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 |
|---|---|
| 1882 | 98 |
| 1883 | 511 |
| 1884 | 326 |
| 1885 | 566 |
| 1886 | 361 |
| 1887 | 327 |
2,189 stories
- The Broken Promise of the Northern Pacific
Nineteen years after receiving millions of acres in land grants, the Northern Pacific Railroad barely reaches Seattle, sparking local outrage over broken contracts.
- Celia Levy's Street Fight for Justice
A woman who lost her savings to a fraudulent brokerage firm tracks down the disgraced partner in a Seattle restaurant to exact a public—and physical—retribution.
- The Brutal Assault at the Brunswick Hotel
A woman details a violent confrontation after refusing a bribe to perjure herself in a scandal involving a local man.
- A Laundryman's Return to a Hostile City
A Chinese resident attempts to collect back pay after being expelled from Seattle.
- The Sailors' Strike and the Scab Sailors
Tensions rise at the Seattle waterfront as the Sailors' Union strike continues, with shipowners bypassing union halls to hire non-union crews.
- The Great Mud Flat Land War
An armed confrontation breaks out over disputed tide lands as settlers use cannon and rifles to defend their property claims.
- The Discriminatory Zoning of the 1880s
A local paper decries Chinese residents purchasing property, advocating for forced segregation to maintain white property values.
- Tragic Drowning on the Waterfront
A local plumber loses his life in the bay after a night of drinking.
- The Grand Arrival of Henry Villard
A spectacular, Homeric welcome for the railroad builder that transformed the streets of Seattle into a forest-themed parade route.
- Racist Exclusion and the Main Street Real Estate Panic
Local property owners react with outrage as landlords lease buildings to Chinese residents, illustrating the exclusionary climate of 1880s Seattle.
- Councilors and the Cost of Progress
A standoff between property owners and council members over street grading reveals the deep entanglement of private business and city government.
- The Battle for the Ballot
Despite false rumors meant to discourage participation, women in Seattle are registering to vote in record numbers ahead of the municipal election.
- The Business Men's Counter-Rally
Proponents of industry and economic development rally at Occidental Square against the 'moral reformers.'
- When a Chinese Theater Company Rented Tester’s Hall
In 1883, a morning paper attacked the lease as a public offense. The Post-Intelligencer pushed back: the actors were no more immoral than any other troupe, and the hall was old anyway.
- The Real Estate Gold Rush: How Seattle’s Early Boomers Made Millions on Dirt
A Sunday editorial in the Post-Intelligencer lays bare the staggering profits of land speculation in 1883, revealing how a few savvy investors turned hundreds of dollars into fortunes through sheer timing and location.
- The Name Debate: Why Seattle Nearly Became 'Tacoma'
When an Eastern Senator tried to force a name change on the future state, the people of the Washington Territory pushed back with fierce regional pride.
- The Ghost of Dynamite on the Northwestern Road
A train passenger train narrowly escapes derailment when a forgotten cache of giant powder detonates eight miles outside of Seattle.
- The Desperate Leap at Jackson Street
A local woman struggling with poverty and addiction finds herself in the bay after a public cry for help.
- Inquest Held for Remains Found in Seattle Cellar
A jury convenes to address the discovery of unidentified Chinese remains in a cellar, raising questions about municipal neglect and health risks.
- An Infernal Machine on the Tracks
A dangerous, home-made bomb was discovered on the streetcar tracks in Seattle, chilling a city already tense from labor agitation.
- Republican Rally at the Opera House
Judge Wood defends the Sheriff’s record in the anti-Chinese expulsions of 1886.
- The Evangelists and the Brothel
In 1887, a group of women conducted prayer meetings inside Seattle’s houses of prostitution, confronting the grim reality of life for the women living and working within.
- The Human Cargo of the 'Wolcott'
A government customs vessel intercepts a fishing boat off Smith Island, revealing a harrowing attempt to smuggle nine men into Seattle.
- The Forgotten Paupers of King County
A backlog of 800 unburied individuals, kept in temporary graves due to a lack of city funds, sparks a call for municipal accountability.
- The Brutal Departure from Commercial Street
After years of enduring her husband's violence and the destruction of her home, a Seattle woman seeks a divorce to save her young daughter.