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 |
|---|---|
| 1876 | 405 |
| 1877 | 280 |
| 1878 | 64 |
| 1880 | 75 |
824 stories
- The Industrial Hospital of the Frontier
In 1876, Dr. G.A. Weed opened a hospital in downtown Seattle to treat the rising tide of casualties from the region’s booming logging camps and mills.
- The Struggle to Pipe Water into Early Seattle
A City Council report from 1876 reveals the frantic, early negotiations to secure a reliable, private water supply for the burgeoning frontier town.
- The Robber Barons of the Rails
As the Pacific Northwest rail and steamship empires consolidate, one man's rise mirrors the era of the 'autocrat' industrialist.
- The Sugar Rush: Seattle's Pacific Ambitions in 1876
A century and a half ago, Seattle business leaders were banking on a trade treaty with Hawaii to turn the city into the West Coast’s sugar refining capital.
- Dr. Weed Opens Seattle Hospital for Injured Laborers
Dr. G.A. Weed opens a dedicated facility in 1876 to care for the laborers sustaining Seattle’s industrial boom.
- A Bloody Struggle at the Wharf
A dockside confrontation leads to a violent stabbing, shedding light on the tensions surrounding labor and safety in the growing port of Seattle.
- Seattle’s Lost Bid for the Navy Yard
While the 1876 Congressional committee debated the future of the Mare Island naval site, Seattle’s local press made a bold, visionary pitch for the Sound as the premier industrial hub of the Pacific.
- The Secret Fortune of the Bereaved Bride
A newlywed widow, grieving the loss of her husband in a tragic, rapid courtship, remains unaware of the $10,000 legacy held in her name.
- The Centennial Lottery Gamble
In 1876, the Washington Territorial Legislature authorized a public lottery to fund a wagon road across the Cascade Mountains, marking a desperate and creative approach to frontier infrastructure.
- A Dangerous Labor in the Sawmills of 1876
A worker suffers a debilitating injury at a local wharf, highlighting the routine hazards faced by laborers in Seattle’s industrial infancy.
- Seattle's 1876 Centennial Oration and Pioneer Memory
On the nation's Centennial, Seattle pioneers recounted early conflicts with Native peoples and the settlement's growth into a commercial hub.
- The Ghost in the Photograph
A grieving man’s obsession with the afterlife leads him into the dark, hidden corners of 1876 Seattle—and to a tragic end.
- The Empty Crib at the Corner of Third and Union
A quiet, haunting reflection from 1876 Seattle on the enduring grief of losing a child and the keepsakes that remain.
- The Struggle for a Fire-Proof Seattle
In 1876, a local editor warns that Seattle’s reliance on wood-frame architecture is a dangerous gamble for a growing city.
- A Near-Fatal Industrial Error at the Mill
A dangerous malfunction at a Seattle sawmill nearly crushes a worker, serving as a reminder of the perils of unregulated labor in the territory.
- The Price of Neglect: Seattle’s Summer Stench
In 1876, the Duly Intelligencer called out the city for ignoring stagnant, disease-breeding gutters in the business district, warning that the 'healthiest city on the coast' was becoming a hotbed for fever.
- The Swamp That Was: How a Drainage Project Threatened to Reclaim King County’s Wetlands
In 1876, local farmers petitioned the county to drain the marshes between White and Black rivers, arguing that reclamation would boost public health and add millions to the region's wealth.
- The Day Seattle’s Firefighters Forgot the Engine
A narrow escape on Mill Street in 1876 reveals how quickly a small fire could consume the wooden city—and how unprepared the new volunteer company was.
- The Great Partition: Why Walla Walla Wants to Leave Washington
A fiery editorial warns that the eastern half of the territory is plotting to join Oregon, leaving Seattle and the Puget Sound region stranded in a 'provincial' limbo.
- The Professor’s Last Trick: Clara Baldwin’s Final Spiritualist Spectacle
In a packed hall in Seattle, the renowned medium Clara Baldwin performed her final show before departing for Portland, captivating the audience with 'wonderful bat' illusions and binding herself in chains to prove her powers were real.
- The Real Estate Inheritance Marriage
When a Seattle man's son passed away, he left his property to his father, in trust for his widow—with a clause insisting they live under the same roof. The result was a local wedding that defied convention.
- The Terrors of Belltown: Youth Gangs and Civic Chaos in 1870
Before it was a bustling neighborhood, Belltown was a site of 'villainous' youth pranks and neighborhood disturbances that left residents clamoring for order.
- The City That Slid Away: Seattle’s Front Street Disaster of 1876
As the city expands up its steep hills, a critical retaining wall on Front Street collapses under the weight of new development, leaving officials to wonder if Seattle is building itself into a disaster.
- The Original Seattle Real Estate Hustle
In 1876, a pioneer developer lured buyers with the promise of 'a lot for nothing,' provided they were willing to build their own future on his terms.
- The Waterfront Rescue
When two boys tumbled into the cold waters of the Seattle wharf, the indifference of the crowd stood in sharp contrast to one man's bravery.