Research the archive
Narrow 22,457 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 | 4 |
| 1892 | 2 |
| 1893 | 7 |
| 1894 | 5 |
| 1895 | 1 |
19 stories matching unreason
- The Receiver Cut Their Pay 2 Cents an Hour. A Judge Made Him Put It Back.
When the Rainier Avenue Electric Railway's court-appointed receiver trimmed motormen's wages from 20 cents to 18 cents an hour, the crews — months behind on pay, with houses in Columbia City bought out of their own wages — took him to court and won.
- Streetcar Company Rejects City's Terms
The West Street and North End Electric Railway Company refuses a franchise extension, citing 'unreasonable' conditions imposed by the city council.
- The Bureaucratic Fight Over Death and Birth
A standoff between Washington state health officials and local physicians over whether doctors should be required to report vital statistics without pay.
- The $3 Million Strike: How the Great Northern Railway Bet on Breaking Workers
In the winter of 1893, the railroad’s board calculated that paying workers less was cheaper than losing millions to a strike. They were right—and Seattle paid the price.
- The Last Frontier: Washington Admitted to the Union
As President Harrison signs the 'Omnibus Bill,' Seattle celebrates the end of territorial status and the dawn of statehood for the Pacific Northwest.
- The Bold Plan to Build the Lake Washington Canal
Facing gridlock in Congress, Seattle’s Chamber of Commerce pushed a local bill to authorize the county to construct the canal itself, aiming to transform the city into the 'first city on the Pacific coast.'
- The Oil Men’s Last Stand: Seattle’s Battle Over Fire Safety and Corporate Power
In March 1889, a proposed ordinance to ban oil storage within city limits sparked a fierce standoff between the Board of Trade and powerful petroleum interests. While the city pushed for safety, the oil dealers argued the rules were discriminatory and economically impossible, setting the stage for a legal battle that would define Seattle’s industrial future.
- Seattle's $3 Million Steel Dream on Salmon Bay
A new blast furnace and steel works promised thousands of jobs, a freight-car plant, and 23,000 new residents—if the boosters were to be believed.
- Spokane Merchants Take the Railroad Monopoly Back to Court
Thirty-five Spokane merchants ask a federal judge to force the Northern Pacific and Union Pacific to obey an 1891 Interstate Commerce Commission order that found the roads were gouging the inland city.
- The Great Statehood Gamble: Why Washington Was Left Behind While South Dakota Joined the Union
As North Yakima pushes for an independent convention and Congress favors executive proclamation for other territories, Seattle’s leaders warn that the 'omnibus bill' is actively discriminating against Washington's path to statehood.
- The Dream of a Model Commonwealth
Six years after founding a cooperative colony in Port Angeles, its pioneers reflect on how a vision of shared interests turned into standard business success.
- The Ballard Sewer Standoff
A local contractor and city engineer lock horns in a heated public council meeting over the technicalities of neighborhood infrastructure.
- The City's Legal Battle Over the 'People's Theater'
A municipal court fight pits city lawyers against a theater owner over whether a $1,000 licensing fee and anti-women employment regulations are constitutional.
- The Great Cookie Trust: How Seattle's Cracker Kings Tried to Control the Market
Facing 'ruinous competition' and rising flour prices, local baking giants planned a monopoly to stabilize profits—and wages.
- Street Peddlers Defeat Seattle’s Restrictive Ordinance
A municipal court judge rules that a city ordinance banning fruit and vegetable street vendors is unconstitutional and void.
- Tacoma Quarantined Its Neighbours, and the State Health Board Said Enough
A Congregational minister refuses the vaccine and argues with the health officer on the depot platform, while the state board warns Tacoma it will 'exert its authority' over a quarantine drawn against Olympia and the Sound.
- The Struggle for a New County
Citizens in the Wenatchee Valley argue that traveling across the Cascades to reach their county seats is an unreasonable burden for local governance.
- A Seattle Sermon Asks Capital and Labor to Read Scripture Together
At St. Mark's Church, Rev. D. C. Garrett blames class friction on a Christianity forgotten by rich and poor alike—and imagines employers and grievance committees studying Paul side by side.
- Seattle's Sewers Were Cracking All Over Town — and the City Engineer Blamed the Dirt
A furious letter writer insists the pipes broke not from 'percussion' but from the very worst kind of trench work — and points the finger straight at the man in charge.