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 |
|---|---|
| 1892 | 1 |
| 1893 | 2 |
| 1894 | 1 |
| 1895 | 5 |
| 1903 | 4 |
| 1904 | 5 |
| 1908 | 3 |
| 1909 | 7 |
| 1910 | 2 |
| 1915 | 4 |
| 1917 | 5 |
| 1923 | 1 |
| 1924 | 1 |
41 stories matching phone
- The Telephone Franchise Fight: A Speculator's Bid Rejected
Aldermen refused S. H. Piles a phone franchise because he wouldn't name his backers or put up a bond — and the competitor they did trust never built a line.
- Newport's Telephone Revolution: A 600-Line Exchange Built for Growth
A Wisconsin telephone man bought out the old exchange, discarded it, and spent $11,000 to give Newport one of the most modern switchboards in the Northwest.
- Fifteen Years, Rate Caps and a Free Phone: Newport Bargains With the Telephone Company
The city council cut a proposed 35-year franchise down to 15, capped rates at $1.50 for a two-party line, demanded a free city phone and reserved wire space on every pole.
- The Ghost of a Phone Directory
A look back at White Bluffs' first phone book reveals a rapidly changing town where most original subscribers have vanished.
- The Telephone Dust Prank
A creative hoax in a small town fooled local housewives into wrapping their telephones in rags to 'blow out the dust.'
- Spokane Workers Spark Telephone Revolution
A labor strike by telephone operators prompts a move toward an independent, city-wide network to break the grip of a monopoly.
- Three Wires Over the Pend Oreille
Newport's phone company suspends steel wire across the river to the Fidelity mill, clearing steamboat stacks by 50 feet.
- The Great Telephone Wars of Tacoma
A rival phone company manager staged a bizarre arrest of his competitor to derail a franchise bid—only for the plot to unravel at the police station.
- The Night a Streetcar Powerhouse Fire Left Half of Seattle Dark
A pre-dawn blaze at Fifth and Pine gutted the Consolidated Street Railway plant, destroyed nearly all its cars and dynamos, crippled three lines, and blacked out everything north of Pike Street.
- The Tragedy at Mrs. Story’s Boarding House
A jealous suitor infiltrates a Seattle residence to commit a double murder, leaving the city in shock over the death of a prominent socialite.
- A Gold-Headed Cane for the Man Who Stayed on the Phone in a Burning Mine
Newcastle honored C.C. Anderson, who kept giving orders to trapped miners as the roof burned above him.
- The Great Telephone Switchboard Fire
A tangled mess of high-voltage arc light wires sends fireworks cascading through the central telephone exchange, nearly incinerating the entire plant.
- The Great Finley Coyote Hunt
When a rabid animal terrorized a local farmyard, the community mobilized with every firearm in their possession to track it down.
- The Telephone Monopoly Seattle Refused to Break
A national syndicate promised cheap telephones and a rival to Bell. Seattle's aldermen said no, and the city stayed in the Sunset Telephone Company's grip.
- The Councilman Who Turned Down a King's Ransom
A local bribery scandal reveals the absurdity of Tacoma's political culture, where one official boasts of refusing a $132,000 bribe.
- The Telephone Monopoly to Seattle: Don’t Print This
Seattle’s phone company keeps billing the old rates after the city council orders a cut, and its manager asks the press to keep quiet about it.
- Newport to the Railroad Commission: Our Depot Is a Disgrace
State regulators will inspect the Great Northern's station and train service on May 7, and Newport citizens are being organized to demand a new depot, safe crossings, and basic comforts.
- The Fight for the Hanford Phone Exchange
Public Service Commission members visit the Columbia River Valley to mediate a dispute over the proposed consolidation of telephone lines.
- The Night Clerk Is Axed
Police commissioners fire the night registering clerk to save money, prompting a protest from the Police Chief.
- The Fight to Break the Phone Monopoly
Business leaders and residents rally against Sunset Telephone Company's grip on the city, calling for competition and accountability.
- Warehouse Company Cleared of $10,000 Debt
A jury sides with the local warehouse company in a high-stakes legal dispute over promissory notes.
- The Great Alarm Debate
Walla Walla’s City Council considers whether to invest in a modern fire alarm system or rely on an improvised network of city telephones.
- The Town Divided Over Long-Distance Communication
Richland stockholders clash over selling their local phone system to a Kennewick-based manager.
- Spokane Phone Strike Sparks Boycott Threat
Labor organizers in Spokane threaten a city-wide boycott of the telephone company, though Walla Walla unions keep their distance.
- The Forger Who Ordered Champagne to the Mansion of J. M. Colman
For two weeks a smooth-talking stranger worked Front Street with forged order slips and a taste for the good stuff — until six bottles of champagne went to the wrong address.
Also about this, in other words
- The End of the Classroom Phone Call
Teachers, exhausted by dozens of daily interruptions from parents, ban non-emergency telephone calls to students during school hours.
- City Council Faces Telephone Monopoly Fight
Local committee pushes decision on a new telephone franchise to the full city council, triggering debates over corporate financial backing and competition.
- A Dangerous Fall for a Telephone Manager
A local utility manager is injured after a utility pole collapses during maintenance work.
- The High Price of 'Hello'
Medical experts warn that the grueling labor and public abuse faced by telephone operators are breaking the health of a generation of working women.
- A Lifeline on the Empty Road
Facing a fourteen-mile stretch of road with no human habitation, Benton County installs a telephone booth to aid motorists stranded between Hanford and the Yakima River.
- The Operator Was Sleeping: A Seattle Telephone Scandal
In 1885, Seattle residents were so fed up with poor service and sleeping operators at the local telephone exchange that the newspaper demanded a total administrative overhaul.
- The Fight for Cheaper Calls
City council debates regulating telephone rates and forcing lines underground in a push to modernize Seattle's infrastructure.
- The Price of a Telephone Franchise
A City Councilman publicly alleges he was offered shares in exchange for his vote, then refuses to follow through on the accusation.