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 |
|---|---|
| 1862 | 1 |
| 1883 | 2 |
| 1885 | 1 |
| 1886 | 1 |
| 1892 | 1 |
| 1894 | 1 |
| 1895 | 1 |
| 1899 | 1 |
| 1911 | 1 |
10 stories matching latch
- The Judge and the Paper: A Judicial Power Play in 1885 Seattle
When a Seattle newspaper editor made a habit of attacking Chief Justice Greene, the court didn't just sue for libel—it took direct control of the editorial desk.
- Masked Vigilantes Hang a Convicted Murderer in Dayton Jail
James McPherson, convicted of murdering E. H. Cummins at New York Bar, was taken from the Dayton jail by masked men and hanged, despite a governor's reprieve and a new trial order.
- The City Bids Farewell to Its Founding Father
Thousands of mourners, from pioneers to laborers, gathered at the Yesler mansion to honor the man who built Seattle’s first mill and served as its patron.
- She Fought a Sailor in the Dark—and Helped Police Find Him by Morning
Mary Kriser, who ran a lodging house at South Second and Weller streets, was robbed and sexually assaulted in September 1894. A neighbor broke down a door, and police identified a suspect within ninety minutes.
- The Cabin Door That Killed: A Man-Trap, a Storm, and a Supreme Court Warning
A Whatcom County man rigged a gun to fire when his cabin door opened. A storm-driven traveler triggered it and died—and Washington's high court upheld the conviction, ruling property rights stop short of deadly traps.
- The Homestead Scam That Turned Public Land Into a Speculator’s Prize
An 1883 exposé from Walla Walla describes how doctors, lawyers and merchants faked frontier residency to grab government land—and why the law made perjury easy.
- The Perilous Bathing of the Seattle Snake-House
A keeper's routine bath for his serpents turns into a life-or-death struggle when a 14-foot boa constrictor decides to coil around his leg.
- A Union Send-off for the Ranch-Bound
Everett linemen gather at the Labor Temple to toast two of their own before they trade climbing poles for farm life.
- The Meadow Snake Fiasco
A bashful farmhand’s desperate attempts to avoid the local quilting party result in an unintended, high-speed chase with a black snake.
- The Town That Owes Nothing: Oakesdale’s Fiscal Miracle
While other municipalities drown in debt from the boom years, this small Washington town boasts a cash-rich treasury and zero bonds.
Also about this, in other words
- A Railroad, a Tide-Land Tract, and an Elevator Go on the Auction Block
A bond debt forced the sheriff to sell the Terminal Railway Elevator Company's tracks, tide land, West Seattle elevator and warehouse, and franchise at the courthouse steps.
- The Colfax Sack Elevator
A local inventor creates a machine designed to eliminate the back-breaking labor of stacking grain in regional warehouses.
- A Burglary Charge Thrown Out
After being held on a $2,000 bond, a man accused of burglary is released when the court realizes the case against him is meritless.
- The Bondholders Take the Terminal Elevator
After years of litigation, the Seattle Terminal Railway Elevator and Warehouse properties are sold at sheriff's sale to the bondholders for $34,178.66, clearing title and opening the way for larger wheat shipments.
- The Hatch Left Open: How a Passenger's Injury Put a Steamship Under Arrest
Mary Phelps was permanently maimed when a crew removed a hatch aboard the City of Panama. When the vessel reached Port Townsend, U.S. Marshal Hopkins seized it—prompting citizens to raise a $100,000 bond.
- A Bitter Business Rivalry Ends in Court
An accusation of boat theft between former business partners in Whatcom reveals a long-standing feud and allegations of 'cinching'.
- Turning Washington's Lakes into a Pearl Button Empire
Professor Trevor Kincaid argues that Washington's fresh water lakes are perfectly suited to revolutionize the American button trade.
- The 'Grafter' of Seattle
A man’s admission of his profession in court highlights the early Seattle obsession with the city’s burgeoning reputation for civic corruption.