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 |
| 1889 | 1 |
| 1892 | 3 |
| 1894 | 3 |
| 1895 | 3 |
| 1898 | 4 |
| 1899 | 1 |
| 1902 | 2 |
| 1903 | 9 |
| 1909 | 3 |
| 1917 | 1 |
| 1923 | 1 |
32 stories matching chemist
- The Chemist Who Couldn't Name the Killer's Weapon
In a Seattle courtroom drama, defense attorney John Y. Torum argues that the poison used in a murder was too obscure for any professional chemist to have selected—unless the killer had access to something far more common.
- He Wants the Poisoner, Even If the Chemist Found None
Frank Mull says he will prosecute whoever poisoned his daughter Gussie—despite a chemist's report finding no poison in her stomach.
- The Dairy Commissioner’s War on Adulterated Food
A Washington dairy official warns that fake honey, poisoned candy, oleomargarine and brewers’ grain are cheating farmers — and demands stronger pure-food laws.
- The Mysterious Death at Steilacoom Asylum
Did a state representative die of natural causes, or was he poisoned by a lover?
- The Asylum Poisoning Scandal
A state mental hospital is rocked by accusations that a patient was murdered, triggering a battle between local officials and an Eastern chemist.
- The State Chemist Finds Formaldehyde in Canned Meats
Washington's State Food Commissioner moves to curb the use of dangerous preservatives in industrial food production.
- The Great Fertilizer Fraud
State chemist warns farmers that nearly half of commercial fertilizers on the market violate state law.
- State College Regents Accused of Inflating Contract Bids
A Tacoma dispatch reports laboratory equipment priced at $3,700 when the college chemist said it could be had for $1,700 — and a college hall contract nearly double the low bid.
- The Formaldehyde Oysters That Sickened a Pullman Meat Market's Customers
A shipment of 'fresh' oysters left a trail of upset stomachs—and a state chemist found the preservative that did it.
- The Milkman’s Math: One Gallon of Water to Three of Milk
Seattle’s city chemist finds W. H. Putman’s milk watered by a fourth and urges the health board to publish the names of adulterators.
- The Cream That Wasn't: A Milk War Lands in Seattle
An Illinois condensery mails Seattle a warning that a Washington company is skimming the butter fat out of its milk. The Seattle Times demands a prosecution; the local trade paper calls the charge a stunt — then quietly admits the 'Carnation Cream' label is a lie.
- A Filthy Milk Trial, a Lenient Judge, and a Convention's Disgust
The state dairy commissioner lost his Tacoma case against two milkmen whose cows were caked in manure — and the delegates wanted to know what kind of milk the judge kept on his own table.
- Seattle's Watered-Milk Case Collapsed on a Question of Intent
An inspector found 10 to 12 gallons of water in a 46-gallon shipment, but Judge Glasgow acquitted the retailer because the ordinance did not require him to test every can.
- The Man They Called an Informer
After learning English in the county jail, a Chinese Olympian announced he would cut his queue and become 'American.' His community branded him a snitch—and the Tribune turned his peril into an anti-Chinese exposé.
- Adulterated Milk Crisis in Seattle
A child is dying in Seattle after consuming milk tainted with formaldehyde, sparking a potential murder investigation against a local dairyman.
- The Fight for Clean Bread in Tacoma
Tacoma women mobilize to push a city sanitation ordinance through the council, battling bakers who claim wrapping bread is too expensive and technically impossible.
- The Suspicious Death of the Mull Baby
A coroner’s inquest is ordered to investigate conflicting medical reports over an infant's sudden death in Walla Walla.
- The University Chemist’s Low-Cost Dynamite
A University of Washington professor proposes a state-manufactured explosive to slash land-clearing costs for farmers.
- The Milk Inspector's Surprise
A state food inspector goes undercover at Seattle restaurants to find that almost no one is serving actual milk—and that some are using embalming fluid to keep it 'fresh'.
- The Combative Pen of Charles Blackburn
A local assayer earns a reputation for sending anonymous, dynamite-fueled threats to anyone with whom he has a disagreement.
- The Great Cascade: A Pilgrimage to the Roar of Snoqualmie Falls
In July 1877, three travelers walked the rugged trail from Snohomish to Fall City, documenting the lush farms, the hospitality of settlers, and the awe-inspiring power of the falls—a testament to the beauty and isolation of early Washington Territory.
- King County Lawmakers Want to Cut the Budget—and Railroad Rates
Ahead of the 1901 legislative session, King County’s representatives outline a shared agenda: slash state expenses, abolish useless commissions, lower railroad freight and passenger rates, and create a state grain inspector to protect farmers from brokers.
- The Palouse Professor Who Helped Rediscover Heredity
Before Mendel's laws were famous, an agriculturist at the Washington State Experiment Station stood alongside three European scientists as a co-discoverer of them — and proved the principle with velvet-chaffed wheat.
- The Counterfeiters of Boren Avenue
A Secret Service investigation reveals a family-run forgery ring using 'secrets of wise men' and early forensic fingerprinting to manufacture bogus coins in Seattle and Tacoma.
- Tacoma's Gas Monopoly Dodges a Bullet
City council nearly revokes a utility franchise due to impure gas, highlighting early 20th-century struggles with private utility providers.
Also about this, in other words
- The Milk Scientist
A breakthrough in chemical detection methods brings local scientists together to test the deadly effects of formaldehyde in the food supply.
- The Poison-Peddling Pharmacist
The head of the state board of pharmacy is caught stealing and adulterating strychnine intended for local farmers.
- Expansion at State College
With booming enrollment in chemistry and engineering, the college prepares its new laboratory in Morrill Hall.
- A Blacksmith's Desperate Act of Heartbreak
After his sweetheart jilted him for flirting with her sister, a Tacoma man attempted to end his life.
- Fairhaven's First Chemical Fire Engine
Without a municipal water system for fire protection, local business leaders are importing a chemical hand engine to prevent city-wide disaster.