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

The first Laundrymen's Ball was held at Germania Hall, 1308-10 Fawcett Ave., on February 24, 1900. The ballroom is filled with men, women and children dressed in their best. There are many mustaches in evidence along with men's hairstyles parted in the middle. Many women wore long black dresses with white collars, dark skirts with white blouses, or long white gowns. There appear to be two bundles of folded laundry on the two chairs at the foreground, perhaps denoting the occupation of the dancers. On the stage in the back is a grand piano and painted backdrop. Germania Hall was later occupied by the Moose Lodge and was called the Tahoma Hall when destroyed by fire in 1921.

Balls (Parties)--Tacoma--1900-1910; Germania Hall (Tacoma); Laundresses--Tacoma; Women--Clothing & dress--Tacoma--1900-1910; Men--Clothing & dress--Tacoma--1900-1910;

Tacoma ushered in the new decade of 1900 with a huge 4th of July celebration. It was estimated that 50,000 people poured into town for the big event. Festivities turned to disaster on the morning of the 4th when an overcrowded streetcar plunged into the ravine at South 26th and C Streets instantly killing 37 passengers and maiming many others on board. Some of the planned activities proceeded including this military drill on July 5th. Members of the Washington National Guard, Co. H, 1st Regiment, Spokane, under Capt. M. M. Richardson, receive the silver loving cup for the best drilled company in the regiment from Colonel Weisenberger. Guardsmen stand at parade rest along the 1100 block of Tacoma Avenue South where a crowd has gathered for the award ceremony. (TDL 7/6/1900, p. 8).

Military training; Military parades & ceremonies--Tacoma--1900-1910; Fourth of July celebrations; Washington State Guard (Tacoma);

Members of the Washington Guard, Company H, First Regiment, stand at attention for a crowd gathered along the 1100 block of Tacoma Avenue South on July 5, 1900. Two notable large buildings are in the background: Parker Hall, 1111-17 Tacoma Avenue South at left and Alpha Hall, 1131-33 Tacoma Avenue South on the right (with furniture advertisement) . Tacoma had planned a huge celebration for the first 4th of July in the 1900s. It was estimated that 50,000 people poured into town for the big event. Festivities turned to disaster on the morning of the 4th when an overcrowded streetcar plunged into the ravine at South 26th and C Streets instantly killing 37 passengers and maiming many others on board. Many of the planned activities proceeded including this military drill on the 5th.

Military training; Military parades & ceremonies--Tacoma--1900-1910; Fourth of July celebrations; Washington State Guard (Tacoma); Parker Hall (Tacoma); Alpha Hall (Tacoma);

ca. 1901. Tacoma dock and ships

ca. 1901. The Lichtenberg grocery store was located at 1510 Jefferson Ave. on the ground floor of a building that faced both Jefferson and Commerce St. Founded by Julius Lichtenberg, the store was in operation from 1897 to 1909 and was a typical grocery carrying fruits and vegetables, salt fish, and the finest coffee and tea. Above Lichtenberg's, and occupying the Commerce St. side of the building, was the Western Blank Book Co. Specializing in ruled ledger books, the Blank Book Co. was in business from 1893 to 1912.

Lichtenberg Grocery (Tacoma); Grocery stores--Tacoma; Carts & wagons--Tacoma;

ca. 1901. Ships at dock on Tacoma waterway (Copy). Masted vessels are waiting on the City Waterway to take on cargo in this circa 1901 photograph. The buildings on the water's edge are wheat warehouses. The Northern Pacific Railroad Headquarters building is at far left upper edge, with its commanding view of the busy marine activities. TPL-1344

Sailing ships--Tacoma--1900-1910; Cargo ships--Tacoma--1900-1910; Shipping--Tacoma--1900-1910; Warehouses--Tacoma--1900-1910; Piers & wharves--Tacoma--1900-1910; City Waterway (Tacoma); Northern Pacific Headquarters Building (Tacoma);

ca. 1901. Sepia photograph of a Lincoln Elementary School class in 1901. Standing on the steps of Lincoln Elementary are numerous students; in the third row, second from the left is reportedly Jeston Reed Foss. Originally named West School, construction began on the new school at 1610 South K Street (now MLK Way) in 1887. It was renamed in honor of President Abraham Lincoln in 1889. The school began as a two-room school with two grades; by 1890, it had four grades and five teachers. The school was closed and demolished in 1938. Most of the students and staff were transferred to McCarver Junior High where they joined students from Longfellow to form a new elementary school. Others were assigned to either Central or Stanley schools. (Olsen: For the Record, p. 57) (note: the same photograph is identified in Olsen's book as Hawthorne School)

Lincoln Elementary School (Tacoma); Public schools--Tacoma--1900-1910; School children--Tacoma;

ca. 1901. Looking up 11th Sreet in the heart of the business section of Tacoma, ca. 1901. Sidewalks are crowded with people. Several pedestrians leisurely cross the street ahead of oncoming streetcars.

Commercial streets--Tacoma--1900-1910; Business districts--Tacoma--1900-1910; Pedestrians--Tacoma; Street railroads--Tacoma--1900-1910; Street railroad tracks--Tacoma--1900-1910;

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. 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);

Crompton, The four masted steel barque 'Crompton', 2810 tons, under sail [steel 4 mast barque, 2810 tons, ON97800, 310.0 x 45.3 x 24.9. Built 1890 (7) T. Royden and Sons Liverpool. Owners Steel Sailing Ship Crompton Co. MacVicar, Marshall and Co. registered Liverpool. State Library of South Australia, B 3456, PRG 1218/3 or OH 456/1, Digital Collections, South Australiana Collection, Photographs, A. d. Edwardes Collection, https://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/PRG+1373/6/67

Sailing ships; barks; barques;

ca. 1902. Stone masons pause to be photographed circa 1902 before resuming work cutting stone to be used in the construction of the Carnegie Library at 1102 Tacoma Avenue South. The sandstone used came from both Wilkeson and Tenino. Industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie had donated $75,000 for the construction of a new Tacoma Public Library near So. 12th and Tacoma Avenue So. The 85th Carnegie Library to be built in the United States opened on June 4, 1903, as the first Carnegie Library in the State of Washington. Thousands attended the grand opening until 10:30 that night.

Stone cutting--Tacoma; Tacoma Public Library (Tacoma); Public libraries--Tacoma--1900-1910;

Mt. Tacoma (Rainier) from the banks of the Puyallup River, circa 1902. The building to the right is the Puyallup Indian Church, built in 1880 or 1881 with lumber hauled by horse and wagon from Old Tacoma. It was based on Presbyterian teachings and had many prominent Indians, such as Thomas Stolyer, as members. The church was located close to the Puyallup Indian cemetery. (Copied by Mary Randlett)

Rainier, Mount (Wash.); Puyallup River (Wash.); Puyallup Indian Church (Tacoma);

ca. 1903. Copy of customer print ordered by W.H. Hewitt on November 8, 1973. This is an artist's rendering of the mill located at the Northern Pacific station in Wilburton. It was apparently built by "Tacoma capital" and "operated in the midst of the big trees across Lake Washington from Seattle." In 1903 Wade Hewitt and Charles Lea became the operators of the sawmill located at the head of the Mercer Slough. The Hewitt-Lea Lumber Co. dealt in lumber, lath and shingles.

Renderings; Sawmills--Wilburton;

ca. 1903. The contract to build the first steel bridge to span the Foss waterway at the foot of South 11th Street was let in 1894 and construction was completed in 1895 at a cost of $90,000. An article from the Tacoma Daily Ledger dated Feb. 1, 1895 stated: 'In its relation to the future greatness of Tacoma, the erection of the bridge is perhaps the most important public work since the first train came through the Stampede tunnel." In this view, dating from around 1903, long lines of employees from the many businesses on the tideflats stream across the bridge toward downtown Tacoma. The Pacific Starch Co. (far left) opened in 1903; it was the "largest starch factory in the United States." The first 11th Street Bridge was closed in 1911; it was replaced by the more modern, "vertical lift" Murray Morgan Bridge. ( Copy of glass plate made on October 3, 1958.) TPL-8743

11th Street Bridge (Tacoma); Bridges--Tacoma;