Research the archive
Narrow 22,457 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 | 3 |
| 1858 | 1 |
| 1859 | 5 |
| 1861 | 2 |
| 1862 | 5 |
| 1863 | 3 |
| 1864 | 2 |
| 1872 | 12 |
| 1876 | 85 |
| 1877 | 72 |
| 1878 | 25 |
| 1879 | 3 |
| 1880 | 12 |
| 1882 | 11 |
| 1883 | 54 |
| 1884 | 24 |
| 1885 | 59 |
| 1886 | 35 |
| 1887 | 52 |
| 1888 | 32 |
| 1889 | 93 |
| 1890 | 14 |
| 1891 | 81 |
| 1892 | 127 |
| 1893 | 146 |
| 1894 | 177 |
| 1895 | 62 |
| 1896 | 1 |
| 1897 | 1 |
| 1898 | 2 |
| 1899 | 42 |
| 1900 | 6 |
| 1902 | 1 |
| 1903 | 58 |
| 1904 | 37 |
| 1905 | 5 |
| 1908 | 3 |
| 1909 | 50 |
| 1910 | 8 |
| 1911 | 9 |
| 1914 | 23 |
| 1915 | 8 |
| 1916 | 33 |
| 1917 | 14 |
| 1918 | 2 |
| 1919 | 1 |
| 1922 | 1 |
| 1923 | 4 |
| 1924 | 3 |
| 1925 | 2 |
1,511 stories matching done
- The 'Rich Deed' That Wasn't: Snohomish’s Wild Gold Rush Hoax and the Community’s Reality Check
A sensational tale of a legendary gold mine in Snohomish captivated locals, but the paper quickly pivots to a sobering assessment of the lumber industry's financial struggles and the region's agricultural potential.
- The Customs Collector and the Straw Men of Puget Sound
A Tacoma official accuses Collector J. C. Saunders of padding the customs payroll with political workers—including a no-show inspector—for work never done at the Interstate Fair.
- The Paper War: Port Townsend vs. Seattle
In 1876, a small rival town accused Seattle of economic sabotage over who printed their business cards.
- The Delegate Who Did Nothing
Washington Territory’s representative in Washington D.C. faced scathing criticism for a term defined by absolute political inertia.
- Seattle's Sewers Were Cracking All Over Town — and the City Engineer Blamed the Dirt
A furious letter writer insists the pipes broke not from 'percussion' but from the very worst kind of trench work — and points the finger straight at the man in charge.
- The Warden Fights Back: Prison Labor, Jute Sacks and a Seattle Newspaper Scandal
Accused of selling prison-made sacks to middlemen and brutalizing convicts, Walla Walla’s warden answers his critics with a detailed defense—and a challenge to inspect the prison.
- The $8,000 Schoolyard Fight
A losing contractor accuses Seattle’s school board of steering a South School grounds contract to a favored bidder and wasting taxpayer money. The board fires back that the cheapest bids were unsafe and that a $25,000 schoolhouse was at risk of falling.
- The Postal War: How Snohomish’s Star Exposed Seattle’s Corrupt Postmaster
In June 1877, the editor of the *Snohomish Star* launched a blistering public attack on the Seattle post office, alleging that political cronyism and negligence were deliberately delaying his paper to protect local rivals.
- The Centennial Call: Snohomish Citizens Urged to Claim Their History
As the nation prepares for the 1876 Independence Day celebration, local leaders in Snohomish argue that the county must stop waiting for Seattle or other larger towns to represent them. Instead, they propose a unified county-wide gathering to preserve the region's unique settlement history.
- The Missing Will That Would Have Given Seattle a Library
Henry Yesler's widow and two doctors are arrested, accused of burning a will that left the pioneer's fortune—and his mansion—to the city.
- The Delegate Who Sold Seattle’s Future for Five Thousand Dollars
A scathing editorial in the Puget Sound Dispatch accuses Territorial Delegate George Freeman Willard of betraying Seattle’s interests—specifically the mud flats of Duwamish Bay—to secure his own political and financial gain, while simultaneously accepting bribes from rival railroad companies.
- The Rifle War: Knights of Labor vs. Mine Owners in Newcastle
A bitter feud between rival labor unions in King County erupts into armed conflict, with rifles smuggled from Seattle to support striking miners.
- The Party Says Not Guilty—and Cheers the Man It Removed
Seattle Democrats put their scandal-scarred administration on trial at Haake's Hall, buried a First Ward delegate fight, and sent David E. Durie into the mayor's race while J.M. Wolfe got the ovation.
- Masked Vigilantes Hang a Convicted Murderer in Dayton Jail
James McPherson, convicted of murdering E. H. Cummins at New York Bar, was taken from the Dayton jail by masked men and hanged, despite a governor's reprieve and a new trial order.
- The Eight-Hour War: Seattle’s Labor Law Hits a Legal Wall
As the state’s landmark eight-hour workday law takes effect, prosecutors and judges clash over whether it applies to private contractors like the Pacific Bridge Company, leaving workers in limbo.
- Starvation Wages and a Broken Light Contract: Seattle's Lower House Erupts
Delegates demand answers on Pike Street paving, city jobs parceled out by foremen, Kilbourne Avenue subcontracting, and the gas-electric company's failure to light the city.
- 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 Mayor Who Refused to Apologize: A Retiring Councilman’s Bold Farewell
In a rare display of civic integrity, R.C. Macon tells Seattle's City Council he has 'no apologies to make' for his tenure, setting the stage for a contentious battle over the city clerkship.
- Seattle’s First Great Infrastructure Boom
An 1877 report captures a young Seattle at a crossroads, boasting of massive rail investments and its first-ever public spending on city grading, setting a precedent for a city that never stops building.
- Seattle’s Own: How Local Capital Built the Denny Hotel Without Asking for Help
While other cities relied on outside investors or government subsidies, Seattle’s promoters raised the full capital for the new Denny Hotel in just four days through a grassroots campaign of local shareholders.
- The War on the Hop Louse
Prominent farmer Ezra Meeker warns that local growers must act immediately to spray their crops or face total ruin.
- The Snow That Stole the Gold: Snohomish County’s Mining Boom Hits a Wall
Arthur Hank, a prominent local investor, returns from Snohomish County with news of rich ore deposits—but warns that an unprecedented winter is halting development just as the region stands on the brink of becoming a major mining center.
- The Transparency Tax: A Seattle Taxpayer Rails Against Red Tape
In 1877, a frustrated taxpayer penned a public letter attacking the County Commissioners for mandating expensive, redundant audits of public records, arguing that government transparency should be an everyday right, not a high-priced administrative burden.
- The Captain’s Silence: A Seattle Court Rules on Brutality at Sea
In a landmark Admiralty case heard in Seattle in 1872, Judge Jacobs holds ship owner E.A. Nickels liable for the brutal beating of sailor Frank Griffin, establishing that a captain's failure to stop abuse is an endorsement of it.
- The Mayor Fires Two Police Commissioners to Keep Blackchapel Shut
In a single day, Mayor Phelps removed two police commissioners, accused them of conspiring to protect a red-light district and oust Chief Rogers, and installed replacements before the House of Delegates could slow him down.
Also about this, in other words
- The Unfinished Business of Education
A reflection on school life, lifelong learning, and the ambitious spirit of Seattle’s youth in 1876.
- The Final Deadline
A foreman for the Times, devoted to his craft until his final breath, dies after a sudden illness.
- The Unfinished Business of James Street
The City Council is drawing up plans for new street work while a previous project languishes in a half-finished state.
- The Street That Couldn't Be Finished
Property owners on Deeatnr Street face losing their homes to the city treasurer over an unfinished grading project that the city legally cannot complete.
- The Housewife's Rebellion
In an era of performative domesticity, one young woman in Washington Territory insists that 'accomplishment' means knowing how to run a household from the kitchen up.
- A Father’s Hardship and the Telegram That Changed Everything
An overworked, weary business man contemplates his supposed failures until a birthday message from his daughter provides a new perspective on success.
- A Barber’s Last Walk: No Work, No Way Home, and a Family Left Behind
D. D. Vail left his Clallam County home looking for work. When he found none, he told his wife he would walk back—then took laudanum, hoping a $2,000 insurance policy would do more for his family than he could.
- A Debt Paid in Full
A Kennewick church celebrates financial independence by burning their mortgage document in a ceremonial act.