Same Streets

Research the archive

Narrow 22,457 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
Published
When they were publishedBusiest year 1894, 153 stories. Pick a year or a decade to narrow to it.
Show the numbers
YearStories
18542
18592
18601
18613
18623
18634
18641
18651
18723
187626
187720
187821
18794
18808
18821
188326
188417
188530
188618
188716
188821
188956
18909
189147
1892133
1893140
1894153
189541
18961
18984
189933
19009
19021
190366
190445
19052
19083
190936
19107
19113
19121
19146
191511
191617
19176
19221
19234
19246
19251

1,070 stories matching william

  1. The Unlucky Look-Alike

    A case of mistaken identity in a Seattle courtroom saw an innocent man nearly extradited for a Pennsylvania forgery because he looked exactly like his cousin.

    Sep 29, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyTrue Crime

  2. The Engineer Who Had the City by the Throat

    In a bitter 1909 standoff over Seattle’s waterworks, engineer Benezet Williams accused city officials of squeezing him into submission after they canceled his contract. The advisory board’s final offer left him with little choice but to walk away.

    Jan 29, 1891The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyCity Hall

  3. The City Council’s War on Williams: How Seattle Tried to Fire Its Own Engineer

    A bitter power struggle between the Board of Aldermen and city engineer Benezette Williams led to a legislative loophole designed to strip him of his contract, sparking fears of costly lawsuits and stalled infrastructure projects.

    Jan 22, 1891The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyCity Hall

  4. A Gavel, a Roar, and a Populist Ticket Born in Chaos

    King County's People's Party convention at Turner Hall turned into a shouting, proxy-fighting, faction-splitting marathon—and buried Dr. J. Eugene Jordan and Jack McDonald on the way to nominating a ticket.

    Sep 7, 1894The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyCity Hall

  5. A Californian Comes Back After Five Years and Can't Believe His Eyes

    Property owner C. E. Williams steps off the train expecting the old town and finds a boom instead—then pledges to spend freely fixing up the derelict second story of his block.

    May 13, 1915The Kennewick Courier-ReporterKennewick, Benton CountyBoom & Bust

  6. Tragedy at Falling Springs

    A domestic terror incident near Pomeroy ends in the perpetrator's suicide.

    Mar 16, 1900The Colfax GazettePomeroy, Garfield CountyTrue Crime

  7. The Ghost of the Coal Wars

    A murder trial in Franklin uncovers the bitter reality of 'dead lines' and armed guards during a violent labor dispute.

    Mar 3, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerFranklin, Black Diamond, King CountyWork & Pay · True Crime

  8. The Scandal of the Navy Yard Font: A Love Triangle, a Divorce, and a Stolen Altar

    In September 1876, Seattle was rocked by a domestic dispute between two prominent women that spilled into accusations of theft from the U.S. Navy Yard.

    Sep 27, 1876The Daily IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyScandal

  9. The Acquittal of John Williams

    A jury exonerates a man accused of killing William Lockenfritz, accepting a plea of self-defense.

    Dec 1, 1883Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyTrue Crime

  10. The Water Wars: Why Seattle Should Settle with Benezette Williams

    As the city prepares to sue a private developer for rights to its own water and sewer plans, this editorial argues that compromise is cheaper than litigation—and essential for public health.

    Feb 1, 1891The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyFollow the Money

  11. The Paper Street Feud

    A homeowner fights a developer over a phantom street that appeared on a map but vanished on the ground.

    Feb 28, 1894The Seattle Post-IntelligencerMadison Street, Seattle, King CountyFollow the Money

  12. Aberdeen Sleeps Through Its Own Election

    Only 219 of 278 registered voters bothered to show, the usual campaign cigars never materialized, and one or two candidates went duck-hunting instead. The Citizens' Ticket still swept every office.

    Dec 7, 1893Aberdeen HeraldAberdeen, Grays Harbor CountyCity Hall

  13. The First Lacrosse Game Ever Played in Seattle

    Five hundred spectators packed Madison Street Park as picked teams from Victoria introduced the city to lacrosse — and a stocky second-home nicknamed 'Billy' ran away with the show.

    Aug 13, 1894The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyNightlife

  14. Police Officer Arrested for Brutal Assault on Wife

    A longtime member of the Tacoma police department was jailed after violently beating his wife and threatening his children during a domestic dispute.

    Jan 6, 1909The Tacoma TimesTacoma, Pierce CountyCity Hall · Scandal

  15. The Third Time's the Charm: Tacoma Court Begins Murder Trial of Mortgage Foreclosure Killer

    William M. White faces his third trial for the fatal shooting of James McMillan over a farm dispute in the Puyallup Valley, a case that has dragged on since 1886.

    Mar 13, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerTacoma, Pierce CountyFollow the Money · True Crime

  16. The Madam, the Capitalist, and the Broken Door

    Lou Graham, who ran a South Fourth Street brothel, swore out a warrant against a wealthy Seattle capitalist after a drunken spree ended with a slap—and a quiet cover-up.

    Sep 15, 1894The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyScandal

  17. The Great Front Street Fraud: City Council Exposes Fake Petition for Cable Car

    In a stunning display of civic integrity, Seattle’s Common Council unmasks a fraudulent petition designed to grant a monopoly cable car franchise, revealing that applicants forged signatures and misrepresented property frontage.

    Jun 30, 1888The Seattle Post-IntelligencerFront Street, Seattle, King CountyCity Hall · Scandal

  18. The Confidence Game: How a Fake Order Stole from Seattle’s Own

    A merchant in Waitsburg receives goods he didn't order, paid for by a 'Mr. Williams' who doesn't exist—revealing a sophisticated fraud ring targeting Pacific Northwest businesses.

    Sep 30, 1876Puget Sound DispatchWaitsburg, Walla Walla CountyTrue Crime

  19. The Sudden Resurfacing of Walter Williams

    A tragic accident at the Seattle docks takes a strange turn when a missing man's body reappears exactly as police begin to communicate with his widow.

    Jul 23, 1903The Evening StatesmanSeattle, King CountyStrange But True

  20. The Bachelor’s Secret Society of Black Diamond

    In the coal-mining town of Black Diamond, a secret society of men sought to preserve their solitude—until one member was caught walking a beautiful woman home from church.

    Feb 22, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerBlack Diamond, King CountyStrange But True

  21. The Last Rebel of Wexford

    William Leonard, a survivor of the 1798 Irish Rebellion, spent his final years in Seattle among the logging camps of the Skagit River.

    Jan 17, 1885Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyLocal Legends

  22. The Man Who Bought a Horse for $10,000 to Save His Reputation

    In the high-stakes world of early 20th-century horse racing, Chicago financier William A. Bradley paid a fortune for a mare named Willieette, not just for speed, but to settle a public feud with Jack Curley.

    Mar 1, 1899The Seattle StarBryant, Seattle, King County

  23. The Ghost Who Walked Home: A Soldier’s Return from the Dead

    William Krull, presumed dead in the Philippines and replaced by his own wife, walks into a Seattle church to find her remarried. His reaction? He leaves town to live out his days alone.

    May 2, 1899The Seattle StarTrinity Church, Seattle, King CountyScandal

  24. The Disappearance on Lake Washington

    A Seattle man, his two sons, and a neighbor vanish after a bitter land dispute, leaving only a bloodstained boat drifting in the reeds.

    Feb 14, 1886Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerLake Washington, Seattle, King CountyFollow the Money · True Crime

  25. The Con Man Who Taught the City a Lesson

    A prolific swindler who posed as a businessman and senator-associate leaves a trail of bounced checks and broken promises across Seattle, Tacoma, and Fairhaven.

    Feb 1, 1893The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyBoom & Bust · True Crime

Download all 1,070 as a spreadsheet (CSV)