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What Tacoma looked like in the 1880s Through Stunning Historical Photos

Tacoma was founded in 1872 by teetotaler and former general Morton Matthew McCarver. He gave the city its first name – Commencement City. Tacoma had a lumber mill, two stores, a saloon, a hotel, a jail, a blacksmith, and about 100 residents when it was founded. McCarver’s efforts were rewarded in 1873 when the Northern Pacific Railroad chose Commencement Bay as the western terminus for its transcontinental line from Minnesota to Puget Sound. NP had a surprise for McCarver and his investors when they ran rails from Kalama on the Columbia River in Washington. They built their depot in a spot south of Tacoma City and named it New Tacoma.

By the end of November 1875, the territorial legislature had incorporated Tacoma City (which had already been incorporated by the Pierce County commissioners a year and a half earlier). Although the city was referred to as Tacoma by the legislation, the settlement is now commonly known as Old Tacoma to distinguish it from the NP’s New Tacoma. Pierce County residents voted to move the county seat from Steilacoom to New Tacoma in 1880. Steilacoom had been the county seat since 1852, when the county was formed. The legislature incorporated New Tacoma in the following year, leaving two similarly named but independent city governments on Commencement Bay. Northern Pacific constructed a fine headquarters building on Pacific Avenue, and wharves on the tideflats brought trade to the orient. Streetcar lines spanned downtown to new neighborhoods.

Check out these stunning historical photos that will take you back to the old Tacoma from the 1880s.

#1 Tacoma Hotel, Located on the Street, between South Eighth and Tenth Streets, 1880

#3 Tacoma Mill Co. Wharf, Tacoma, 1885

Tacoma Mill Co. Wharf, Tacoma, 1885

With many piles of lumber ready for loading, the wharf is at the image lower edge. A few men are standing on the pier, and two loaded wheelbarrows are near the image's lower right corner.

#5 Union Avenue, Tacoma, 1887

Union Avenue, Tacoma, 1887

An open carriage is partially visible in the lower right foreground, and the corner of a wooden building is at the left photo edge. Tall evergreens line both sides of the dirt road extending into the center background.

#6 Pacific Avenue, Tacoma, 1880

Pacific Avenue, Tacoma, 1880

There are several two- and three-story buildings on the right side of the photo with a wooden sidewalk in front of them. Men and women are walking on the sidewalk and crossing the dirt road.

#7 William P. Jackson Photo Studio, Tacoma, 1888

William P. Jackson Photo Studio, Tacoma, 1888

The view is taken from across the Street. The studio is on the second story, above a savings bank, and its sizeable multi-paned glass windows are visible on the side of the building. Business in a nearby building: Hewitt & Hill, Real Estate. Sign on the side of the building: Lots in the Oakes Addition Now on Sale. A horse-team-drawn streetcar on Pacific Avenue, a dirt road, is in the image center.

#8 San Francisco Store, The Gross Brothers’ Store on Pacific Avenue, Near Ninth Street, Tacoma, 1881

#9 Possibly Tacoma Mill Company, Tacoma, 1885

Possibly Tacoma Mill Company, Tacoma, 1885

Five men stand by a mule-drawn wagon in a yard with small wooden buildings in the background, possibly the Tacoma Mill Company, Tacoma, WA. One man stands in the wagon, holding the reins. Isaac G. Davidson, photographer

#10 Tacoma, looking toward Tacoma Hotel from 9th and D St, 1884

Tacoma, looking toward Tacoma Hotel from 9th and D St, 1884

The Tacoma Hotel is a large building just left of the middle in the distance. The white building with spire just in front of the Tacoma Hotel is the Pierce County Courthouse. The tall white house is another early Tacoma hotel, the Villard Houses on the far left.

#11 Tacoma Mill Co., 1888

Tacoma Mill Co., 1888

dock, covered railroad track, and mill buildings are across the image center. Sign on building covering railroad track: Tacoma Mill Co. Store, Carries the Only Full Stock in the City of Ship Chandlery Supplies; a hand pointing to image right is beside the sign. Houses on a hill are visible in the left image background. Smoke coming from mill buildings obscures the background in the image right.

#12 Tacoma Hotel, 1888

Tacoma Hotel, 1888

We are looking at the center of the U-shaped structure, an elaborate three-story structure with multiple gables at the roofline and a domed cupola surmounting it. On the wide porch just above ground

#13 Tacoma National Bank, Tacoma, 1888

Tacoma National Bank, Tacoma, 1888

Signs on building adjacent to the bank building, on South Tenth Street, in image right: Post Office; Photographs, which is the photo studio of I.G. Davidson. A display case is at the street level entrance. The Tacoma Hotel is in the background in the right image.

#15 New Tacoma & Mt. Tacoma, the 1880s

New Tacoma & Mt. Tacoma, the 1880s

A few buildings are in the image lower center foreground, and a partially visible train, with industrial buildings in image lower right, and near lower left edge. Commencement Bay is beyond the land. Two sailing ships are in the image lower left.

#16 Tacoma Mill Co., 3001 North Starr St., Tacoma, 1887

Tacoma Mill Co., 3001 North Starr St., Tacoma, 1887

The lumber mill was opened in 1869 as Hanson, Ackerson & Co., became the Tacoma Mill Co. in 1884 and was demolished in 1922. Three or four sailing ships are by docks in the image center-right. Smoke rises from the mill buildings. Houses are built on the slope in the image left center behind the mill buildings.

#17 Tacoma Mill Co., 1888

Tacoma Mill Co., 1888

Log ponds are in the foreground. In image right, a few sailing ships are moored side by side by the mill docks. Tree-covered land is in the background.

#18 Tacoma Grocery Company, 1527 to 1541 Pacific Avenue, Tacoma, 1889

Tacoma Grocery Company, 1527 to 1541 Pacific Avenue, Tacoma, 1889

Some are sitting on a stack of large packages on the sidewalk. Sign on the 3-story building: Tacoma Grocery Company, Importers, and Wholesale Grocers. A horse-drawn delivery wagon is near the image's left edge. John S. Baker was the company treasurer.

#19 Six women, three men, and three girls, one in a carriage, stand in front of the Anderson and Dumas Tin Shop at Second and McCarver Streets, Tacoma, 1888

#20 Tacoma Mill Company, Old Town, Tacoma, 1889

Tacoma Mill Company, Old Town, Tacoma, 1889

Many logs are in a log pond in the image foreground. Smoke obscures part of the image in the image center. Three or four lumber schooners are moored together in the image center-right. Puget Sound is in the background.

#21 Tacoma Sawmill, 1888

Tacoma Sawmill, 1888

Piles of stacked cut lumber are visible, smoke emerges from the sawmill smokestacks, but workers are not present.

#22 Tacoma Mill, 1889

Tacoma Mill, 1889

A covered railroad track and company buildings are in the image left. A log pond and a pile of smoking sawdust on land are in the image center foreground.

#23 Terminus N.P.R.R., Tacoma, 1889

Terminus N.P.R.R., Tacoma, 1889

The photo shows the Half Moon yard in the foreground. At 7th at Pacific in Tacoma, the headquarters for the Northern Pacific sits on the hill above the railroad yard and Commencement Bay.

#24 Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Tacoma, the 1880s

Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Tacoma, the 1880s

The men are lined up in a single line in front of the Tacoma Hotel on A Street in Tacoma. The men are wearing sashes around their necks and are probably members of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.

#25 Tacoma Mill Wharves, Old Tacoma, 1888

Tacoma Mill Wharves, Old Tacoma, 1888

The masts of at least eight sailing ships, some loading lumber from the piers, are in the background.

#27 Tacoma Volunteer Firefighters, 1887

Tacoma Volunteer Firefighters, 1887

15 Tacoma Volunteer, Fire Department firefighters are standing outdoors, posing in a group, Tacoma, Pierce County, W.T., 1887. They are in uniform, except they aren't wearing jackets. Two men hold fire horns.

#28 Mt. Tacoma, 1888

Mt. Tacoma, 1888

A trestle railroad bridge over the Tacoma, Pierce County. The image is taken from land, and low foliage is in the foreground. The trestle bridge is horizontal across the image center, making a 90-degree angle into the background near the image's left edge. The rotating bridge span is in the image right.

#29 Tacoma, Washington Territory view from Tideflats, 1884

#30 Tacoma Fire Co, the 1880s

Tacoma Fire Co, the 1880s

The men are lined up in a V formation outside of a tall clapboard building. They wear uniforms with a monogram on their breast that says H.A. or A.H. and peaked fire hats. Three are holding nozzles.

#31 Tacoma Washington Territory View, 1885

Tacoma Washington Territory View, 1885

Buildings included the Tacoma Hotel and the First Presbyterian Church at the far right. Commencement Bay and the undeveloped area across from the bay are visible in the background. "C" street is now Broadway.

#32 Eagle Hose Co. No. 2, Tacoma, 1888

Eagle Hose Co. No. 2, Tacoma, 1888

In the center, the firefighters posed in a semicircle with their hose wagon, with a bell on top. Three of the men are holding horns. In Tacoma, Eagle Hose Company No. 2, 1st ward, was located on A Street between 12th and 13th.

#34 Hose Co. No. 3, Tacoma, 1888

Hose Co. No. 3, Tacoma, 1888

The photo shows the firefighters from Hose Co. No. 3, posed in a semicircle with their hose wagon, with a bell on top, in the center. Three of the men are holding horns. Chief A. D. Rainey is on the left front holding a horn, and Asst.

#35 Tacoma buildings taken from Commencement Bay, 1889

#36 Corner of Tacoma and 17th St., Tacoma, 1889

Corner of Tacoma and 17th St., Tacoma, 1889

The remains of several frame buildings at the corner of Tacoma Avenue and South Seventeenth Street collapsed by the most destructive storm to ever hit Tacoma. In the image left, several men and women peer at the debris from the elevated sidewalk. Several men stand atop the debris.

#37 Annie Wright Seminary, at the Corner of Tacoma Avenue North and Division Avenue, Tacoma, 1884.

Annie Wright Seminary, at the Corner of Tacoma Avenue North and Division Avenue, Tacoma, 1884.

In image center left, Annie Wright Seminary, viewed from the side at Tacoma Avenue North and Division Avenue, dirt roads in Tacoma. The view looks northwest on Tacoma Avenue North, running at an angle in the image center. The present Vista Del Rey Apartments at 319 Tacoma Avenue North is near the tall tree in the image center background. A few tree stumps and two wagons are amidst random vegetation on the side of the school.

#38 Hanson’s Sawmill, Tacoma, 1889

Hanson's Sawmill, Tacoma, 1889

In the center of the photograph is a long, comprehensive, elevated building with an opening extending the width of the building and several belts extending from ground level to the opening. Unmilled lumber is stacked all around the building. A sign at the roof peak reads Tacoma Mill 1865, Hanson & Co. In the foreground are stacks of milled lumber. To the right of the building is a two-story residential structure, and in the distance are smokestacks and the two steeples of a large building.

#39 Shipyards at Tacoma, 1889

Shipyards at Tacoma, 1889

Man in a rowboat in a waterway next to the unnamed shipyard in Tacoma. Shipyard workers are working on a vessel in the background.

#40 New Tacoma, 1883

New Tacoma, 1883

The photo was taken from the tideflats, and shows a two-story building on the left, an expanse of tree stumps extending up the hill, and numerous houses on the right side of the photo extending from the water up the hill.

#41 Puyallups and Canoes by Railroad Tracks Along Commencement Bay, Below Tacoma Hotel, Tacoma, 1886

Puyallups and Canoes by Railroad Tracks Along Commencement Bay, Below Tacoma Hotel, Tacoma, 1886

2 Puyallup women, a child, and a few men are standing on railroad tracks running along Commencement Bay below the Tacoma Hotel, partially visible on the bluff above the water.

#42 New Tacoma Washington View looking west from Puyallup River, 1885

New Tacoma Washington View looking west from Puyallup River, 1885

The perspective is from a train traveling on the tracks leading to Tacoma. Areas of standing water are located along the sides of the railroad tracks. The Tacoma waterfront area and a small section of Commencement Bay are visible in the distance.

#43 Steamer Olympian, Tacoma, 1885

Steamer Olympian, Tacoma, 1885

The ship is viewed from the bow end of the port side, in the image center. A building on a wharf is in the image right-center. The mainland is at the lower right corner. Mount Rainier is faintly visible in the image right background.

#44 Hawthorne School, Tacoma, 1886

Hawthorne School, Tacoma, 1886

The photo shows a vast two-story wood-framed building with two women and 14 men in working clothes standing outside. A bell tower is behind the central area of the building.

#45 Hook & Ladder Co. No. 1, Tacoma Fire Department, 13th & A Streets, Tacoma, 1886

Hook & Ladder Co. No. 1, Tacoma Fire Department, 13th & A Streets, Tacoma, 1886

Twelve men stand at attention. The man near the image's right edge may be holding a megaphone under his arm. Another man may be holding a bugle in his hand. A hook and ladder wagon are partially visible behind the men in the center. The horse team drawing the wagon is visible in the image left.

#46 Villard House, 822 A Street, Tacoma, 1888

Villard House, 822 A Street, Tacoma, 1888

Several men, including three employees, wearing long aprons, pose, standing in front of the building. A dog lies on the sidewalk. Four women pose on the second-floor open balcony extending across the front. Two men sit atop a three horse-drawn carriage, with Villard House on the top, on the dirt road in front of the building. A man on horseback is nearby.

#47 Mostly commercial buildings are in the foreground and center of the image, Tacoma, 1888

#48 Coal Bunkers – Tacoma, 1885

Coal Bunkers – Tacoma, 1885

A small boat, possibly a tugboat, is on the small pond created by the curve of one bunker. A sailing ship is partially visible on the far side of the bunker. Another is in the water in the image right.

#50 Log Cabin, Tacoma, 1885

Log Cabin, Tacoma, 1885

A shed is in the image left. Ferns cover the foreground. A split-rail fence encloses the cabin in the image right and behind the cabin. Dense trees are in the background.

#51 John A. Logan School, Tacoma, 1909

John A. Logan School, Tacoma, 1909

The building was built in 1889, Proctor & Dennis, architects, and demolished in 1925. It was the first location for Puget Sound University, later the University of Puget Sound.

#52 Tacoma Mill Co. Dock, Tacoma, 1885

Tacoma Mill Co. Dock, Tacoma, 1885

The mill company buildings are visible in the image right center background. Stacks of lumber are on the dock in the image center-right. The dock extends into the image lower foreground. Barrels lie sideways on the dock near the image's lower right edge. Two men are standing in front of 1 of 3 low, wide diameter circular objects, partially covered with wood, sitting on the dock above the center of the image's lower edge. They may be millstones. Another man rests against the hull of a small overturned boat nearby—the sides of possibly four sailing ships moored by the dock area in the image center-left.

#54 Cascade Park Addition, Tacoma, 1888

Cascade Park Addition, Tacoma, 1888

The Cascade Park Addition was platted in 1888. South 40th bordered it on the north and South 48th on the south and between Union and Lawrence in South Tacoma, not far from the Northern Pacific Railroad shops. In this image, a dirt road leads from the foreground and intersects with another dirt road running left to right in the center of the image. A horse harnessed to an open buggy stands in the grass just to the left of the two roads intersect. Are several tall evergreen trees lining the roads?

#55 Tacoma Waterfront, 1884

Tacoma Waterfront, 1884

The young boy in the left foreground holds a bow and arrow; other people rest seated on canoes or beach areas. Many canoes and tents are visible.

#56 Tacoma-Pacific Ave. South from 9th St., 1888

Tacoma-Pacific Ave. South from 9th St., 1888

There are two Tacoma Street Railway cars and several horse-drawn vehicles. Verso is Tacoma Ave. North from 9th St.

#57 St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Tacoma, 1889

St. Peter's Episcopal Church, Tacoma, 1889

Four girls and three boys sit on the church steps. A bell is visible in the tower next to the church. Commencement Bay is partially visible in the background.

#58 Shipping Docks. Tacoma, 1889

Shipping Docks. Tacoma, 1889

A log pond near the shore is near the center of the right image edge. Buildings probably on shipping docks are visible in the image upper center. Three sailing ships are in Puget Sound beyond the buildings. A partially wooded hillside rises above the railroad yard in the image left.

#59 Loading wheat for Gt. Britain / Tacoma, 1888

Loading wheat for Gt. Britain / Tacoma, 1888

Railroad tracks are prominent in the foreground, and the warehouses are in the image center.

#60 Tacoma, looking west toward County Courthouse, 1885

Tacoma, looking west toward County Courthouse, 1885

The elevated view looks west towards the first County Courthouse (1881-1893), the large white structure just right of center. To the left of the Courthouse is W.A. Freeman Livery Stable and the offices of the Tacoma Ledger. Just across the Street from the Ledger is Enterprise Furniture Co. To the right of the Courthouse on the opposite side of the Street is the office of Hewitt & Hill Real Estate. The streets are unpaved, and the sidewalks are wood planks.

#61 S.S. Idaho on Tacoma Waterfront, 1888

S.S. Idaho on Tacoma Waterfront, 1888

The end of the pier is visible in the image center. The end of a freight train is visible on the pier. A barge, with two men on it, is on the side of the pier in the image left. The masts of perhaps two sailing ships are visible in the center background. Another steamship is docked at the right image edge.

#62 Tacoma Sawmill, Capacity, 500,000 Ft. per Day, 1888

Tacoma Sawmill, Capacity, 500,000 Ft. per Day, 1888

The company names are on the building. With apparent pieces of lumber on top, Trestles descend from the open end of this building past the right image edge. Pieces of lumber lying on the ground in the foreground.

#63 Oldest Church Tower in the United States, Old Tacoma, 1888

Oldest Church Tower in the United States, Old Tacoma, 1888

The church was built in 1873 and is currently the oldest building in Tacoma. The image shows the simple white wooden church building with a single door and s small arched window above. Wooden steps lead from the unpaved streets to the church. The church's bell tower is a tall tree stump topped with the housing for the bell and across.

#64 Wharves at Tacoma, 1888

Wharves at Tacoma, 1888

Part of the hillside is visible at the lower left image corner. The old Northern Pacific Railroad depot is the 2-story building to the left of the center, near the wharves extending in the image center. Four freight cars are above the image lower center edge. More freight cars are adjacent to the piers in the image center. A sternwheeler is partially hidden behind a wharf at center-right.

#65 Pacific Looking North from 12th, Svea Hotel, 1102-1104 Railroad Street, Tacoma, 1887

#66 Tacoma waterfront, sidewheeler steamship, tideflats, Mt. Rainier, 1889

Tacoma waterfront, sidewheeler steamship, tideflats, Mt. Rainier, 1889

A sidewheeler steamship is moored on the far side, running diagonally from the image lower-left corner towards image center-right, with warehouses along the wharf.

#67 Man of War Thetis coaling at bunkers Tacoma, 1889

Man of War Thetis coaling at bunkers Tacoma, 1889

The Thetis is tied up next to an elevated track. A small train with many cars filled with coal is on the tracks above the ship, preparing to load onto the Thetis.

#68 Northern Pacific Rail Road Shops at Tacoma, 1888

Northern Pacific Rail Road Shops at Tacoma, 1888

The muddy ground is in the foreground, and long pipes are piled near a fence across the photo center. Passenger railroad cars, another type of railroad car, and buildings are behind the fence.

#69 Washington Territory Views, View of Tacoma and Mt. Rainier, commonly called Mt. Tacoma, 1887

Washington Territory Views, View of Tacoma and Mt. Rainier, commonly called Mt. Tacoma, 1887

Several wooden barns and houses sit in the foreground while a few brick buildings are behind them. A sign on the roof of one of the wooden buildings reads Livbery Board & Sale Stable. A church is visible on the far left. Railroad tracks cut diagonally across the tide flats just to the church's right.

#72 Pacific Avenue, Tacoma, 1888

Pacific Avenue, Tacoma, 1888

A roof ornament and roof edge are in the left lower corner foreground. A horse-team-drawn streetcar is in the image center. In the image foreground, three horse-drawn wagons and two pedestrians are on the Street. Commercial buildings appear to line both sides of Pacific Avenue.

#73 Main Street and Harbor, Old Tacoma, 1888

Main Street and Harbor, Old Tacoma, 1888

Main Street is now Thirtieth Street. Buildings are scattered along both sides of the Street. The Commencement Bay waterfront and part of the bay are in photo right. Long piers extend across the beach to the water's edge.

#74 Northern Pacific Railroad “Half-Moon” Yards, Tacoma, 1884

Northern Pacific Railroad "Half-Moon" Yards, Tacoma, 1884

At the bluff's base, railroad freight cars are visible across the image center and left of the center. The Tacoma Hotel is at the top of the bluff, to the left of the image center. Another cluster of buildings is on the bluff to the left of the hotel. A road or walkway may extend parallel to the railroad cars, halfway up the bluff, where four telephone poles extend along a fence line. The reflection of the hotel, hillside, and railroad cars is visible in a large pool of water in the image center.

#75 Tacoma Fire Department, Our Boys Co. No. 4, in uniform, 1887

Tacoma Fire Department, Our Boys Co. No. 4, in uniform, 1887

Photo right is a horse-drawn firehose cart decorated with garlands. The horses are partially visible behind the row of firefighters. Behind the firefighters, a building is under construction next to the firehouse.

#77 13th & Pacific Ave, Tacoma, 1889

13th & Pacific Ave, Tacoma, 1889

An arch is over the Street in the foreground, ending in large constructed bases on either side of the Street. Rock is being put on the base of both structures.

#78 Chamber of Commerce Building, Pacific Avenue, Tacoma, 1888

Chamber of Commerce Building, Pacific Avenue, Tacoma, 1888

A few men stand in front of the bank. In the image center, sign on an adjacent building: Hale's California Cash Store. Two horse-drawn delivery wagons and a buggy are in front of the store.

#79 Canoes at Tacoma Waterfront, on Commencement Bay, 1888

Canoes at Tacoma Waterfront, on Commencement Bay, 1888

A wolf's head is visible on the prow of one canoe. A few women and children are in the canoes and several bundles. An open umbrella sits near the center of 2 of the canoes. A person wearing a basketry hat is in one canoe. A log pond protected by pilings is beyond the canoes, and a pier with a building is in the center background. A tiny steamship is near the pier.

#80 Tacoma–Mason Block, S.E. Corner A & 10th Sts, 1888

Tacoma--Mason Block, S.E. Corner A & 10th Sts, 1888

The three-story building contains several offices, including the office for Allen C. Mason Real Estate on the second floor. There is a flag with I.O.O.F. flying from the roof. Three horse-drawn wagons and several people are pictured on the streets around the building.

#81 Laying Cornerstone for Gross Building, Ninth and Commerce, Tacoma, 1889

Laying Cornerstone for Gross Building, Ninth and Commerce, Tacoma, 1889

Many men and women, some women with umbrellas, and a few children face the site, hidden from the view below the image center. A dragline appears to be in place for placing the stone. With a girl standing inside one of them, small construction firms are on the construction site in the foreground.

#82 Streetcar & Motor near Tacoma, 1889

Streetcar & Motor near Tacoma, 1889

The engineer is peering out of the motor, and a man, possibly the conductor, stands on top of the steps at the end of the streetcar. Another railroad track runs parallel to the image lower edge. Three small buildings built from logs are in the right background. Wild foliage, perhaps including ferns, is in the image right foreground.

#83 William H. Opie Residence, 1510 E Street, Tacoma, 1884

William H. Opie Residence, 1510 E Street, Tacoma, 1884

He was a partner in Orchard & Opie, Real Estate. Snow covers the ground and the top of the picket fence in front of the house. Snow is pushed to one side of the steps to the house.

#84 M[iles] F. Hatch Mill, Old Town, Tacoma, 1885

M[iles] F. Hatch Mill, Old Town, Tacoma, 1885

Looking south, Northern Pacific Railroad tracks are visible in the foreground. To the left of the tracks, there is a lumber shed and a sawmill. Stacks of lumber are visible on the far left. To the right are an additional lumber shed and a boarding house.

#85 Wharf Scene, Terminus of Northern Pacific Railroad, Tacoma, 1888

Wharf Scene, Terminus of Northern Pacific Railroad, Tacoma, 1888

A wharf is in the foreground. On the far side of the wharf, the closest sailing ship, showing the port side from the stern end, is the Dashing Wave. Stacks of lumber waiting to be loaded are in the image right.

#86 Dr. Joseph R. Kennedy, Dentist, 1st Office in Tacoma, 906 Pacific Ave, 1887

Dr. Joseph R. Kennedy, Dentist, 1st Office in Tacoma, 906 Pacific Ave, 1887

The view is from one end of a narrow room towards windows at the far end in the image center background. A dentist's chair is in the image right background, with a bookcase behind it on the wall adjacent to the window. An open cupboard with indistinguishable objects on the shelves is on the other side of the window.

#87 Ninth and Pacific Avenue 1884 After the Fire

Ninth and Pacific Avenue 1884 After the Fire

Ninth Street extends across the lower third of the image, and Pacific Avenue recedes into the center background. Fire has leveled several buildings in the image left, with only a street lamp left standing at the corner. Some entire buildings are in the background.

#88 Puget Sound Flouring Mills Plant, Tacoma, 1900

Puget Sound Flouring Mills Plant, Tacoma, 1900

There is no name on either of the two large buildings in the image center and right. Railroad tracks are visible near the image right edge in front of the building. Two water towers are on the hill behind this building. The mills were built in 1889, A. Bradford, architect. Logs are crowded in a log pond in the image foreground. In the image lower center, a few small wooden buildings are clustered at and above the water's edge.

#89 View of Tacoma Oil Company’s Oil Wells, At Eli, Pierce County, 1888

View of Tacoma Oil Company's Oil Wells, At Eli, Pierce County, 1888

Black and white photographic image of groups of women and children and a few men near a Tacoma Oil Company oil well base. The oil well at the image center is behind them, and a giant woodpile and frame buildings are partially visible in the image left.

#90 Tacoma looking west from headquarters N.P.R.R., 1888

Tacoma looking west from headquarters N.P.R.R., 1888

The image shows the view of the city looking west from the headquarters of the Northern Pacific Railroad. There are several houses, two churches, and a hotel. The church on the left is First Methodist, located at 602 Broadway. The church on the right is St Luke's Memorial Episcopal, located at 702 Broadway. The St. Charles Hotel is on the lower right. A wagon sits outside the hotel's covered porch. The current City Hall is on the site of St. Charles Hotel.

#91 Looking Across Tideflats from A St., Tacoma, 1887

Looking Across Tideflats from A St., Tacoma, 1887

The Puyallup Indian Reservation is said to be in the background. There are two clusters of building in the background: one in the image left-center and one near the right image edge. A group of 5 people, including children, stand by a fence on the slope in the image foreground, looking out at the tideflats.

#92 West Side of Pacific Avenue, South of Ninth Street, Tacoma, 1885

West Side of Pacific Avenue, South of Ninth Street, Tacoma, 1885

A 2-story building with a name on front: Gross Bros., is in the image center. Merchandise is in the store windows on the first floor, although the details are not visible. Three-story buildings are adjacent on both sides.

#94 Merchants National Bank, South Eleventh Street, and Pacific Avenue, Tacoma, 1889

Merchants National Bank, South Eleventh Street, and Pacific Avenue, Tacoma, 1889

Pacific Avenue is in the image lower right corner. A sign for Dr. James Brown is on the building on Pacific Avenue. Eleventh Street is in the image lower-left corner.

#95 View of Tacoma Oil Company’s Oil Wells, At Eli, Pierce County, 1888

#96 N.P. Headquarters Building / 9th & C Streets, 1880

N.P. Headquarters Building / 9th & C Streets, 1880

The old Northern Pacific Railroad Headquarters Building in Tacoma, located at 9th and C Streets, was built by the Tacoma Land Company in the mid-1870s until a building on Stadium Way replaced it. When the Tacoma Theater was built, the building was moved to 7th and St. Helen's. It later became the Sylvan Hotel.

#97 The Coffee Dealers, Mason & Finley, 906 Railroad Avenue, Tacoma, 1889

The Coffee Dealers, Mason & Finley, 906 Railroad Avenue, Tacoma, 1889

Byron L. Finley was one of the proprietors. Rows of bottles are in the storefront window on one side. Two boxes, and a picture of a smiling rotund man's head with apparently a large napkin tied around his neck, are in the other window.

#98 Chamber of Commerce Building, Southeast Corner of Pacific Avenue and Twelfth Street, Tacoma, 1887

Chamber of Commerce Building, Southeast Corner of Pacific Avenue and Twelfth Street, Tacoma, 1887

A statue of the Goddess of Commerce stands atop the building. The building is decorated with streams of bunting and paper lanterns, and the lanterns continue down the Street hung on utility poles. Swags of greenery decorate the roof and the building entrance.

#99 Pacific Avenue, Looking North from Eleventh Street, Tacoma, 1889

Pacific Avenue, Looking North from Eleventh Street, Tacoma, 1889

In the image foreground, a pile of stones is at each side of the Street, with a wooden structure rising from each one. U.S. flags are flying from the base of the structure. Four horse-drawn wagons are visible on the Street.

#100 Frank Clark Residence, 922 A Street, Northwest Corner of South Tenth Street and A Street, Tacoma, 1879

Frank Clark Residence, 922 A Street, Northwest Corner of South Tenth Street and A Street, Tacoma, 1879

A man stands by a horse team and buggy on the dirt road in front of the house. A picket fence encloses the front yard beyond a plank sidewalk. Three women, one wearing an apron, and two men, holding a small child, pose on the front porch. General J.W. Sprague later occupied the house.

#101 Peritz & Co. and Other Businesses, Pacific Avenue and Thirteenth Street, Tacoma, 1885

#103 Indian Scholars at the Industrial Boarding School, Puyallup Reservation, 1887

#104 Children’s Day, M.E. Church, June 13th, Tacoma, 1886

Children's Day, M.E. Church, June 13th, Tacoma, 1886

The altar is decorated with several large floral displays. One, in the center, reads "Children's Day," although the letters "N" and "S" are backward. Several banners are visible.

#105 Pacific Avenue looking south from 7th, 1888

Pacific Avenue looking south from 7th, 1888

Pacific Avenue is a wide dirt road flanked on either side by brick buildings. A horse-drawn trolley and horse-drawn wagons are visible on the Street. Pedestrians cross the streets and walk along the wood plank sidewalk.

#106 Annie Wright Seminary, 1884

Annie Wright Seminary, 1884

The school building was built in 1883, Boone & Wheeler, architects, and opened in 1884. It was demolished in 1924.

#108 H. Slippern & Co., 1319 So. Tacoma Ave., Tacoma, 1889

H. Slippern & Co., 1319 So. Tacoma Ave., Tacoma, 1889

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#109 Old Town, Tacoma, 1880

Old Town, Tacoma, 1880

A 2-story building (possibly a school) with children standing on the first and second-floor exterior landings is left. Boys stand together on the lower level of the building, and girls stand together on the upper level. Other people (primarily men) and several horses are visible standing on the unpaved Street.

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#110 New Wheat Warehouse, Tacoma, 1889

New Wheat Warehouse, Tacoma, 1889

The image is taken from a dock in the foreground. The warehouse, apparently under construction, is visible in the image upper center and right. A loading dock extends from the building into the water in the image center-left.

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Written by Aung Budhh

Husband + Father + librarian + Poet + Traveler + Proud Buddhist. I love you with the breath, the smiles and the tears of all my life.

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