Research the archive
Narrow 27,002 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.
Refine1 on
Show the numbers
| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1860 | 1 |
| 1861 | 1 |
| 1885 | 1 |
| 1888 | 1 |
| 1891 | 7 |
| 1892 | 1 |
| 1893 | 1 |
| 1895 | 1 |
| 1903 | 1 |
| 1914 | 2 |
| 1915 | 2 |
19 stories matching valid
- Statewide Prohibition Faces High Court Showdown
A Thurston County judge ruled the statewide prohibition law constitutional, setting the stage for a tense legal battle before the state's highest court.
- Olympia’s Mayor Resigns to Save a Disputed Election
After a contested municipal election, Mayor Horr says he will step down on January 5 so successors can be appointed—and asks the outgoing councilmen to do the same.
- The Only Job Worth Having in a Bankrupt Little City
Nobody wants a seat on the council, but five men are scrambling for the treasurer's office and its commissions on $200,000 of debt.
- Statewide Prohibition Ballot Initiative Confirmed
Secretary of State declares petitions sufficient; voters to decide the fate of liquor sales in Washington this November.
- The Initiative Process Under Pressure
Washington's early experience with the popular initiative leads to court battles as signatures are scrutinized for irregularities.
- The Fight for the Territory’s Future
As the Civil War ignites, local politicians trade accusations over union loyalty, financial mismanagement, and the location of the Territorial seat of government.
- The Attorney General’s Power Grab
A critique of Attorney General Jones’s refusal to approve the bonds of the state land commissioners, arguing he has overstepped his constitutional authority.
- Washington Court Rules Fathers Have No Legal Duty to Support Illegitimate Children
A landmark decision from the state supreme court highlights a massive legal loophole regarding parental responsibility.
- Chaos at City Hall: A Dispute Over Who Is Mayor
A heated council meeting descends into procedural gridlock as members argue over the legitimacy of the city's leadership.
- The Letter That Asked: Is Olympia's Street-Tax Ordinance Even Legal?
A citizen signing himself 'Marius' argues that the city's method of charging property owners for street paving and grading violates due process — and warns that if the assessments collapse in court, every taxpayer in town will pay for it.
- A Mayor Willing to Resign Over a Ballot Technicality
When Olympia’s election tickets were printed under the wrong law, Mayor Horr offered to step down rather than hold office on a legal loophole—and urged the council to appoint the people’s chosen successors.
- The Deserted Wife Who Saved Her Homestead
When a man abandoned his land and his spouse in Olympia, the government tried to invalidate her claim—until a steely legal battle proved her right to stay.
- The Day Washington State Went Dry
After a hard-fought political battle and a landmark Supreme Court ruling, the state's 1,200 saloons were ordered to shutter their doors as statewide prohibition became the law of the land.
- The Day the Territorial Supreme Court Killed Women's Suffrage in Washington
In a landmark test case from May 1902, Judge Sash ruled that the Organic Act of Washington Territory only granted voting rights to males, effectively striking down local efforts to enfranchise women.
- Olympia Votes Out the Old Council — and Inherits a Financial Mess
A day after the city election, the Tribune calls on the lame-duck mayor and council to resign so the city can untangle a debt larger than the law allows — and demands streetcars, street work and honest handling of the public's money.
- A City on the Brink: Olympia’s 1891 Debt Crisis and the Fight Over Jobs
Facing a constitutional debt limit, Olympia’s city council considers firing the deputy clerk, assistant city attorney, and city engineer—while a motion to revoke the street railway franchise fails by a tie.
- The Fight to Build Washington's Capitol—and the Man Who Wanted It in Puyallup
A state commission says the capitol can be finished debt-free, but a rival town's booster has other ideas.
- The Dollar Deed: How a Husband’s ‘Gift’ to His Wife Cost Him His Land Claim
In a dispute over who settled first on public land, the Register of the Olympia Land Office ruled that W.S. Fish could not claim priority because he had technically transferred his donation claim to his wife for just one dollar.
- A Minister Takes a Geologist's Hammer to Genesis
Rev. Napoleon Hoagland tells a packed hall that the rocks do not show six days of creation, and that reason — not an infallible book — is the believer's best authority.