Back of Photo: Old Barnacle Bill's Leveled- A longtime Tacoma waterfront landmark, Barnacle Bill's Cafe at the intersection of 11th Street and Port of Tacoma Road, was leveled early last week. The structure has been a cafe since the 1930s and was moved to the site from across 11th Street in 1941, according to owner Ben Erhart, who bought the establishment in 1950. The cleared site will be developed as a parking lot for the new, enlarged Barnacle Bill's, which has opened its doors to the rear of the site.
Back of Photo: Many Asian businesses can be found along South Tacoma Way. Story by Dorian Smith Photo by Bill Hunter
“Signs in two languages light up the Royal Box in South Tacoma.” There were seven Korean nightclubs along South Tacoma Way and Pacific Highway NW, possibly making the highest concentration of Korean nightclubs on the West Coast according to the New Tribune. Along with serving food and drinks, they served as cultural meeting places for Tacoma’s Korean community.
