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 |
|---|---|
| 1876 | 12 |
| 1877 | 11 |
| 1878 | 13 |
| 1880 | 5 |
41 stories matching safe
- The Concordia Beer Hall Heist
A cool-headed band of thieves broke into a Seattle saloon, cracked the safe, and held an impromptu dinner party with stolen beer and cigars before vanishing.
- The Search for Three Lost Cows in Early Seattle
A local farmer turns to the public after a small herd disappears from his pasture, offering a reward for their safe return.
- The Great Meat Safe: How Seattle’s Fishermen Could Have Rivalled London’s Beef Trade
A July 1876 dispatch from the Agricultural Gazette reveals that fresh American beef was successfully shipped to London in refrigerated holds. The Daily Intelligencer editor sees a parallel opportunity for Puget Sound halibut, which currently spoils before reaching San Francisco markets.
- The Struggle for a Safer Seattle Waterfront
As the city rapidly expands its harbor, a push for a new railing along the waterfront aims to protect nighttime travelers from accidental falls.
- The Sheriff’s Eviction: A Bloodless Coup on San Juan Island
In May 1877, a contingent of Victoria militia and the local sheriff executed a peaceful but firm eviction of five families from disputed land, arresting only those who resisted or fraternized with the miners.
- The Iron Vein: Seattle’s Gamble on the Railroad
In 1876, local leaders rallied behind a desperate bid to connect the young city of Seattle to the interior coal mines and grain lands, arguing that the railroad was the only path from frontier outpost to global port.
- The Satchel Swindle: How a Miner Outsmarted a Seattle Landlord
A crafty miner used a bag of lead pipe to play on his landlord’s greed and secure two months of free room and board.
- The Dangerous Plank Walk of Old Seattle
While the city dragged its feet on street improvements in 1878, residents were forced to navigate treacherous, makeshift wooden planks, causing frustration and daily peril.
- The Pioneer Dream on the Snoqualmie River
A settler lists his homestead for sale, offering a window into the grueling physical labor and speculative ambition of 1870s life in the Washington Territory.
- Seattle Declares Victory Over Smallpox Outbreak
After twenty days of tension, health officials confirm the city is safe, though the bill for containment—and a sharp rebuke for those who brought the sickness to town—remains.
- An Invitation to the Timberlands
A New Jersey pattern maker seeks a new life in the Pacific Northwest, prompting a classic territorial pitch for labor and land.
- The Unrest of the American Dollar
A 1880 editorial from the Seattle Intelligencer examines the nation's obsession with wealth accumulation and its hidden costs to the soul of a young nation.
- The Pioneer's Farewell
A Snoqualmie River settler puts his homestead up for sale, citing 'weak lungs' as the reason for leaving his hard-won life behind.
- A Frontier Land Deal on the Snoqualmie
A settler lists his 160-acre riverfront homestead for sale, citing his own failing health as the price of carving a life from the Washington wilderness.
- A Life on the Sound: The Snoqualmie River Homestead
A settler’s personal plea to sell his 160-acre riverfront dream as he faces the 'inevitable payment' of a life in the rugged Pacific Northwest.
- The Tragedy of a Snoqualmie Valley Homestead
After his health fails, a local settler offers his hard-won riverfront farm for sale, hoping to escape the damp climate of the Snoqualmie.
- 160-Acre Farm for Sale on the Snoqualmie River
A Snoqualmie homesteader lists his hard-won riverfront acreage, citing 'weak lungs' as the reason for his departure.
- The Great Railway Pipe Dream
A century and a half ago, speculators and dreamers were already busy mapping out the future of Seattle's rail lines and debating the superiority of Puget Sound over Canadian ports.
- The Pioneer’s Burden: Selling the Snoqualmie Homestead
In 1878, a settler’s failing health offers a rare glimpse into the back-breaking labor of carving a farm from the wilderness.
- The Fragile Dream of a Snoqualmie River Homesteader
Forced to sell his 160-acre homestead due to failing health, a pioneer paints a vivid picture of the untamed Snoqualmie Valley in 1878.
- A Frontier Life for Sale on the Snoqualmie
A settler lists his 160-acre homestead for sale in 1878, citing a 'weak lungs' diagnosis—a common, tragic reality for those braving the Pacific Northwest wilderness.
- A Frontier Homestead Seeking a New Steward
In 1878, a settler on the Snoqualmie River attempts to pass on his hard-won homestead, citing health struggles as the frontier era shifts toward permanent settlement.
- The Snoqualmie River Farm That Had Everything
A settler’s mid-19th-century struggle with 'weak lungs' reveals a prime piece of riverfront timber and agricultural land during the height of the logging boom.
- The Myth of the Independent Pioneer
An 1877 editorial from the Seattle Intelligencer argues that the abundance of free, unsettled land in Washington Territory is the only thing keeping local wages high and preventing the labor unrest seen in crowded cities like Paris or London.
- Snoqualmie River Farm With 160 Acres for Sale
A rare 1878 listing offers a glimpse into the grueling reality of clearing timber and building a life on the frontier, where 'weak lungs'—a common death sentence in the era—forced a settler to abandon his homestead.