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.
Refine1 on
Show the numbers
| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1878 | 1 |
| 1882 | 1 |
| 1883 | 1 |
| 1890 | 2 |
| 1891 | 3 |
| 1892 | 9 |
| 1893 | 12 |
| 1894 | 9 |
| 1914 | 1 |
| 1923 | 1 |
| 1924 | 1 |
41 stories
- Firefighters Save Montesano from Total Destruction
A catastrophic fire nearly leveled the town's business district before new water mains were put to the ultimate test.
- The Prosecutor’s Payday Ends
A landmark court ruling forces county attorneys to surrender private legal fees back to the public treasury.
- The Scandal of a Prospective Governor
Democratic gubernatorial nominee Henry J. Snively faces accusations of swindling orphans and bigamy as he campaigns across Washington.
- A Victory for Press Freedom in Aberdeen
A jury vindicates a local editor who faced criminal charges for criticizing public spending.
- The Hypocrisy of Holy Ground: A Baptist Elder Arrested for Renting to a 'Notorious Courtesan'
In a scandal that rocked the small town of Montesano, Washington, in 1879, the arrest of a respected church elder for housing a sex worker exposed the gap between public piety and private reality.
- County Employees Go Without Pay in Montesano
Clerks for Chehalis County officers face a financial crisis as the local government runs out of money and refuses to pay salaries.
- The Mail Must Go Through: A Fatal Storm on the Coast
A dedicated mail carrier and his father lost their lives in a treacherous storm off the Washington coast while attempting to deliver the mail from Montesano to Chehalis Point.
- The Iron Horse Reaches the Chehalis
After years of reliance on slow water routes, the residents of Montesano welcome the Northern Pacific Railroad, signaling a new era of connectivity for Grays Harbor.
- The Town Bucket Brigade
When a major mill fire broke out in Montesano, the local water system failed, forcing the townspeople—including the women—to form a desperate bucket line to save the surrounding buildings.
- The County Attorney Wrote His Own Case—and a Commissioner Objected
Commissioner Peter Autzen accused two colleagues of signing a self-serving statement in a tax-fee dispute, exposing a conflict at the heart of Chehalis County government.
- In One Hour, Montesano Lost Its Mill and Its Lights
A Saturday-evening spark from a smokestack leveled the Stetson mill — and with it the city's electric light plant, which carried not a cent of insurance.
- The Boom Era's Bitter Hangover
New tax assessments reveal that local property values have cratered to one-fourth of their peak as the Grays Harbor economy struggles to adjust to the end of a speculative bubble.
- The Question of Missing County Tax Money
The Herald calls on the county commissioners to account for over $6,000 in missing tax funds allegedly held back by former county attorneys.
- Judge Irwin Wipes Out $224,000 in County Road Bonds
Chehalis County's entire 1891 road-bond program is ruled illegal for blowing past the constitutional debt limit — and the taxpayers' paper calls it a deliverance.
- The Hypocrisy of a Congressman
A local editor skewers John L. Wilson for firing a female postmaster purely for political patronage, revealing Wilson’s own history of groveling for Democratic appointments.
- The Great Gale of 1890
A powerful storm system tore through Chehalis County, unroofing town blocks and sweeping historic cannery buildings into the Chehalis River.
- Horrific Sawmill Accident Leaves Worker Fighting for His Life
A logger is maimed in a catastrophic carriage accident at the Stetson Manufacturing Company mill in Montesano.
- Water Works Save Montesano from Ruin
A devastating fire tears through the business district, but the unfinished water system prevents the total loss of the town.
- County Finances in Shambles
A scathing report reveals Chehalis County is $105,000 in debt while local officials draw high salaries.
- The Jailer’s Eyes: A Daring Escape in Montesano
A desperate jailbreak in Grays Harbor County ends with a jailer sidelined by flea powder and a daring dash into the woods.
- Tragedy in Montesano
A playful struggle over a revolver ends in the accidental death of a prominent town founder's son.
- The Scandal at the Washington Hotel
A prominent local man abandons his family to run away with a teenager, triggering a cross-state manhunt.
- Chehalis County Hits the Debt Ceiling
Facing a constitutional limit on borrowing, county officials call for a public caucus to decide the region's financial future.
- The Case of the County's Vanishing Funds
A local editor questions why county attorneys are pocketing tax collections while leaving the county treasury empty-handed.
- The Chehalis County Tax Revolt
Hard-hit by the post-boom recession, property owners organize to challenge local taxes and municipal waste.
Download all 41 as a spreadsheet (CSV) · Show them on the map