ca. 1901. Local photographer Arthur French captured a moment in time on busy, bustling Pacific Avenue circa 1901. This glimpse of vibrant downtown Tacoma was taken looking south from the corner of South 9th St. Sidewalks were crowded with people spilling over into the street on this late spring/summer day. Little boys and some grown men are decked out in straw hats crossing Pacific while others, some hatless, wheel their bicycles across the tracks, barely avoiding streetcar #17 approaching above. Horse drawn carriages and wagons shared space on the street along with the many pedestrians. Women were out and about that day, perhaps running errands or just perusing the many store windows. On the left side of the photograph was Elder & Albright, wallpaper and paints store, located at 905 Pacific Avenue. The Palace Grocery Co. was on the right side of the street at 904 Pacific Avenue. (Photo donated by Chiho Kato)

Commercial streets--Tacoma--1900-1910; Street railroads--Tacoma--1900-1910; Pedestrians--Tacoma; Elder & Albright (Tacoma); Palace Grocery Co. (Tacoma);

ca. 1900. A man hand feeds a deer as a number of deer crowd around him. The deer are in a fenced in area at Point Defiance Park. A large wooden building stands at the far left in the photograph. From the collection of Don Cooper.

Deer; Point Defiance Park (Tacoma); Parks--Tacoma--1900-1910

ca. 1900. A young nanny pushes a baby in an ornate pram through Wright Park in Tacoma. They have stopped by one of the ponds in the park. A white swan is at the edge of the pond. The tower of the Pierce County Court House just makes it into the photograph at the far left. From the collection of Don Cooper.

Wright Park (Tacoma); Parks--Tacoma--1900-1910; Governesses;Baby carriages

ca. 1901. Tacoma Business College at the corner of South 9th and Tacoma Avenue South circa 1901. The business college occupied the top floor(s) of the Lucerne Block which was later renamed the Midtown Bldg and the Hess Bldg. The school instructed its students in shorthand, bookkeeping, typewriting, commercial law and other business subjects. It had previously been located in the 1200 block of Tacoma Ave. So. before moving to the Lucerne Block. The Bennett New & Second Hand Furniture store (at 901 Tacoma Ave. So.) occupied part of the first floor. It was owned by Thomas Bennett and sold new and second hand furniture, stoves and carpets. Frank P. Fentress's Bicycles & Bicycle Sundries firm (at 903 Tacoma Ave. So.) was adjacent to Thomas Bennett's establishment. Both businesses had sale items on display under the building's large front awnings. (Arthur French Collection)

Tacoma Business College (Tacoma); Bennett New & Second Hand Furniture (Tacoma); Frank P. Fentress Bicycles (Tacoma);