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 | 6 |
| 1883 | 27 |
| 1884 | 27 |
| 1885 | 62 |
| 1886 | 27 |
| 1887 | 28 |
177 stories matching proceed
- Marriage at the Center of an Exclusion Crisis
A Seattle couple's travel plans are halted by the Chinese Restriction Act, sparking a legal struggle for their right to move freely.
- King County's Missing $61,000: Treasurer Accused of Embezzlement
A committee's report reveals that former County Treasurer George D. Hill is indebted to King County for over $61,000; the board orders legal action against him and his bondsmen.
- The Deadly Dispute at the Arcade
A long-standing property feud between members of the Dashaway Association erupts into a shooting in the heart of Seattle’s business district.
- The Coastal Sailors’ Strike
Vessel crews refuse to work at low rates, sparking a confrontation on the Seattle waterfront.
- The First Ward's Shadow Government
A group of unsuccessful job-seekers and disgruntled agitators formed an unofficial 'shadow council' to mock local civic power in 1884 Seattle.
- The Gift of Block 88
When George Kinnear gifted a plot of land for a city park in 1888, he demanded the city clear the dead trees and build a fence, sparking a long-term vision for Seattle's public spaces.
- The Seattle Legal Crisis of 1887
When an error in the law's title threatened to invalidate every court order in the territory, the Seattle Bar Association gathered to decide if the wheels of justice had ground to a halt.
- The Unpaid Streets of Tacoma
A bitter legal battle reveals the messy, unpaved reality of infrastructure development in late 19th-century Tacoma, pitting laborers against local developers.
- The Sheriff vs. The Reservation Agent: A Neah Bay Standoff
When a federal agent refused to obey a district court order, a deputy sheriff took a midnight steamer to enforce the law—only to be met with a threat of the guardhouse.
- The City Council vs. The Slaughterhouses
In an early effort to clean up the city's streets, the Seattle City Council orders the immediate abatement of butcher-shop nuisances.
- The Great Ellensburg Prison Break
Three territorial prisoners pull off a daring escape from the Ellensburg jail, triggering a county-wide manhunt.
- The Wheels of Justice on the White River
Seven Indigenous petitioners take to the Seattle probate court to settle an estate, finding themselves navigating the complex and often impenetrable bureaucracy of settler law.
- 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.
- Branding Season in the North
A vivid, firsthand account of the dangerous and dust-filled work of a cattle drive and roundup in the Pacific Northwest.
- The Iron Road Approaches: Surveying the Seattle, Walla Walla and Baker City Railroad
While Seattle dreams of a rail terminus, crews map out the path through local gardens and hills to reach the bay.
- Temperance Crusaders Demand the Ballot
A historic convention of the W.C.T.U. in Seattle adopts a radical platform demanding suffrage for women as a weapon against the 'liquor traffic.'
- The Resistance of Ah Sin
A Chinese man accused of illegal entry avoids deportation after his community rallies to testify on his behalf in Seattle court.
- Henry Villard Arrives in Seattle
A grand reception for the Northern Pacific Railroad leader marks the dawn of a new era of rail connectivity for the city.
- A Diplomatic Salute in Fort Blakely
A French ship captain, confused by the celebratory shouting in a local harbor, fires a salute in honor of the wrong man.
- Stevedores Strike for Higher Wages
Dockworkers loading the 'Benj. F. Packard' walk off the job when their request for higher Sunday pay is denied.
- Opium Seizure in the Third Judicial District
Federal authorities move to condemn fifty pounds of contraband opium found concealed within a house in Seattle.
- A Night at the St. Charles Hotel
A local journalist's late-night attempt to 'clean out' a hotel leads to a public brawl and a courtroom spectacle.
- The Chamber of Commerce Pleads for the Railroads
Tacoma’s business elite pen a desperate memorial to the Northern Pacific, crying 'perfidy' as the terminal war heats up.
- The Struggle for Shore Access at the Waterfront
A squatter on the Northern Pacific tide lands faces a showdown with a steam-powered pile driver.
- The Unflinching Defense of Mrs. Dudley
Facing a court in a high-stakes trial, a woman demands the right to testify in her own defense, challenging the gendered biases of her era.