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 |
|---|---|
| 1854 | 2 |
| 1858 | 1 |
| 1859 | 3 |
| 1861 | 4 |
| 1862 | 3 |
| 1864 | 3 |
| 1872 | 5 |
| 1876 | 29 |
| 1877 | 36 |
| 1878 | 34 |
| 1879 | 3 |
| 1880 | 1 |
| 1882 | 4 |
| 1883 | 30 |
| 1884 | 18 |
| 1885 | 26 |
| 1886 | 15 |
| 1887 | 19 |
| 1888 | 20 |
| 1889 | 53 |
| 1890 | 8 |
| 1891 | 28 |
| 1892 | 62 |
| 1893 | 73 |
| 1894 | 127 |
| 1895 | 160 |
| 1897 | 2 |
| 1898 | 13 |
| 1899 | 19 |
| 1900 | 3 |
| 1902 | 3 |
| 1903 | 31 |
| 1904 | 36 |
| 1905 | 2 |
| 1907 | 1 |
| 1908 | 7 |
| 1909 | 26 |
| 1910 | 15 |
| 1911 | 3 |
| 1912 | 1 |
| 1914 | 4 |
| 1915 | 4 |
| 1916 | 10 |
| 1917 | 8 |
| 1918 | 3 |
| 1922 | 1 |
| 1924 | 2 |
| 1928 | 3 |
| 1929 | 3 |
967 stories matching answer
- The Treasurer's Bond and the Asylum Signature
A Tacoma bondsman says her name was forged on ex-City Treasurer George W. Boggs's bond while she was confined at Steilacoom—and that she never authorized the defense filed in her name.
- Breach-of-Promise Suit: Mary Smith Says Starvation Forced Her to Sign Release
In the latest filing in the Smith-Fisher case, Mary H. Smith claims Elmer H. Fisher took advantage of her poverty to get her to sign away her claims.
- The Test Case of Chin Fook
A legal battle over the constitutional rights of Chinese residents in 1890s Seattle.
- The Price of a Mill Hand's Life
An anonymous laborer exposes the exploitative wage practices of the Puget Mill Company, detailing how the firm undercuts competitors by replacing white workers with Chinese laborers at subsistence wages.
- The Butcher Who Wouldn't Count His Cows
A census enumerator demanded Louis Kirchan report exactly how many animals his packing house slaughtered each year. Kirchan said no such records existed. The federal government arrested him.
- Washington’s Insurance Commissioner Fights Impeachment With 60 Pages and a Statute of Limitations
J. H. Schively answers all 26 articles with denials, jurisdictional objections, and a request to bar 17 senators — then points the blame at his predecessor.
- Populist Insult Sparks Contempt Fine
A citizen confronted a judge on the street, accusing him of taking bribes, leading to an immediate court-ordered fine.
- A Circular Saw Opened His Skull. He Is Still Answering Questions.
A week after a circular saw tore into his head, Stetson remains lucid in Seattle, and his doctor says the wound shows no inflammation.
- Tacoma Sues Its Ex-Treasurer Over Public Money Lost in Failed Banks
The city argues George W. Boggs should answer for funds left in banks that collapsed — but a judge rules the council had no right to name depositories in the first place.
- Kennewick Crushes Liberty Loan Goal
Despite being a community of borrowers rather than investors, local residents exceed their financial quota to support the war effort.
- The Widow, the Policy, and the Husband Who May Not Be Dead
A Tacoma life-insurance case turns into a fraud mystery: the company says Jonas Martin vanished in 1893 and that his wife knew it.
- The Struggle for Household Help at the Turn of the Century
A Seattle employer recounts the candid, often frustrating process of interviewing domestic workers in 1900.
- A Divorce Suit With Dynamite in the Details
Cora Heaton accuses her husband of jealousy, vile language, and threats; he does not answer the complaint.
- Seattle's New Fire Engine Wrecked on a False Alarm
Answering a call from the Tremont block, the Watrous engine hit the streetcar tracks between South Second and South Third, snapped an axle and toppled—leaving driver Charles Murray and engineer F. M. Collins lucky to be alive.
- The Price of a Bed and Board
A legal dispute over unpaid bills reveals the precarious nature of transient life in early Snohomish.
- Ballard's Water Fight Goes to Court
When a lawsuit tried to block the young city from buying the West Coast Improvement Company's springs and pipes, Ballard's answer warned that an injunction would leave the water system in peril.
- The Price of Staying Fed and Housed
A legal notice from 1878 sheds light on the precarious nature of boarding house life in frontier Snohomish.
- A Debt of Bread and Board
A Snohomish legal notice reveals the precarious nature of early pioneer housing, where a man is hauled into court for unpaid bills for food and lodging.
- The Tragedy of the Crippen Household
A witness recounts the chilling final days of an infant following an alleged poisoning, highlighting a web of domestic desperation and control.
- A Diplomatic Dilemma at the Border
Hon. John Leary and his wife, returning from their honeymoon in Japan, found themselves stranded at the Victoria quarantine station, leading to a strange battle of bureaucracy.
- A Woman Defies Her Husband’s Attempts at Institutionalization
A Colfax woman successfully defends her sanity after her husband attempts to have her committed to an asylum.
- Violence Erupts Over Election Day Charges
A legal dispute over liquor sales on election day spills into the streets of North Yakima, leading to a violent brawl.
- The City Could Still Take the Land
Judge Humes ruled that Seattle’s constitutional debt limit does not interfere with eminent domain, clearing the way for the Howell Street extension through the Ivey property.
- The Tragedy of the Mill Worker
A Finnish laborer’s mental decline follows a fatal accident at a local mill.
- The Raspberry Bush Manhunt
A teenage jewel peddler leads Everett police on a frantic chase through a private backyard.