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 | 15 |
| 1877 | 8 |
| 1878 | 5 |
| 1879 | 2 |
30 stories matching seem
- The Price of a Bible and a Grumpy Husband
A Preston man’s fiery reaction to his wife lending their only Bible captures the domestic tensions and religious rigidity of territorial life.
- The Ring That Ruled: Whatcom’s Postal War and the Coal Company’s Grip
A furious letter from Blaine exposes how the local post office was hijacked to serve the interests of the coal barons, turning a bureaucratic dispute into a battle for democratic survival.
- The Price of Incompetence in 1879
When an American warship finally steamed into Puget Sound, it didn't just bring firepower—it exposed the community's deep-seated anxiety about whether the U.S. government had abandoned the Pacific Northwest entirely.
- The Sudden Tidal Surge at Tatoosh Island
A quiet visit to the lighthouse boat house turns into a desperate struggle for survival against the Pacific.
- The Moral Gatekeeper: Snohomish’s New Battle Over Who Gets to Sell Liquor
A new state law requires liquor license applicants to prove 'good moral character,' turning county commissioners into judges of private virtue and sparking a fierce debate over who gets to define morality in the Territory.
- The Logging Land War
A government agent triggers a legal battle by seizing logs over a disputed property boundary.
- The Sausage-Maker’s Siege
A local merchant finds his business—and his family—hounded by a neighborhood rumor mill gone wild.
- The Unteachable 'Sixth Sense' of Journalism
An 1876 editorial from the Northern Star debates whether the craft of a reporter can be taught in a classroom or only mastered in the heat of the newsroom.
- Smallpox Scare at Port Townsend
Rumors of a smallpox outbreak on Puget Sound trigger public panic, but health officials scramble to reassure the community.
- The Rapid Growth and Growing Pains of Puget Sound
A local correspondent reports on the shipping boom, the rush of Indigenous harvest workers, and the unsettling pace of land speculation.
- The Tragedy of Booth: A Fatal Mistake with a Revolver
A young man preparing to move his hogs north from Island County suffered a gruesome accident when he mistook a loaded chamber for an empty one, resulting in a bullet that pierced his heart and shoulder.
- A Community Keeps a Job Open for an Injured Neighbor
When an auditor was sidelined by severe physical injuries, the community and competing candidates moved to ensure he could still earn a living through the office fees.
- A Community Under Siege: The Whidbey Island Diphtheria Outbreak
A harrowing account of how a single family was devastated by diphtheria in Oak Harbor during the summer of 1887.
- The Ghost of the Puyallup Valley
A traveling account reveals a local man's elaborate deception, as his supposedly dead family is found alive and well at the Puyallup station.
- The Logjam at Priest Point
A long-standing practice of mooring logs in the Snohomish River clashes with federal authority, leaving local loggers caught in a bureaucratic net.
- The Unsung Toll of the Snohomish Frontier
A poignant obituary for Julia E. Haskell reveals the fragile reality of life, health, and community dependence in 1878 Snohomish.
- The Unending Mountain: The Promise of the Newcastle Coal Mines
A detailed 1878 report on the labor, engineering, and seemingly limitless coal wealth of the Newcastle mines, then the engine of Seattle’s industrial future.
- A Critique of Preachers' Neglect of Practical Reform
A biting editorial calls out local clergy for focusing on the 'unknown future' while ignoring the immediate sanitary crises, poverty, and vice plaguing the streets of Seattle.
- The Great Legislative Mess of 1877
A scathing editorial reveals how Washington Territory lawmakers spent their time sight-seeing instead of legislating, resulting in a chaotic pile of 'undigested' laws.
- The Lightning Rod Swindler Who Targeted the Courthouse
A traveling salesman tries to sell protection to a jury foreman, only to discover he’s been pitching his wares to the wrong building.
- The Paper War of Snohomish: How One Man’s Canoe Trip Launched a Newspaper
In January 1876, editor Eldridge Morse navigated the Snohomish River by canoe to secure his printing press, launching the *Northern Star* amidst fierce competition from rival publishers.
- The First White Family: A Pioneer’s Log-Cabin Legacy
An excerpt from the diary of a local historian recounts the arrival of Mr. Thompson in Snohomish in 1864, detailing the rugged journey up the river and the humble beginnings of what is now a thriving town.
- A Correspondent Reports on the Nez Perce Conflict
Writing from Olympia in 1877, a local correspondent describes Nez Perce leaders’ refusal to relocate and the surprise attack that sparked a war many understood as a defense of home.
- The Temple of Thought: Snohomish Builds Its Own Athenaeum
A visiting orator declares the new Snohomish Athenaeum a 'temple of science, literature, and art,' rising from the wilderness to preserve the intellectual legacy of the Pacific Northwest.
- The Town That Wouldn't Sleep: Snohomish’s Fourth of July Overflow
When the steamers arrived with guests from Seattle and upriver, two hotels couldn't hold them all. The town celebrated with a reading by a woman, a poem by a local man, and a boat ride that nearly capsized on the Skagit.