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 |
|---|---|
| 1864 | 1 |
| 1872 | 1 |
| 1876 | 3 |
| 1877 | 4 |
| 1878 | 1 |
| 1880 | 1 |
| 1882 | 3 |
| 1883 | 2 |
| 1884 | 5 |
| 1885 | 13 |
| 1886 | 4 |
| 1887 | 9 |
| 1888 | 1 |
| 1889 | 16 |
| 1890 | 3 |
| 1891 | 12 |
| 1892 | 27 |
| 1893 | 25 |
| 1894 | 21 |
| 1895 | 24 |
| 1898 | 1 |
| 1899 | 3 |
| 1900 | 1 |
| 1902 | 1 |
| 1903 | 9 |
| 1904 | 9 |
| 1908 | 2 |
| 1909 | 12 |
| 1910 | 2 |
| 1911 | 1 |
| 1912 | 1 |
| 1914 | 3 |
| 1915 | 5 |
| 1916 | 5 |
| 1917 | 2 |
| 1918 | 1 |
| 1924 | 1 |
235 stories matching ident
- The Ghost of the River
A tragic mix-up in identity leaves a drowned man's body buried in a shallow grave until friends intervene.
- A Case of Mistaken Identity
A local linotype operator was arrested by deputies at the train station after being misidentified as a burglary suspect from Colfax.
- The Struggle Over Fraudulent Certificates
Federal authorities clamp down on an alleged scheme to bring Chinese immigrants into the U.S. through falsified identity papers.
- The Swindler Who Stole More Than Just Cash
A prolific con artist wreaking havoc across the Pacific Coast has taken a final, strange step: assuming the identity of the very man he swindled.
- The Unidentified Man in the River
After a body is discovered in the Columbia near Coolidge, a desperate search for identity leads to a heartbreaking false alarm.
- The Stranger at the American House
A quiet traveler claiming to be a homesteader is revealed to be a double-murderer hiding from an Oregon bounty.
- The Man Who Vanished Into the Fog: A Barber’s Final Journey
Coroner Cross and Dr. Root piece together the identity of a decomposed body found near Salmon Bay, linking it to a boarder at the Commercial Hotel who may have taken his own life with morphine.
- The Ghost of the Eagle Gorge Landslide
Months after a devastating slide on the Green River, a deputy coroner uncovers the remains of a laborer buried by the earth.
- The Unlucky Look-Alike
A case of mistaken identity in a Seattle courtroom saw an innocent man nearly extradited for a Pennsylvania forgery because he looked exactly like his cousin.
- The Double Life of 'John West'
A Seattle man is sued by a woman claiming to be his first wife, exposing a decade of assumed identities, hidden property, and mutual accusations of abandonment.
- The Laborer Who Said He Might Be Dead Tomorrow
A transient worker shot himself on a Tacoma wharf. A dentist’s receipt and a Steilacoom postmaster gave him back his name.
- Mystery of the Boy on the Freight Train
Local authorities seek to identify a boy found dead after a fall from a lumber train in Sumner.
- The Poet and the Plagiarized Verse
A Tacoma man discovers his own lines in a Henry Wadsworth Longfellow poem, sparking a debate over the poet's 'clipping' habits.
- The Theater Continues: A Seattle Scandal of Mistaken Identity
In a twist of fate that could only happen in the Pacific Northwest, a husband’s search for 'joy' in Butte leads to an awkward reunion with his wife at the city's theater.
- The Peril of the Open Road
A hit-and-run driver on the Guide Meridian road destroys a buggy and attempts to hide their identity.
- The Unidentified Passenger
A tragic fall from a train near Badger leaves a man dead and the town searching for a name.
- A Case of Mistaken Identity in Aberdeen
Former city marshal William H. Pearson clears his name after a newspaper report falsely linked him to an embezzlement scandal.
- Boston Capitalists Eye Aberdeen Tannery
A significant land sale near the Hoquiam border hints at industrial expansion and the eventual unification of the two cities.
- Stolen Automobile Found Burned Near Waterway
A Ford runabout stolen from a local garage was discovered as a charred wreck on the city waterfront.
- Swords at the Wharf: A Case of Mistaken Identity
A peaceful arrival of Knights of Pythias members at the Seattle dock causes an amusing rumor of Fenian invaders.
- The Mysterious Fate of a Mutilated Man
A tragic case of labor, isolation, and identity emerges in late 19th-century Seattle.
- The Great Gasoline Shift: Kennewick Becomes Standard Oil’s New Hub
As the Columbia River town prepares to replace Pasco as the central distribution point for gasoline in the region, locals watch the logistics of early 20th-century commerce reshape their identity.
- A Sermon Interrupted
A man claiming to be a preacher invades a local church, leading to a struggle and arrest.
- The Sheriff's Long Ride to Nowhere
An urgent report of horse theft near Sunset leads to an exhausting night mission that turns out to be a classic case of mistaken identity.
- The Body in the Duwamish
A missing merchant’s identity is confirmed through the gruesome discovery of his belongings, heightening fears of foul play in Seattle.