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 | 2 |
| 1889 | 5 |
| 1891 | 2 |
| 1892 | 4 |
| 1893 | 3 |
| 1894 | 18 |
| 1895 | 16 |
50 stories matching wouldn
- The Stage as an Antidote to 'Society Scandals'
When asked why she continued working despite her wealth, the famed actress Lotta Crabtree warned that women who lacked professional 'outlets' were prone to depression and mischief.
- The Pistol That Wouldn't Fire in a Snohomish Saloon
G. K. Friars, chairman of the Snohomish County commissioners, was accused of putting a pistol to Robert Johnson's abdomen in the Gem saloon. Only a bad cartridge prevented a killing.
- The Breakfast Guest That Wouldn't Leave
A morning meal in rural Washington is interrupted by a massive bear, leading to a desperate struggle at the farmhouse window.
- The Constable Who Wouldn't Quit
A Franklin constable survives a gunshot wound to the head and returns to the beat, only to find the man who escaped his custody.
- The Land That Wouldn't Sell: A Seattle Speculator's Frustration
In January 1899, a local real estate agent tried to sell two acres of prime city land for $200. The buyer refused, citing recent sales of similar lots for as little as $5 per acre—a stark reminder of the chaotic and deflating property market in early Seattle.
- The Woman Who Wouldn't Die
A Seattle family waits in terror as a woman remains in a mysterious, death-like trance.
- The Shepherd the Sheep Wouldn't Follow
A congregation in Kettle Falls stages a revolt against a minister imposed upon them by the Presbyterian missionary board, leading to a schism in the small town's religious life.
- The Mayor's Quick Cash Scheme
A satirical look at a Western town's mayor who used the city marshal to arrest citizens solely to collect court fines and fund his poker game.
- The Machine That Wouldn't Start
Seattle Democrats outmaneuver an attempt by party insiders to hijack a fake non-partisan movement for their own political gain.
- The Treasurer Who Wouldn't Post Bond: J.W. Maple to King County—'Wait Until I Find Bondsmen'
King County's treasurer-elect refuses to file his required bond on schedule, claims the law gives him until the end of his term, and circulates a circular attacking the 'courthouse ring.'
- The Banker Who Let His Subordinates Do the Stealing—and Bet the Jury Wouldn't Believe the Witnesses
At North Yakima, Banker Edmiston is mounting no defense of his own, betting instead that the prosecution's witnesses—including a bootblack who once fired five shots at him—will be discredited.
- The Saloon That Wouldn't Leave
A legal war erupts over a property lease, testing whether a landlord is responsible for ousting a tenant after selling the building.
- The City That Wouldn't Stop Building
Fresh from the ashes of the Great Seattle Fire of 1889, the city defied expectations of a cooldown, pouring over $10 million into a massive 1890 construction boom.
- The Boss Who Wouldn't Be King
When Tacoma Democrats tried to draft a reluctant Tom Carroll for mayor, the local political machine collided with the city’s complex web of 'boys,' saloons, and backroom deals.
- Naming Mount Rainier
A judge finds himself in a comedic bind while trying to deliver a speech in Tacoma and mentioning the iconic mountain by its common, though disputed, name.
- The Attempt to Keep Ah Och Out
A federal court hearing reveals a suspected plot among Seattle's Chinese community to prevent a merchant from landing.
- The Goat Meat Grift
A Seattle housewife takes matters into her own hands after a local butcher tries to swindle her.
- The Salted Sea: A Tacoma Captain’s War on the 'Blah' Price Gang
In a fiery letter to the editor, a local shipping captain denounces the collusion of dockworkers and merchants who inflate freight rates, vowing to bypass them entirely for cheaper ports.
- The Fire Chief Who Wouldn't Take Orders
Seattle's fire chief refuses to recognize the assistant chief appointed by the commissioners, setting up a courtroom fight over who runs the department.
- Shipped Out by Force: The Sailor Who Wouldn't Sign
A Tacoma saloonkeeper lured three men to a vessel and kept them aboard against their will — now the seamen's union demands justice.
- The Saloon Tip-Off That Saved Six Italians From a Shangaied Ship
A sailor boarding-house man promised six Italian longshoremen 35 cents an hour at Port Townsend. Union men smelled a shanghai and got word to the waterfront before the ship sailed for South America.
- The 'Prison Evangelist' of the Seattle Jail
After two weeks of revival, a former variety actress turned missionary offers a glimpse into the transient lives and moral reckonings of the Pacific Northwest.
- A One-Legged Man, a Stolen Boat, and a Cork Leg to the Gut
A stolen rowboat, a determined owner, and a watchman with a wooden leg turn a quiet evening at the Madison Street slip into a comedy of errors.
- The Bear That Wouldn't Die: A Hunting Trip Nearly Ends in a Man's Jaws
Two men empty a Winchester into a bear on the Snohomish, then discover the hard way that a wounded animal with nowhere to run will turn on the hunter.
- 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.