Research the archive
Narrow 25,688 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 |
|---|---|
| 1876 | 2 |
| 1877 | 1 |
| 1878 | 1 |
| 1891 | 5 |
| 1892 | 2 |
| 1893 | 4 |
| 1894 | 2 |
| 1903 | 1 |
| 1908 | 1 |
| 1912 | 1 |
| 1914 | 1 |
| 1916 | 1 |
22 stories matching flop
- The Seal Pup Wars: A Local Naturalist vs. The Smithsonian’s ‘Sense-Keeper’
James G. Swan, a long-time Neah Bay resident and customs inspector, challenges Henry W. Elliott’s decades-old claim that newborn fur seal pups sink like stones, offering eyewitness testimony from Captain Elijah McAlmond that they swim.
- The Political Flip-Flop
A local editor denounces a political candidate for switching party affiliations after losing a primary race.
- The Fusion Bargain: Democrats and Populists Trade Principles for a Ticket
A Tacoma dispatch describes backroom talks, proxies and newspaper maneuvering as Washington's Democrats and Populists weigh a joint slate.
- The Judge Who Scratched Out His Own Eyes
A Seattle judge’s legal flip-flop on municipal taxation sparks a fiery editorial showdown and accusations of corrupt land speculation.
- The Octopus and the Seal: A Local Captain’s War Against a Washington Monopoly
In 1901, Port Townsend resident James G. Swan published affidavits from experienced hunters to debunk Professor Elliott’s claim that seal pups sink like stones, exposing the Alaska Commercial Company’s stranglehold on federal policy.
- The Machine Behind the Water Bonds
Tacoma laborers are being fired for speaking out against a water plant sale, while reformers fear an election rigged by saloon-bought votes.
- The Prohibitionist's Flip-Flop
A key Everett anti-saloon organizer publicly declares local option a failure, calling for high license fees instead.
- The End of the Road for a Timber Swindler
A notorious operator who preyed on hopeful settlers finally lands behind bars after a farmer refuses to be cheated.
- The Wild West of Snohomish City Hall
A small town descends into administrative chaos as rival marshals, contested elections, and judicial flip-flops leave residents wondering who is in charge.
- The Political Flip-Flop over the Lake Washington Canal
A scathing editorial exposes the hypocrisy of a Tacoma publisher using the canal project as a pawn in a larger Republican party feud.
- The Newspaper Owner Who Disavowed His Own Editorial
Francis Murphy reads L.S.J. Hunt’s letter to a Seattle crowd, disowning the Post-Intelligencer’s anti-temperance editorial and sending $200 for the cause.
- A Senator Breaks Ranks, and Seattle Howls
Senator Rutter abandons John B. Allen for George Turner, turning the 1893 U.S. Senate deadlock into a test of party loyalty and constituent fury.
- The Walla Walla Press Wars
The Evening Statesman calls out its rival, the Argus, for flip-flopping on its anti-saloon crusade to appease business interests.
- The Senator Who Switched Sides: A 1916 Campaign Clash
Democratic candidate George Turner launches a scathing public attack against Senator Miles Poindexter’s political flip-flopping on trade and tariffs.
- The Great Tent That Flopped: Seattle’s First Major Spectacle Washed Out
In October 1876, the famous Montgomery Queen's Circus arrived in Seattle with a massive tent and twenty trained horses, only for torrential rain to collapse their grand opening. A rare look at early Seattle entertainment and civic life.
- City Leaders Arrested for Licensing Flop
Seattle's Acting Mayor and Water Superintendent find themselves on the wrong side of their own municipal ordinances.
- The Mystery of the Solid Rock Fish
Workers drilling a deep well near Ruston were shocked to find a live, pale fish emerge from 140 feet below the surface.
- The Perennial Struggle of the Local Press
A century and a half ago, Seattle editors were already trading barbs about the 'eternal fitness' of readers who sponge news and merchants who refuse to advertise.
- The Last Stake: A Gambler's Ruin at a Seattle Card Table
A cautionary tale of a high-rolling stranger, a priceless gem, and the silent, unblinking eye of the house lookout.
- A Perilous Afternoon on Lake Washington
High winds capsize three local canoeists, leading to a harrowing rescue on the open lake.
- The Unintended Comedy of a Seattle Home-Grown Play
A young Seattle playwright attempts a 'powerful' American drama, only to accidentally create a farcical scene involving nightshirts, chin-wiping, and a very confused father-in-law.
- Summer Days and Wild Claims on Orcas Island
A pair of Lynden men report on their six-week wilderness camp, navigating smokey skies and the quiet rhythms of the San Juan Islands.
Also about this, in other words
- The Crap Game Hidden Behind a Punching Bag
Police raid a basement gambling den run by Pop Daly that attempted to masquerade as an athletic gym.
- A Costly Slip: The Sink That Flooded Pioneer Square
A plumber’s oversight at a dry goods shop leads to a deluge that ruins thousands of dollars in stock, exposing the fragility of Seattle’s burgeoning commercial district.
- The High Cost of a Depressed Lumber Market
A Seattle lumberman's failed venture in San Francisco illustrates the brutal reach of the 1893 economic panic across the Pacific Coast.
- The Shingle Trust Collapses
A failed attempt to artificially inflate lumber prices leaves the industry in chaos.
- Quick Verdict in Waterfront Dock Holdup
A jury finds a man guilty of a robbery near the Commercial Dock in just ten minutes.
- The Landlord's Coup: A Woman’s Restaurant Seized by Force
In a bold display of property rights and gender dynamics in 1888 Seattle, Mrs. Mary Ostedberg took to the justice court after William Brown forcibly evicted her from the St. Elmo restaurant she had leased.
- A City Hall Boodler Falls: Whatcom's Ex-Deputy Clerk Convicted of Forgery
Eighteen grand jury indictments, and E. Y. Grassett is convicted on one — with a perjury charge still to come and other indicted ex-officials waiting for the February term.
- A Sudden Tragedy on the Tide Flats
A dray team loses their footing on a rain-slicked plank road and plunges into the dark water below.