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 |
|---|---|
| 1889 | 1 |
| 1891 | 10 |
| 1892 | 8 |
| 1893 | 8 |
| 1894 | 6 |
| 1895 | 28 |
61 stories matching outstand
- Tacoma Votes to Expand City Infrastructure
Citizens approve a massive bond issue to fund a new City Hall and retire outstanding warrants.
- The County Treasury Lockdown
Whatcom County officials are at an impasse over a resolution to freeze outstanding warrants, sparking a legal and political battle.
- The Battle for Tacoma's City Treasury
A councilman claims the city treasury is nearly empty while the treasurer boasts of a surplus, sparking a high-stakes standoff over public funds and transparency.
- Seattle’s 1891 Multi-Million Dollar Infrastructure Gamble
Facing a massive backlog of unpaid municipal warrants, Seattle voters were called to the polls in early 1891 to authorize a $861,000 bond issuance to cover street widenings and fire department debts.
- The City That Couldn't Pay Its Bills: Seattle’s Fiscal Crisis and the Fight for Expansion
Mayor Moran and Councilman Dane plead with citizens to understand why street paving is stalled and sewer plans are shelved—not from laziness, but because state law caps the city's debt just as the population doubles.
- Ballard's $24,000 Debt Fight Turns on Water and Electric Plants
A three-fifths vote could fund the young city's warrants, but factions oppose buying the water system and electric plant—and some simply distrust the council.
- Seattle’s Schools Ask Voters to Make the Ledger Balance
With teachers discounting their own salary warrants, the school board calls a special election to validate a $37,000 floating debt and put the district on a cash basis.
- The Mill That Asked Workers to Wait for Lumber
A Seattle receiver said the Standard Mill Company could survive only if loggers and mechanics agreed to be paid out of the product of their own labor. The court let 35 cents on the dollar go to labor claims.
- Ballard Electric Goes Under
A receiver is appointed for the Ballard Electric Light Company as its debts overwhelm its assets.
- Ballard Votes to Pay the Piper
A special election in the young city of Ballard clears the three-fifths bar to fund debts that ran about $3,000 past the legal limit.
- The Bankers’ Bailout for City Debt
Seattle’s financial elite push for state intervention to retroactively legalize city debt incurred in excess of the constitutional limit.
- Seattle’s Fiscal Reckoning
Voters overwhelmingly approve a massive bond measure to fund city infrastructure and settle outstanding warrants, effectively validating the city's financial integrity.
- The Day Seattle Decided Its Own Future
On a January day in 1891, the city held a massive, complex special election to authorize bonds for massive public infrastructure, paving the way for the city’s rapid growth.
- A.P.A. Secures Victory in Ballard School Election
The American Protective Association flexes its political muscle in a high-turnout school board race.
- The City’s IOUs: Seattle's Great 1892 Debt Reckoning
Facing a mountain of unpaid warrants and legal liabilities, the city council asks voters to decide if Seattle will settle its debts with bonds or face financial collapse.
- Seattle's Great Annexation Election of 1891
Voters head to the polls to decide the future footprint of a booming frontier city as Seattle proposes to annex neighboring Ballard and outlying precincts.
- The $300,000 Legal Battle Over Seattle’s Streets
A landmark court decision challenges the city's liability for street grade warrants, threatening to set a precedent for every municipality in the state.
- The $40,000-a-Year Makeover of Seattle's Books — and the Treasurer Who Wouldn't Sign
Seattle's new city treasurer says paying off the city's high-interest warrants will save $40,000 a year — while the city prepares to sue his predecessor over money that never made it into the till.
- Seattle's 1891 Ballot: Annexation and $861,704 in Bonds
Before Seattle grew to its modern size, the city held a massive special election to decide the future of its neighboring townships and fund its expanding infrastructure.
- The Unsolved Death of Nick Smith
Family and friends believe a man found dead in Everett was drugged, robbed, and murdered, challenging the official reports of a drowning.
- The 1892 Great Refinance: Seattle’s Massive Municipal Debt Crisis
Facing a mountain of legal judgments and unpaid warrants, the city council authorized $865,000 in bonds to stabilize the young city’s finances.
- The City Council Moves to Bond Seattle’s Growing Pains
A marathon session sees the council pushing to fund infrastructure—including an electric plant—to cover mounting municipal debt.
- The Farmers' Alliance Insurance Swindle
A political organization's insurance arm leaves Palouse farmers in financial ruin while the leadership lines their own pockets.
- The Struggle Over City Debt
Business interests push for city bonds to replace high-interest warrants, while political factions threaten to obstruct.
- The Great Annexation Vote: Seattle’s 1891 Expansion
Facing a mountain of debt, the city of Seattle calls for a special election to annex territory and consolidate its financial future.