Research the archive
Narrow 25,688 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 |
|---|---|
| 1872 | 1 |
| 1876 | 1 |
| 1878 | 1 |
| 1882 | 1 |
| 1891 | 1 |
| 1892 | 3 |
| 1893 | 2 |
| 1894 | 2 |
| 1895 | 3 |
| 1898 | 1 |
| 1903 | 1 |
| 1909 | 2 |
| 1916 | 1 |
| 1917 | 1 |
21 stories matching brag
- A $10,000 Railroad Check and a Whispering Campaign in Olympia
In 1895, Washington's legislature gathered to choose a U.S. senator, and the Seattle press heard that the Southern Pacific had put $10,000 behind one candidate.
- The Policeman Who Voted Twice
A school board election scandal in Seattle leads to a courtroom showdown, a surprise witness, and the abrupt firing of a patrolman.
- A Smuggler’s Brassy Boast at the Custom House
A smuggler brazenly enters the Seattle Custom House while intoxicated, bragging to officials about moving people into the country illegally.
- A Bloody Political Dispute in a South Third Street Saloon
Partisanship and liquor lead to a brutal knifing after two men argue over their respective roles in local conventions.
- The Boastful Prisoner Who Talked Himself Into Federal Custody
Henry C. Grady came to Seattle to pay taxes on his Jackson Street lots and to deliver a mail-fraud suspect. P. C. Pomeroy had bragged his way out of an Oregon jail; the confession sent him straight to McNeil's Island.
- The Trial of Ferdinand Falkenbarg
A shooting incident involving the 'Duke of York' and his family sparks outrage in Port Townsend, revealing the complex, fading status of local Indigenous leaders in the frontier era.
- The Hidden Trade in Willapa Harbor
While boosters brag about new ports, illicit opium and seal poaching thrive just down the coast.
- The Open River Was Supposed to Pay Dividends. Was Anyone Counting?
A year after the Celilo Canal opened, the Courier-Reporter asked whether the Inland Empire would actually use the river—and bragged that Kennewick was already the Columbia’s busiest freight town this side of Celilo.
- The Stinking Gutters of 1876
While Seattle promoters bragged of a salubrious climate, a local newspaper editorial exposed the reality of deadly, stagnant cesspools lining the streets.
- Tacoma's Congressman Betrays the People in D.C.
Francis W. Cushman aligns with political bosses, voting against rules that would have allowed for greater congressional transparency and legislative accountability.
- A Honeymoon Interrupted: Chinese Cook's Return Could Mean Deportation
Charlie, also known as Vern Kee, returned from China with a new wife and registered under the Chinese restriction act. Now he faces deportation, and a commissioner must decide if his registration protects him.
- The Wholesaler Tells the Growers the Truth: 'We Don't Love You'
Sixteen years in the Seattle commission trade and no patience left, R. Merchant tells a room of fruit growers that no middleman has ever cared about them — and that neat, uniform packing, not grievance, is the only thing that ever got a farmer paid.
- Seattle's Anti-Vice Crackdown
The city moves to prosecute the Clancy brothers after they publicly bragged about operating a gambling house.
- Two Thousand Seattleites Filed Past the Outlaw's Corpse — and Some Said It Wasn't Him
Burial is postponed while a Fremont woman insists the dead man is her friend's missing husband. The jail keys and handcuffs in his pocket say otherwise.
- The Pioneer Moralists of Chehalis
While Seattle’s 1872 boosters bragged about their town’s vibrant saloon culture, the neighboring Chehalis valley was being touted as a teetotaling, prosperous paradise of butter-makers.
- The Price of Dirt in Washington
A Senate debate on land values turns into a bragging contest about the Pacific Northwest's booming real estate market.
- The Blacksmith’s Inflation Correction
A local farmer brags about his record-breaking pork sales, only to find the village blacksmith has adjusted his own prices accordingly.
- The Wealth Gap and the 'Prince' of Industry
A biting editorial critiques the concentration of inherited wealth and the limitations of modern tax policies.
- The Fight Against 'Lousy' Nursery Stock
A state inspector battles unscrupulous Eastern nurserymen shipping pest-ridden trees into Washington, warning local farmers against being swindled.
- The Social Climber and the Boarding-House Landlady
When an imposter claiming aristocratic ties tried to swindle a respectable family at a Seattle party, an uninvited cousin from Albany arrived to set the record straight.
- A Tug-of-War Over Local Pride
The South Bend Journal faced a humbling lesson in geography and maritime reality after prematurely bragging about a local shipping milestone.
Also about this, in other words
- Firefighters Race for Pride and Prize Money
Two local volunteer hose companies compete in a drill to prove their speed and efficiency before the Fourth of July contests.
- Fort Walla Walla's Day of Strength
Soldiers competed in a series of athletic trials at the local fort, featuring track events, feats of strength, and a greased pig race.
- The Royal Society of Good Fellows Throws a Party
Athletic contests, fireworks, and a topical song about 'Ta-ra-boom-de-ay' mark a lively celebration in the mining town of Gilman.
- The Church-Sponsored Prizefight
A local church in Seattle raises funds by selling tickets to a boxing match between two Black men, sparking a cynical editorial critique.
- The Fraternal Grudge Match at Robbins Park
Everett’s Moose and Elks lodges squared off in a Decoration Day showdown that proved more competitive than any of the fans expected.
- The Pride of White Bluffs: High School Athletics Sweep the Hanford Rivalry
A banner week for local students as home-court advantage and spirited cheering help White Bluffs high school dominate the hardwood.
- The Turkey Day Rivalry of White Bluffs and Hanford
A holiday football game between two vanished river towns turns into a community spectacle involving heavy-set centers and last-minute lineups.
- The Lucky Winner of the Auto
A resident of Wallula discovers he holds the winning ticket for an automobile, but his interest is strictly in the cash.