ca. 1885. The area around what is now 9th and Broadway as viewed circa 1885. The real estate business on the right side is Hewitt and Hill at 901 C. (now Broadway). The white building with a bell tower in the center is the old Pierce County Courthouse at 920 C (Broadway). The Courthouse was built circa 1882 and sold to John S. Baker in 1905. It was demolished a few years later. BiCentennial Project #75346-71

Commercial streets--Tacoma--1880-1900; Hewitt & Hill Real Estate (Tacoma); Pierce County Courthouse (Tacoma);

ca. 1890. This is a view looking up South 9th from A Street in downtown Tacoma circa 1890. The big building in center of photo (to the right of 9th) is the Fife Block Building, later the Hotel Donnelly. Across 9th from this bulding is the Wright Building. Built in 1874 it was the first brick building in Tacoma. Although massive brick and stone structures were being constructed in the commercial business districts, streets were still rough and unpaved.

Commercial streets--Tacoma--1890-1900; Wright Building (Tacoma); Fife Block Building (Tacoma);

ca. 1893. A juxaposition of old and new is visible along the 1100 block of Pacific Avenue circa 1893. A horse-and-buggy is waiting patiently at the curb while the Sixth Avenue-Glendale electric streetcar motors on by. Passengers aboard the streetcar could sit in the doorless front section, absorbing much fresh air, or ride in the enclosed rear portion. On the left side of the photograph is the large California Building, 1110-16 Pacific Avenue, and the recently completed (Old) City Hall at 625 Commerce St., is at the end of the street (rear). (copy of original) Bi-Centennial Project # 75346-64

Commercial streets--Tacoma--1890-1900; Street railroads--Tacoma--1890-1900; Mass transit--Tacoma--1890-1900; Carriages & coaches--Tacoma--1890-1900; California Building (Tacoma); Old City Hall (Tacoma);

ca. 1894. Business district of Tacoma (copy of original), circa 1894. Many of the streets surrounding Pacific Avenue in the 1890s, even then the heart of the city's financial district, were filled with a hodgepodge of wood framed buildings and more substantial brick structures. At the foreground are the Pioneer Paint Store, sellers of wallpaper, mouldings, paints, and glass and W.H. Robison's, where new and second hand goods could be purchased. The Freeman & Boggs livery stable, near left center, stood near the corner of 13th & Pacific. George A. Boggs, who was City Treasurer before going into private business, had been sent away to the state pen in Walla Walla after auditors found a $109,000 shortage in the city books. Also in the far right background is the steeple of the original St. Leo's Church near So. 11th & "D" St. S7.2, TPL-378 (Researched by Murray Morgan)

Commercial streets--Tacoma--1890-1900; Business districts--Tacoma--1890-1900; Freeman & Boggs Livery (Tacoma); Pioneer Paint Store (Tacoma); W.H. Robison (Tacoma);

On December 17, 1912 Nicholas Decker was awarded the sum of $3,000 by the U.S. District Court in Seattle for injuries that he sustained in the spring of 1912 while working as a linesman's helper for the Tacoma Rail and Power Co. in Tacoma. This photo taken as evidence for Mr. Decker's trial shows a man believed to be Mr. Decker's lawyer standing in the center of South C Steet (now Broadway) close to the spot where Mr. Decker was injured. South C at the time was crowded with a variety of businesses including the Fawcett Hotel (at right), M. Furuya Co., Japanese Foods, the Elgin Hotel (at left, 1502 1/2 South C) with S. Fukutomi as proprietor and M. Yamane's laundry next door at 1506 South C. (T.Times 12-17-1912 p.1-article)

Commercial streets--Tacoma--1910-1920; Actions & defenses--Tacoma--1910-1920;

In December of 1912 Nicholas Decker sued the Tacoma Rail and Power Co. in U.S. District Court. He sought $10,000 in damages for injuries that he alleged he sustained when a company wagon in which he was riding was upset. Lineman's helper Decker and another company lineman were thrown from the wagon onto the bricks of South C Street (now Broadway). This photo which was taken for the trial shows a wagon similar to the one in which he was riding parked on South C between South 17th and South 15th near the Rainier Hotel where Dr. K. Ito's sign hangs from the building. Plaintiff Decker was awarded $3000 damages on December 17, 1912. (T.Times 12-14-1912, p. 3-article; 12-17-1912, p. 1-article)

Commercial streets--Tacoma--1910-1920; Actions & defenses--Tacoma--1910-1920; Carts & wagons--Tacoma--1910-1920; Signs (Notices);

Street scene showing snow and slush on South 9th Street looking up from Pacific on an early day in February of 1929. Main building shown in photograph is the Motoramp Garage (745 Commerce Street) on right.

Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Motoramp Garage (Tacoma); Snow--Tacoma;

January and February of 1929 brought severe winter weather to Tacoma with heavy snow and temperatures that dropped into the teens. Snow and slush piled up in the gutters of downtown Tacoma. This early February street scene shows Saint Helens Avenue looking north from So. 7th. Buildings shown include: the Tacoma Radiator & Fender Works, 615 Saint Helens Ave.; the George W. Hess Auto Surgeon, 617 Saint Helens Ave.; and the Webster Apartments, 629 Saint Helens Ave.

Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Tacoma Radiator & Fender Works (Tacoma); George W. Hess Auto Surgeon (Tacoma); Webster Apartments (Tacoma); Snow--Tacoma;

Travel was hard going as this street scene from February of 1929 shows snow and slush on 11th Street, looking up 11th from Commerce. Buildings in view include French Drug Co. (1101 Broadway) and Fisher's Department Store (1104 Broadway). The harsh weather did not deter pedestrians and some sturdy vehicles.

Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; French Drug Co. (Tacoma); Fisher's Department Store (Tacoma); Snow--Tacoma;

Street scene in March of 1929; view of buildings on east side of Broadway looking south on Broadway from the corner of 9th & Broadway. The Pantages Theater at far left has electric signage " Pantages Vaudeville & Pictures." Buildings include: the previously mentioned Pantages Theater (901 Broadway) on left, Illington Hotel (911 1/2 Broadway) a few buildings down, and the Broadway Theater (902-914 Broadway) on the right. The Broadway was known as the Tacoma Theater prior to 1927. It burned in 1963.

Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Pantages Theater (Tacoma); Illington Hotel (Tacoma); Broadway Theater (Tacoma);

This is a March of 1929 street scene looking down 11th street toward the Eleventh Street (now Murray Morgan) Bridge. Buildings on left side of the photograph are the Rust Building (950 Pacific Ave.) and the Washington Building (1019 Pacific Ave.). On the right is a sign for Manning's Market and another sign for Merrick & Race Jewelers.

Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Rust Building (Tacoma); Washington Building (Tacoma); 11th Street Bridge (Tacoma);

1929 street scene view looking down 9th street (toward the east) taken for the Tacoma Chamber of Commerce. The marquee for the Broadway Theater (902-14 Broadway) is to the right. The Hotel Winthrop (773 Broadway) is on the left. The Tacoma Theater closed down for a remodel and reopened in 1927 as the Broadway Theater. In 1933, under new management, it became the Music Box. It was destroyed by fire in April of 1963.

Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma); Theaters--Tacoma; Broadway Theater (Tacoma);

1929 street scene looking up 11th street from the Eleventh Street Bridge. Buildings in photograph include the Federal Building (1102 A St.), and the Kaufman-Leonard Furniture Co. (105-11 So. 11th St.) Streetcar tracks can be seen in the street in the foreground with the streetcar cable above.

Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Federal Building (Tacoma); Kaufman-Leonard Furniture Co. (Tacoma); Street railroad tracks--Tacoma--1920-1930;

This view of the buildings on the west side of Broadway in downtown Tacoma looking north from South 11th Street dates from October 1929. The buildings include: S. H. Kress & Company (934-36 Broadway), which opened at this address in 1925; Burnett Brothers jewelry store (932 Broadway), with its well known street clock; the Pythian Temple (924-26 Broadway); and the Colonial Theater (916-18 Broadway). At the far north end of the street in this photograph (far right) is the wedge-shaped Bostwick Block building.

Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; S.H. Kress & Co. (Tacoma); Pythian Temple (Tacoma); Colonial Theater (Tacoma); Burnett Brothers Jewelry (Tacoma); Bostwick Building (Tacoma);

ca. 1929. Street scene showing east side of Pacific Ave. looking south from 10th Street. Buildings shown include (left to right) First Mutual Savings Bank of Tacoma (1005 Pacific Ave.), Western Union Telegraph Co.& Lindsay Hotel (1007 Pacific Ave.), Bank of California (1011-13 Pacific Ave.), Feeney's Cafe (1017), Washington Building (1019), Peoples Store (1101-07), Bankers Trust Building (1109-13) and Puget Sound Bank (1117-19.) This circa 1929 photograph was one of a series of downtown shots taken on behalf of the Tacoma Chamber of Commerce.

Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; First Mutual Savings Bank of Tacoma (Tacoma); Western Union Telegraph Co. (Tacoma); Lindsay Hotel (Tacoma); Bank of California National Association (Tacoma);