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.
Refine
Show the numbers
| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1876 | 1 |
| 1878 | 1 |
| 1884 | 1 |
| 1891 | 1 |
| 1892 | 1 |
| 1893 | 1 |
| 1894 | 3 |
| 1895 | 3 |
| 1910 | 1 |
| 1915 | 1 |
| 1917 | 1 |
15 stories matching absente
- The War on Absentee Weeds
A Richland farmer demands the government hold absent landowners accountable for the 'public danger' of uncultivated land.
- The Ghost of the Printing Contract
A standoff between rival city newspapers turns the Seattle City Council into an empty room.
- Measles Shuts the Schools and Empties the Pews
With 62 absentees at the high school, the board closed the building indefinitely and barred all schoolchildren from churches, Sunday schools, picture shows and public gatherings.
- Mayor Ronald Fires Board of Public Works Member
In a detailed legal takedown, Mayor J.T. Ronald removes George H. Heilbron from office, citing conflicts of interest and chronic absenteeism.
- The Political Deadlock in Tacoma
A fractured city council faces a week of partisan infighting as factions refuse to form a quorum, paralyzing municipal business.
- The Thankless Task of Union Leadership
An editorial on the burnout and internal conflict that plagued local labor unions in Everett.
- The Monopoly That Almost Killed the Nooksack
Before the valley flourished, settlers fought to break the stranglehold of absentee speculators and corporate monopolies that kept the river choked with logs and local trade shackled.
- The Struggle for Tax Equity in 1876
A Seattle editorial argues that delinquent property taxes and legal loopholes are placing an unfair burden on the public, demanding legislative reform for the growing territory.
- A Withdrawal, a Broken Deal, and a Senate Nominee
Levi Ankeny stepped aside, a rival bargain collapsed, and John L. Wilson rode a fifth-ballot surge to the Republican caucus nomination for U.S. senator in Olympia.
- Twenty-Three Ballots, No Senator
Washington's legislature spends the day deadlocked between Levi Ankeny and John L. Wilson, while George Turner withdraws and a bogus Tacoma Ledger interview roils the contest.
- The Newspaper Letter That Nearly Started a Fight in the Washington Senate
With the U.S. Senate election deadlocked in Olympia, a Pierce County senator read a rival’s letter aloud — and the chamber erupted over money, lobbyists, and borrowed favors.
- Liquor Dealers Organize to Capture City Council
A slim meeting at Columbia Hall reveals a saloon-backed push to elect Murphy and Grainger, as the liquor interests try to regain control after last year's defeat.
- A New Mayor Inherits a Solvent City — and a River Full of Filth
Spokane Falls' incoming council takes the oath, draws lots for term lengths, and confronts the sewage being dumped above the falls.
- A Gavel, a Roar, and a Populist Ticket Born in Chaos
King County's People's Party convention at Turner Hall turned into a shouting, proxy-fighting, faction-splitting marathon—and buried Dr. J. Eugene Jordan and Jack McDonald on the way to nominating a ticket.
- The Mayor Fires Two Police Commissioners to Keep Blackchapel Shut
In a single day, Mayor Phelps removed two police commissioners, accused them of conspiring to protect a red-light district and oust Chief Rogers, and installed replacements before the House of Delegates could slow him down.