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 |
| 1877 | 1 |
| 1880 | 1 |
| 1883 | 1 |
| 1884 | 1 |
| 1885 | 1 |
| 1886 | 2 |
| 1887 | 1 |
| 1890 | 2 |
| 1891 | 1 |
| 1892 | 7 |
| 1893 | 2 |
| 1894 | 2 |
| 1895 | 5 |
| 1899 | 2 |
| 1900 | 1 |
| 1903 | 5 |
| 1904 | 6 |
| 1909 | 4 |
| 1910 | 4 |
| 1911 | 1 |
| 1912 | 1 |
| 1923 | 1 |
| 1925 | 1 |
54 stories matching closur
- The Closure of the Sandberg District
City Attorney Stiles unilaterally forces the closure of Tacoma's red-light district, triggering a panicked exodus from the blocks between Court A and A Street.
- The Grays Harbor Sawmill Strike
The President of the State Federation of Labor details the brutal suppression of striking sawmill workers in Aberdeen and Hoquiam.
- The Great Blizzard of 1892
A historic ten-inch snowfall paralyzes Seattle's transit systems, forces school closures, and creates an eerie, blanketed stillness across Western Washington.
- The Moral Crusade for Seattle's Streets
Proponents of the 'Law and Order' ticket gather to demand the closure of 'lava bed' dives and gambling dens in an impassioned local election rally.
- The 'Reform' Administration’s Open Secret
While the police publicly touted a permanent closure of gambling, four major houses reopened under a new protective arrangement.
- Old Town Mill Shuts Its Doors After 37 Years
Economic slump and overproduction force the closure of a historic Tacoma institution, leaving 250 workers in limbo.
- Legal Loophole Shuts Down Roslyn Saloons
A Supreme Court ruling invalidating town incorporations leaves local liquor dealers facing massive fines and total business closures.
- The Engineers' Plan for Grays Harbor
A government report details an ambitious $150,000 scheme to redirect the Chehalis River's flow, potentially deciding the fate of competing town sites.
- The Great Wire War: How Seattle’s Electric Giants Tried to Buy Their Way Out of the Underground
When the City Council threatened to bury power lines underground, Union Electric and Consumers’ Electric screamed ruin. But the real drama wasn't the wires—it was the council dodging a crowd of gamblers and churchgoers demanding saloon closures.
- The Unraveling of the Washington Savings Bank
Facing a stagnant real estate market and steady deposit withdrawals, a downtown bank opts for an orderly closure to protect its depositors.
- The Mayor’s Gambit: Humes Defers to Council as Seattle Sweeps Away Its Gambling dens
In a rare moment of unified reform, the City Council has ordered the closure of all gambling houses and restricted saloons in the business district. Mayor Humes, citing legal ambiguity over the saloon ordinance but promising strict enforcement against lotteries, leaves the fate of Seattle’s vice industry to the police chief.
- The Coal Mines Shut Down: Economic Anxiety Grips 1886 Seattle
Falling prices and labor disputes forced the indefinite closure of the Newcastle mines, throwing hundreds out of work.
- The True Cost of the Eight-Hour Day
As 1886 labor strikes roil the nation, local analysis weighs the temporary gains of the eight-hour movement against the looming threat of business closures and a housing market in decline.
- The Bank of Shelton Collapses
Creditors force closure of the Mason County institution following reports of bad management and dwindling public confidence.
- Seattle Shut Every School for Scarlet Fever
With 53 cases and a council fight over authority, Seattle's health board ordered public, private and Sunday schools closed in May 1895.
- Seattle Shut Every School to Stop Scarlet Fever
In May 1895 the health board ordered public, private and parochial schools closed, then ran into questions about quarantine, teachers' salaries and who would pay for a contagious-disease hospital.
- The Salmon-Trap Border War
Oregon fish officers arrested Washington fishermen for violating a Sunday closure—then found themselves indicted for kidnapping.
- Everett Prepares to Go Dry
As the state moves toward local prohibition, Everett faces the closure of all its saloons and the uncertainty of a post-alcohol economy.
- Tacoma’s Theaters Put on Notice
Mayor Campbell issues a firm mandate requiring local theaters to meet new fire safety standards or face closure.
- Walla Walla Commercial Club Protests Fort Abandonment
Military brass eyes closure for the historic post, sparking a civic campaign from the Commercial Club to keep the soldiers in town.
- The End of the Garrison
Despite efforts by the Commercial Club, the Secretary of War confirms the permanent closure of Fort Walla Walla.
- Coal Strike Stalls Renton Mines
Two hundred fifty miners are out of work after refusing a significant wage cut, threatening the economic stability of the town.
- The Dry Wave Hits Stevens County
Voters mandate the closure of saloons outside incorporated towns, leaving the region scrambling for legal spirits.
- Scarlet Fever, Schools, and a Turf War Between Two Boards
Seattle's health and school boards take their quarrel over scarlet fever quarantine and school closures to the civil courts, while five new cases are reported.
- The Fight to Keep Cheney Normal School Open
Students petition Governor McGraw to honor their contract with the state after the institution faces closure due to budget cuts.