ca. 1885. Photograph of "The Tacoma" (Hotel) shortly after it was built - before any of the later additions were added. The massive hotel, focus of much civic pride, opened on August 8, 1884. It had cost more than $250,000 to build, an enormous sum at the time, and was the design of architect Stanford White in 1881 who, according to Murray Morgan's South on the Sound, had been commissioned by the Northern Pacific Railroad and Tacoma Land Co. In subsequent years, several additions and renovations were made to further extend the hotel's reputation as "the finest west of the Mississippi and north of San Francisco." The Tacoma Hotel even boasted of having for a time a tame bear named Jack who spent time in the hotel lobby and was a drinker of beer. The elegant hostelry attracted many prominent visitors who enjoyed breathtaking views and luxurious furnishings. It was destroyed by fire on October 17, 1935 and never rebuilt.
ca. 1884. The Tacoma Hotel, 913 A street, with its commanding view of the Tacoma tideflats, was one of the best hotels north of San Francisco. Designed by the famous architect Stanford White, it had its official opening in August of 1884. The scaffolding at the north end of the building suggests that it was still under construction when this photograph was taken. Note the Northern Pacific Railroad tracks crossing the almost completely barren tideflats; mills and manufacturing structures had yet to be fully built. The body of water at the left is the Puyallup River as it flows unfettered into Commencement Bay. The massive Tacoma Hotel was destroyed by fire on October 17, 1935, and was never rebuilt; its annex would be remodeled and called the "new" Tacoma Hotel in January, 1936.
ca. 1870. Beginnings of Tacoma City circa 1870. Photo taken by Anthony Carr, who was Old Tacoma's first photographer. Cabin nearest the two trees on the left is Job Carr's cabin and his farm is in the foreground. The Steele Hotel, Tacoma's first hotel, is the "large" L-shaped building at left of center. (Photo donated by Ron Karabaich) (Caroline Gallacci & Tacoma Historical Society: Old Tacoma, p. 11)
Steele Hotel (Tacoma); Hotels--Tacoma--1870-1880; Carr, Job--Homes & haunts;
Hogan's Fine Foods store exterior at night with active neon signage. Sign in window reads "open every Sunday 11am till 9pm." There are two registers, a meat counter and produce section visible.
Hogan's Fine Foods store exterior at night with active neon signage. Sign in window reads "open every Sunday 11am till 9pm." There are two registers, a meat counter and produce section visible.
ca. 1908. Bicycle shop and Storage business. The bicycle shop is probably the Amzie D. Browning Bicycle & General Repairing business. The bicycle shop has an advertisment painted on it for the Tacoma Baking Co. Print is somewhat out of focus.
ca. 1910. Clown with top hat on unicycle. Street is paved with brick. Building to rear of clown has signs for "Baldwin Real Estate" and a large banner for a clothing sale starting March 31st.
Rasmus P. Rasmussen and his West End Fuel Co. served Tacoma's West End and Day Island areas from 1913 to 1935. In the 1920s, Rasmussen advertised "dependable delivery" of fuelwood on the side of this Mack truck which is equiped with chain-driven spoke wheels.
Undated photograph by Chapin Bowen of Mobilgas station, seller of Norwalk Tires, located on Meridian Avenue South at Fourth Street, S. E., Puyallup. Mohr's Sausage truck is parked at the three pumps.
Undated photograph of unidentified gardener at the original Tacoma Hotel. Photograph was taken probably in the 1920's or early 1930's; the hotel was destroyed by fire in October of 1935.
Tacoma Hotel (Tacoma); Gardens--Tacoma--1920-1930; Gardening--Tacoma;
Dockside shipyard materials with an ad for Drifted Snow "Home Perfected" Flour on the side of a building. There also appears to be some industrial architecture from the Port of Tacoma in the distance.
ca. 1908. A group of men, women and children crowd into a butcher shop - probably in South Tacoma. Various cuts of meat are on display including a whole smoked pig. Four butchers, in white aprons, are standing behind the counter.
A window display at the Peoples Store in Tacoma with a sign advertising Wil Wite swimming suits and sweaters. The sign also states that Mickey Mouse will be appearing "in person" at the Fox Broadway Theater.
Peoples (Tacoma); Department Stores--Tacoma--1930-1940; Mickey Mouse; Bathing suits;
Copy of customer print. Executives of Tacoma Boatbuilding pose outside their Marine View Dr. plant in this undated photograph. The shipbuilding company became a wholly owned subsidiary of Associated Venture Capital, Inc., with the exchange of stock by shareholders in March of 1972. Tacoma Boatbuilding would retain its name. Photograph ordered by Tacoma Boatbuilding. (TNT 3-21-72, p. 1- article on acquisition)
Tacoma Boat Building Co., Inc. (Tacoma); Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1970-1980;
A loaded oxcart with the famous "All roads lead to Rhodes" sign in the background. Dreamed up as a promotion for the Rhodes Department store, the signs encircled Tacoma, giving the distance to the city and the store. Rhodes was located at 950 Broadway and was established in 1903.
Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Ox teams; Carts & wagons; Signs (Notices);
Interior of El Rancho Grocery Store, whose mascot appears to be an Aladdin inspired character wearing a turban on a flying carpet. The Store's slogan is "There is Magic in Savings." There is Van De Kamp's bakery display and a store directory in the back.
Hill Hardware Co. wagon & driver at east end of Wagon Bridge, Steilacoom Lake. Driver is C. L. Whitney. In 1908 the Hill Hardware Co. was at 2317-2319 Pacific Ave.
ca. 1908. Tacoma Steam Laundry wagon and driver. The wagon is piled full of bags of laundry. Even the driver's seat is packed, leaving no room for him to sit. From copy negative. Similar to BROWNING-073.
Undated photograph by Chapin Bowen of a Mobilgas station that also served lunches and where groceries could be purchased. The automobile service station was located in Riffe, Washington, southwest of Morton in south central Lewis County. The town of Riffe no longer exists. It was buried with the construction of Mossyrock Dam.
