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);

Back of Photo:
Yesteryear Feb. 7, 1986
Puyallup Indian Tribe members gathered on Feb. 9, 1891, as part of their monthly neighborhood meetings. This was the time when Indian families gathered to discuss the business of running the reservation and making improvements in the quality of life. The women were not generally included in business affairs of the tribe, which would explain their absence in the photograph.
State of Washington Views
Rutter, Photo
Tacoma, Wash.

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. Tacoma Eastern Railroad - near Tacoma This circa 1891 photograph shows the water in the reservoir behind Dam Number 3 on Tacoma & Eastern Gulch Creek. Dam Number 3 was located near what is now South 32nd and East B. The bridge in the background is probably the South 30th Steet high-tressel bridge. (Although the photo is on a card stamped French, it was probably taken by Thomas H. Rutter)

Dams--Tacoma; Reservoirs--Tacoma; Bridges--Tacoma--1890-1900;

ca. 1891.

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);

ca. 1891. This familiar Greco-Colonial building was the Union Club, built in 1888 overlooking Commencement Bay. A broad Corinthian balcony extended the entire length of the eastern portion of the building, providing commanding views of Mount Tacoma (Rainier), shipping in the harbor, the Cascades and even the Puyallup Valley. The granite for the structure was quarried at Bellingham Bay. Architects Whidden & Lewis designed the original building but it also underwent several renovations over the years. The Union Club was the oldest of Tacoma's clubs and hosted many prominent visitors including President William Howard Taft in 1909. It had been organized in the summer of 1888 by a group of widely known businessmen including C.W. Griggs, Henry Hewitt, Jr., Theodore Hosmer, George Browne and C.P. Albertson. John S. Baker and Alexander Baillie were also charter members. Its name changed in 1939 when the Union Club merged with the University Club to become the University-Union Club.

Union Club (Tacoma); Clubs--Tacoma--1890-1900;

ca. 1891. The Union Club, home away from home for prominent Tacoma businessmen, offered their members an extensive selection of wines and other alcoholic beverages. Its basement contained a wine cellar, managed by a steward hired with the stipulation that he not drink. The bar itself, however, was on one of the upper floors, possibly on the third floor near the main entrance. Mention was made in the Tacoma Daily Ledger's June 6, 1890, edition of a "steward's apartment" on that level which had a "large sideboard for the accommodation of members." Since there was no obvious mention of a bar, this may have clued readers to the availability of liquor in the clubhouse. (Tacoma Daily Ledger, 6-6-1890-article)

Union Club (Tacoma); Clubhouses--Tacoma--1890-1900; Bars--Tacoma--1890-1900; Alcoholic beverages;

ca. 1891. "Office Union Club" Various descriptions of the new Union Club, built in 1888, do not specifically mention an office as one of the many rooms in the Greco-colonial building. This photograph could possibly be that of the directors' room which was located on the fourth floor in the southwest corner of the building directly above the reception room. Ledgers are displayed on stands and tables where members dues and business expenses associated with the club were probably noted. (Tacoma Daily Ledger, 6-6-1890-article; Morning Globe 11-4-1889, p. 8-article)

Union Club (Tacoma); Clubhouses--Tacoma--1890-1900;

ca. 1891. The Union Club, 539 Broadway, had two dining rooms on the third floor. It is not certain which of the two is pictured above but is possibly the larger of the two, measuring 16 x 25 feet, furnished in oak, and containing a fireplace and sideboard. It fronted the east end of the third floor. The second dining area was a small private banquet hall adjoining the dining room on the north. The space, measuring 12 x 14 feet, was connected to the larger dining room by arched, folding doors. (Tacoma Daily Ledger, 6-6-1890-article; Morning Globe 11-4-1889, p. 8-article)

Union Club (Tacoma); Clubhouses--Tacoma--1890-1900; Dining rooms--Tacoma--1890-1900;

ca. 1891. This circa 1891 photograph by LaRoche & French was labeled "Front Hall 2nd Floor Union Club." Because the massive building had five stories which included in order a sub-basement, basement, two floors and an attic, this particular scene was probably not a basement view but is possibly the floor that contained the directors' room, bath room, billiard parlor and card rooms. This floor, which was accessible by ascending the grand staircase, was actually the second of the two main floors that members would be most interested in. Newspapers of the day called it the "fourth floor" which also had a main hallway. Heavy oak furnishings, a brick fireplace, oil painting and gas fixtures were on display. (Tacoma Daily Ledger, 6-6-1890-article; Morning Globe 11-4-1889, p. 8-article)

Union Club (Tacoma); Clubhouses--Tacoma--1890-1900; Passageways--Tacoma--1890-1900; Fireplaces--Tacoma--1890-1900;

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. 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. California Building; view of horse-drawn buggies. The California Block, built in 1889, was located in the 1110-16 Pacific Avenue area of downtown Tacoma. Over the years the building, first known as the Wilson Building, would contain many local businesses. Arthur French, listed as photographer and crayon artist in the 1892 City Directory, both lived and worked in the California Building. He took the above photograph ca. 1892 of the solid Romaneque structure. Built of either stone or brick, there was heavy use of the semi-circular Roman arch. By 1892, occupants included French, the Merrick Bros. clothing and shoe store, St. John's Pharmacy, I.J. Sharick jewelers, and Fidelity Rent & Collection Co. The California Building was demolished in 1931 and the Publix Market & Garage built on that site. G19.1-004; TPL-1034

California Building (Tacoma); Commercial streets--Tacoma--1890-1900;

ca. 1892. Wright Park close to Division Avenue, looking east. Very little vegetation is visible in this circa 1892 photograph of Wright Park; a statue and pond are in the center with very few trees. Ornate building to the extreme left is the original Annie Wright Seminary at 611 Division. Other homes in the background are the 1889-built Queen Anne home of John Holgate at 111 So. G and the home built for Charles Clancey in 1890 at 103 So. G. There are several paths leading to the park from the various houses in the neighborhood. TPL-376

Wright Park (Tacoma); Lakes & ponds--Tacoma; Sculpture--Tacoma--1890-1900; Houses--Tacoma--1890-1900; Annie Wright Seminary (Tacoma)--1890-1900;

ca. 1892. Sunday afternoon strolls through Wright Park were already popular before its trees had been planted. Its rolling knolls were seeded in blue grass and woven with two miles of walks. A small lake near I Street and statues, donated by C. P. Ferry, dot the landscape. Annie Wright Seminary, left, and homes along G Street line the horizon. Wright Park is one of several parks designed by landscape gardner and artist E. O. Schwagerl. French-007

Wright Park (Tacoma); Parks--Tacoma--1890-1900; Annie Wright Seminary (Tacoma)--Buildings;

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;