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 |
|---|---|
| 1861 | 1 |
| 1862 | 1 |
| 1863 | 1 |
| 1876 | 4 |
| 1877 | 1 |
| 1878 | 1 |
| 1883 | 2 |
| 1886 | 1 |
| 1887 | 1 |
| 1888 | 2 |
| 1889 | 2 |
| 1890 | 2 |
| 1891 | 3 |
| 1892 | 5 |
| 1893 | 6 |
| 1894 | 7 |
| 1895 | 9 |
| 1899 | 1 |
| 1903 | 3 |
| 1904 | 1 |
| 1905 | 3 |
| 1908 | 1 |
| 1909 | 2 |
| 1910 | 1 |
| 1911 | 1 |
| 1914 | 1 |
| 1916 | 2 |
| 1917 | 1 |
| 1919 | 1 |
| 1924 | 1 |
68 stories matching empow
- Coulee City Targets 'Speed Demons' and Filthy Alleys
A newly empowered City Marshal is tasked with enforcing long-neglected sanitation ordinances and curbing reckless driving through the town's streets.
- New Law Tightens Grip on Truancy and Child Labor
Legislation recently passed by the state legislature mandates school attendance for children up to age 15 and empowers officials to arrest truants.
- City Council Targets 'Disorderly' Tenements
A new ordinance aims to clear out homes deemed a public nuisance based on the 'customs and habits' of residents.
- The Vagrancy Trap: A Precedent for Exclusion
A Marysville judge shuts down jury trials for those accused of vagrancy, empowering local police to forcibly remove 'bad characters' from the city.
- Whatcom Citizens Challenge County Fair Funding
Attorneys move to stop county commissioners from subsidizing fair organizations, citing constitutional prohibitions against loaning public credit.
- The Struggle for Rail Regulation
Washington's constitutional convention wrestles with whether to empower a commission to oversee railroad giants.
- Loggers Win Right to Collective Lien
A landmark state supreme court decision empowers loggers to file collective liens against companies for unpaid wages.
- The Fight to Irrigate the Desert
Yakima citizens gather to demand legislative action for an irrigation bill to transform the arid landscape.
- The Case for a City Fire Marshal
Seattle's Board of Underwriters pushes for a dedicated official to investigate suspicious fires and enforce building safety in the wake of mounting insurance concerns.
- Why Unions Matter
A local speaker at the Carpenters' Union hall warns that without organized labor, worker safety and civic stability are at risk.
- The Health Board Fights Smallpox Scare
City officials seek to prevent Vancouver, B.C., from enacting a quarantine against Seattle by providing a status report on local smallpox cases.
- Securing the Future of the University of Washington
Edmond S. Meany secures a massive land grant and independence for the University of Washington in a legislative victory.
- The Women's Crusade Comes to Seattle
A decade after the movement began, Seattle women gathered to reclaim their power and advocate for the prohibition of the 'rum traffic.'
- The War on the Hop Aphis
As hop growers in Puyallup and Kent prepare for the season, a new state law empowers the horticulturist to force farmers to spray for pests.
- Coulee City Mandates Electrical Safety Inspections
New municipal code establishes safety standards and inspection fees for residential and commercial wiring.
- Organizing the Purchasing Power of Everett’s Wives
Mrs. Rose B. Moore brings a new strategy to the Labor Temple: mobilizing women to force local merchants to stock union-labeled goods.
- The Janitor Who Was a Cop: How One Man’s Brutal Discipline Was Legalized by Law
In a landmark ruling for school safety and corporal punishment, a Seattle janitor is acquitted of child abuse charges after proving he was sworn in as a special police officer.
- The Town Council Declares War on Filth
A sweeping new health ordinance outlaws backyard pigsties, mandates watertight privy vaults, and grants city officials the power to condemn contaminated wells.
- The High-Stakes Gamble at City Hall
Local gambling syndicates prepare a desperate political maneuver to force Mayor Ronald to legalize their operations upon his return from the East.
- The Fight for Eminent Domain and the Rise of Local Improvement Districts
The City Council debates a controversial proposal to empower the city to condemn land for public improvements, sparking fears of 'jobbery and corruption.'
- New Law Empowers Workers to Claim Liens
A significant legislative act passes, allowing laborers and material providers to secure their pay through property liens.
- The Struggle to Pipe Water into Early Seattle
A City Council report from 1876 reveals the frantic, early negotiations to secure a reliable, private water supply for the burgeoning frontier town.
- The Town Council Declares War on Contagion
A newly passed health ordinance mandates house quarantines, mandatory vaccination, and strict reporting protocols for residents of Kennewick.
- The Path to the Ship Canal
A new law empowers King County to condemn land for the long-awaited government canal connecting Puget Sound to Lake Washington.
- Walla Walla to Build New County Poor House
After inspecting neighboring Whitman County, local commissioners decide to move from a contract-based system to a county-owned brick facility.