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. 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;

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;

The top of the Washington Building tower, circa 1925. At 17 stories, almost everyone had to look up at this building, it was the second highest in the Northwest. The Washington Building was innovative in grouping its tenants by fields and making offices specific to those fields. The top floors were dedicated to doctors and medical offices. Some floors were huge open spaces on completion, for large concerns who would dictate where partitions would be placed. (TNT 6/30/1925, pg. 1) (WSHS)

Washington Building (Tacoma);

Washington Building under construction in April of 1925. Started 1919 by the Scandinavian-American Bank and left unfinished when the bank failed, the building was completed and opened in June of 1925. At 17 stories, it was one of the skycrapers changing the skyline of Tacoma. The building is of steel framework, completed with glazed white terra cotta. The investment in the building was 1 1/2 million dollars. (filed with Argentum)

Washington Building (Tacoma); Office buildings--Tacoma--1920-1930; Building construction--Tacoma--1920-1930;

In April of 1925, this was the view from the top of the flagpole on the Puget Sound National Bank building, 1117-19 Pacific Ave., looking down on the west side of Pacific Ave. between 11th and 12th. The photograph was snapped by professional steeplejack B.B. Florer with a Tacoma News Tribune employee's camera that was hoisted up to him. Mr. Florer had been engaged to paint the flagpole. (TNT 4/28/1925, pg. 9) (WSHS- negative A693-0)

Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930;

ca. 1925. The Washington Building under construction. Construction on the modern American skyscraper in downtown Tacoma began in 1919 for the Scandinavian American bank, but halted a couple of years later when the bank closed. The steel structure sat deserted until it was completed in 1925 for the Washington-California Co. and dedicated on June 29, 1925. At 17 stories, it was the second tallest building in the Northwest. (WSHS)

Washington Building (Tacoma); Office buildings--Tacoma--1920-1930; Business districts--Tacoma--1920-1930;

ca. 1925. Washington Building at 1019 Pacific Ave. and on the left, the Rust building at 950 Pacific Ave.The Washington Building was finished in 1925. At 17 stories, it was the second tallest building in the Northwest. The Rust building measures in at 12 stories. It is named after its builder William R. Rust. (WSHS-negative A695-0)

Washington Building (Tacoma); Rust Building (Tacoma);

ca. 1925. The new Washington Building had its Grand Opening in June of 1925. Construction of the building was begun in 1919 for the Scandinavian American Bank and halted in 1921 when the bank failed. It was completed in 1925 and was, at that time, the second tallest building in the Northwest. The main tenant at its opening was the Brotherhood Cooperative National Bank. The Cooperative Bank was the first of its kind in any Northwest City. Although it was part of the Brotherhood group of banks, strong in the eastern part of the country, the local bank had local supporters, management and share holders, many of them working men. It was approved by both the Federated Improvement Clubs of Tacoma and the labor unions. (TNT 6/30/1925, pg. 14)(WSHS)

Washington Building (Tacoma); Brotherhood Cooperative National Bank (Tacoma); Banks--Tacoma--1920-1930;

ca. 1925. Construction on the Washington Building started in 1919 for the Scandinavian- American Bank, but halted when the bank went bankrupt. The steel framework sat deserted until it was purchased by the Washington-California Co. In 1925, the building was completed. The steel framework was clothed in white terra cotta, which was glazed. It was fireproof. It had 1925 technologically superior Otis elevators, which could take visitors from the bottom to the top in 16 seconds. The building was completed with an investment of 1 1/2 million dollars. (TNT 6/30/1925, pg.1) (WSHS)

Washington Building (Tacoma); Office buildings--Tacoma--1920-1930; Business districts--Tacoma--1920-1930;

ca. 1925. Looking east on South 11th Street in Downtown Tacoma. Fisher's Department Store on right. Buildings on left, left to right: Rhodes Department Store, Fidelity Building, Washington Building and Tacoma Building. 11th Street Bridge (identified on photo as Lincoln Bridge) in distance. When the bridge was built in 1913, it was christened the Lincoln Bridge in a "name the bridge" contest but the name never stuck. Tacomans just preferred to call it the Eleventh Street Bridge. (filed with Argentum)

Business districts--Tacoma--1920-1930; Fishers Department Store (Tacoma); Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Washington Building (Tacoma); Tacoma Building (Tacoma);

ca. 1925. Looking east on South 11th Street in Downtown Tacoma. Fisher's Department Store on right. Buildings on left, left to right: Rhodes Department Store, Fidelity Building, Washington Building and Tacoma Building. 11th Street Bridge in distance. (filed under Argentum)

Business districts--Tacoma--1920-1930; Fishers Department Store (Tacoma); Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Washington Building (Tacoma); Tacoma Building (Tacoma);

ca. 1925. The Lorenz Building, 1552-56 Market St. The Lorenz Building was constructed in 1889 and was designed by architect R. L. Robertson. From 1899- 1914, it was home to the Astor House, also known as the Hiroshimaya Hotel, the first major Japanese Hotel in Tacoma. In the mid 1920's, the building housed the Columbus Hotel and the Tacoma Ju Jitsu School.

Lorenz Building (Tacoma); Columbus Hotel (Tacoma); Tacoma Ju Jitsu School (Tacoma);

ca. 1925. The 17 story Washington Building near completion. The building was officially opened at the end of June, 1925. The ground floor was occupied by the Brotherhood Cooperative Bank, Theodore Knutson's cigar store, Henrietta McNerthney's Purity Pharmacy and the "Orange Bower," the first orange mill in Tacoma. The orange mill's specialty was fresh squeezed orange juice, that you could watch being processed by a machine. (TNT 6/30/1925, pg. 13)(WSHS)

Washington Building (Tacoma);

ca. 1925. Washington Building as completed. Started 1919 by the Scandinavian-American Bank, unfinished when bank failed. The steel framework was completed by a group established for that purpose, the Washington-California Co. Frederick Webber, Original Architect; Doyle and Merriam, Architects for completion. The Washington Building opened at the end of June in 1925. (WSHS & Argentum)

Washington Building (Tacoma);

ca. 1925. The Washington Building, 1019 Pacific Ave., under construction. This modern structure was originally designed by Frederick Webber in the style of the Chicago School for the Scandinavian American Bank. Construction began in 1919 and halted when the bank failed. It was completed in 1925 when the Washington-California Co. purchased the steel skeleton and completed the building. At 17 stories, it was the second tallest building in the Northwest. When it opened, it contained 350 office suites, including its main occupant, the Brotherhood Co-Operative National Bank. (WSHS) (TDL 6/28/1925, pg. 2B)

Washington Building (Tacoma); Business districts--Tacoma--1920-1930;

ca. 1926. In 1926, this photograph was taken of South 11th Street between Tacoma Ave So. and So. Fawcett. The businesses are, left to right, the Pleasant Corner Candy Store, an upholstery shop, Clinton's Pianos at 506 So. 11th, the Pok-A-Dot-Pup Sandwich Shop and an unidentified storefront. The tall building in the back is 1111 Tacoma Ave. So., at this time occupied by A. Gehri & Co. and Erickson Bro. This building is still across the street from the Tacoma Public Library. However, the top floors have now been removed. (WSHS)

Business districts--Tacoma--1920-1930; Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Clinton's Music House (Tacoma);

ca. 1926. Photomontage of Downtown Tacoma from the City Waterway, ordered by the Chamber of Commerce. Ships and warehouses in foreground, 11th Street bridge at left, major buildings shown in their relative locations. (filed with Argentum)

Business districts--Tacoma--1920-1930; Cityscapes--Tacoma--1920-1930; City Waterway (Tacoma);

ca. 1926. Elevated view of downtown Tacoma from the northwest circa 1926. Major buildings around 11th Street and Pacific Avenue are, left to right, Tacoma Building, Washington Building, Puget Sound Bank (National Realty ) Building, and Rust Building. (filed with Argentum)

Business districts--Tacoma--1920-1930; Tacoma Building (Tacoma); Washington Building (Tacoma); Puget Sound Bank Building (Tacoma); Rust Building (Tacoma);

ca. 1928. Broadway in the late 1920's was already known as the "heart of the shopping and theatrical district." Businesses were crammed cheek by jowl up and down the street. The New York Building at 1117-19 Broadway still listed the Horgan-Parker Department Store's advertisement of "The new daylight department store" even though the store was no longer in existence; Hotels Ritz and Warburton were doors apart; Feltman & Curme sold wonderful $6.50 and $5.50 shoes, and the Blue Mouse theater sold tickets at a mere 25 cents. Kimball's sold guns and sporting goods. The Winthrop Hotel on the right in the distance had opened in 1925. The 12-story Fidelity Building at 949-55 Broadway was also open; it was near the much smaller Hotel Warburton. More people had cars and were using them, as well as public transportation, to visit downtown. (Copy of glass plate negative made on October 3, 1958.) TPL-8477

Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma); Fidelity Building (Tacoma); Blue Mouse Movie Theatre (Tacoma);

ca. 1935. General view of the Rust Building at 11th and Pacific Avenue. Sandstone clad steel framed 12 story business block for William R. Rust by Sutton, Whitney and Dugan, Architects, 1920. (Argentum)

Business districts--Tacoma; Office buildings--Tacoma--1930-1940; Rust Building (Tacoma);

Tacoma Safety Council Safety Show parade on Ninth Street. Pedestrians and automobiles on street with view of buildings from Commerce to A Streets. Motoramp Garage on left. McCormack's Hats neon sign on right. Decorative metal canopy covers sidewalk.

Business districts--Tacoma--1930-1940; Motoramp Garage (Tacoma);

ca. 1937. Exterior elevation of the Rust Building, a multi-story office building, at So. 11th Street and Pacific Avenue. The Rust Building is named for its builder William R. Rust. It was designed by the architectural firm of Sutton, Whitney and Dugan. The twelve story building opened in 1920. Since 1986, it has been known as the Seafirst Center. For Johnson-Cox, printers, for school annuals. (Image also numbered 8A3 image 2 in Argentum)

Business districts--Tacoma; Office buildings--Tacoma--1930-1940; Rust Building (Tacoma);