Research the archive
Narrow 25,688 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 | 2 |
| 1885 | 5 |
| 1886 | 7 |
| 1887 | 4 |
19 stories matching trigger
- The Mob, The Military, and the Riot at the Seattle Wharf
In February 1886, a citizen-led campaign of forced expulsion against Seattle’s Chinese residents spiraled into a violent confrontation, triggering a week of martial law and armed conflict in the streets.
- The Mob Violence Trial That Shook 1885 Seattle
A jury acquits a man accused of murdering Chinese laborers in Squak Valley, sparking chaotic courtroom protests.
- The Great Railway Land Grab: Seattle's 1886 Battle Over Public Domain
A federal report exposes how the Northern Pacific Railroad claimed millions of acres in Washington Territory without legal authority, triggering a massive reclamation effort.
- The Pig War: How a Single Foraging Hog Nearly Triggered a Border War
A look back at the bizarre diplomatic standoff between the U.S. and Britain on San Juan Island, sparked by a hungry pig in a settler’s garden.
- The Great Seattle Oyster War
When Colonel Jim Steel discovered a legal loophole to seize Seattle’s tide flats for private oyster farming, he triggered a chaotic race against a major land company.
- Railroad War in the Cascades
A power struggle between a superintendent and his replacement at the Northern Pacific construction front leads to threats, unpaid fares, and shotgun standoffs.
- The Railroad’s Timber Heist
A federal investigation reveals that the Northern Pacific Railroad conspired with contractors to clear-cut and steal timber from public lands, triggering a major legal showdown in Yakima.
- The Political Price of Honest Dealing
A local land officer loses his position for resisting the 'land-grabbing' Northern Pacific Railroad, triggering a public petition to demand his reinstatement.
- The Ghost of the Anti-Chinese Riots
A mysterious agitator claims the soldiers have arrived to protect Seattle's Chinese population, triggering panic and confusion on the docks.
- The Old Union Flag
A group of Seattle schoolboys preparing for a dance discovered a historic, weather-beaten Union flag—triggering a local effort to preserve the banner that once flew over the Civil War-era Union League.
- The Solitary Tragedy of Maple Valley
A lonely squatter, once neighborly, ends his life in a wretched cabin while local settlers eye his unclaimed homestead.
- The great railway washout of 1883
Heavy spring snowmelt triggers dozens of washouts along the railway between Spokane and Ainsworth, leaving passengers stranded in the mud.
- The Tragedy at the Smith Home
A domestic accident in 1885 leads to the sudden, accidental death of a young mother in her bedroom.
- The Great Ellensburg Prison Break
Three territorial prisoners pull off a daring escape from the Ellensburg jail, triggering a county-wide manhunt.
- The Unpaid Labor of Seattle's Waterfront
Court dockets reveal that a local businessman, M. McMillan, has been leaving his laborers unpaid for weeks of work on the Seattle waterfront, triggering a series of small claims.
- The Great Seattle Land Rush of 1887
When cheap rail tickets from the Canadian Pacific triggered a real estate stampede into Seattle.
- A Near-Fatal Robbery Attempt in Tacoma
Dr. F. C. Miller narrowly escapes a highwayman's bullet while riding near the slaughterhouse.
- Smallpox Terror in Newcastle
A traveler arriving from California triggers a panic in the mining town, recalling the painful toll of an outbreak the previous year.
- The Fire Beneath the Floorboards
A careless act in a pumphouse triggers a blaze that halts production and leaves miners sprinting for their lives.
Also about this, in other words
- Explosion at the Stump
A teamster's narrow escape after a misfired blast in his land-clearing efforts.
- Family Terrorized by Disturbed Man
A young man, denied commitment to an asylum, drives his family from their home at gunpoint.