Research the archive
Narrow 27,002 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.
Refine1 on
Show the numbers
| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1876 | 3 |
| 1878 | 5 |
| 1883 | 4 |
| 1885 | 1 |
| 1886 | 1 |
| 1888 | 1 |
| 1889 | 1 |
| 1891 | 1 |
| 1892 | 6 |
| 1893 | 4 |
| 1894 | 2 |
| 1895 | 5 |
| 1928 | 1 |
35 stories matching flew
- The Bullet That Traveled Half a Mile
A quiet morning in Seattle turns into a medical mystery when a stray bullet from a distant rifle finds a local man in his own shop.
- The Chicken Yard Brawl
A trespassing dispute in the Walla Walla addition escalates from fence-line bickering to a public wrestling match.
- Baseball on a Waxed Floor
A drizzling rain turned Seattle's Madison Street Park into a mud pit, forcing players to do more 'ground and lofty tumbling' than actual base running.
- Blacksmith Shop Explosion Nearly Injures Workers
A trapped water pocket in a sealed iron rudder stock causes a dangerous blast in a West Street forge.
- A Counterfeiter's Dramatic Courtroom Scandal
Dr. J. B. Methvin, on trial for counterfeiting, faced high drama in court as his current 'wife'—who had left her husband and children in Texas to elope with him—flew into a rage at the testimony.
- Polly Noble’s Great Escape
A City Jailer's pet parrot, known for her conversational skills, escaped to the rooftops after being spooked by a neighborhood dog.
- The Great Gale of 1878
A rare, unprecedented windstorm tears through downtown Seattle, rattling the nerves and rooflines of the city’s early pioneers.
- The Tall Tale of 'Bluffier Ben'
A boastful trapper spins wild, bloody yarns for free drinks in a Seattle saloon, leaving the barkeep to settle the tab.
- Locked in the Slammer
A Seattle lawyer gets a rude awakening after being accidentally locked in the city jail while visiting his client.
- A Fire Commissioner on Trial Over Rotten Hose
George T. Masel faces the city council over charges he moved to force unfit Baker fabric fire hose into service — and witness after witness describes the couplings flying off under pressure.
- The Toll-Gate Runaway
A young woman's flirtation with danger and a reckless dash through a toll-gate causes a family scandal and the loss of a suitor.
- The Wild Horse Races and Baseball of 1873
Before skyscrapers and paved roads, Seattle residents gathered for half-mile horse heats and a historic first baseball game.
- The Tragedy of the Steamer Josephine
Survivors of a catastrophic boiler explosion describe the terrifying moments the ship disintegrated and their harrowing wait for rescue.
- Smallpox Scare in Downtown Seattle
A man arriving from San Francisco by steamship causes a panic after seeking help for symptoms at a local physician's office.
- The Automatic Suitor-Smacker
A fed-up father builds a booby-trapped gate to drive away his daughters' persistent suitors, turning a domestic headache into a mechanical triumph.
- Seattle Pauses for the General: A City Honors Ulysses S. Grant
When word reached the Pacific Northwest that General Ulysses S. Grant had passed away, Seattle held a solemn city-wide memorial to honor the leader of the Union Army.
- The Midnight Alarm at Pioneer Place
A construction mishap at the Yesler block causes a spectacular electrical failure and a city-wide false alarm.
- The Kitchen War in Little Rock
A domestic squabble in a Seattle kitchen erupts into a violent, farcical showdown between a scorned husband, a smooth-talking preacher, and a woman who refuses to be anyone's possession.
- The Waterfront Conflict: Escalating Violence on Yesler's Wharf
Tensions boil over as displaced workers and local youth clash in a series of violent altercations on the Seattle waterfront.
- The Secret Game Under the Sidewalk
A reporter uncovers a network of hidden gambling dens and 'wire-puller' locks operating with total impunity under the city's reform administration.
- Six Hundred Seattle Schoolchildren, Out in Thirty Seconds—With Violins Playing
A surprise fire drill at Prof. Charles Fagan's Pacific School turned into a civic spectacle: student firemen, a student orchestra, and 600 children marching to safety.
- The Old Union Flag
A group of Seattle schoolboys preparing for a dance discovered a historic, weather-beaten Union flag—triggering a local effort to preserve the banner that once flew over the Civil War-era Union League.
- The City Editor Who Answered a Threat With His Fists
A druggist’s seduction scandal sent an angry stranger into the Telegraph newsroom. Joseph Costello met him with a windmill of punches.
- The Senator Who Called a Race 'Hell on Wheels'
In the smoke-filled backroom of the Seattle Jockey Club in 1888, U.S. Senators discussed tariffs and whiskey while recounting a chaotic horse race where the crowd 'yelled like demons' and hats flew like confetti.
- The Wild Foot Race on Commercial Street
Before the city grew, Seattle’s main thoroughfare hosted a high-stakes sprint that drew crowds to the rooftops and left bettors stunned.