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 |
|---|---|
| 1888 | 9 |
| 1889 | 15 |
| 1891 | 12 |
| 1892 | 23 |
| 1893 | 24 |
| 1894 | 19 |
| 1895 | 50 |
152 stories matching touch
- A Flash at the Switchboard: Tacoma's Veteran Electrician Killed by 2,000 Volts
Peter Peterson, six years with the city light station, grabbed two live plugs at once. He was dead before doctors could even attempt a revival.
- The Day the Hammock Betrayed George
A classic tale of a lover's spat and a very literal bit of karmic justice.
- Left in the Dark: Seattle's Electrical Failure
When the lights went out across the city, a local resident spent the night navigating by touch.
- The Woman They Refused to Bury
When Catherine Costillo was pronounced dead of pneumonia, her husband grew convinced she was merely in a deep, spirit-touched trance, sparking a bizarre standoff at a Seattle undertaking parlor.
- The Waterfront Opium Mystery
A suspicious midnight sloop sighting and a conversation overheard on the Lake Union shoreline lead police to believe a massive shipment of contraband has been landed.
- Daring Rescue at Arlington Wharf
A late-night excursion turns perilous as a passenger falls into the bay.
- The Copper Wire Bandits
Two ex-linemen were arrested in Tacoma for stealing 5,000 pounds of copper wire from dead poles and selling it.
- The Blind Maestro and his Pullman Kid Band
A touching story of a blind conductor leading a boys' band in Pullman, destined for the 1893 Chicago World's Fair.
- The Quiet 'Giant' Arrested for Saving Pictures
A man of enormous stature was taken into custody after wandering through downtown Seattle, 'saving' people and art by touch.
- Fire Breaks Out in Whitechapel District
A fire in a building occupied by Japanese women in Seattle's Whitechapel district causes a panic, but is quickly extinguished.
- The Lonely Death of Charles J. Norton
After taking his own life in the woods near Gilman, a young man with a history of luxury is mourned by strangers.
- The Pulpit vs. The Press
Rev. Wallace Nutting fires back at local editors, defending the right of the clergy to speak out on political and moral matters.
- A Secret Prize Fight in the Southern Woods
A small group of spectators gathered in a secluded nook to watch a 'scientific contest' between two local pugilists.
- The Passing of a Seattle Matron
Following a brief illness, Mrs. John B. Agen, a beloved local resident and artist, passes away in her home at 14th and Seneca.
- The Failed Coup at Washington Agricultural College
A group of anonymous agitators attempts to purge the regents of the state's young college, but they refuse to put their names to the accusations.
- The Fight Over Everett’s Land Grab
A legal battle erupts in Olympia over accusations of fraud and collusion in the original sale of Everett real estate.
- The Ticking Gas-Pipe Scandal
A fearful day in the Burke building as an office worker discovers a 'bomb' left by a disgruntled typist.
- The Devil Comes to Seattle
While regional flooding scared off other traveling shows, the John Griffith 'Faust' company arrived with a wagonload of 'calcium light tanks' and stage magic to dazzle the city.
- The Blue Law Brawl: Saloon Keepers vs. The Temperance Crusade
In North Yakima, the Women's Christian Temperance Union declares war on Sunday commerce, arresting boxers and threatening every saloon owner in town.
- The Great Flour Paradox
While Seattle’s flour prices hit an all-time low, the price of wheat begins a strange climb upward.
- Rockefeller Closes In on a Puget Sound Company Town
The Everett Land Company could not raise the December interest on its $1 million loan. By summer, insiders expected Rockefeller interests to take full control.
- Commencement at the Academy of the Holy Names
A crowded hall celebrates the academic achievements of young women at a cornerstone Seattle institution on Jackson and Ninth.
- The Rescued Souls of the Denmark
After the steamer Denmark founders at sea, survivors arrive in Washington, offering a glimpse of the harrowing endurance of 1889 sea travel.
- The Curious Case of a Seattle Man’s Electrical Delusions
A local veteran was apprehended for insanity, claiming his body was charged with electricity he caught while living in an asylum.
- The Horror in the Cabin: A Tacoma Tragedy
A brutal murder of a fruit dealer in his sleep reveals the violent shadow of immigrant debt and desperation in 1892 Tacoma.