ca. 1890. Charles Barstow Wright, 1822 - 1898, a builder of the Northern Pacific Railroad and of the city of Tacoma, Washington. He also founded Annie Wright Seminary, then a private school for girls, donated land which became Wright Park, donated time and money to build the old St. Luke's Episcopal Church, and started the first gas and water systems in Tacoma. Charles Wright Academy is named in his honor. (Image donated by Vic Kucera)

Wright, Charles Barstow, 1822-1898;

ca. 1890. The Arlington Hotel was an impressive sight on Pacific Avenue for forty years before its demolition in 1930. Built by Jim Dorsey with architectural plans by C. Langlois in 1889, the hotel was first listed as 2023 Pacific Avenue before its address was later changed to 1955 Pacific Avenue. The 3+ story structure was built primarily of wood and contained multiple windows. A sample room was installed for the benefit of traveling salesmen to show their wares. Imported and domestic wines, liquors and cigars were available for purchase. Some of the hotel's staff, including the bartender in long apron, and the hotel watchdog, posed at the front entrance in this circa 1890 photograph. (copy of original) Bi-Centennial Project # 75346-2; BU-11870

Arlington Hotel (Tacoma); Hotels--Tacoma--1890-1900;

ca. 1891. The faculty and pupils of Washington College pose on the wide steps of their secondary school, located on Tacoma Avenue South at the present site of Central School, ca. 1891. Washington College opened as a boys school on September 2, 1886, with a $50,000 endowment by Charles B. Wright. It started with 65 pupils, half of them day students. According to a letter from John Kirtland, a former teacher at the school, the college was headed by a Mr. Pulford at the time of this photograph. Mr. Kirtland was not in this particular picture but he indicated the presence of other faculty: Mr. Dudley, Mr. Ayrault, and Mr. Reed. The school closed in 1892 as the Great Depression of 1892 caused many of the pupils to leave school to find work. Its endowment was then transferred to Annie Wright Seminary.

Washington College (Tacoma); Private schools--Tacoma;

ca. 1891. Mud from the wide, unpaved dirt streets that surrounded it, did not deter the crowds that attended the grand opening of the Western Washington Industrial Exposition Building on September 10, 1891. Built in the elaborate, ornate Italianate style by Opperman & Berens, contractors and designed by Proctor & Dennis, architects, it was located in the 700 block of Tacoma Avenue North, not far from the current home of Annie Wright Seminary. Grains, fruits and vegetables were displayed along with machinery and a Northern Pacific Railway exhibit. The best of the products were to be sent to Chicago in time for the World's Fair. Those present at the gala opening saw Governor Elisha P. Ferry in attendance and heard a letter of congratulations sent by President Benjamin Harrison. After such an auspicious opening, the Exposition Building would see further developments including a roller skating rink, Interstate Fair and music hall. It was destroyed by fire seven years later on September 20, 1898. (TDL 9-8-91, p. 6, TDL 9-11-91, p. 5)

Western Washington Industrial Exposition Building (Tacoma);

ca. 1891. Homes overlooking Wright Park, ca. 1891. Statues of "dancing maidens" donated to the city by Clinton P. Ferry flank the Division Street entrance to Wright Park. The north end of the park was very desolate in appearance with a gravel road and sparse vegetation. The 1890 double house built for Charles E. Clancey and the Queen Anne-styled home of John Holgate, constructed in 1889, overlook the park. Both homes were in the 100 block of South "G." The sepia print by A.C. Carpenter is very faded and mounted in postcard fashion.

Sculpture--Tacoma--1890-1900; Wright Park (Tacoma); Houses--Tacoma--1890-1900;

ca. 1891. A small room in the Harry Ball Block was an early location of the Tacoma Public Library. This photograph by Librarian William Curtis Taylor, circa 1891, shows an unidentified mustached gentleman engrossed in reading. Three partially filled bookcases line the wall behind him. Light is provided by two overhead lamps and a desk, covered with books and files, is next to the man. The library would move to more spacious rooms on the fifth floor of (Old) City Hall, 625 Commerce St., in 1893. (TNT 4-7-1953, E-10)

Tacoma Public Library (Tacoma); Public libraries--Tacoma--1890-1900; Bookcases--Tacoma; Books; Reading--Tacoma;

ca. 1891. This view of Mt. Tacoma (Rainier) from the Tideflats showing the McKinley Hill area was taken circa 1891. The building at far right is Union Stock Yards built in 1891. There is a Northern Pacific train crossing the Tideflats. (Copy of original print) S7.2

Rainier, Mount; Northern Pacific Railroad Co. (Tacoma);

Under a sea of umbrellas, hundreds of Tacomans await the arrival of President Benjamin Harrison on May 6, 1891, his second visit to Tacoma. A few intrepid souls have climbed and are clinging to tall poles in order to get a better view of the celebratory parade. Military and civic organizations would march up C St. and through residential Tacoma, Yakima and Division Avenues before marching back to 9th & C where a public reception was held for the President. The Gross Bros. Store, a major retail firm located at 9th & Broadway, is pictured above decorated in yards of cheerful bunting. It was just one of the many businesses spruced up for the short presidential visit.

Celebrations--Tacoma--1890-1900; Visits of state--Tacoma--1890-1900; Gross Bros. Store (Tacoma);

Four huge arches spanned Pacific Avenue to welcome President Benjamin Harrison to Tacoma on May 6, 1891. The arch, built of coal taken from the mines of Roslyn, stood near South 13th Street; near its base was a single lump of coal weighing 16,000 pounds. The other arches were built of iron ore from Ellensburgh, wheat and flour from Washington's rich grain fields, and timber. President Harrison arrived by train at 8:00 am from Portland to the roar of a twenty-one gun salute. Although it was raining heavily, thousands flocked to Tacoma's commercial center for a fleeting glimpse of America's twenty-third President. (Also under G68.1-030)

Arches--Tacoma; Commercial streets--Tacoma--1890-1900; Visits of state--Tacoma--1890-1900;

Close-up of arch built on the occasion of President Benjamin Harrison's visit to Tacoma in May of 1891. For extended view, see TPL-2263. This particular arch, near South 13th Street looking north, was one of four spanning Pacific Avenue. The arch was built of coal mined from Roslyn; signs placed nearby indicated that there were 150 coke ovens with more coming and annual output of coal was nearly 2 million tons. TPL-5447

Arches--Tacoma; Commercial streets--Tacoma--1890-1900; Visits of state--Tacoma--1890-1900;

ca. 1892. The Owen Woods' Building at 1148 Broadway is pictured here shortly after its completion in 1892. It was designed by architects Roath & Mendell with Michael McDonnell as contractor. The building was available for rent at the time of this photograph and interested parties could contact the Tacoma Rent Guaranty Co. The Arcade Store, and later the McCormack Brothers Dept. Store, occupied the building before Sears, Roebuck & Co. purchased it in 1935. Sears added two adjacent buildings to its store during expansion. The building was restored and renamed the Cornerstone Building in 1982.

Department stores--Tacoma--1890-1900;

ca. 1892. North End real estate developer Allen C. Mason completed the Point Defiance Line trolley system in 1890, later selling it to Tacoma Railway & Power Co. The car stopped at North 45th and Orchard Streets where passengers were required to pay a second nickel to continue on to Point Defiance Park. The stop became known as "Poor Man's Corner" as many riders departed there and walked to the park to save a nickel. Today, Pierce Transit buses still follow the route of Mason's original line. (a copy of this image is at TPL-1730)

Point Defiance Line (Tacoma); Street railroads--Tacoma; Mass transit--Tacoma; Clothing & dress--Tacoma--1890-1900; Railroad cars--Tacoma;

ca. 1892. Merchants National Bank building at the corner of South 11th Street and Pacific circa 1892. Cablecar tracks can be seen going up 11th. Built in the heart of the Tacoma financial district, the Merchants National Bank was considered a "modern bank" upon its completion in 1891. The bank had reorganized in 1884 and was led by Walter J. Thompson. He remained its president until May of 1893 when bank failures swept the nation. Although Nelson Bennett, a director of the bank, agreed to assume the presidency and attempted a last minute influx of money to save the bank, the bank failed to open its doors on June 1, 1893. ( Hunt: "The Bank Failures of 1893,"History of Tacoma, Vol. 2, p. 110-115-article)

Merchants National Bank (Tacoma); Banks--Tacoma; Commercial streets--Tacoma--1890-1900;

Ca. 1892. View of Tacoma from bluff southeast of the City Waterway (the McKinley Hill area,) circa 1892. The wide street running up and down on the right is East E St. The second street to cross it from the bottom up is East 28th St. The East Congregational Church can be seen at the corner, 423 East 28th St. It was built in 1885 and destroyed by fire in 1927. Behind the steeple and to the left is the bell tower of the Engine House No. 4, 405 East 26th St. The fire station was built in 1887 and was the home of the "Our Boys" Hose Co. #4. To the left of the fire station is the two story Danish Brotherhood Hall, 402-04 East 26th St., built in 1890, sold and converted to apartments around 1902 and demolished around 1970. At the end of East E, the roof of the Northern Pacific roundhouse, 2211 East D St., can be seen. On the other side of the Waterway, some landmarks are, left to right, the Tacoma Grocery Co., F.S. Harmon Furniture, the clock tower of Old City Hall and the old 11th Street Bridge crossing the waterway.

Cityscapes--Tacoma--1890-1900;

Ca. 1892. View of Tacoma from bluff southeast of the City Waterway (the McKinley Hill area,) circa 1892. The wide street running up and down on the right is East E St. The second street to cross it from the bottom up is East 28th St. The East Congregational Church can be seen at the corner, 423 East 28th St. It was built in 1885 and destroyed by fire in 1927. Behind the steeple and to the left is the bell tower of the Engine House No. 4, 405 East 26th St. The fire station was built in 1887 and was the home of the "Our Boys" Hose Co. #4. To the left of the fire station is the two story Danish Brotherhood Hall, 402-04 East 26th St., built in 1890, sold and converted to apartments around 1902 and demolished around 1970. At the end of East E, the roof of the Northern Pacific roundhouse, 2211 East D St., can be seen. On the other side of the Waterway, some landmarks are, left to right, the Tacoma Grocery Co., F.S. Harmon Furniture, the clock tower of Old City Hall and the old 11th Street Bridge crossing the waterway.

Cityscapes--Tacoma--1890-1900;

ca. 1892. William Curtis Taylor, the first paid Librarian in Tacoma, in the Library when it was in the "Ball Block" building at 919-21 Broadway. Mr. Taylor was nearing 70 at the time but had the vigor of a much younger man. Born in Philadelphia and educated at the Pennsylvania Charter School, he came to Tacoma in November of 1889. A former photographer, he became librarian for the Public Library in 1892. He built up the library from 900 to over 5000 volumes by 1896 and had increased visits by Tacoma residents to 85,000. Mr. Taylor tirelessly spent time raising funding for the library and even contributed to the library's decoration himself. In 1893 the library moved to the (Old) City Hall as it had outgrown the Ball Block quarters. Due to charter amendments, Mr. Taylor was forced out of his job after four years in 1896. Despite efforts by many friends of the library, he was not re-appointed to the position by Mayor Fawcett. William Curtis Taylor died in Germantown, Pennsylvania on February 17, 1905. (Tacoma Daily Ledger, 4-22-1896-article)

Taylor, William Curtis; Tacoma Public Library (Tacoma); Public libraries--Tacoma--1890-1900; Librarians; Books; Bookcases--Tacoma;

ca. 1892. Early electric streetcar in Tacoma. This streetcar, photographed circa 1892, offered plenty of fresh air to its passengers as only the roof provided protection against the elements. The electric streetcar was still a new method of transportation, supplanting older steam and horse-driven trolleys, as it had only been perfected since 1888 by Frank Sprague. Tacoma Railway & Motor Co. signed a contract in 1889 with Sprague Electric for electrification of its local horsecar system of 25,000 feet of track with work completed in 1890. Streetcars also allowed people to live further outside city limits and still commute to work and shopping. Connections could be made from outlying towns such as Steilacoom to Tacoma through the Tacoma & Steilacoom Railway Co.'s electric service. Electric streetcars were used in the Tacoma area until 1938 when modern busses took their place. (National Railway Historical Society, Vol 17, Issue 8: Tacoma & Steilacoom Railway The World's First Interurban)

Mass transit--Tacoma--1890-1900; Electric railroads--1890-1900;

ca. 1892. North End real estate developer Allen C. Mason completed the Point Defiance Line trolley system in 1890, later selling it to Tacoma Railway & Power Co. The car stopped at North 45th and Orchard Streets where passengers were required to pay a second nickel to continue on to Point Defiance Park. The stop became known as "Poor Man's Corner" as many riders departed there and walked to the park to save a nickel. Today, Pierce Transit buses still follow the route of Mason's original line. (a scan of the original of this image is at TPL-1001)

Point Defiance Line (Tacoma); Street railroads--Tacoma; Mass transit--Tacoma; Clothing & dress--Tacoma--1890-1900; Railroad cars--Tacoma;

ca. 1892. This is an image of the Pierce County Court House under construction circa 1892. Stone masons are posed in front of the incomplete building with large heaps of stone in the foreground. It would eventually become a three-story structure with a 230-ft. tower. Wilkeson and Pittsburg grey freestone, finished with Tenino bluestone, would be used on the exterior. The massive Romanesque edifice would serve as the county's courthouse for over sixty years until its demolition in 1959. (Copy of original) Bi-Centennial Project # 75346-53; BU-10704

Pierce County Courthouse (Tacoma); Progress photographs; Building construction--Tacoma--1890-1900; Stone cutting--Tacoma;

The faculty of University School posed in a classroom on May 20, 1892. University School, on I St. at the corner of 21st, occupied the massive building from 1891 to 1924. It had previously been the location of Puget Sound University (later the University of Puget Sound, College of Puget Sound). James S. Lewis, Lincoln High School principal, was University School's first principal. The school opened in the fall of 1891 with eleven teachers for grades one through eight. As the above photograph was taken in May of 1892, this is presumed to be the first faculty of the new school including principal Lewis. Per the 1892 Polk Directory, teachers named were: Mattie A. Smythe (6th, 7th, 8th grades), Nettie E. Clarke, Asst. (6th, 7th, 8th), Mary Gilliam (5th, 6th grades), Alice Thornberry (4th grade), Hattie Messinger (A 3rd grade); Edith J. White (B 3rd grade), Clara Heilig (2nd grade), Jennie McGinnis (A 1st grade), Ella Osborne (A 1st grade), Lillian Hargear (B 1st grade), Mary A. Bovelle (C 1st grade) and John W. Clark, janitor. The name of the school was changed in 1896 to Logan School to honor Civil War Union Army Gen. John A. Logan, who helped to found the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) veterans' organization. Logan School closed in 1924 and the building was demolished the following year to make way for McCarver (Intermediate) School. (Olsen: For the Record, p. 71-72, various photographs; 1892 Polk Directory, p. 64-list of faculty)

University School (Tacoma); Logan School (Tacoma); Public schools--Tacoma--1890-1900; Teachers--Tacoma--1890-1900; School principals--Tacoma; Lewis, James S.; Classrooms--Tacoma--1890-1900;

ca. 1893. Tacoma smelter. This photograph of the Tacoma Smelting & Refining Co. (previously named the Ryan Smelter) was taken for the New England Magazine and published in their February, 1893, issue. The smelter was owned by prominent businessman William R. Rust who had purchased it four years before. The smelter was originally built to produce lead but in a few short years, would become a major supplier of copper. A comparison of an earlier view of the smelter, taken circa 1888, now shows a completed pier on the right and an additional large building on the property. In 1905 the American Smelting & Refining Co. (ASARCO) bought the company and it remained an important part of Tacoma's economy until its closure in 1985. (New England Magazine - February, 1893 p.800) (See Rutter, image 01, for view of smelter circa 1888)

American Smelting & Refining Co. (Tacoma); Smelters--Tacoma; Industrial facilities--Tacoma;

ca. 1893. Tacoma Public Library on 5th floor of Old City Hall. The three statues in the large room were purchased by City Librarian William Curtis Taylor and donated to the library. Mr. Taylor had decorated the library with several busts and frames paid for by himself. The library had previously been located in the Ball Block, 919-21 Broadway, before its move to Old City Hall, 625 Commerce St., in 1893. Mr. Taylor had been the librarian since 1892 and was appointed by Mayor Huson as City Librarian in 1894 when the library came under the control of the City of Tacoma. (Tacoma Daily Ledger, 4-22-1896-article)

Tacoma Public Library (Tacoma); Public libraries--Tacoma--1890-1900; Old City Hall (Tacoma); Statues--Tacoma--1890-1900;

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. 1893. North End developer and Tacoma promoter Allen C. Mason built his own mansion at 4301 No. Stevens St. in 1892. Designed by architects Hatherton & McIntosh, the palatial home was constructed of all Washington State materials. Mason was forced to give up the house during the financial panic of the mid-1890s. The house served as the main Whitworth College building from 1899 to 1912. It was demolished in 1920 to make way for the Weyerhaeuser Mansion, now occupied by the Northwest Baptist Seminary. TPL-6364

Houses--Tacoma--1890-1900; Mason, Allen C.--Homes & haunts;

ca. 1893. Tacoma smelter. This photograph of the Tacoma Smelting & Refining Co. (previously named the Ryan Smelter) was taken for the New England Magazine and published in their February, 1893, issue. The smelter was owned by prominent businessman William R. Rust who had purchased it four years before. The smelter was originally built to produce lead but in a few short years, would become a major supplier of copper. A comparison of an earlier view of the smelter, taken circa 1888, now shows a completed pier on the right and an additional large building on the property. In 1905 the American Smelting & Refining Co. (ASARCO) bought the company and it remained an important part of Tacoma's economy until its closure in 1985. (New England Magazine - February, 1893 p.800) (Scan of original print - no negative or print on file)

American Smelting & Refining Co. (Tacoma); Smelters--Tacoma; Industrial facilities--Tacoma;

ca. 1893. Tacoma Public Library on 5th floor of Old City Hall. The Tacoma Public Library moved to more spacious quarters on the fifth floor of (Old) City Hall, 625 Commerce St., in 1893. There was room for 20,000 volumes although the library at that time contained only a fraction of that amount, about 1000. Tall ceilings and large rooms that were tastefully decorated, including a cheerful room set aside as a women's reading space, provided patrons with a comfortable library atmosphere. Bookcases were mostly placed against the walls leaving a clear space for reading tables and display cases. Among the many paintings and wall decor at the library was an oil painting of City Librarian William Curtis Taylor who was its first librarian. It is pictured above at left center. Over 1300 people checked out books regularly out of a total of 1434 members. Membership had increased by 1100 during the year. (TDL 5-3-1893-article)

Tacoma Public Library (Tacoma); Public libraries--Tacoma--1890-1900; Bookcases--Tacoma; Books; Showcases;

ca. 1893. An early streetcar, #27 operated by the Tacoma Railway and Motor Co., was photographed around 1893 posed next to a treeless Wright Park. The car was part of the 6th Ave. streetcar line which ended in Glendale. Glendale was a residential development located near 6th & Proctor. Tacoma was booming; and as residential areas were developed far from the city core, available transportation was a major selling point. Several small streetcar lines were started, but by 1898 all of the smaller lines were bankrupt. By 1899, they were consolidated into the Tacoma Railway and Power Co. Wright Park was born when twenty acres of land were generously donated by Charles Wright to the city of Tacoma in 1886 for the purpose of creating an intercity park. The land was cleared of trees and undergrowth as the park was being designed. Later 350 trees were planted in the park. TPL-9714

Tacoma Railway & Motor Co. (Tacoma); Wright Park (Tacoma); Mass transit--Tacoma--1890-1900; Street railroads--Tacoma--1890-1900;

ca. 1894. The whaleback steamer "City of Everett" under construction in Everett, Washington, circa 1894. Her revolutionary design, reminiscent of both a cigar with tipped ends and the body of a whale (when fully loaded only the curved part of the hull was above water), was created by Alexander McDougall, a captain on the Great Lakes. He managed to bring forth a vessel that could carry heavy loads but also be fast, cutting through water with little resistance. His body of work totaled 40, 24 barges and 16 steamers, all whalebacks. The "City of Everett," which was launched in 1894 but not completed until 1895, was the only whaleback steamer built in Everett. She measured 346 feet long with a 42-foot beam. Truly a workhorse, she was in service for 29 years, including such memorable trips as sailing to India for famine relief, at which time she became the first American steamer to navigate the Suez Canal and continuing on to Spain, becoming the first American steamship to circumnavigate the world. The "City of Everett" had survived collisions at sea and a fire in port but on October 11, 1923, she went down with all hands during a storm in the Gulf of Mexico. The wreck was not found until September 10, 2010, in 400 feet of water about 150 miles due west of Naples, Florida. The whaleback steamship was nearly intact and appeared to have sunk stern first. (St. Petersburg Times, "Fishermen find big one that didn't get away: a steamship resting miles off Naples," 12-12-2010; Armitage, "Alexander McDougall and the Whaleboat," 6-8-2008)

Steamboats--Everett; Boat & ship industry--Everett;

ca. 1894. Edward S. Orr was elected mayor of Tacoma on April 3, 1894. Born in Pennsylvania in 1853, Mr. Orr came to Tacoma in 1888. He was engaged in real estate and mining, and had served one term on the city council before being elected mayor. He had defeated Mayor Herbert S. Huson for the Republican nomination and would triumph over Angelo V. Fawcett in the general election. Ed Orr would travel on to Alaska during the gold rush days where he became involved in that state's politics after his Tacoma political career had concluded. This picture was published in The Tacoma Herald, April 7, 1894 p.1 ALBUM 16. (History of Washington, the evergreen state from early dawn to daylight),

Orr, Edward S.; Mayors--Tacoma--1890-1900

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);