Same Streets

Research the archive

Narrow 27,002 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
Published
When they were publishedBusiest year 1894, 68 stories. Pick a year or a decade to narrow to it.
Show the numbers
YearStories
18541
18582
18596
18601
18613
18622
18641
18711
187213
187637
187731
187810
18804
18826
188326
188416
188519
188614
188711
188816
188954
18906
189132
189255
189354
189468
189568
18982
189926
19001
190317
190414
19051
19071
19084
190917
19102
19113
19121
19141
19153
19164
19172
19181
19232
19242
19282

663 stories matching moment

  1. The Speaker’s Gavel Clash

    In the Territorial House, a subtle procedural error leads to a public confrontation over how legislation is truly passed.

    Dec 14, 1887Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerOlympia, Thurston CountyCity Hall

  2. The Man Who Paid for Nothing

    A witty anecdote from Seattle's early days captures the city's growing confidence and irreverence toward authority.

    Apr 18, 1877The Daily IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyStrange But True

  3. A Desperate Encounter in the Northport Mountains

    A local rancher survives a harrowing close-quarters struggle with a wounded black bear.

    Oct 9, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerNorthport, Stevens CountyStrange But True

  4. 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.

    Jul 20, 1883Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King County

  5. A Father’s Gun, A Mother’s Heart, and a Daughter’s Paralysis: The White River Tragedy

    When a father tried to stop his daughter's elopement with a shotgun, the resulting chaos killed her mother and left the bride paralyzed. A local paper reports on the 'terrible tragedy' that ruined an entire family in moments.

    Jun 24, 1876The Northern StarSeattle, King CountyScandal

  6. The Seattle Man Who Tried to Photograph the Soul

    A local resident claims to have invented a device that captures the human spirit departing the body at the moment of death.

    Sep 4, 1885Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountySnake Oil

  7. Seattle’s Water Famine Blamed on Political Spoils System

    A new city administration’s mass firing of experienced water department staff leads to a catastrophic loss of service during infrastructure upgrades.

    May 30, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerYesler Avenue, Seattle, King CountyCity Hall · Scandal

  8. The Great Seattle Water Alarm of 1877

    A brief, wry note from the archives captures a moment of civic relief in a fledgling Seattle, highlighting the contrast between the fire-prone state capital and the rain-soaked Emerald City.

    Dec 15, 1877Puget Sound DispatchSeattle, King CountyStrange But True

  9. The Fire That Saved Us: A Call for a Second Steamer

    A Seattle resident writes to the Post-Intelligencer arguing that the recent downtown blaze proves the city’s single fire engine is no longer enough—and demands an immediate duplicate.

    May 21, 1882Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyCity Hall

  10. A Moment of Grace Amidst the Pageantry of Politics

    During a political procession in Seattle, a bedridden girl’s fleeting interaction with President Benjamin Harrison captures a rare moment of humanity.

    Sep 23, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyStrange But True

  11. The Wool Seller’s Thanksgiving: A Farmer’s Wallet Meets Reality

    In a moment of pure 1876 optimism, a local farmer bursts into a Seattle restaurant celebrating his wool sale—only to realize that luxury costs more than he thought.

    Sep 2, 1876Puget Sound DispatchSeattle, King CountyStrange But True

  12. The Morning the Earth Shook in Seattle

    An unusually violent tremor rattles early risers in 1886, marking a moment of shared alarm in the developing town.

    May 5, 1885Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyDisasters

  13. University Social Honors Professor Lee and Retiring Professor Bradley

    A celebratory gathering at the university president's home marks the return of a faculty member and the departure of another to his farm.

    Feb 24, 1884Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerUniversity of Washington, Seattle, King County

  14. The Sidewalk That Wasn't There

    Madison Street pedestrians face a five-foot drop into darkness as structural supports vanish, leaving only a 'shaky' plank over the void.

    Oct 7, 1876Puget Sound DispatchSeattle, King CountyCity Hall

  15. The Ghost Caboose of Seattle

    A high-wind storm sends a riderless train car hurtling down the tracks in a moment of unexpected local drama.

    Aug 6, 1878The Daily IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyStrange But True

  16. The First Avenue Hill Real Estate Hunt

    A straightforward 1876 listing for a 60x120 lot on Second Street captures a moment when the prestigious First Avenue Hill neighborhood was just beginning its transformation into Seattle's urban core.

    Dec 19, 1876The Daily IntelligencerSeattle, King County

  17. The Minister’s Holy Kick

    A traveling preacher pulls a fast one on a highwayman in this classic piece of frontier satire.

    Mar 24, 1877The Daily IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyStrange But True

  18. The Solitary Tailor’s Winter Plea

    A brief, wistful moment in 1884 Seattle captures the isolating struggle of early frontier life through a tailor’s longing for a coat.

    Jan 1, 1885Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerCommercial Street, Seattle, King CountyStrange But True

  19. The Feathered Truce: How Seattle High School Girls Promised to Save Birds

    In a rare moment of progressive activism in 1900, students at Livingston Avenue High School pledged to stop decorating their hats with the plumage of songbirds, responding to a plea from a local ornithology advocate.

    May 6, 1899The Seattle StarSeattle, King CountyStrange But True

  20. The Legislature Votes Itself a Territorial Rifle

    In a moment of classic political opportunism, the Council passes a measure granting every member a firearm at public expense.

    Feb 2, 1861Washington StandardOlympia, Thurston CountyCity Hall

  21. Tragedy at the Swimming Hole

    Two young brothers perish in a pool near Nooksack after one suffers cramps.

    Jun 16, 1910The Lynden Tribune (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-CurrentNooksack, Whatcom CountyDisasters

  22. The Great Pigeon Whiskey Heist

    A Seattle police officer's bungled attempt to intoxicate local church pigeons ends in his own humiliation.

    Jul 17, 1899The Seattle StarFirst Methodist Church, Seattle, King CountyStrange But True

  23. The Off-Duty Hero of West Street

    A morning commute turns into a rescue as a local fireman spots a blaze in a neighbor’s roof and leaps into action.

    Mar 13, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King County

  24. The Funeral Faux Pas

    A daughter’s confusion during a somber Seattle funeral creates a moment of awkward levity in the midst of mourning.

    Aug 25, 1888The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyStrange But True

  25. A Town Without a Pipe

    A weekend fire in Oroville exposes the critical lack of a municipal water system, sparking frustration from residents and observers.

    Mar 19, 1909The Oroville Weekly GazetteOroville, Okanogan CountyCity Hall · Disasters

Download all 663 as a spreadsheet (CSV)