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 | 6 |
| 1877 | 4 |
| 1882 | 1 |
| 1883 | 5 |
| 1884 | 2 |
| 1885 | 4 |
| 1886 | 1 |
| 1888 | 3 |
| 1889 | 5 |
| 1891 | 3 |
| 1892 | 13 |
| 1893 | 12 |
| 1894 | 10 |
| 1895 | 9 |
| 1898 | 1 |
| 1899 | 3 |
| 1903 | 5 |
| 1904 | 3 |
| 1905 | 1 |
| 1908 | 1 |
| 1910 | 1 |
| 1914 | 4 |
| 1915 | 5 |
| 1916 | 2 |
| 1917 | 3 |
| 1918 | 1 |
| 1923 | 1 |
109 stories matching fun
- The Deadly Consequences of 'Just for Fun'
A sobering editorial on how boys' thoughtless pranks—like stretching ropes across sidewalks or lighting dogs on fire—result in lifelong tragedy.
- The Pugilist’s Surprise
A strongman looking for a wrestling match in early Seattle learns that a quiet demeanor doesn’t always mean a lack of spirit.
- Firecrackers and Guard Duty for the New Year
As the Chinese community celebrates, the City Council forces them to pay for their own police watchmen.
- The Ball That Shook Seattle: A Night of Masks, Money, and 'Transposed Sexes'
In the damp cold of February 1877, Seattle’s elite gathered for a masquerade ball that defied social norms, featuring cross-dressing performers and a prize for the 'best sustained character'—a rare glimpse into the territory's vibrant, chaotic social life.
- The Madam, the Capitalist, and the Broken Door
Lou Graham, who ran a South Fourth Street brothel, swore out a warrant against a wealthy Seattle capitalist after a drunken spree ended with a slap—and a quiet cover-up.
- The Great Northern Train Heist That Wasn't
A bungled opium bust and a wild chase through the woods turned an everyday commuter trip into a farce.
- The Price of Friendship in the Melon Patch
A local farmer laments the 'friends' who think helping themselves to his crop is all in good fun, pushing his farm toward financial ruin.
- She Rode 2,000 Miles from Wisconsin to Seattle — Alone, in a Dress
Emma Larson, a 31-year-old Seattle woman, crossed the continent on horseback with only her mare Kitty for company, sleeping under the stars and going days at a stretch on nothing but water.
- Badger Canyon's 'Fun' Money
A simulated canyon amusement zone becomes the main draw of the Fifth Annual Grape Carnival, using fake currency to keep crowds entertained.
- The Great Snohomish Masquerade Fever: Why Everyone Is Dressed Up
From private juvenile balls to town-wide spectacles, the local press reports a sudden craze for masquerades sweeping through Snohomish and neighboring Sound cities.
- Washington’s Citizen Soldiers Prepare for Duty
While the upcoming National Guard encampment at Chambers Prairie promises camaraderie, it serves a serious, dual purpose: law enforcement and the maintenance of civil stability.
- The Finley Fair's Pie-Eating Showdown
A local pie-eating contest goes off the rails when a contestant tries to drink his pie like beer.
- The Country Estate as Medicine: Why Seattle’s Elite Are Buying Farms to Save Their Nerves
A satirical essay in the Daily Intelligencer argues that small country plots are not financial investments, but essential health remedies for city professionals suffering from 'trade winds' and nervous exhaustion.
- The Desecration of Paradise Valley
Superintendent Schwagerl sounds the alarm on tourists burning ancient trees for fun and the unchecked slaughter of wildlife in the new mountain reserve.
- The Vigilantes’ Bones: Seattle Dug Up Its Most Notorious Lynching
Thirteen years after a mob hanged three men on James Street, a county doctor exhumed their skeletons for anatomy students— ropes, necktie and all.
- A Revolver at the Polls: Seattle’s Republican Primary Erupts
Seattle’s Republican primaries collapsed into shouting, challenged voters, fake tickets and a police chief drawing his revolver to declare the polls open.
- Ousted Over an $18.90 Lumber Bill, a Councilman Gets His Seat Back
Ballard's council removed Thomas Winsor without a hearing — right after he accused the city treasurer of pocketing $1,058. A judge ruled the whole thing illegal and threw out his replacement.
- The Mayor Clears the Room: Phelps Fires a Fire Commissioner and Stares Down a Coup
When Fire Commissioner Masel and two allies tried to break Chief Allen on a trumped-up morals charge, Mayor Phelps suspended Masel for not being a freeholder — and the three commissioners walked out into the night.
- The Death Rate Was Up. The Health Officer Blamed the Syringe.
In 1891 Olympia's health officer reported an unprecedented mortality spike—and pointed to morphine and cocaine injections, with young women said to be using them 'just for fun.'
- The Great Labor War: Seattle Council Erupts Over Chinese Workers
In a fiery session in April 1882, Seattle’s City Council nearly came to blows over whether public grading contracts should be reserved exclusively for white laborers.
- The Mystery of the Girl in Trousers
A stylish, cigarette-smoking visitor at the Windsor Hotel turns out to be a local mystery when Seattle police realize a woman is masquerading in men's clothing.
- A Judge Reverses Himself and Lets the Gamblers Walk
A raid on Moy Lung's Washington Street gambling house netted twenty-two Chinese men. Then Municipal Judge Glasgow dismissed the cases, reversed a guilty verdict, and remitted the one fine he had already imposed.
- Eighty-Five Portland Boosters Take Kennewick by Storm
A trade excursion rolls into town for four hours of speeches, store visits, and open-river boosterism — with the mayor, the railroads, and a 'cocktail' cherry orchard all in on the fun.
- The Machine Under Fire
An anonymous letter-writer accuses the local political establishment of corruption, illegal registrations, and voter suppression.
- The 'Perryville' Scam: How a Fake Marriage Left Two Women Broke and Broken
In a tale of deception spanning Los Angeles, Washington, and Canada, two women fall victim to the same con artist who used false matrimonial ads to extract money before fleeing with their savings.
Also about this, in other words
- A Perilous Game on the Harbor
Local children are testing their luck by building makeshift rafts and navigating the harbor near the depot, to the growing alarm of local observers.
- Variety and Hilarity at Frye’s Opera House
A packed house in 1888 Seattle revels in everything from German mimicry to 'dashing soubrettes'—with one notable exception.
- The Royal Society of Good Fellows Throws a Party
Athletic contests, fireworks, and a topical song about 'Ta-ra-boom-de-ay' mark a lively celebration in the mining town of Gilman.
- The Roller Rink Craze of 1872
Before the city's modern obsession with wellness, local promoters banked on a new indoor exercise to save Seattle’s youth from 'pernicious influences and vile haunts.'
- A Dangerous Practical Joke
A man is hospitalized after a prank turns into a violent confrontation, landing his three attackers in legal trouble.
- The Rowdy Frontier in Icicle
A correspondent reports on the daily chaos and 'gun plays' defining the rough-and-tumble life in the settlement near Wenatchee.
- The Argument for a Public Pleasure Ground
Walla Walla's growing population needs a designated space for leisure and outdoor entertainment, and the paper proposes using water works revenue to fund it.
- The Lucky Winner of the Auto
A resident of Wallula discovers he holds the winning ticket for an automobile, but his interest is strictly in the cash.