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 |
|---|---|
| 1861 | 1 |
| 1863 | 1 |
| 1877 | 3 |
| 1880 | 1 |
| 1883 | 1 |
| 1884 | 1 |
| 1888 | 1 |
| 1889 | 2 |
| 1890 | 1 |
| 1891 | 2 |
| 1892 | 4 |
| 1893 | 1 |
19 stories matching nigger
- The Violent Expulsion of a Black Resident from Olympia
A white resident publicly recounts his role in forcing a Black man out of town, illustrating the overt racism prevalent in the territory during the Civil War era.
- The Last Laugh of 'Old Si': A Black Veteran's Take on War and Wages in Pioneer Seattle
In a rare moment of candid journalism from 1877, the *Daily Intelligencer* sits down with 'Old Si,' a local African American man who served as a Union soldier. His unvarnished take on racial loyalty, wages, and the upcoming Centennial Exposition reveals the complex social fabric of early Seattle.
- A Rejection of Anti-Black Rhetoric
The Fairhaven Herald takes a rare, strong public stance against a neighboring editor's racist call for colonization.
- The Race War in Roslyn: How Seattle’s Coal Mines Became a Battleground for Labor and Lynching
As strikers hold the line, the company imports Black miners from Illinois to break them. The result is not just a labor dispute, but a violent racial confrontation that exposes the dark underbelly of Washington's industrial boom.
- The Delegate the Party Refused to Seat
When King County Democrats elected a Black delegate to their state convention, Southern-leaning party members staged a revolt to avoid sitting with him.
- Eviction Threatens Historical Black Settlement in Tacoma
A US Marshal is ordered to collect rent from 450 squatters living on a 163-acre tract established by early Black settlers.
- Brutal Slaying at Port Madison
A dockworker was killed in an argument that escalated into a fatal assault.
- The Great Blaine Betrayal: How a Few 'Carpet-Baggers' Humiliated Washington's Republicans
At the North Yakima convention, local leaders rejected a resolution honoring James G. Blaine, sparking outrage and accusations of political conspiracy.
- The Aristocracy of Skin
An editorial reflection on the prevalence of racial prejudice in the North and the exclusion of Black students and congregants from 'civilized' institutions.
- The Art of Getting Helped
A clever traveler tricks two impatient men into doing the labor he was too tired to finish.
- Self-Defense at the Maison de Joie
A woman takes matters into her own hands when a group of drunken men force their way into her home.
- The Rat Out of the Hole
A bitter public feud erupts between two of Seattle's major industrial firms over the construction of a city fireboat.
- The Great Roslyn Bank Heist
After a daring robbery in the coal mining town of Roslyn, sheriff's posses trail the suspects through mountain snow toward the Okanogan.
- Port Townsend Union Veterans Condemn Morning Leader Editorials
Farragut Post No. 14 of the Grand Army of the Republic condemned the Port Townsend Morning Leader for belittling pensioners and demeaning the Civil War, calling on citizens to boycott the newspaper.
- John L. Sullivan and the Color Line
A scathing editorial critique of prizefighter John L. Sullivan’s racist rhetoric regarding boxing rival Peter Jackson.
- An Indignant Patron
A Chinese man refuses a segregated ticket policy at a local circus.
- The Steam Laundry That Would Save Your Clothes (And Your Wallet)
In May 1877, Seattle businessman L.D. Frank announced a bold new venture: a steam-powered laundry on Commercial Street that promised to clean clothes faster and cheaper than the traditional Chinese method—while explicitly excluding Chinese workers.
- The Hypocrisy of the Amen Corner
A skeptical local columnist exposes the 'sham' piety of a congregation member, offering a gritty glimpse into the social life of 1877 Seattle.
- The Lockwood Claim and Washington's 1880 Gold Rush
Reports from Ellensburg described a profitable 1880 season at the Lockwood claim and other quartz mining operations in the region.
Also about this, in other words
- The Naked Man of Pike Street
A teamster is arrested for habitual public nudity, sparking neighborly outrage and a demand for municipal court action in the heart of Seattle.
- White Mob Hangs Innocent Teen at Nooksack Crossing
A white mob dragged Jimmie Boole from his bed at Nooksack Crossing and hanged him from a tree to force a confession for a horse theft he was innocent of, cutting him down before he died.
- The Day the River Ran Red: A Tacoma Tragedy
In a brutal dispute over territory and pride, 'Negro Bob' was shot dead by Kennek Joe in Tacoma, highlighting the violent intersections of race, labor, and frontier justice in 1877.
- The Sheriff’s Hammer: Snohomish’s Last Stand Against the 'Nuisance'
In March 1877, Judge J.R. Lewis and the local Grand Jury launched a coordinated assault on vice, seizing brothels and fining operators, while simultaneously exposing corruption in county bonds.
- The 'Whitecaps' of North Yakima
After local authorities arrested a Chinese man on allegations of public indecency, a mob of vigilantes seized him from jail, stripped him, and whipped him out of town.
- A Violent Altercation at Taggard's Saloon
A dispute over a gambling debt nearly turns fatal when a patron draws a knife.
- The Sad Case of the Shoe-Snatching Prisoner
A man’s desperate theft of footwear ends in a courtroom, highlighting the meager choices available to the poor in 1870s Seattle.
- The Great Nooksack Potlatch
Hundreds gather near Lynden for a traditional gift-giving feast and solemn reburial of ancestors.