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 |
| 1862 | 3 |
| 1864 | 1 |
| 1876 | 5 |
| 1877 | 10 |
| 1878 | 4 |
| 1880 | 1 |
| 1882 | 1 |
| 1883 | 2 |
| 1884 | 2 |
| 1885 | 3 |
| 1886 | 7 |
| 1887 | 6 |
| 1888 | 1 |
| 1889 | 8 |
| 1890 | 1 |
| 1891 | 11 |
| 1892 | 34 |
| 1893 | 47 |
| 1894 | 58 |
| 1895 | 75 |
| 1897 | 1 |
| 1899 | 8 |
| 1902 | 1 |
| 1903 | 20 |
| 1904 | 10 |
| 1905 | 1 |
| 1908 | 2 |
| 1909 | 27 |
| 1910 | 2 |
| 1911 | 1 |
| 1912 | 3 |
| 1914 | 5 |
| 1915 | 3 |
| 1916 | 7 |
| 1917 | 1 |
| 1923 | 3 |
| 1924 | 1 |
377 stories matching salari
- King County Auditor Accused of Padding His Salary with Extra Jobs
A letter to the editor details how Auditor Frank Twichell drew extra pay as purchasing agent, building-fund agent, and legislative lobbyist—all while collecting his regular salary.
- One Judge for Two Counties: Seattle's Judge Osborn Wants the Bench Trimmed
A King County jurist tells the legislature that twenty-four superior judges for thirty-four counties is money badly spent — and that a judge handling Seattle's docket earns no more than one deciding farm boundary lines.
- Scarlet Fever Shut Seattle's Schools—Then the Board Cut Teachers' Pay
In May 1895 a health order ended the school year early. The same meeting slashed salaries, eliminated music and drawing, and triggered a board member's furious dissent.
- The Collapse of the Pacific Northwest League
A post-mortem on the professional baseball association in Tacoma and Seattle highlights the 'salary evil' that led to its ruin.
- Ballard City Council Deadlocked Over Salary Cuts
Two Populist councilmen boycott city hall meetings to prevent a quorum and block salary reductions for their political allies.
- Labor Takes a Scalpel to Tacoma's Budget — and Calls Out the Boodlers
As Tacoma's finance committee hunts for cuts, the Trades Council arrives with its own salary schedule, demands depositories for the city's money, and accuses the Chamber of Commerce of encouraging 'unlawful appropriation.'
- The $1-a-Month Man: Seattle Tries to Gut Its Plumbing Inspector
With theft charges pending against the nominee, delegates debate whether to abolish the office or just pay a competent inspector.
- The Treasurer Who Said Getting Elected Cost Too Much to Cut His Salary
County Treasurer Maple answered charges that he had broken a campaign pledge on office expenses with a defense of overwork, new tax laws and the price of his own election.
- The Rural-Urban Divide: Who Actually Runs Whatcom County?
An early 20th-century editorial breaks down how the city of Bellingham dominated local government spending despite having only a minority of the population.
- Seattle’s First Great Austerity Drive
Facing municipal budget woes in 1885, the City Council slashed worker salaries and abandoned the investigation into a scandal involving the Police Chief.
- The Justice of the Peace Who Sued for His Salary
A local judge successfully challenges the county auditor to secure his own paycheck, signaling a wider struggle over fiscal administration.
- The Price of Progress: Taxpayers' Union Challenges County Spending
The Courier-Reporter fact-checks claims of 'fat salaries' as the local government faces scrutiny over its agricultural extension funding.
- King County Commissioners Slash Pay Instead of Staff
Facing pressure to retrench, county commissioners cut deputies’ salaries across the clerk, treasurer, auditor and prosecutor’s offices—while Treasurer Maple fought to keep all twelve of his clerks.
- Tacoma’s Water Commissioner Says He’ll Stay—and He Won’t Take a Raise
H. J. McGregor denies rumors of resignation, turns down a higher salary, and vows to finish the city’s water supply and power plant.
- A County Pay Raise in the Middle of a Depression
Wahkiakum County officers got an extra $895 a year from the legislature. The Cathlamet Gazette asked who would pay for it.
- Seattle’s 'Reform' Government Promised Clean Streets and Low Taxes. Two Years Later, the Bill Came Due.
A furious 1894 editorial accuses the Democratic city administration of breaking every campaign promise—keeping Whitechapel open, protecting gambling, and cutting day laborers while salaried officials kept their pay.
- Seattle Cuts Its Own Payroll
Facing a tax shortfall, the council slashes salaries, drops clerks and accountants, and hands the comptroller power to police the city's licenses.
- The Great Aberdeen Salary Grab
A contentious city council meeting devolves into public accusations of graft and infighting over municipal salaries.
- The Price of Education in Early Seattle
A concerned citizen calls out the School Board for slashing teacher wages to settle district debts, highlighting a lopsided austerity that spared no professional pocketbook.
- The Clerk, the Councilman, and the Five-Dollar Standoff
A budget dispute in Richland turns personal when a council member challenges the city clerk's pay, leading the clerk to offer a defiant ultimatum.
- The University’s Dilemma: Should UW Sell Its Prime Seattle Land?
In 1890, the University of Washington’s regents warned that its current campus in the heart of the city was a financial and educational liability, urging the state to sell the valuable property and move to quieter grounds.
- The 750-Page 'Blue Book' That Could Cost Seattle Its Customs Inspector
A federal official fights for his job as Washington weighs a massive volume of testimony — including a scheme to bill the government for steamboat rides he never paid for.
- Tacoma’s Budget Meltdown
Facing a financial crisis, city officials argue over whether to cut police or raise the salary of a single elevator operator.
- The Business of the Ballpark: Baseball's Early Labor Disputes in the Northwest
In 1891, the Pacific Northwest Baseball League met in Tacoma to institute strict player contracts and salary caps, signaling the end of the 'wild west' era of professional athletics in Washington.
- The Great City Hall Salary Slash
Seattle’s city government attempts to force professional board members into six-hour office days, sparking a bitter row over austerity, class, and the quality of public service.
Also about this, in other words
- A Deadly Runaway Near Lakeside
An Italian gardener dies in agony after a team of horses bolts, dragging him through the road.
- The Bear That Earned Its Salt
A traveling menagerie arrives in Pullman, offering a rare glimpse into the oddities of frontier entertainment and the community's skeptical gaze.
- Laborers Sue for Wages in Commercial Garden Dispute
Ten Italian immigrant gardeners have moved to seize a truck and produce from their employer, claiming they were never paid for their labor.
- Assault in Old Town
An Italian peddler attempts to assault two young girls, sparking a neighborhood manhunt.
- A Dangerous Fall for a Telephone Manager
A local utility manager is injured after a utility pole collapses during maintenance work.
- A Belligerent Patient at the Steilacoom Asylum
- The Price of a Life on the Rails
A tragic railroad fatality sparks a heated demand for experienced, English-speaking labor in dangerous occupations.
- The City’s Cruel Gatekeeping of Life
A man lay injured, but the city refused to pay for his emergency care, highlighting a systemic failure in the treatment of the city's vulnerable.