George F. Cram and Company
1 map; 34 x 51 cm. From page 292-293 of Cram's unrivaled atlas of the world. Relief shown by hachures. Shows counties, cities and railroads. Scale ca. 1:1,300,000 On verso: portion of "City of Portland, Oregon." In lower margin: 292, 293. Index on verso.

ca. 1904. The Tacoma Public Library, built with funds from industrialist Andrew Carnegie, was dedicated in 1903. The stacks area, where most of the Library's books were shelved (shown at the rear of the picture,) was "closed," meaning that the librarian retrieved books for the patron. The librarians worked behind the wooden, windowed structure at the rear center of the picture much like tellers in a bank. Pictured in the foreground is the top of the white Vermont marble staircase. Above can be seen the decorative stained glass dome. Graceful Ionic columns support the high ceilings. The original glass dome was damaged in the 1949 earthquake. In 1952, a new main library was built adjoining the Carnegie building and the older building was used for storage and meeting rooms. A 5.1 million dollar renovation in 1990 remodeled the newer building and restored the Carnegie Library. This room is now home to the Library's NW Room/ Special Collection Department.

Public Libraries--Tacoma; Tacoma Public Library (Tacoma);

ca. 1904. Rhodes Brothers Store, circa 1904; Ladies' parasols and intimate apparel. The Rhodes Brothers Department Store was opened at 950 Broadway by Henry A. Rhodes in 1903. It was the grand establishment of his dreams, patterned after Wanamakers and Marshall Fields. From the beginning, they employed Herbert A. Foster as the window trimmer and decorator. This view of the store was festooned with parasols, studded with palms and draped with garlands. The lighting fixtures hanging from the ceiling were gas lights. The shelves were covered with boxes of different sizes, possibly containing accessories or women's intimate apparel. (photograph donated by the Rhodes Reunion Committee)

Department stores--Tacoma; Merchandise displays--Tacoma; Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma);

ca. 1904. Rhodes Brothers store, circa 1904; Parasol and streamer decorations and unidentified merchandise in boxes. Rhodes Brothers Department Store opened at 950 Broadway in 1903. Each department was not equipped with bags or a cash register, so merchandise was lifted by pulley up to a track and then sent to the office on the mezzanine where it was wrapped and change was made. The cables and tracks in this photograph are believed to have been used for that purpose. Photograph damaged upper left corner. (photograph donated by the Rhodes Reunion Committee)

Department stores--Tacoma; Merchandise displays--Tacoma; Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma);

ca. 1904. Rhodes Brothers store, circa 1904; Stairway to Mezzanine balcony from first floor. The Rhodes Brothers Department Store opened at 950 Broadway toward the end of 1903. It was, for the time, a modern emporium based on the model of Wanamaker's and Marshall Field's. The store carried a wide variety of merchandise on its three floors. This photograph shows the stairway leading to the mezzanine, where the ladies' lounge and the business office were located. (photograph donated by the Rhodes Reunion Committee)

Department stores--Tacoma; Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma);

ca. 1904. Rhodes Brothers Store, circa 1904; Shoe and Boot department. Henry A. Rhodes opened his dream emporium in a three story building at 950 Broadway at the end of 1903. The Rhodes Brothers Department Store offered a wide variety of fine merchandise. In the womens' shoe and boot department, chairs were provided for shoppers to sit and try on the shoes. The shelves are lined with boxes of shoes. Shoe models are attached to the pillar right. Decorations- parasols, ivy and palms- are evident in many places. (photograph donated by the Rhodes Reunion Committee)

Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma;

ca. 1904. Rhodes Brothers Store, circa 1904; Art department, with framed and matted art work. Henry A. Rhodes grand mercantile establishment carried a little of everything. This department, believed to be on the first floor, shows art work matted on the left and framed on the right. The staircase to the mezzanine can be seen between the two rows of pictures on the right. Photo torn lower left corner. (photograph donated by the Rhodes Reunion Committee)

Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma;

ca. 1904. Rhodes Brothers Store, circa 1904; Fine china department. The Rhodes Brothers Department Store opened at 950 Broadway toward the end of 1903. At a time period when each middle to upper class home had a set of "good" china, this department was very important to the store. In the background, you can see the stairs to the mezzanine. Clearly visible is the track and pulley that carried merchandise and payment to the mezzanine business office. A sales girl stands to the left. The clerks were well screened and trained in efficiency and courtesy. She is wearing the "uniform" of spring and summer, a dark skirt paired with a white blouse. The store opened with over 100 clerks in its employ. (photograph donated by the Rhodes Reunion Committee)

Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma; Tableware; Porcelain;

ca. 1904. Rhodes Brothers Store, circa 1904; Fine china department. The Rhodes Brothers Department store had table after table stacked high with fine china- Cups & saucers, plates, serving pieces and beer steins. Although it seems crowded today, shoppers at the time were thrilled with the variety. (Photograph donated by the Rhodes Reunion Committee)

Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma; Tableware; Porcelain;

ca. 1904. Rhodes Brothers Store, circa 1904. Copper tea and coffee pots, cooking pots, crockery, pottery, what appear to be birdcages and miscellaneous. Henry A. Rhodes opened his department store at 950 Broadway toward the end of 1903. He had started with a tea and coffee shop in 1892 and gradually moved into larger stores until he expanded into this three story space. Most of the stores, like this one, sold crockery and glassware. Tables are shown piled high with tea services, pots, pans and crockery. Hanging from the ceiling are contraptions with wheels, possibly serving carts. Photograph damaged right edge. (photograph donated by the Rhodes Reunion Committee)

Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma;

ca. 1904. The old Tacoma Tourist Hotel being rebuilt into Stadium High School, Tacoma, circa 1904. It opened as Tacoma High School in September of 1906 with 878 students and 38 teachers.

Stadium High School (Tacoma); Public schools--Tacoma--1900-1910; Tourist Hotel (Tacoma); Hotels-- Tacoma--1900-1910; Streets--Tacoma--1900-1910; Building construction--Tacoma--1900-1910;

ca. 1904. U.S.S. Tacoma on maiden voyage to Tacoma after being commissioned on January 30, 1904. She was laid down on September 27, 1900, at Mare Island, California by Union Iron Works and launched on June 2, 1903. The ship was the second "Tacoma" and was Cruiser No. 18. She was under the command of Comdr. R.F. Nicholson. After her visit to Tacoma she voyaged to Hawaii in the spring of 1904 and then, after returning to San Francisco, proceeded to sail for Cape Horn. In the next couple of years the busy "Tacoma" voyaged to Hispaniola, Europe and the Mediterranean. She spent the next ten years providing service on the east coast and cruising the Caribbean and West Indies to protect American interests there. More cruising involving the Canal Zone, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Honduras followed. After a short spell in reserve, she once again began patrolling in 1912 where she cruised the Gulf of Mexico, Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala. The "Tacoma" cruised the Mexican coast in 1914 and then to Haiti. After another stint in reserve in 1916 she was fully commissioned for patrol duty. The warship made five round trips to Europe protecting US convoys once the United States entered World War l. The "Tacoma" ran aground on January 16, 1924 near Vera Cruz. She was unable to be freed and her name was struck from the Navy list in February of 1924. (Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, p.7-8-article)

Cruisers (Warships)--United States--1900-1910;

ca. 1904. Roy J. Clark, proprietor of Clark's Livery and Club Stables at 1210 A Street, at the reins of one of his buggies in this circa 1904 photograph. Rigs were furnished on short notice at Clark's and hacks available for weddings and funerals. The establishment paid special attention to the boarding of horses. (Photograph donated by Mr. Clark's daughter, Gladys M. Jones) (Arthur French Collection)

Clark, Roy J.; Carriages & coaches--1900-1910; Horses;

ca. 1904. The Northern Pacific Railroad built a passenger station at 1701 Commerce Street in its western terminus city in 1883. By 1892, Tacoma had become a major West Coast city; this prompted the railroad to relocate its industrial repair shops to South Tacoma and move the station to the shops' former site on Pacific Avenue, shown here. Tacomans were outraged when NP President Henry Villard refused to build a grand station to complement the city's cosmopolitan architecture and disdainfully referred to the small building as the "Villard Depot". It was finally demolished in 1909 and replaced with the present Union Depot structure.

Railroad stations--Tacoma; Cityscapes--Tacoma;

ca. 1904. Rhodes Brothers store, circa 1904; window display of china. Rhodes Brothers Department Store opened at this location in 1903. Part of the appeal of the structure at 950 Broadway was its many merchandise display windows. This display was of china and small figurines. (Photograph donated by the Rhodes Reunion Committee)

Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma; Tableware; Porcelain;

ca. 1904. Rhodes Brothers store, circa 1904; this appears to be the Crystal and Glass Department. Henry A. Rhodes opened his grand department store at 950 Broadway in 1903. This appears to be the glass department on the first floor, with a clear view of the mezzanine, center. The mezzanine held the ladies' lounge and the office, complete with wrapping paper for purchases and a money till. (photograph donated by the Rhodes Reunion Committee)

Department stores--Tacoma; Merchandise displays--Tacoma; Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma);

ca. 1904. Rhodes Brothers store, circa 1904; Parasol and streamer decorations with lace collars, purses and accessories. This photograph showed the Rhodes Brothers Department Store not long after opening. The mezzanine with its railing can be seen in the back. The department appears to be ladies' accessories. Photograph damaged lower left corner. (photograph donated by the Rhodes Reunion Committee)

Department stores--Tacoma; Merchandise displays--Tacoma; Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma);

ca. 1904. Rhodes Brothers Store, circa 1904; Women's apparel, dresses and suits. The Rhodes Brothers Department Store opened at 950 Broadway near the end of the year in 1903. The womens' ready-to-wear department was an important department in the store. Mannequins model the latest fashions, brought back from the fashion capitals back east to Tacoma. (photograph donated by the Rhodes Reunion Committee)

Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma; Clothing & dress--1900-1910;

ca. 1904. Rhodes Brothers Store, circa 1904; China and glassware. What appear to be mirror topped tables and mirror backed shelves reflect the china and glassware in this photograph of the Rhodes Department Store around 1904. Rhodes was an institution in Tacoma at 950 Broadway from 1903 until it closed in 1974. (photograph donated by the Rhodes Reunion Committee)

Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma; Tableware; Porcelain;

ca. 1904. Interior of Tacoma Public Library. Originating in Grace Moore's South Tacoma home in 1886 from the donated volumes of 18 women friends, Puget Sound's first circulating library grew towards this ornate structure. In 1893, the 2,000 volumes in Mrs. Moore's Mercantile Library were given for free to the city of Tacoma as a public library. The library was housed in a series of buildings until it moved to City Hall. In 1901, the Reverend Calvin Stewart, a Presbyterian minister, obtained for the city a promise of $75,000 from industrialist Andrew Carnegie for the construction of a library. The donation was made on the condition that the city provide a suitable site and $7,500 yearly in maintenance. Tacoma would soon have the 85th Carnegie library built in the United States and the first in the state of Washington. It was designed by the New York architectural firm of Jardine, Kent and Jardine in the Renaissance style. The building featured a grand staircase of White Vermont marble, an ornate copper clad dome, decorative ceiling stenciling, Ionic columns and high ceilings. It was dedicated June 4, 1903. At the rear of the photograph behind the columns is the public reading room, the area is now occupied by the rare book room. To the right is the wooden structure that housed the librarian, who retrieved books from the closed stacks behind them. Potted plants and ornate lighting fixtures complete the opulent setting. ("A History of Pierce County Washington" volume 3, pg. 99)

Public Libraries--Tacoma; Tacoma Public Library (Tacoma);

ca. 1904. In November of 1903, Henry A. Rhodes opened his grand emporium at 11th and C (now Broadway) Streets in one of Tacoma's first big building projects to be completed after the "Panic" of the 1890's. The new Rhodes Brothers department store was modeled after Philadelphia's Wanamakers and Chicago's Marshall Fields. With its three floors of new merchandise, it was a far cry from the one room tea and coffee shop opened by Mr. Rhodes in 1892. For its three day Grand Opening, an orchestra played while Tacomans visited in droves to admire the decorations and elegant window displays. (Photograph donated by the Rhodes Reunion Committee)

Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma;

The four masted steel barque 'Springburn', 2655 tons, under sail [steel 4 mast barque, 2655 tons, ON98318, 296.0 x 45.6 x 25.7. Built 1892 (2) Barclay, Curle and Co. Glasgow. Owners: R Shankland and Co., registered Greenock, 1906 sold to AD Bordes et Fils, and renamed 'Alexandre'. Sunk during WW1. 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+1373/11/90

Sailing ships; Barques; Barks;

ca. 1904. Rhodes Brothers store, circa 1904; window display of linens and tea service. Rhodes Brothers Department Store opened their grand mercantile building at 950 Broadway in 1903. Signs posted along the major roads advised travelers that "All Roads Lead to Rhodes," and offered a measurement of the mileage to the store. As Tacoma grew, so did the Rhodes establishment, adding three more stories in 1911 and eventually two annexes. Photograph damaged upper right corner and bottom left corner. (Photograph donated by the Rhodes Reunion Committee)

Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma;

ca. 1904. Rhodes Brothers store, circa 1904; appears to be the Ladies' toiletries department. Henry A. Rhodes, with brothers Will and Albert, opened the Rhodes Brothers Department Store at 950 Broadway in 1903. The store was famous for its window displays and seasonal decorations- here parasols, palms, ivy strings and streamers. This appears to be the ladies' toiletries department since pictures behind the counter show a woman applying potions to her face. The sign to the left invites shoppers to visit the Coffee Section where they can "eat, drink and be merry." The plain cable that can barely be seen center, running from behind the counter to the mezzanine, was possibly the pulley that in the early days carried merchandise and payment to a track and onward to the office and its money till. There, articles were wrapped and change made and returned to the customer by the same route. (photograph donated by the Rhodes Reunion Committee)

Department stores--Tacoma; Merchandise displays--Tacoma; Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma);

ca. 1904. Rhodes Brothers Store, circa 1904; Coffee, bottled and canned goods. In this photograph taken inside the Rhodes store, clerks prepare for the Saturday crowds. The coffee department served complimentary hot drinks for Saturday customers. Henry Rhodes started his business in 1892 with a tea and coffee store at 932 C (now Broadway) Street. He moved to progressively larger establishments, offering a wider variety of goods, until he opened this department store at 950 Broadway in 1903. Photo torn at corners and sides. (photograph donated by the Rhodes Reunion Committee)

Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma;

ca. 1904. Rhodes Brothers store- dry goods storeroom, circa 1904. It is unknown whether this stockroom was actually located at the Rhodes Brothers Department Store or a nearby location. (Photograph donated by the Rhodes Reunion Committee)

Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma;