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 |
|---|---|
| 1877 | 1 |
| 1878 | 1 |
| 1883 | 1 |
| 1885 | 2 |
| 1889 | 2 |
| 1891 | 1 |
| 1892 | 2 |
| 1893 | 4 |
| 1894 | 3 |
| 1903 | 2 |
19 stories matching brakemen
- When the Great Railroad Strike Reached Seattle
In July 1894 the Pullman boycott finally tied up the Lake Shore road in Seattle — local switchmen walked out in sympathy, and the company answered with firings, Winchester-armed deputies and a federal judge.
- The Seattle Mill Strike of 1885
When the Yesler Mill announced sudden wage cuts, the workers staged a walkout that paralyzed the waterfront.
- The Bridge Swung, and Fifteen Loaded Cars Went Down
A bridge collapse near Walla Walla sent a tender, fifteen freight cars and a caboose into a ravine, leaving three railroad men badly injured and one likely to lose an arm.
- The Long Struggle for Train Safety
After a decade of agitation, new federal law mandates automatic couplers and air brakes to end the slaughter of railroad brakemen.
- The Ghost of a Train Passenger
A traveler on an express train encounters a sweet, golden-haired girl in a shawl, only to discover she was a desperate murderess fleeing toward the Canadian border.
- The Strange Confession of Henry Lattimore
After the murder of C. Grant in a Tacoma boarding house, a 19-year-old drifter with a 'straightforward' story was captured by rail workers and police.
- The Tragedy on Trestle No. 4
A father's desperate attempt to walk his children to safety during a heavy snowstorm ends in a devastating train accident on the outskirts of Tacoma.
- The Brotherhood at a Standstill
When the Canadian Pacific Railway attempted to force workers to abandon their unions, the entire Pacific division walked off the job, halting freight and leaving the region’s supply chains in chaos.
- Northern Pacific Workers Face Widespread Wage Cuts
Facing revenue declines, the Northern Pacific Railroad imposes sweeping pay reductions on its staff, sparking potential strike actions across the system.
- Death at the Neah Bay Cable Crossing
A cable car over the Neah Bay river snapped mid-crossing, killing a prominent attorney as horrified passengers looked on.
- The Price of a Shoddy Crossing
A railroad conductor is killed in a derailment caused by an improperly filled track crossing.
- Narrow Escape on the Roslyn Incline
A coal train loses control on a steep mountain track, forcing a daring rescue by the crew.
- The Worst Storm on the Sound: A Train Wreck, a Drifting Ship, and Dead Wires
A landslide derails a Northern Pacific freight near Castle Rock, a British ship is blown across Tacoma bay, and the telegraph goes dead from Seattle south.
- Miraculous Escape as Overland Train Derails and Burns
A Northern Pacific train heading to Tacoma crashes near Buckley, destroying mail and express cars by fire, though passengers report no major injuries.
- The Curse of Engine 671
Northern Pacific railroad workers avoid a locomotive they believe is possessed by evil spirits.
- A Night at the Dance Costs Seven Their Jobs
A drunken revelry among Northern Pacific crewmen at Yacolt leads to a locomotive wreck and mass termination.
- Railroad Workers Threaten Strike Over Pay
Employees of the Columbia and Puget Sound railroad challenge management over wage inequality compared to regional standards.
- The Tramp Economy of Early Seattle
A reporter encounters a 'bummer' among the weeds of Mission Bay, revealing the harsh, transient reality of laborers who roamed the Pacific Coast in the 1870s.
- The Jailbird Strikebreaker
A man serving time in the county jail is identified as a former railroad worker who crossed a picket line.
Also about this, in other words
- Drunken Brakeman Crushed on Northern Pacific Line
A railroad worker is killed near Meeker after falling between cars while intoxicated.
- The Brakeman's Fall
A train brakeman sues the Oregon Improvement Company after falling into a pitch-black coal chute at night.
- The Price of a Five-Day Job
A railroad brakeman with only five days on the job dies in a horrific workplace accident in Gilman.
- Fatal Slip at Orillia
A railroad brakeman was crushed to death while performing routine switching operations at the Orillia rail yard.
- A Fatal Nap on the Tracks
A tired freight brakeman, exhausted by days of overwork, pays the ultimate price after falling asleep on the job.
- A Young Brakeman Killed on the Tracks
A 21-year-old Northern Pacific employee loses his life in a tragic coupling accident near Centralia.
- The Tragic End of a Seattle Brakeman
Frank Kimball, a young rail worker, succumbs to injuries after a horrific crushing accident at the Newcastle mines.
- A Community Rallies After a Railway Tragedy
When a young brakeman loses his foot in a rail accident near the Cedar River, local citizens organize to secure his future.