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 |
|---|---|
| 1888 | 1 |
| 1889 | 2 |
| 1894 | 8 |
| 1895 | 14 |
| 1908 | 1 |
| 1909 | 1 |
27 stories matching orr
- Tacoma’s Mayor Calls the Public Works Board a Political Machine
At a council investigation into the suspended light and water superintendent, Mayor Orr accused the public works president of running the department as a patronage operation—and talk turned to impeachment.
- From the Pulpit, a Pastor Takes Aim at Tacoma's Mayor
Rev. Dr. Dean Richmond Babbitt compares Mayor Orr to a Roman official who looked the other way, jeers at 'brass-buttoned police' and warns the mayor he could be prosecuted for letting the law be broken.
- Tacoma's Mayor Throws Every Appointment Back in the Council's Face
Mayor Ed S. Orr withdraws all nominees in a patronage war over the city attorney and police chief — then the council cuts salaries across the board.
- The Shadow of the Giants: A Victorian Obsession with Stature
A century before global social media, Seattle newspaper readers were served serialized curiosities about the world's 'tallest men'—a blend of anthropological fact, tall tales, and traveling circus spectacle.
- Tacoma’s Mayor Fires Public Works President After a Heated Exchange
David L. Demorest tells Mayor Orr he wants nothing more to do with his administration; by evening the mayor has a letter ready declaring him out of a job.
- Tacoma's Public Works Commissioner Refuses to Vacate His Seat
David D. Dement says his term has not ended and will hold office until a successor is appointed, setting up a municipal power struggle with Mayor Orr.
- The Mayor's Purge: Tacoma's Public Works Scandal Erupts Into Impeachment
A sewer-pipe kickback, secret electric-light favors and a board loyal to the old machine: Mayor Orr moves to oust President Demorest.
- Republican Wave Sweeps Local Tacoma Elections
A decisive Republican victory in Tacoma's municipal elections marks the total defeat of the Democratic ticket, fueled by economic unrest and accusations of 'boodle' politics.
- A Bribe Offer on the Witness Stand
A Tacoma gambling inquiry turned stranger when the police chief mentioned an attempted payoff—then declined to name names before Friday.
- A Backroom Vote Redraws Tacoma's First Ward
Tacoma Republicans reverse the base for municipal convention apportionment, threatening Council President Harris and the Wickersham faction's grip on the First Ward.
- Tacoma's Council Puts a Waterfront Deal on Hold — and Shuts Down a Fairgrounds Saloon
A proposed easement with the Northern Pacific and Tacoma Company waits for papers from Philadelphia, Pacific Avenue owners split over planking, and W.C.T.U. women watch the council reject a liquor license.
- Proprietor of Rainier Valley Record dies after fiery explosion
Richard Nash, a Seattle newspaper proprietor, succumbs to burns after a gasoline tank he was repairing exploded, igniting his office.
- The Political Deadlock in Tacoma
A fractured city council faces a week of partisan infighting as factions refuse to form a quorum, paralyzing municipal business.
- Tacoma Offers to Hand Its Water System Back to the Man It Bought It From
With springs shut off and a fire engine pumping to keep taps flowing, Tacoma's mayor writes C. B. Wright a remarkable offer: take back the light and water plant.
- Tacoma's Anti-Boodler Council Seizes Power, Demands Accounting of City Funds
A new coalition of Republicans and Populists takes control of Tacoma's city council, stripping power from the old guard and launching an investigation into the city's $720,000 bank deposit. Mayor Orr's appointments are blocked as the finance committee prepares to audit every bank.
- Tacoma’s Fire Chief Lost His Job After a Drunken Ride in the Fire Wagon
A periodic bender, a joyride down Pacific Avenue in a fire wagon, and a mayor’s ultimatum ended Chief Lillis’s career—though supporters blamed the A.P.A.
- Renton Addition Buyers Include Railway and Hotel Leaders
As Seattle boomed, property developers promised exclusivity and rapid growth in the newly promoted Renton Addition, setting the stage for a city-wide expansion that would redefine the skyline.
- Tacoma's Water Chief Accused—and the City Hall Feud Behind It
Mayor Orr's appointment of George H. Hollidge to run Tacoma's water and light plants blew up into a public corruption fight, with secret affidavits, anonymous postal cards and a grand jury waiting.
- The Bribe, the Clerk, and the Police Chief
A Tacoma councilman and city clerk faced bribery charges as the police chief refused to name the gamblers behind the Haymarket.
- A City Accused of Stealing Its Water by Night
A rancher with an injunction, a mayor at the end of his borrowing power, and a reservoir that empties at dusk and fills by dawn: Tacoma's fight over Clover Creek water becomes a standoff between the city and the man who owns the creek.
- The New Steamer Ruth Takes Her Maiden Run Down the Pend Oreille
Fitted out at the Transportation Co. dock and steered by a set of 'monkey rudders,' Newport's newest riverboat proves herself on a trial run to Downs' Landing — if only the government inspectors would hurry.
- A Sealed Letter and a Fired Public Works Commissioner
Tacoma's mayor wants H. B. Mullen on the board of public works. The Populists want a week. And a hidden letter accuses the city attorney of mixing politics with a water-plant contract.
- Tacoma Sealed Its Waterfront Deal With a Telegram
The city council approved a tide-land plat after railroad and land-company officials promised rights-of-way and waterways—over dissenters who wanted more than long-distance assurances.
- Tacoma’s Whitewash That Wasn’t
A public-works president accuses a newly appointed superintendent of dishonesty—then refuses to put the charges in writing.
- Two Weeks In, Still No Senator: Olympia's Republicans Tire of the Ankeny Fight
The legislature has been in session a fortnight and Washington still has no United States senator. A colleague's insulting letter blows up, the Wilson and Allen camps fold, and a caucus is called to force the thing to an end.