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 |
|---|---|
| 1877 | 2 |
| 1878 | 2 |
| 1883 | 2 |
| 1885 | 1 |
| 1886 | 1 |
| 1887 | 2 |
| 1892 | 3 |
| 1893 | 1 |
| 1895 | 2 |
| 1909 | 1 |
17 stories matching smack
- The Rogue of the Sound
A smuggler on the Puget Sound recounts a brutal night of human trafficking and violence, offering a chilling glimpse into the lawless reality of the 1880s maritime border.
- The Cannery Boom: Salmon, Chinamen, and the Gold Rush of the Columbia
A detailed look at the massive industrial scale of the Pacific Northwest's salmon industry in 1877, revealing the harsh labor conditions and the central role of Chinese workers.
- A Missing Husband and a Disputed Insurance Claim
A Tacoma woman sues an insurance company for her husband's policy, but the company claims he faked his disappearance to escape domestic strife.
- The Battle Over the Plummer House
Mayor Ronald blocks a city ordinance that would have extended liquor limits to a specific building, sparking a public outcry from residents and churchgoers.
- The Political Price of Statehood
A biting critique of territorial delegate Voorhees and the onerous conditions proposed for Washington's entry into the Union.
- The Perils of Courting in a Buggy
A livery stable customer recounts a disastrous date involving a runaway horse, a kiss, and a very narrow escape.
- The 1878 Patent for Long-Distance Kissing
A satirical inventor in Snohomish introduces a bizarre 'kisograph' machine to keep lovers connected across thousands of miles.
- A Night of Music in a Jungle Opera House
Seattle's social elite transformed the opera house into a tropical paradise for a high-society concert event.
- The Tacoma Water Plant Scandal
A suspected $500,000 kickback scheme involving the city's purchase of a private utility plant ignites a public outcry in Tacoma.
- The Automatic Suitor-Smacker
A fed-up father builds a booby-trapped gate to drive away his daughters' persistent suitors, turning a domestic headache into a mechanical triumph.
- The Awkward Kiss at the Surprise Party
A 'classic village' social gathering turns into a hilarious misunderstanding when a hostess mistakes the gender of her guests.
- Friday Night Fights: Newport's Main Street Turns Into a Boxing Ring
A carnival of brawling broke out last Friday, with two railroad camp workers arrested for holding prize fights on the main street and two others charged with assaulting an old man. The jail could have held only a quarter of the crowd.
- The Unlucky Stable in the Middle of the Street
A railroad land agent inadvertently builds a brand-new, modern stable smack in the middle of a planned Tacoma thoroughfare.
- The Human Cargo of the 'Wolcott'
A government customs vessel intercepts a fishing boat off Smith Island, revealing a harrowing attempt to smuggle nine men into Seattle.
- The Most Glamorous Night in 1892 Seattle
When the city's high society gathered at Ranke's Hall to watch a 'cake-walk' for the benefit of the African Methodist Episcopal church.
- The Oyster Swindler of State Street
A mysterious philanthropist promises to feed the hungry of Seattle, only to vanish and leave the bill at a local restaurant.
- A Landslide Tipped a Locomotive Into Lake Washington and the Water Boiled
A freight train running the Lake Shore road hit a slide in the dark, the crew jumped for their lives, and the engine rolled over on its side in the lake, its wheels still churning as the steam died.