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 | 1 |
| 1883 | 9 |
| 1884 | 3 |
| 1885 | 11 |
| 1886 | 11 |
| 1887 | 5 |
40 stories matching hat
- The Great Salmon Haul at Hat Island
A record-breaking catch of silver salmon near the mouth of the Snohomish River turns into a frantic struggle as nets break under the weight of the fish.
- The Ghostly Discovery at Lake Union
A routine walk in the woods turns into a macabre mystery when a Seattle resident stumbles upon a shallow, suspicious grave.
- The Unsolved Mystery of the East Side Wharf
A man’s hat and belongings found near the O.&C. railroad tracks spark rumors of a brutal murder in early Seattle.
- The Shadow Over the Maxwell Trial
A grizzly discovery in a Seattle warehouse forces a local businessman to defend himself against a charge of murder.
- The Hatchet in the Room
A New Year's night assault at a Seattle boarding house leads to a suspicious man, a bloodied hat, and a neighborhood hunt.
- The Rivalry That Built the Sound
In 1887, C.B. Wright, a key figure in the development of Tacoma, reflects on the 'nip and go' panic that forced the Northern Pacific terminus to choose between Tacoma and Seattle.
- The Daily Struggle: When Seattle Was Made of Mud
A local pedestrian finds himself literally stuck in the muck of Mill Street, illustrating the primitive state of 1885 infrastructure.
- Drunken Longshoreman Saved from Seattle’s Docks
After stumbling off the Main Street wharf, a local laborer’s immense voice narrowly saves him from drowning in the harbor.
- A Desperate End at Sand Point
A man known as 'Eaton,' ordered to leave town by vigilantes, takes his own life in front of a passing train.
- An International Legal Loophole for a Fugitive
Sheriff McGraw discovers that a man indicted for grand larceny cannot be extradited from British Columbia due to the limited scope of the existing treaty.
- The Auctioneer and the Widow's Heirloom
A desperate widow, a misplaced cedar cabinet, and a piece of paper that held the future of her children.
- 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.
- A Community Responds to a Mill Worker's Tragedy
When a worker lost his arm in a gruesome sawmill accident, his coworkers passed the hat to ensure he was cared for.
- Masked Revelry at Yesler Hall
Seattle residents don costumes for a night of dancing and competition in the city's popular social venue.
- A Near-Fatal Robbery Attempt in Tacoma
Dr. F. C. Miller narrowly escapes a highwayman's bullet while riding near the slaughterhouse.
- A Fourth of July Tragedy in Snohomish
A spirited colt runs away during the holiday celebration, resulting in the death of a 20-year-old rider.
- The Tragic End of William Hill
The body of a Scottish laborer is discovered floating near the Seattle city front, leaving behind a simple will and a recommendation from a Victoria hotel.
- The Fight Against 'Ready-Made' News
In 1884, Seattle’s labor printers stood against the rise of syndicated, out-of-town journalism, arguing that local integrity and local jobs mattered more than cheap, imported content.
- Shopping Day for the Indigenous Visitors
A bustling Saturday in Seattle as Indigenous visitors from the bay fill the city's stores with goods and dry items.
- A Young Life Lost in the Yakima River
While attempting to drive horses across a dangerous crossing, an eighteen-year-old laborer is swept away in the swift currents.
- The Constable Who Stole a Deadbeat's Pants
When a persistent debt collector found a local man evading his dues, he turned to an unconventional, and highly public, method of enforcement at a popular swimming spot.
- The Shadow of the Noose: The Murder Trial of O.B. Miller
A gripping courtroom drama unfolds in Seattle as O.B. Miller faces his third trial for the 1887 murder of two men on Lake Washington.
- The Charity Case Who Came Back a Brutal Husband
Port Blakely mill hands passed the hat for a crippled co-worker and sent him home to Kentucky. He came back married — and the town's justice of the peace had to take his wife away from him by night.
- A Vicious Letter to the Editor from 1885
A correspondent expresses the era's height of anti-Chinese xenophobia.
- The Tragedy of William Owens
A vulnerable man’s lonely trek to Seattle ends not in hope, but in the county jail and the looming shadow of the state asylum.