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 |
|---|---|
| 1882 | 4 |
| 1883 | 25 |
| 1884 | 7 |
| 1885 | 26 |
| 1886 | 20 |
| 1887 | 9 |
91 stories matching common
- Railroad Monopoly Challenged in Court
Chief Justice Greene rules against Northern Pacific's attempts to block competitors from their lines.
- The Mayor Bows Out of the Political Fight
Mayor H. G. Struve declines a nomination for re-election, citing a desire for 'common sense' government and the unity of local business interests.
- A Territorial Governor’s Controversial Advice
Governor William A. Newell's 1883 message to the Territorial Legislature advocates for the forced assimilation of Indigenous people and a rigid, unadorned approach to public institutions.
- The Inhumanity of the City Jail
A plea for the humane treatment of women in Seattle's overcrowded, mixed-gender prison system.
- The Political Theater of 1885 Seattle
An overheard dialogue between two political 'gentlemen' reveals the messy, backroom realities of early Seattle’s 'Law and Order' movement.
- When Seattle Tried to Break the Railroad's Grip
Before the city was a tech hub, it was a battleground for political autonomy against the suffocating influence of the Northern Pacific Railroad.
- The Temperance Debate That Rocked Seattle
A fiery, hours-long confrontation at the Woman's Christian Temperance Union convention reveals a deep divide between pragmatists and extremists.
- Theft at Simon & Brownstone
A store in the city is broken into by thieves, prompting calls for more vigorous policing as property crimes rise.
- The Battle Over Naming Baby Brown
A classic matrimonial spat from 1882 reveals the absurd lengths a Victorian couple went to avoid the common name 'Henry' for their newborn son.
- The Fight to Fund the Territorial University
Legislators debate the future of education in Olympia, questioning the status of the University's land title and its academic standards.
- The Schoolhouse Mutiny
When an empty Seattle schoolhouse became a playground for neighborhood boys, a mild prank turned into a local spectacle of adolescent mischief.
- The Tragedy on Meridian Street
A double murder-suicide in Tacoma marks a violent end for a couple married just three months.
- The Healthiest Spot in the Union
In 1884, a physician made the case that Seattle’s mild, stable climate made it a medical anomaly—a city where typhoid was rare and death rates were the envy of the nation.
- The City Charter of 1886
A legislative blueprint defining the duties of Seattle's mayor, council, and police as the growing territory formalizes its municipal rule.
- A City Under Siege by Caterpillars
Citizens are struggling to find a way to exterminate millions of caterpillars that are stripping local trees bare.
- The Push to Replace Chinese Laborers in Seattle
Employers move to fire Chinese workers in favor of white laborers, as the city faces a rise in unemployed white men looking for work.
- Corruption at the Naval Department
A scathing report exposes rampant incompetence, fraud, and systematic disorganization within the Naval Department, leaving public service in tatters.
- The Sudden Death of Judge Peter P. Good
A prominent New York-trained jurist who arrived in Seattle to participate in the ongoing anti-Chinese agitation has died of heart failure.
- The Smallpox Dog
A doctor in a smallpox hospital realizes that a stray cur visiting the wards is the vector for a new patient's infection.
- The Seattle Marksman Who Shot Himself Into a Nervous Breakdown
A hardware store's promotional stunt goes horribly wrong when counting shot holes leads to a mental collapse.
- The Political Price of Statehood
A biting critique of territorial delegate Voorhees and the onerous conditions proposed for Washington's entry into the Union.
- The Human Cargo in the Ash Pan
A steamship captain reveals the desperate lengths to which his crew went to smuggle Chinese laborers past authorities in the Puget Sound.
- Tales from the Steamship Mexico
A reporter recounts a voyage from Seattle to San Francisco, praising the ship's discipline and the shift toward courteous service at sea.
- Books for the Common Good
An anonymous businessman donates $100 in gold to expand the Y.M.C.A. reading room for the working men of Seattle.
- The Rapid Rise of Eagle Harbor
A quiet settlement nine miles from Seattle transforms into a thriving community with a school and regular preaching.