to avenge his wife's previous injury.
- Street Blasting Terrifies Fairhaven Neighbors
A massive stump removal operation inside city limits wreaks havoc on local storefronts and rattles the nerves of residents.
- A Near-Fatal Train Wreck Averted by a Rooftop Signal
A head-on collision between a passenger train and a freight train on the outskirts of Kennewick results in mass wreckage but miraculous survival.
- A Railroad Feud in Whatcom
Citizens of Whatcom are up in arms after a railway company performs a bare-minimum, last-minute track laying to save their franchise.
- Expulsion and Harassment on the Waterfront
A Chinese man arrives in Seattle only to be threatened by a local anti-Chinese group, highlighting the climate of exclusion in 1885.
- The Stench of the Fairhaven Mudflats
Citizens demand immediate action to address the foul refuse dumping ground north of Harris Street.
- Black Lawyer Denied Service at Seattle Hotel
Tacoma attorney Gustave B. Aldrich files a complaint after being refused service at the Hotel Cecil's public dining room.
- The Election Day Plot at Black Diamond
Election officials warn of a sinister scheme to disrupt the vote at the coal mines, prompting calls for citizens to guard the ballot box.
- Railroad Standoff at the Coal Bunkers
A high-stakes blockade at the Puget Sound waterfront reveals the tense territorial battles between the Great Northern and Northern Pacific lines.
- The Return of Chinese Merchants to Tacoma
Years after the 1885 expulsion, a cautious attempt is made to re-establish a Chinese merchant presence in the city.
- The Price of Progress at Point Defiance
Property owners and the Northern Pacific railroad clash in court over the valuation of land seized for the new Point Defiance line.
- Betrayal at the Waterfront Lodging House
A visiting Neah Bay man seeking to sell seal skins alleges he was beaten and robbed of his savings by a Seattle saloon proprietor.
- Marshall Snell Demands Safer Streets
City officials and concerned citizens sound the alarm over the rising danger of automobiles in public spaces like Wright Park.
- Living on Borrowed Time in Lower Seattle
A scathing editorial decries the 'man-traps' of the waterfront, where buildings are propped up on flimsy planks to accommodate rising street grades.
- The Great Cabbage Scandal
A citizen defends the public market against charges of unsanitary conditions, pointing the finger at local grocers instead.
- Shanties Cleared at University Street
The City Council orders the destruction of precarious housing at the waterfront, forcing residents out to make way for development.
- Smallpox Reaches the City
A Great Northern laborer turns himself in to authorities as fears grow over an outbreak in Snohomish.
- A Violent Dispute at the Windsor Hotel
A disagreement over a satchel and unpaid wages at a local hotel leads to a public fight, tearful police intervention, and a standoff.
- A Russian Immigrant's Alleged Property Fraud
A local man sues his lawyer for allegedly abusing his trust to seize his Washington Street property.