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 |
|---|---|
| 1872 | 1 |
| 1876 | 3 |
| 1877 | 3 |
| 1878 | 1 |
| 1884 | 1 |
| 1885 | 1 |
| 1886 | 1 |
| 1887 | 1 |
| 1888 | 1 |
| 1889 | 2 |
| 1890 | 2 |
| 1891 | 1 |
| 1892 | 4 |
| 1893 | 2 |
| 1894 | 2 |
| 1895 | 5 |
| 1898 | 3 |
| 1909 | 2 |
| 1915 | 1 |
| 1917 | 2 |
39 stories matching harder
- The Great Heron Street Pony Stampede
A frightened pony dragging a halter tied to a signpost caused a chaotic scene for a young boy in downtown Aberdeen.
- The Peavey Gang vs. The US Army
When federal troops tried to stop construction on the Puyallup reservation, Indigenous laborers and their allies literally rolled the government's attempts out of the way.
- The Fight to Clean Up the Shadow of the Church
A municipal court judge rules against a family accused of running a vice operation near the Plymouth Congregational Church.
- The Brutal Reality of Convict Leasing in the Washington Territory
A scathing look at the state's profit-driven 'convict lease' system, where human beings were treated as disposable capital and exploited for labor with zero accountability for their survival.
- The 'Apostle' of Lona Lake
A Spokane man claimed divine powers to swindle followers out of their money and valuables, only to end up in the county jail.
- Fatal Bridge Accident Claims Hog Rancher
A Japanese hog rancher dies after being trampled by his own horses on the Grant Street Bridge.
- Kennewick’s Saloon Keepers Pivot to Soft Drinks
As Washington State approaches prohibition in 1916, local bar owners prepare to trade spirits for sodas, card tables, and light lunches.
- The Coal Mines Shut Down: Economic Anxiety Grips 1886 Seattle
Falling prices and labor disputes forced the indefinite closure of the Newcastle mines, throwing hundreds out of work.
- The Telephone Monopoly Seattle Refused to Break
A national syndicate promised cheap telephones and a rival to Bell. Seattle's aldermen said no, and the city stayed in the Sunset Telephone Company's grip.
- Railroad Strike Paralyzes Cascade Division
Freight trainmen walk off the job in Ellensburg over safety concerns and bond requirements, sparking a tense standoff.
- Drowned in the San Juan Islands
A sailing excursion from Victoria to Anacortes ends in tragedy when an experienced sailor vanishes during a sudden storm.
- The Mining Promoter Who Told Would-Be Miners to Stay Home
Col. W. Thomas Hart has bonded claims and cut a trail in the new Slate Creek district, but he begs the press not to inflate the strike: there is no work, no mill, and too much snow for prospecting.
- The Narrow Escape: A Four-Year-Old’s Head Survives a Wagon Wheel
In the muddy streets of 1876 Seattle, a toddler’s life hung by a thread when a heavy wagon rolled directly over his skull—yet he walked away with only minor injuries.
- The Night the Post Office Was Hunted: A Fugitive’s Flight Through Aberdeen
On a quiet Sunday morning in December 1890, Officer Pearson chased a suspected thief through alleys and lumber yards, firing his revolver twice as the man fled toward the Weatherwax yard.
- The Great Seattle Rebound
A fiery defense of the city’s resilience following the Great Fire, dismantling rumors that the local economy had collapsed.
- The Shingle Weavers' Mobile Union Strategy
When the workers couldn't come to the union meeting, the union decided to bring the meeting to the woods.
- The Hypocrisy of a 'People's' Candidate
Promissory notes reveal the high-interest lending practices of a gubernatorial candidate campaigning on cheap money.
- The Apprentice Who Chose Grime Over Gold
In 1872 Seattle, a young man defies his parents' expectations by rejecting his inheritance to work in a boiler shop—and finds his own path to dignity.
- Why Is There No Sawmill on Port Townsend Bay?
With foreign lumber ships crowding the harbor and the mills all seventy miles up the Sound, the Argus does the arithmetic on what the town is throwing away.
- The Prosperity That Wasn't: Bread Lines, Rising Prices and a Pellagra Warning
The Courier takes its critics to task: bank clearances may be soaring, but with the cost of living nearly doubled, the government itself is warning of hunger-driven disease.
- A Filthy Milk Trial, a Lenient Judge, and a Convention's Disgust
The state dairy commissioner lost his Tacoma case against two milkmen whose cows were caked in manure — and the delegates wanted to know what kind of milk the judge kept on his own table.
- The Treasurer Who Said Getting Elected Cost Too Much to Cut His Salary
County Treasurer Maple answered charges that he had broken a campaign pledge on office expenses with a defense of overwork, new tax laws and the price of his own election.
- The Struggle to Keep Seattle Clean in 1888
As Seattle prepared for a massive influx of tourists for a summer celebration, one citizen publicly shamed the city's leadership for allowing its streets to remain a cluttered, hazardous mess of construction debris.
- The Victorian Era's Original 'Manosphere' Rant
A satirical lecture from 1879 captures the era's obsession with policing women's appearances and the absurdity of 'social performance' in the Pacific Northwest.
- 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.
Also about this, in other words
- The Hard Pan Tax Dispute
A small-town legal battle in Anacortes reveals how railroad companies and local governments clashed over the definition of 'rock' to dodge municipal assessments.
- The Struggle for an Honest Hour: A Farmer’s Grumble in 1888
An account from a local farm near Puyallup reveals the era's persistent struggle to balance agricultural labor with a zero-tolerance policy for drinking, echoing the intense pressure of the frontier economy.
- The Deaf Dodge
A local drunkard tries to outsmart a judge by faking deafness, only to be tripped up by the prospect of a free drink.
- The Hard Choice: Keeping the Farm During the Lean Years
Dean Edward C. Johnson of the State College of Washington weighs in on whether young men should abandon agriculture during an era of historic economic struggle for farmers.
- The Great Seattle 'Hard Times' of 1885
As local businesses scrambled to collect debts and residents bartered farm goods for services, Seattle residents looked at the nation’s economic slump and wondered if they could weather the storm.
- The 'Hard Times' Social in Black Diamond
Coal miners and their families in Black Diamond held a 'Hard Times' social, where the most bedraggled costumes were awarded prizes, offering a brief moment of levity during a period of economic strain.
- The Hardscrabble Frontier of the Stillaguamish
A detailed 1879 survey of the Stillaguamish River valley reveals a diverse community of pioneers, Prussian soldiers, and dreamers attempting to tame the wilderness of the upper valley.
- Judge Bell’s Hard Line on City Crime
A Seattle judge hands down stiff prison sentences for robbery to deter the criminal element in the city.