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 |
|---|---|
| 1860 | 1 |
| 1861 | 1 |
| 1876 | 2 |
| 1877 | 1 |
| 1880 | 2 |
| 1883 | 2 |
| 1884 | 2 |
| 1885 | 2 |
| 1886 | 2 |
| 1892 | 4 |
| 1893 | 1 |
| 1894 | 5 |
| 1895 | 3 |
| 1903 | 2 |
| 1904 | 2 |
32 stories matching expressli
- The Street Hawker's Stand Against Discriminatory Laws
When a Chinese produce seller was arrested for violating city peddling ordinances, he challenged the legality of a law targeting his livelihood all the way to the Chief Justice's chambers.
- Liquor Dealers Form Protective Shield
A statewide association of liquor dealers pledges to provide legal counsel for members facing 'blue law' prosecutions.
- Setting the Record Straight on Local Labor Troubles
The manager of the Lakeview rolling mills clarifies that an assault took place on a public road, not within the company's property, amid rumors of internal company conflict.
- Seattle's New Grand Theater
A massive new theater is coming to Second Street, promising to be the largest entertainment venue in Washington or Oregon.
- The Fight for Tacoma’s Autonomy
Citizens of Old Town successfully revolt against a legislative push to consolidate the region into a single city, fearing the loss of local school and post office funds.
- The Steamer Nellie's Grand Entrance
Snohomish celebrates the launch of a custom-built steamer, signaling a new era of river navigation.
- The Divorce Factory of 1861
Tired of a legislative session flooded with endless divorce petitions, the Washington Territorial Council finally moves to curb the practice.
- The Retired Colonel and the County Treasurer
A judge instructs a Grand Jury on whether a retired U.S. Army officer is legally permitted to hold the civilian office of King County Treasurer.
- The Uprising Against the 'Dive' in Black Diamond
Citizens of the coal town band together to shut down a notorious saloon accused of illicit liquor sales and illegal operations.
- The Captain Refuses to Stand Down
A political storm erupts as a county official defies a court ruling to vacate his office, claiming his popularity trumps the law.
- Northern Pacific's Land Claims Took Two-Thirds of Washington
A scathing critique of how the Northern Pacific Railroad manipulated maps and political influence to hoard millions in timber, coal, and agricultural lands.
- A Plea Against Mob Violence
Prominent citizens petition Congress to protect the treaty rights of Chinese residents amidst a wave of xenophobic riots on the Pacific Coast.
- Fraternity Stiffed by City and Chamber
Local Odd Fellows lodges footed the entire bill for entertaining the visiting Sovereign Grand Lodge after the city and Chamber of Commerce reneged on their promises to split the costs.
- Spare Land for Hard Times: Seattle's Pingree Plan
Seattle's Pingree Plan offered vacant land to indigent families for a season's cultivation—on a contract that gave them crops but no claim to the ground.
- The Millions Buried in Puyallup Indian Land
A government report reveals the staggering valuation of tribal lands near Tacoma, sparking a 19th-century struggle over ownership, development, and the protection of Indigenous sovereignty against encroaching white expansion.
- The Mayor vs. The Board
Mayor J.T. Ronald rejects a city ordinance, clashing with the Board of Public Works over who controls the schedule of the city's executive branch.
- The Trial of a Seattle Anti-Chinese Rioter
In 1885, a local judge delivers a blistering instruction to a jury, reminding them that the 'stranger and sojourner' are entitled to the equal protection of American law during a time of rampant xenophobic violence.
- The Asylum's Quiet Harmony
A rare glimpse into the operations of Washington Territory’s only mental hospital, as reported by its superintendent in 1884.
- The Unsettled Presidency of 1876
As the nation grappled with a deadlocked electoral count in the Hayes-Tilden election, Seattle residents read a deep-dive analysis of the constitutional chaos and the risk of a political breakdown.
- Fire Trap Expansions at the Globe Hotel
Tacoma building inspectors are ignoring unauthorized, illegal additions to a notorious downtown lodging house.
- The Great Seattle Land Grab: How the Maynard Donation Claim Stalled City Growth
A legal dispute over the Catherine Maynard Donation Land Claim reveals the messy, high-stakes battle for ownership of Seattle’s central waterfront in the late 19th century.
- The Cutting-Edge Technology of an Arctic Expedition
In 1885, a state-of-the-art surveying vessel arrived in Port Townsend, beginning a multi-year mission to map the treacherous and uncharted coastlines of Alaska.
- The Legal Quandary of Chinese Exclusion
A local judge grapples with the harsh realities and administrative conflicts of the 1892 Chinese Exclusion Act.
- The Divorce Dozen: Olympia’s Council Clears a Path for Broken Marriages
In December 1860, the Washington Territory Council processed a flurry of divorce petitions, including one from prominent local figure Carson D. Boren, revealing the fragile nature of domestic life in the frontier.
- Scarlet Fever Sets Seattle's School Board Against Its Health Board
With scarlet fever alarming physicians, the board of health claims power to close the public schools—and the school board is not convinced the charter gives it that right.