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 |
|---|---|
| 1888 | 52 |
| 1889 | 101 |
| 1891 | 50 |
| 1892 | 130 |
| 1893 | 163 |
| 1894 | 248 |
| 1895 | 308 |
1,052 stories matching given
- A Farmer Vanishes in the Night, and a Secret Order Is Blamed
Charles Gloystein was called from his Spokane County home at midnight. Weeks later all that has surfaced is his battered, bloody hat — and the editor points straight at the oath-bound Freemen's Silver Protective Federation.
- Seattle’s 1895 Co-op Where 150 Unemployed Men Ate for 7 Cents a Day
At a Belltown barracks, unemployed single men pooled their wages, submitted to military-style rules and fed an average of 150 people daily for about 7 cents each.
- A Bank President Accused of Looting His Own Vault
Deputy Internal Revenue Collector James P. Gleason says he bought $10,000 in Commercial National Bank stock on promises that turned out to be worthless—and that H. W. Wheeler used a mortgage company to hide the assets.
- The Murder Foretold: Three Japanese Laborers Held Without Bail
A witness testifies that one suspect predicted the killing hours in advance, and a bloody butcher knife is found in a kitchen wall. Three Japanese men are ordered held without bail for the murder of a Japanese boss near Christopher.
- The $8,000 Schoolyard Fight
A losing contractor accuses Seattle’s school board of steering a South School grounds contract to a favored bidder and wasting taxpayer money. The board fires back that the cheapest bids were unsafe and that a $25,000 schoolhouse was at risk of falling.
- The Trench That Became a Grave
Two workmen narrowly survive a catastrophic sewer trench collapse on Eighth and Marion, saved only by the quick, heroic actions of their fellow laborers.
- A Nurse, Three Drafts, and a Mother's Outburst in Court
Nat Young Jr. is bound over for trial on charges he drained a sick man's bank drafts — but the star of the preliminary hearing is his mother, who leapt up in Justice Caldwell's courtroom and shouted, 'That is a lie.'
- The Judge Who Was Both Defendant and Accused
In a stunning legal double-header, Judge Wickersham is convicted of seduction in one court, then immediately indicted for perjury by the federal grand jury in the very same day.
- The Missing Will That Would Have Given Seattle a Library
Henry Yesler's widow and two doctors are arrested, accused of burning a will that left the pioneer's fortune—and his mansion—to the city.
- The Day Washington Was Born: A City Holds Its Breath
As the nation celebrates statehood, Seattle gathers in a packed hall to hear speeches on liberty, land fraud, and the future of the 'Queen City.'
- The Salvation Army’s Plan to Turn a Kitsap Farm Into a Lifeline for Seattle’s Unemployed
With a 250-acre bequest near Sidney and a crowded food-and-shelter depot at Weller and South Third, the Army proposed a co-operative farm, woodyard and prison-gate brigade to put hundreds of jobless men to work.
- The Pastor, the Pawnshop, and the Forged Minutes
Seattle's Jones Street A.M.E. church removed Rev. Allen Whaley after trustees found missing collection money, a suspicious bank receipt, and minutes he wrote himself.
- Tacoma's Anti-Boodler Council Seizes Power, Demands Accounting of City Funds
A new coalition of Republicans and Populists takes control of Tacoma's city council, stripping power from the old guard and launching an investigation into the city's $720,000 bank deposit. Mayor Orr's appointments are blocked as the finance committee prepares to audit every bank.
- The Pastor, the Circular, and the Hung Jury
For three days a Seattle courtroom heard accusations of adultery, an illegitimate son, and a pastor’s libelous circular. At 12:35 a.m., the jury was still deadlocked.
- Scarlet Fever Shut Seattle's Schools—Then the Board Cut Teachers' Pay
In May 1895 a health order ended the school year early. The same meeting slashed salaries, eliminated music and drawing, and triggered a board member's furious dissent.
- The Circular of Rumors That Landed a Minister in Court
A four-hour Seattle libel hearing ends with Rev. M. H. Nichols bound over after he admits his charges against Rev. Dr. T. E. Ford were built on hearsay.
- When Seattle's Mayor Took on Poverty: The 1895 Charity Bureau Meeting
At the Chamber of Commerce, Mayor Byron Phelps and local leaders discussed unemployment, aid to families, and the growing demand for relief during a depression year.
- Fire Chief Ousted in Late-Night Commission Coup
A divided fire commission removes Chief Allen for 'incompetency' and taps ex-Chief Kellogg, prompting a furious protest from the mayor.
- Seattle Paid 90 Cents for Fire Hose Spokane Got for 63, a Councilman Charged
A councilman's tip about a fire-hose price gap turned a routine purchase into a small procurement scandal — and the vendor promptly promised Seattle the lower price.
- King County Democrats Cry Foul Over a Rigged Delegate Count
The state Democratic Party cut King County's representation at the convention and handed its delegates to Pierce County — and the Post-Intelligencer was not about to let it pass quietly.
- Under Fire on the Way to Spokane: Seattle's Militia Rode Into a Rail War
Col. Joseph Green's detachment returns from Spokane after escorting a mutinied company through burned bridges, ambushes and striker country—and the city turns out to cheer.
- The Night a Streetcar Powerhouse Fire Left Half of Seattle Dark
A pre-dawn blaze at Fifth and Pine gutted the Consolidated Street Railway plant, destroyed nearly all its cars and dynamos, crippled three lines, and blacked out everything north of Pike Street.
- The Wig and the Wire: How a Tacoma Newspaper Owner Tried to Destroy a Judge
In the sensational Wickersham trial of 1889, prosecutor R.P. Radebaugh’s own past and his alleged conspiracy to frame Judge Wickersham for 'immorality' were laid bare in court.
- A Patient Fell to His Death. Then the Asylum Went Silent.
A Spokane informant says a patient at the Medical Lake asylum died after a third-story fall—and that no coroner’s inquiry followed. Old employees, meanwhile, were being pushed out.
- The Sound Goes Silent: Steamboat Crews Strike Over Wage Cuts
A coordinated walkout by skilled engineers and captains across Puget Sound brings mail service to a halt as operators face the reality of losing their irreplaceable workforce.
Also about this, in other words
- The Abandonment of Ong Let
A Chinese domestic servant faces death alone in the hospital after his community fund dries up and authorities offer no help.
- Denied Shelter at the Hospital, A Woman Gives Birth in a Police Station
A tragic case of medical red tape and bureaucratic cruelty exposes the lack of a social safety net in 1893 Seattle.
- An Unusual Act of Honesty
A struggling immigrant who received public assistance returns every penny, plus a donation for others in need.
- The Vulgarity of Legislative Gratuities
An editorial critique argues that tipping public officials during legislative sessions undermines the dignity of the state.
- The Price of a Forgotten Debt
A chance encounter on a crowded city street five years later reminds a man of a twenty-dollar loan and the delicate social dance of repayment.