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 | 3 |
| 1878 | 1 |
| 1882 | 2 |
| 1883 | 3 |
| 1886 | 1 |
| 1887 | 2 |
| 1888 | 2 |
| 1889 | 1 |
| 1891 | 2 |
| 1892 | 2 |
| 1893 | 1 |
| 1895 | 4 |
| 1899 | 1 |
| 1903 | 1 |
| 1904 | 1 |
27 stories matching anyhow
- The Great Oyster Heist of 1876
Two hungry gentlemen vanish into thin air, leaving their tab and their fried oysters to a couple of unsuspecting strangers.
- The Anti-Chinese Laundry Campaign
Local newspaper editors in 1888 openly called for the displacement of Chinese laundry workers, framing their exclusion as a 'great need' for the town.
- Is the Mayor a British Subject?
Tacoma's political scene erupted over rumors regarding Mayor Wright's naturalization status.
- The City’s Cigarette Ban Hits a Snag
A federal judge rules the local anti-cigarette law unconstitutional, leaving shopkeepers in a cloud of confusion.
- The High Cost of Commuting on the Rails
After seeking work at a local mill, a man attempts to board a moving freight train in Centralia, leading to a life-altering accident.
- The Great Second Street Brawl: A City Hall Conflict Over Progress
When Seattle’s city leaders proposed widening a major downtown street in 1892, they ignited a bitter debate over property rights, public vs. private cost, and the relentless march of urban expansion.
- The Puyallup Land Sale the Tribe Tried to Stop
Hours before the reservation auction, attorney Charles Woodworth filed revocations for nearly half the lands, arguing the Indians—not the commission—controlled the sale.
- The Audit Office Face-Off
A taxpayer stands her ground against a city commissioner over property tax hikes, leaving the local government bureaucrats stunned.
- The Great Divide: The Fight for a Mountain Rail Link
As the population of Western Washington booms in 1882, Seattle residents grow tired of paying for infrastructure projects while Eastern Washington neighbors demand the work for free.
- The Comedian Who Never Came — and the Advance Man Who Took the Town
Spokane Falls announces the coming of comedian Jas. O'Neill, prints the bills, and then learns the actor is tangled in a real-life comedy at Billings — while the advance agent may have pocketed the take.
- The Bank and the High School Tax Feud
A local bank refuses to pay school taxes, sparking a fierce debate over civic duty and the funding of Walla Walla’s newest school.
- The Altar Society’s High-Stakes Carnival
Seattle society turned out for a church fundraiser that featured fortune-telling gypsies, a 'fishpond,' and one overly enthusiastic patron who nearly pawned his watch for ice cream.
- The Ferryman of the Dark River
An encounter on the waterfront reveals the quiet, lingering melancholy of a man reflecting on the 'old timey days' and the hard reality of post-slavery life.
- The Right to Belong: A Seattle Immigrant’s Plea
Denied citizenship by a court, a Chinese resident explains his life, his work, and his refusal to cut his queue as he navigates exclusion in 1886 Seattle.
- The Great Egg Heist: A Drunken Chase Ends in Laughter on Pike Street
When James Quinn grabbed a case of eggs near First Avenue, Officer Cameron gave chase with drawn revolver—only for the 'thief' to surrender with a request for a cigarette.
- A Midnight Ride, a Volley of Shots, and No One to Blame
A farmer on the Moran Prairie road hurried home under gunfire; deputies found only darkness.
- One Coal-Oil Dealer Is Holding Olympia's New Electric Railway Hostage for $10,000
The streetcar line is contracted, the rails are shipped and the crews are ready — but George Marvin Savage's outfit sits squarely in the middle of Main Street, and he will not budge for less than ten thousand dollars.
- Tacoma’s Mayor Fires Public Works President After a Heated Exchange
David L. Demorest tells Mayor Orr he wants nothing more to do with his administration; by evening the mayor has a letter ready declaring him out of a job.
- The Battle Over Naming Baby Brown
A classic matrimonial spat from 1882 reveals the absurd lengths a Victorian couple went to avoid the common name 'Henry' for their newborn son.
- Gold Fever: Spokane Falls Pushes a Wagon Road to the Coeur d'Alene Mines
With nuggets in hand and a sawmill planned, J. H. Curtis rallies Spokane Falls to build a road to the gold fields before a rival town steals the trade.
- The Mid-Straits Fare Dodge of 'Kaintuck'
A would-be passenger who slipped aboard at Seattle without a ticket tries to bargain his way across Puget Sound—until the captain marches him to the gangway.
- The Brooklyn Plague: A Satirical Warning Against the 'Fanaticism' of Moody and Sankey
A local correspondent in Snohomish mocks the recent evangelistic crusade of Rev. D.L. Moody and singer R.A. Sankey, comparing their emotional preaching to a contagious disease and jokingly inviting missionaries to relocate to Washington Territory.
- 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.
- The Scab Who Spoke Out: A Newcastle Miner’s Defense Against the 'Ring'
In a fiery letter to the editor, a coal miner defends his decision to cross the picket line during a violent strike, accusing union leaders of forming a tyrannical ring and replacing loyal workers with non-union laborers.
- The Treasurer Who Vanished, Then Wrote Home From Puget Sound
An Iowa county official disappeared in the 1870s. After his death, his family gathered at the Olympia Hotel to settle an estate—and letters revealed a hidden life, a bank failure, and a real-estate boom he hoped would make restitution possible.