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 |
|---|---|
| 1876 | 8 |
| 1877 | 3 |
| 1878 | 2 |
| 1882 | 1 |
| 1883 | 3 |
| 1884 | 1 |
| 1885 | 3 |
| 1887 | 4 |
| 1889 | 1 |
| 1892 | 5 |
| 1893 | 5 |
| 1894 | 6 |
| 1903 | 1 |
| 1904 | 4 |
47 stories
- 1892 Floods Isolate Renton and Snohomish Valley Farms
Torrents ravage the Duwamish and Snohomish valleys, washing out railroad lines and leaving towns like Renton and Sultan submerged.
- The Bachelor of South Lake and the One-Dollar Fine
A territorial dispute over a fence escalated into a shooting and a lake-dunking, leading to an unlikely legal entanglement for an elderly hermit.
- The Rent Crisis at the Renton Coal Mines
Striking miners face eviction as company-owned housing turns into a weapon against organized labor.
- The Starving Men of Springbrook
A deputy sheriff returns from a strike site near Springbrook to report that workers have been left without food or wages for days, contradicting company claims of a riotous mill burning.
- The Seattle Coal Cooperative of 1876
A century and a half ago, Seattle workers formed a mutual benefit mining company to secure their own fuel and profits.
- The Unraveling of Lee Wa Poo
A Chinese man’s descent into mental distress in Renton ends in his arrest and public pathologization.
- The High Stakes 'Sing-Gamble' of the Cedar River
For over 130 hours, tribes from the Black, Cedar, and Puyallup rivers engaged in an ancient, rhythmic gambling ritual near Renton, staking their entire winter's livelihood on the outcome.
- The Hypnotist of Renton
A domestic dispute involving a 'hypnotist' neighbor turns violent, leading to arrests and a strange day at the local courthouse.
- Labor Standoff at Renton Mines
The Seattle Electric Company reopens its Renton coal mines with non-union workers after contract negotiations regarding a 10% wage cut collapse.
- Terrorized by Construction Crews
A settler near the Cedar River reports harassment and danger from railroad workers blasting through the woods.
- Blood on the Tracks: The Renton Saloon Brawl of 1877
A card game, a wrestling match, and a concealed knife turned a quiet evening into a deadly tragedy in Renton.
- Renton Vigilantes Tear Up Railroad Tracks
After failing to secure an injunction against the Oregon Improvement Company, fed-up citizens of Renton took matters into their own hands and destroyed a controversial spur track overnight.
- Report from the Mines
A troubling inspection report highlights dangerous conditions, black damp, and worker injuries across King County coal mines.
- Coal Strike Stalls Renton Mines
Two hundred fifty miners are out of work after refusing a significant wage cut, threatening the economic stability of the town.
- The Day the Locomotives Derailed on the Black River
A morning commute goes wrong just outside Seattle when two coal trains collide head-on, sending steam engines into the mud.
- A Boy’s Quick Thinking Saves the May Creek Trestle
When a youth discovered a blaze on a high railway bridge, his rapid response prevented a catastrophe for the incoming train.
- The Devil's Dance at the Hop Ranch
A brutal assault at an Orillia hop ranch leaves an elderly Indigenous doctor clinging to life after a dispute over a bottle of whiskey.
- The Illegal Slaughter of Cedar River Trout
Industrial laborers are accused of using giant powder to decimate local fish stocks, threatening the future of Seattle's most accessible sport fishing stream.
- The Fatal Quarrel at the Renton Mines
A bloody dispute at the Renton coal mines leads to a murder conviction, exposing the rough edges of frontier life in the burgeoning territory.
- Sabotage on the Coal Line
A dangerous attempt to derail a coal train near Seattle highlights the intense tensions surrounding the city's burgeoning industrial infrastructure.
- The Pennsylvania of the Pacific
How the coal mines of Renton and the Cedar River Valley became the engine of early Seattle’s industrial expansion.
- The Battle for the Bottle in White River Valley
A local saloon keeper’s bid for a liquor license sparks a standoff with temperance-minded residents and sets the stage for a landmark court battle.
- The Deadly Feud of Talbot Road
A long-standing dispute between two neighbors in a small Washington community escalates into a fatal ambush at daybreak.
- A Child’s Christmas Gift in Renton
A 12-year-old girl organizes a Sunday school holiday celebration for 30 children, securing gifts and a venue in the mining town.
- Massive Landslide Blocks Black River Junction
A major mudslide, nearly forty feet long, halts railroad traffic near the Black River, forcing passengers to transfer around the site during a heavy rainstorm.
Download all 47 as a spreadsheet (CSV) · Show them on the map