Tacoma's Alert Hose Co. No. 2 volunteer firefighting company, in uniform, were photographed on August 8, 1885 as they prepared to join the funeral parade to be held that day for former President Ulysses S. Grant. President Grant's portrait is framed in black and placed aboard the company hose wagon. He had died on July 23, 1885, and the Territorial Governor of Washington had declared that the day of his funeral would be an official day of mourning. The firehouse was located at So. 13th & A Street, which was later the location of the Tacoma Railroad & Power substation. Alert Hose Co. No. 2 was probably one of four hose companies organized between March and August, 1885. The company's hose apparatus may have been built by the volunteers themselves. Adelbert Uriah Mills, center in black beard holding bouquet, was the captain and would later become the Commissioner of Public Safety. A partial list of firefighters' names appears in a Tacoma Daily Ledger article on March 9, 1913. (Talbot: 100 Years of Fire fighting in the City of Destiny Tacoma, Washington, p. 15, TDL 3-9-1913, p. 45) KING-013, TPL 2896.
ca. 1885. The area around what is now 9th and Broadway as viewed circa 1885. The real estate business on the right side is Hewitt and Hill at 901 C. (now Broadway). The white building with a bell tower in the center is the old Pierce County Courthouse at 920 C (Broadway). The Courthouse was built circa 1882 and sold to John S. Baker in 1905. It was demolished a few years later. BiCentennial Project #75346-71
Commercial streets--Tacoma--1880-1900; Hewitt & Hill Real Estate (Tacoma); Pierce County Courthouse (Tacoma);
ca. 1887. This view of Pacific Avenue, looking north from 10th, was taken in 1887. Horse drawn carriages and wagons fill the unpaved street. The Fife Hotel, 742-50 Pacific Avenue (at left background), was still under construction with scaffolding visible. The building at 930 Pacific Ave. was home to the Tacoma News. The News and The Daily Ledger, both founded in 1883, were the two biggest newspapers in Tacoma at this time. The Ledger was a morning paper; The News was an evening paper. Some years later, both papers were bought by Sidney A. Perkins. Ultimately, they were taken over by The News Tribune. Copy made August 31, 1950. (TPL-2297 and TPL-8147)
Commercial streets--Tacoma--1880-1890; Carts & wagons--Tacoma; The News (Tacoma); Newspapers--Tacoma--1880-1890; Fife Hotel (Tacoma); Hotels--Tacoma--1880-1890; Building construction--Tacoma--1880-1890;
ca. 1888. William Nyce Golden Family homestead located in Pierce County, WA. Fernhill - 160 acres Land Patent Document # 8607 BLM Serial # WAOAA 076213 Section: 34 Twp: 20N Range: 3E Meridian: Willamette County: Pierce Aliquot parts: W1/2 NE and E1/2 NW Image donated by Cathryn E. Vannice, from the collection of Cathryn E. Vannice. Cathryn E. Vannice is the Great-great grand-daughter of William N. Golden.
Golden, William N.; Fernhill (Tacoma)--1880-1890; Farmhouses--Tacoma; Farms--Tacoma;
ca. 1888. William Nyce Golden Family on front porch of the home at Fernhill. (L to R) Guy Vance Golden, Lydia Dunham Golden, ??, William Nyce Golden (in rocker). Image donated by Cathryn E. Vannice the Great Grand-daughter of William N. Golden from her collection. ?? may be Fred Tucker Golden
Fernhill (Tacoma)--1880-1890; Golden, William N.; Farmhouses--Tacoma; Farms--Tacoma;
ca. 1890. This is a view looking up South 9th from A Street in downtown Tacoma circa 1890. The big building in center of photo (to the right of 9th) is the Fife Block Building, later the Hotel Donnelly. Across 9th from this bulding is the Wright Building. Built in 1874 it was the first brick building in Tacoma. Although massive brick and stone structures were being constructed in the commercial business districts, streets were still rough and unpaved.
Commercial streets--Tacoma--1890-1900; Wright Building (Tacoma); Fife Block Building (Tacoma);
ca. 1890. Photograph taken from the vicinity of South 30th and East B. Sts. circa 1890. Both South 29th and South 30th have bridges to cross the Tacoma and Eastern Gulch. The house in the bottom left corner (with the name Jaeger written on the roof) was the residence of L. G. Jaeger, 126 East 30th Street.
ca. 1890. Residence of W. B. Allen, 419 North " J" Street, Tacoma, circa 1890. Photograph courtesy of the John Ogden Collection. William B. Allen, wife Florence (Long) Allen and their children resided at this Northend address for many years. It was the couple's first home in Tacoma since their marriage in Chehalis in 1888. Mr. Allen was a prominent banker and later lumberman. By 1903, the home was occupied by A. Francis Tourville, secretary and manager of Todd, Tourville & Co. TPL-10167
Allen, William B.--Homes & haunts; Houses--Tacoma--1890-1900;
ca. 1892. East side of Broadway between South 9th and South 11th circa 1892. Stores include Taylor's Millinery at 913 South C (now Broadway) and the Lawrence Brothers Hardware Store at 915-917 South C. Upstairs in the hardware store building were offices for Shank & Murray, (John Shank, Frederick Murray) attorneys. The Tacoma Bazaar, decorated with dual awnings, was adjacent to the Lawrence Brothers store.
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. 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);
ca. 1900. This view of hilly 11th Street was probably taken in the late 1890s or very early 1900s. The street is relatively empty of traffic with pedestrians having time to stop and talk while still in the roadway. Peoples department store, built in 1895, is on the left side of 11th while the Fidelity Building, built in 1890, is at 9th & Broadway on the right hand side. The Fidelity Building is pictured without its additional six stories which were not added until 1909. The Fidelity Building was demolished in 1949 to make way for the F.W.Woolworth Co. Bldg. TPL-9915
Commercial streets--Tacoma--1890-1900; Peoples (Tacoma); Fidelity Building (Tacoma);
ca. 1900. Copy of print made from glass plate. Pacific Avenue appears devoid of traffic other than one streetcar in the early years of the 20th century. This photograph was taken early one morning in the vicinity of 9th & Pacific; the distinct image of the Old City Hall can be observed clearly a block ahead. The names "Hotel Donnelly" and "Grand Theatre" have been imprinted onto the photograph. The Hotel Donnelly was probably one of the earliest hotels in the city, as it was listed in the 1893-94 City Directory. It was located on the northwest corner of Pacific Ave. & So. 9th St. The Motoramp Garage was to later be built on this site. Hotel Donnelly was in close proximity to the Hotel Revere, whose sign can be seen protruding from the building. The Hotel Revere, by 1907, was operated by John Fawcett and located at 732 1/2 Pacific Avenue. The Grand Theatre's first mention was in the 1907 City Directory. It was located on the northeast corner of Pacific & So. 9th. Sullivan & Considine were listed as proprietors and Dean B. Worley as manager. Date of original print is not known; copy from glass plate was made on October 3, 1958. TPL-8546
Commercial streets--Tacoma--1900-1910; Hotel Donnelly (Tacoma); Hotel Revere (Tacoma); Old City Hall (Tacoma); Cities & towns--Tacoma;
ca. 1900. Copy made from glass plate, Richards Studio. This may be a street scene from Yakima, Washington, circa 1900. The street is wide enough for a streetcar and many passing horses and carts. There are some carriages parked along the raised sidewalk. People could conduct business at the Yakima Valley Bank, get their teeth checked at Yakima Dental or buy a $12 suit at the Empire. Copy of glass plate made on October 3, 1958.
Commercial streets--Yakima; Street railroads--Yakima; Carts & wagons--Yakima;
ca. 1905. Copy from glass plate, Richards Studio. View of South 11th and Pacific Ave., circa 1905. Streetcars once ran up 11th Street, an additional source of transportation besides the horse & cart and the occasional automobile. A few pedestrians are spotted crossing carefully as there are no visible "stop" signs for oncoming traffic. United Cigars, Tacoma Oyster and the Union Dental Co. are some of the visible businesses in a building on the corner of 11th & Pacific. That building was later demolished and the Rust Building constructed in its place. The building at the left foreground is the Equitable Building, 1102-04 Pacific. The Fidelity Building is on Broadway at the northeast corner of 11th. Additional stories would be added later. The tower on the County Courthouse is dimly seen to the rear of the photograph. Copy from glass plate made on October 3, 1958. TPL-9912
Commercial streets--Tacoma--1900-1910; Street railroads--Tacoma--1900-1910; Equitable Building (Tacoma); Fidelity Building (Tacoma);
An early automobile shares Pacific Avenue with two street cars and a horse drawn wagon in August of 1907. The buildings on the east side of Pacific include: the Tourist Hotel, 1013 Pacific Avenue; The Royal saloon, 1015 Pacific Ave.; the Berlin Building, on the corner of South 11th and Pacific Ave.; and the Peoples Store, 1101-07 Pacific Avenue. Of the buildings in this two block section of Pacific Avenue, only the Peoples Store is still standing. TPL-8101
Commercial streets--Tacoma--1900-1910; Business districts--Tacoma--1900-1910; Street railroads--Tacoma--1900-1910; Automobiles--Tacoma--1900-1910;
ca. 1907. Copy of photograph of Rhodes Department Store, circa 1907. View of three story building by Ambrose J. Russell and Frederick Heath, Architects, 1903. Photograph was taken after repairs to building. Richards Studio copy made on 11-31-1937. (filed with Argentum)
Commercial buildings--Tacoma--1900-1910; Department stores--Tacoma--1900-1910; Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma);
ca. 1910. Copy made from glass plate, Richards Studio. South 11th Street looking east. The steepness of South 11th St. is evident in this view from possibly the early 1900's. Traffic seems very light, with only a streetcar, one automobile and one man keeping pace with his team of horses. Tacoma would not experience parking problems in the downtown area for quite a few years. A glimpse of Peoples Store on the corner of 11th & Pacific can be seen as well as a meat market believed to be owned by William T. Dickenson further up on 11th. The Perkins Bldg., on A St., has flags flying. The Stone-Fisher department store, later known as the Fisher Department Store then the Bon Marche, is to the foreground, far right at the corner of Broadway and 11th. Copy made from glass plate on October 3, 1958.
Commercial streets--Tacoma--1900-1910; Street railroads--Tacoma; Signs (Notices); Horses;
ca. 1911. Street scene in Grandview, Washington. Copy of customer print. Asahel Curtis traveled to Grandview in Yakima County in 1911 to photograph several areas of town. Print #20733 was taken of the business district including the Grandview State Bank. Several men are pictured outside the bank while three horse-drawn buggies go by. Photograph ordered by Dr. C.B. Coulter of the University of Puget Sound. (University of Washington Digital Collections)
Commercial streets--Grandview; Grandview State Bank (Grandview); Carriages & coaches--Grandview;
On December 17, 1912 Nicholas Decker was awarded the sum of $3,000 by the U.S. District Court in Seattle for injuries that he sustained in the spring of 1912 while working as a linesman's helper for the Tacoma Rail and Power Co. in Tacoma. This photo taken as evidence for Mr. Decker's trial shows a man believed to be Mr. Decker's lawyer standing in the center of South C Steet (now Broadway) close to the spot where Mr. Decker was injured. South C at the time was crowded with a variety of businesses including the Fawcett Hotel (at right), M. Furuya Co., Japanese Foods, the Elgin Hotel (at left, 1502 1/2 South C) with S. Fukutomi as proprietor and M. Yamane's laundry next door at 1506 South C. (T.Times 12-17-1912 p.1-article)
In December of 1912 Nicholas Decker sued the Tacoma Rail and Power Co. in U.S. District Court. He sought $10,000 in damages for injuries that he alleged he sustained when a company wagon in which he was riding was upset. Lineman's helper Decker and another company lineman were thrown from the wagon onto the bricks of South C Street (now Broadway). This photo which was taken for the trial shows a wagon similar to the one in which he was riding parked on South C between South 17th and South 15th near the Rainier Hotel where Dr. K. Ito's sign hangs from the building. Plaintiff Decker was awarded $3000 damages on December 17, 1912. (T.Times 12-14-1912, p. 3-article; 12-17-1912, p. 1-article)
ca. 1915. Copy made from glass plate, Richards Studio. Looking east on South 11th St. toward bridge. Giant letters proclaiming "Municipal Light and Power, Cheapest in the U.S.," are painted on the 11th Street Bridge. Downtown Tacoma appears vibrant, with streetcars providing convenient transportation, and plenty of people on the sidewalks. Businesses located on or near 11th at that time included the Purity Lunch and the Warburton Apartments; signs for those can be hanging on buildings on the right side of the photograph. The Warburton was listed then on South "C" Street; this would become Broadway. The Perkins Bldg. is on A St. near the entrance to the bridge. Copy of glass plate made on October 3, 1958.
Commercial streets--Tacoma--1910-1920; Street railroads--Tacoma; Signs (Notices); 11th Street Bridge (Tacoma); Bridges--Tacoma;
Identified in photographer Marvin Boland's notes only as "Mr. Peterson's residence," this classic two story wood framed home was photographed on June 8, 1918. The man standing on the steps leading to the home is presumably the owner, Mr. Peterson. Tall wildflowers and at least four trees form the landscape of the front yard.
Tacoma Street Scene. This is Tacoma Avenue North at 2nd looking north. This photograph was taken in February of 1919 and shows bare trees and wide empty streets. There are only two cars in view and both appear to be parked. Houses in view are large and there is a four-story apartment building on the right. G62.1-070; TPL-858 (print is speckled)
This is a view of the Provident Block from March of 1919. It was located on Pacific Avenue between South 9th and South 10th Streets. The six-story Provident Building (later renamed Security Building before reverting back to the Provident name in 2006) is in the center of this slice of Tacoma's business district. It is surrounded by smaller establishments including several restaurants, Thomas Billiards, and Bloom & Alexander Money & Loan. The Olympus Hotel is one block up the street on the far left. Of special note is the entrance to a "Ladies Only" comfort station in the middle of 10th Street right outside of Washington Dye Works. The actual bathroom was located under the street; it was the only public restroom for women downtown at that time. TPL-2499 ; G61.1-012
Commercial streets--Tacoma--1910-1920; Business districts--Tacoma--1910-1920; Provident Building (Tacoma); Olympus Hotel (Tacoma); Billboards--Tacoma--1910-1920;
An unidentified party of four from Bremerton posed in front of a parked automobile on the east side of Pacific Avenue near South 8th St. in May of 1919. The well-dressed couples were perhaps out on a Sunday drive. In the background looking north are the Eau-Claire Apartments, Auto Parts Supply Co., D.C. Modrall & Co., Jim's Place (restaurant) and a tailoring establishment. TPL-1640; G61.1-009
Commercial streets--Tacoma--1910-1920; Business districts--Tacoma--1910-1920; Couples--Tacoma--1910-1920; Automobiles--Tacoma--1910-1920;
View down a peaceful tree-lined road. There was no traffic of any kind in sight on this August, 1919, day. Wood framed houses behind picket fences on the right; wagon in tall grass outside fenced yard on left. Street may be either dirt or gravel. Sidewalk on the right is made of wood, not concrete. TPL-7169; G57.1-003
Downtown Tacoma street scene. Not much traffic or people visible at South 11th & A Streets on this spring day in 1920. A streetcar has just made a turn onto A Street from South 11th as it moves past the L. Schoenfeld & Sons store at 105-11 So. 11th. This would be the Schoenfeld furniture store location until 1924 when they would move to the skyscraper at 1423 Pacific Ave. To the left of the photograph is the Federal Building, home of the federal courts (until 1992) and the Main branch of the Post Office. Also on the left is a portion of the towering Puget Sound National Bank building with spire. G57.1-121
Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Business districts--Tacoma--1920-1930; Street railroads--Tacoma--1920-1930; L. Schoenfeld & Sons (Tacoma); Federal Building (Tacoma); Puget Sound National Bank (Tacoma);
This is what the South 17th & Broadway & Jefferson area looked like in April of 1920. The 11-year-old Carlton Hotel, with the address of 1552 Jefferson Ave., is in view in the center of the photograph. A juxtaposition of old and new modes of transportation is on the left - a horse-driven cart is next to a modern streetcar. Power lines create geometric designs above. TPL-1363 G59.1-039
Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Carlton Hotel (Tacoma); Street railroads--Tacoma--1920-1930;
