Research the archive
Narrow 25,724 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 |
|---|---|
| 1854 | 1 |
| 1861 | 1 |
| 1862 | 1 |
| 1863 | 2 |
| 1872 | 9 |
| 1876 | 20 |
| 1877 | 17 |
| 1878 | 12 |
| 1879 | 4 |
| 1880 | 3 |
| 1882 | 1 |
| 1883 | 14 |
| 1884 | 17 |
| 1885 | 12 |
| 1886 | 7 |
| 1887 | 12 |
| 1888 | 9 |
| 1889 | 44 |
| 1890 | 10 |
| 1891 | 25 |
| 1892 | 59 |
| 1893 | 49 |
| 1894 | 56 |
| 1895 | 82 |
| 1897 | 1 |
| 1898 | 5 |
| 1899 | 32 |
| 1902 | 1 |
| 1903 | 13 |
| 1904 | 38 |
| 1905 | 1 |
| 1908 | 3 |
| 1909 | 34 |
| 1910 | 11 |
| 1911 | 3 |
| 1912 | 2 |
| 1914 | 7 |
| 1915 | 14 |
| 1916 | 13 |
| 1917 | 6 |
| 1922 | 2 |
| 1923 | 5 |
| 1924 | 5 |
| 1929 | 1 |
664 stories matching commerc
- Chamber of Commerce Targets Striking Machinists
The Everett Chamber of Commerce declares for the 'open shop' amid a heated eight-hour workday strike.
- Tacoma Manufacturers Fight Rail Freight Discrimination
Local business owners urge the Interstate Commerce Commission to intervene against unfavorable rail rates.
- Seattle's Chamber Tries to Get Tacoma on Board for a Ship Canal
In 1894, Seattle's business leaders asked their Tacoma counterparts to endorse a Lake Washington-to-Puget Sound waterway and petition Congress for the project.
- Tacoma Refuses to Play Dog-in-the-Manger on Seattle's Ship Canal
When Seattle's chamber pushed a Lake Washington ship canal, Tacoma's president said regional gain mattered more than blocking a rival—then hedged.
- The Chamber of Commerce 'Dead' After Political Feud
Port Townsend's business leaders dissolve their Chamber of Commerce in a radical move to stop members from using the institution as a political weapon against Seattle.
- The Tacoma Fishing Fleet's Diplomatic War
Tacoma’s Chamber of Commerce takes on the British Empire to protect local halibut profits in the Hecate Strait.
- Seattle Chamber of Commerce Takes Aim at Longshoremen
The Chamber of Commerce moves to break the power of harbor unions, threatening to form competing organizations and call for police intervention.
- The City Council vs. The Chamber of Commerce
Tacoma's governing body fires back at local business elites, accusing them of fiscal hypocrisy and meddling in city affairs.
- Seattle Business Leaders Condemn Railroad Monopoly
Local merchants organize to protest the Northern Pacific Railroad's mishandling of local commerce and their shift from rail service to land speculation.
- Commerce Street Express Robbery
A local expressman is left destitute after a thief steals his horse and wagon in broad daylight on Commerce Street.
- The War Department’s Secret List: Why Washington Was Ignored
A Montana Senator reveals that federal supply contracts are being diverted from Seattle to San Francisco due to 'unsatisfactory' local facilities and inflated railroad rates.
- The Great Northern's Cold Response to Striking Car Cleaners
Striking workers at the Great Northern railroad were barred from their own hearing before the Chamber of Commerce, where the company dismissed their demands as 'janitor's work.'
- City Leaders Demand Immediate Postal Relief
Seattle's Chamber of Commerce warns that the city's growth has completely overwhelmed the local post office.
- Chamber of Commerce Fights to Keep its Restaurant
Seattle's business elite debates the merits of maintaining a members-only dining room while scouting for a new headquarters in the rapidly shifting downtown core.
- The Conflict at the Docks
The Seattle Chamber of Commerce investigates longshoremen’s union rules, finding that discriminatory labor practices and disputes over foremen are diverting shipping business to Tacoma and Port Blakely.
- The Fight for Seattle’s Tide Lands
Boosterism clashes with civic control as a proposal to alienate tide lands sparks fears of corporate monopolization.
- Mapping the Waterfront: The Battle for Seattle's Harbors
A critical report by the Chamber of Commerce warns that without a proactive plan for public waterways, the city's future commerce will be throttled by legal gridlock.
- A Railroad the Valley Needed—and Another Year of Waiting
Federal regulators ordered a fresh hearing on the Wenatchee Southern, infuriating Central Washington growers who said poor transport was costing them millions.
- The City Hall Elevator Boy Scandal
A Tacoma councilman mocks the municipal budget by suggesting the city sell a painting of the city to pay the wages of the local elevator operator.
- The Chamber of Commerce That Committed Suicide
A political operative's attempt to sabotage Seattle’s growth leads to the total dissolution of the Port Townsend Chamber of Commerce.
- Seattle's Fight to Land the Army Post at Magnolia Bluff
In 1895, the Chamber of Commerce touted a federal garrison as a monthly windfall—if Tacoma did not steal it first.
- Drafting the Future of the Duwamish
Prominent citizens and engineers gathered at the Chamber of Commerce to debate the future of Seattle's tide flats, laying the groundwork for the modern industrial harbor.
- Seattle Merchants Fight New Mortgage Taxes
The Chamber of Commerce warns that taxing mortgages will strangle the city's growth and drive away essential investment.
- Tacoma Business Leaders Oppose Legislative Land Grab
The Chamber of Commerce refuses to support a controversial bill that would have funneled money into B. S. Grosscup's hands.
- Tacoma Tries to Halt the State Capitol
Tacoma's Chamber of Commerce calls Olympia's new capitol a waste in hard times, but lawmakers vote down a bill to stop the work.