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 |
|---|---|
| 1860 | 3 |
| 1861 | 7 |
| 1862 | 2 |
| 1863 | 2 |
14 stories matching rule
- The Battle for St. James Mission
A legal ruling uncovers the history of the Catholic mission at Vancouver and its tenuous claim to the land during the transition from Hudson's Bay Company rule to U.S. authority.
- The Great Vancouver Land War
A government ruling unravels decades of competing claims between the St. James Mission, the U.S. Military, and the heirs of Amos Short over the heart of Vancouver.
- The Divorce Dozen: Olympia’s Council Clears a Path for Broken Marriages
In December 1860, the Washington Territory Council processed a flurry of divorce petitions, including one from prominent local figure Carson D. Boren, revealing the fragile nature of domestic life in the frontier.
- The Legislature Votes Itself a Territorial Rifle
In a moment of classic political opportunism, the Council passes a measure granting every member a firearm at public expense.
- Collector Victor Smith Removed from Port Angeles Post
The controversial Collector of Customs for the Puget Sound District is dismissed, replaced by Fred A. Wilson.
- The Rowdy Election of the Territorial Printer
Washington's early legislature devolves into political gridlock as members brawl over the powerful and lucrative appointment of the official Territorial Printer.
- The Battle for the Territorial Capitol
A legal and political standoff over the physical location of the territorial capital and library forces an Acting Governor to weigh state law against federal fiscal crisis.
- The Divorce Factory of 1861
Tired of a legislative session flooded with endless divorce petitions, the Washington Territorial Council finally moves to curb the practice.
- A Frontier Call to Stand by the Union
Meeting in Steilacoom, Pierce County Republicans resolve to support the Constitution and condemn the removal of the Territorial Capitol.
- Divorce by Legislation
In the 1861 territorial session, the Washington Legislature became a de facto divorce court, forcing members to adjudicate the intimate failures of local couples.
- The Widow and the Will: A Legal Battle Over the Ebey Donation Claim
After the death of Isaac N. Ebey, the courts faced a complex dispute between his widow, his children, and an unexecuted will, testing the limits of land ownership in the Washington Territory.
- The High Cost of Borrowing in Territorial Olympia
An indignant citizen writes to the editor to protest the predatory lending practices bankrupting the territory's early settlers.
- The Capitol Betrayal: Olympia’s Seat of Power Shipped to Vancouver
In a stunning political maneuver, the Territorial Legislature has voted to move the capital from Olympia to Vancouver and the penitentiary to Port Townsend, sparking outrage among local editors who see it as a betrayal of trust.
- The Dollar Deed: How a Husband’s ‘Gift’ to His Wife Cost Him His Land Claim
In a dispute over who settled first on public land, the Register of the Olympia Land Office ruled that W.S. Fish could not claim priority because he had technically transferred his donation claim to his wife for just one dollar.