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 |
|---|---|
| 1876 | 1 |
| 1877 | 1 |
| 1883 | 3 |
| 1885 | 3 |
| 1887 | 1 |
| 1889 | 6 |
| 1890 | 2 |
| 1891 | 3 |
| 1892 | 4 |
| 1893 | 7 |
| 1894 | 3 |
| 1895 | 9 |
| 1903 | 2 |
| 1904 | 2 |
| 1905 | 1 |
| 1908 | 1 |
| 1910 | 1 |
| 1914 | 1 |
| 1915 | 1 |
| 1924 | 3 |
55 stories matching overnight
- The Roslyn Wedding Brawl
A double wedding in the Hungarian quarter of Roslyn devolved into a chaotic riot involving knives and heavy drinking.
- A Night in 'Hotel de Pearson'
Two brothers pay the price for a spirited Sunday of drinking in Aberdeen.
- Suspicious Barn Fire on Idaho Street
Local firefighters were unable to save a hay-filled barn from an overnight blaze, leading authorities to suspect arson.
- The Blast at the Water Pipe
A reckless explosion near a city water main in Tacoma threatened the reservoir supply, forcing a frantic overnight repair.
- Smallpox Scare Hits Newport
A logging camp worker arrives in town carrying a contagious disease, forcing the city to confront the need for a pest house.
- Kirkland Cannery Reduced to Ash
A second major fire in a single month has left the community reeling after the Henry Fisher cannery was leveled in an overnight blaze.
- Two Towns Emptied Overnight as Gold Fever Hits the Methow
Ruby and Conconully stand nearly deserted while a brand-new townsite at the mouth of the Methow fills faster than carpenters can raise walls.
- A Nighttime Siege Ends in Surrender
Alonzo Reeves, who shot a deputy sheriff, surrenders after an overnight standoff in his barricaded home.
- Will the Railroad Finally Deliver a Depot?
Northern Pacific president visits Tacoma with promises of a new train station, repeating a pledge from a previous visit.
- An Old Soldier Turned Away From the Home
A Vashon Island veteran says Orting's Soldiers' Home refused him a bed despite empty rooms. The commandant's friends say he never identified himself as a member.
- The Looming Transition: Homesteaders Face Bureaucratic Limbo
As Washington prepares for statehood, federal land officers warn settlers that their pending homestead proofs may become legally invalid overnight.
- The Intellectual Oasis of Vashon Island
Before the ferry commutes, Vashon Island was slated to become a Chautauqua-style summer retreat for the Puget Sound literati, offering a 'pleasant retreat' for scholarly quietude.
- A Hostage Standoff on the First Road
A historical account of the 1858 construction of Whatcom County’s first road, involving an armed confrontation with Indigenous locals.
- The Bank Cashier and the Midnight Spree
A Coupeville bank cashier is arrested in Seattle after allegedly embezzling thousands to fund a 'protracted spree.'
- Cottage Home Reduced to Ashes
A summer resort property at Lillewaup Falls is destroyed by a mysterious overnight fire, leaving guests and owners scrambling to save what they could.
- The Rapid Transformation of Grays Harbor
A traveler returning to Aberdeen after ten years finds the town unrecognizable amidst an industrial boom.
- The Salmon Detour
As power companies eye the Priest Rapids dam, locals joke about putting up road signs to redirect the fish.
- A Railroad Decision Kills a Town: Prescott Empties Overnight
When the division center moves to Wallula Junction, the mechanics of Prescott pack their tools, close their shops, and watch town lots collapse from $700 to under $100.
- The Blight That Swept the Highlands
As pear trees wither overnight, local orchardists warn that only immediate, coordinated action can save the region's agricultural heart.
- Disaster in the City Waterway
A massive $179,000 dredger sinks overnight, blocking the main channel after a pipe failure.
- Renton Vigilantes Tear Up Railroad Tracks
After failing to secure an injunction against the Oregon Improvement Company, fed-up citizens of Renton took matters into their own hands and destroyed a controversial spur track overnight.
- Seattle’s Music Halls Went Silent Overnight
After the city council banned music halls and refunded their licenses, Seattle’s basement theaters shut down without a fight — at least for one night.
- Fire Ravages Olympia’s Government Buildings
The Surveyor General’s office, the Land Office, and a historic church are destroyed in a devastating overnight blaze.
- The Desperate Flight from a Domestic Abductor
A mother fighting for custody of her child leaps from a steamer to escape her husband’s attempt to forcibly abduct their daughter.
- The Fugitive Bride of Ellensburg
After a coerced marriage and a secret divorce, a local real estate dealer’s legal nightmare ends in a mysterious chase across the state.
Also about this, in other words
- A Night Spent in the Steam Vents of Mount Rainier
An early mountaineer recounts a harrowing, freezing night spent huddled inside a steam-carved cavern near the summit.