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 |
|---|---|
| 1885 | 1 |
| 1886 | 1 |
| 1889 | 4 |
| 1891 | 2 |
| 1892 | 5 |
| 1893 | 4 |
| 1894 | 3 |
| 1895 | 3 |
| 1899 | 1 |
| 1903 | 1 |
| 1908 | 1 |
| 1910 | 2 |
| 1911 | 1 |
29 stories matching instig
- Councilman Defends His Record Amidst Public Outcry
James Stewart strikes back at political rivals, refuting corruption accusations and defending his push for transparent city salaries in the face of local scandal.
- The Noise Next Door
A city delegate pushes back against proposed ordinances intended to silence wood-sawing machines near homes.
- City Council Rejects Safety Standards for Electrical Workers
The Everett City Council ignored the desperate pleas of local electricians for basic workplace safety ordinances.
- The Secret Parentage of a Bellingham Heir
A custody battle in Bellingham uncovers a hidden family history involving two wealthy men and a child caught in the middle.
- A Railroad Detective’s Inside Man Foils a Cle Elum Train Robbery
Two men were bound over in Ellensburg for an attempted holdup near Cle Elum after an informant exposed their plans.
- The Pioneer's Protest Against the Building Tax
A pioneer stands his ground against city ordinances, preferring jail to paying what he calls an 'unjust tax.'
- Fatal Prize Fight Leads to Manslaughter Charges
A prizefighter died after a brutal seventh-round beating, and the theater owners hosting the spectacle were bound over for abetting.
- Plot to Oust Mayor Ronald Thwarted by Public Exposure
A suspected conspiracy among gamblers and city officials to force Mayor Ronald from office has been dissipated by recent press investigation.
- 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.
- Labor Organizer Accuses Judge Burke in 1886 Seattle Anti-Chinese Riots
A labor organizer confronts a political candidate over his role in the 1886 Seattle riots and the killing of a protester.
- The Doctor, the Real Estate Agent, and the Horsewhip
A sensational courtroom drama unfolds after a woman attempts to cowhide a doctor in his office, leading to a sprawling conspiracy suit.
- A Detective's Bizarre Extortion Claim
A Tacoma private investigator is accused of kidnapping a woman who claims he harassed her after a dispute over a $1,000 demand.
- The Brutal Football Rivalry of 1903
A Whitman College football player is publicly shamed in the Seattle press for alleged dirty tactics against the University of Washington.
- The Northern Pacific's 'Remarkable' Ghost Stories
When the Northern Pacific Railroad tried to claim public land, their dubious land-grant 'discoveries' sparked a week of local outrage that exposed corporate greed.
- The Ghost of the Seattle Riots
A labor organizer confronts senatorial candidate Thomas Burke over his role in the 1886 anti-Chinese expulsions, challenging the sanitized historical narratives of his political campaign.
- The Sudden Flight of Ballard's Prominent Citizen
A local businessman flees to Chicago, leaving unfinished projects and a cryptic telegram behind, out of a sensitive fear of public scandal.
- A Local Union Distances Itself from Anti-Chinese Violence
The Knights of Labor in Snohomish issue a public resolution disavowing a recent attack on Chinese residents, while still calling them a 'curse to this country.'
- Fisticuffs in the Judge's Chambers: Two Attorneys Settle a Newspaper Quarrel
A hot-tempered Tacoma lawyer, angered by a story in the Post-Intelligencer, storms Judge Fogg's office to confront a Seattle attorney — and gets his head tucked under his rival's arm for the trouble.
- The Great Hotel Hunger: Chehalis Builds to Catch the Rail
As the Northern Pacific Railroad surveys threaten to bypass the town for a rival route, citizens scramble to build a modern hotel and waterworks just to stay relevant in the race for territorial dominance.
- The Council Strikes Back: Seattle Turns on Its Own Power Company
Mayor Humes vetoes saloon restrictions, but the City Council is far more concerned with a corporate power grab. They launch an investigation into the Snoqualmie Falls Power Co., accusing it of using legal injunctions to block the city’s water supply contracts and protect its private interests.
- The Insurance Fugitive's Last Laugh
After orchestrating a bizarre life insurance fraud involving a fake cremation, William Radloff writes a rambling, taunting letter to the Seattle police from his secret hiding place.
- The Plot to Lock Up a Witness: How Greed Tried to Silence a Pioneer
William De Shaw, a respected Seattle merchant and witness to a will worth millions in British Columbia, was nearly committed to an insane asylum by land speculators who wanted his testimony silenced.
- Three Hundred Olympians Pack Columbia Hall to See Who Takes the Cake
A novelty dance craze two weeks in the gossiping arrives at last: one hundred couples, a flag, a pair of clashing cymbals, and a ten-cent ticket for every march — all to raise money for the YMCA's women's auxiliary.
- A Streetcar Magnate Denies Bribery and Blames an Alderman's Grudge
Writing from St. Louis, Union Trunk Line president E. F. Wittler flatly denies offering Alderman J. Eugene Jordan $100 and a lifetime pass to stop fighting the line's Rainier Heights branch — and says Jordan told him he was only trying to 'get even with Lowman.'
- Candy, Land Claims and a 'Confidence Man': Arlington's Commissioner Hits Back
George Morrell denies stealing ginger snaps and swindling settlers—then accuses his accuser of running an extortion racket with a Seattle police escort.