Fascinating Historical Photos of Tacoma, WA in 1910

Overview from the hill of the Tacoma Smelting Co. Inc. in Ruston.

The view is looking down a sidewalk in the image centre, extending into the background, with the front of a row of houses visible in the image left. A United States Post Office collection box on a post is in the image centre foreground.

The house was built in 1905 by Edwin A. Wager, the architect. In 1975 it became the Central Lutheran Church parsonage. A blooming climbing rose is at the corner of the house. Two blooming rhododendrons are on the sloping lawn in the image left.

The tower of the Pierce County Courthouse rises in image far right background.

It is located on South G Street, between Eleventh and Twelfth Streets. The 3-story building has a tower over the main entrance.

Railroad tracks run diagonally across the image lower right. The shop buildings are beyond a fence running parallel to the tracks. Freight cars are visible beside the buildings. Supplies are stacked in an open yard in the image left.

A telephone is mounted on the wall behind him. A woman is typing on a typewriter at a table behind him. A rolltop desk is behind her. Stacks of filing cabinets with two drawers are against the back wall in the image right.

Two men wearing derby hats and coats posing, sitting in a 1910 Brush automobile, in the open corner entrance of an automobile sales business at 1911 or 1912 Ninth Street and Tacoma Avenue. A man wearing overalls poses on either side of the automobile, and the man in the image left holds a wrench in his hand.

The Interior of a saloon in Tacoma, WA, shows two customers standing in front of a bar, with a bar rail and spittoons visible, and two towels are hanging from the front of the bar. A barkeeper stands behind the bar. Alcoholic beverage bottles are arranged on shelves behind the bar.

Commencement Bay is near the centre of the image's right edge. The horizon line is above the image center.

Seen beyond railroad tracks running diagonally in the foreground. Six water tanks are on a raised platform behind buildings in the right background.

The Tacoma Hotel is the right distance, visible over the tops of buildings in the foreground. Some pedestrians are on the sidewalk. A horse-drawn vehicle is in the image lower left foreground. A streetcar is in the left image background.

Eleventh Street crosses Pacific Avenue in the image lower center. A horse team drawn wagon and pedestrians are crossing Pacific Avenue at this point. Pedestrians, including men, women and boys, are on the sidewalks. Two automobiles are parked in the image left foreground. Tacoma City Hall is in the centre-left distance, and the Northern Pacific Railway office building is in the centre-right distance.

With two barkeepers behind it and three patrons in front, the bar is in the right side photo. The bar rail and spittoons are visible. Behind the bar, an ornately decorated tall structure encases mirrors.

The photo was taken from the vantage point of someone sitting in the large crowd in the bowl. A tight cluster of men and women are near one end of the bowl. Stadium High School is in the left background.

A pond and a conservatory behind it are in the image right background. A dirt road extends in in left foreground into the background. Buildings are partially hidden behind trees in the left image background.

A rutted dirt road is in the foreground. The front and side of one bungalow are visible in the image center and right.

The stump has been moved to the present location. A door appears to be carved in the side of the stump. An observation platform has been constructed on top of the stump, with stairs leading to it. A flower box with flowers sits on the side of the stump.

A statue of a woman stands on each side of the dirt road entering the park, which extends from image lower center towards the image right behind trees. Scattered trees are visible in the park in the photo left and center.

Black and white, fairly close, elevated oblique angle glass plate negative image of Rhodes A group of 12 women and a small girl are standing in the Street in image lower right, near trolley tracks, probably waiting for public transportation.

The Puget Sound Machinery Depot is visible in this photo of the city docks of Tacoma. A sailing vessel is docked. Railroad tracks run across the lower left, and three horse-drawn wagons are in the road running parallel to the tracks.

A family group of a man, woman, and five boys of various ages, posing on the grass beside a house in an unidentified location in Tacoma. The man sits on an object on the ground, almost in profile, near the image lower-left corner.

Five men wearing suits and hats stand talking near the plane. Three men in work clothes are working on the plane's engine. Personal message and cancelled stamp on reverse. Excerpt from the letter: I went to Tacoma a short time ago and saw Hamilton fly in his Curtis (sic) biplane. It was great.

Many men are standing outside the building along a railing above the water. A water tower is in the image left-centre. The Tacoma Gas and Fuel Plant buildings are visible at the left image edge.

A large crowd of men, women, boys and girls, and one woman carrying an infant, are waiting by the streetcar. A few men sit on benches in the foreground.

Standing in the doorway, from left to right: Magoiichi Yamane, wearing an apron, Mr Oikawa, wearing a white jacket, and an unidentified man wearing an apron, all Japanese Americans.

The building was built in 1904 by Reed & Stem architects and demolished in 1973.

Logs are in the water adjacent to the buildings. Behind the buildings, the F.S. Harmon Furniture Mfg. Co. building is at image far left, the Union Station dome is in image right, and the Albers Bros. Milling Co. building is at image far right.

Two horse-drawn delivery wagons are also on the Street. A few pedestrians, including women, are on the sidewalks. A woman and a man carrying a suitcase are walking near the 11th St. Tailoring Co., in a 2-story brick building in the image left. A hotel sign is further down the hill.

Pioneer Ezra Meeker posing beside the rear of his covered wagon in front of a barn, a whip held in his hand, probably at Point Defiance Park, Tacoma.

Several men, women and two girls are on the beach. They are standing in groups by the water's edge in the image left, strolling on the beach, and sitting on the beach in the image right. At least two small boats are in the water in the photo left. Many people appear to be standing on the pier in front of the pavilion.

In the foreground, ducks and geese swim in the pond ringed with rocks and trees. A small duck house sits in the pond, slightly left of center. In the distance, the smokestack of the Asarco smelter is visible.

In the image foreground, the banner across the Street: Boost for the Carnival of Nations. The banner across the Street in the background: Municipal Dock. Sign on front of building in the image left: Kentucky Hotel.

In the image foreground, the banner across the Street: Boost for the Carnival of Nations. The banner across the Street in the background: Municipal Dock. Sign on front of building in the image left: Kentucky Hotel.

The house was built in 1906 by Russell & Babcock, architects. Striped awnings are on most of the windows.

Several freight cars, caboose cars, and a locomotive are visible in the yards. The Northern Pacific Railroad Headquarters Building is visible at the image upper-right edge. A line of warehouses, with the Thea Foss Waterway beyond, runs diagonally across the centre of the picture.

Commercial buildings are on both sides of the Street. Several men and women are on the sidewalks. A no. 123 streetcar, with the sign: Wharf and an automobile are in the foreground. Another streetcar and a horse-drawn vehicle are further in the background. Visible signs on businesses on the far side of the Street, from left to right: Tourist Hotel; The Royal; National Bank of Commerce.

Bunting and U.S. flags decorated the front of the ca. 16 story building. Automobiles are parked on Pacific Avenue. The People's Store is in the image left at the corner of Eleventh Street and Pacific Avenue.

Pulleys are suspended overhead in the ceiling, and a few tools are collected in the foreground. Some of the men are smoking pipes.

A large group of men is gathered in image right, in front of the entrance to Union Depot, which is visible in the image far right, at reception for Grand Army of the Republic veterans. A boy, possibly a newspaper boy, holding a paper under his arm, stands facing the photographer in the image right. A boy stands watching the mounted troops near the image right edge foreground.

Two men hold floral bouquets, two hold walking sticks, two hold suitcases, some hold their hats in their hands, and one has a medal on his suit jacket. A few veterans stand behind them, holding a U.S. flag on a staff.

Two boys wearing knickers are in the foreground. One, using crutches, turns around to look at the photographer. Further down the path are a woman and a man using a cane, and a group including a woman, a small girl, and two men, one pushing a child in a stroller.

The building was built in 1910, Heath & Twichell, architects. Offices in the building include E.F. Gregory, Real Estate, 1117 Pacific Avenue; O. Wren offices, 1119 Pacific Avenue. Signs for Union Pacific are on the front windows. Several men are gathered on the sidewalk in front of the building, looking towards the windows.

Pacific Avenue extends from there towards the image centre-right. Commercial buildings are on both sides of the Street. The top of the Northern Pacific Railroad Headquarters Building is in image right, visible over the rooftops of buildings in image right foreground. A streetcar is on Pacific Avenue above the image lower left edge.

Streetcars and two horse-drawn wagons are on the Street in the image lower center. Commercial buildings are on both sides of the Street. Pedestrians, including men and women, are crossing the Street on the sidewalks.

The bridge was replaced in 1913 and is now known as the Murray Morgan Bridge. Several horse-drawn wagons can be seen crossing the bridge, and a group of men are walking on the wooden sidewalk to the right. The bridge leads to the tideflats, Tacoma's industrial area.

Ten are in the first row. Some are looking at the photographer. The man in the image far left has a snare drum on a strap from his neck. Three of the men hold floral bouquets, and three are carrying suitcases. A man in the rear row has a U.S. flag on a staff. A row of National Guard of Washington Company B men, in uniform on horseback, is partially visible in the background.

A streetcar is in the center of the Street with people boarding. Automobiles and horse-drawn vehicles are on the Street. The old City Hall is visible in the proper distance. There are many pedestrians on the Street.

The building has a multi-story display welcoming people to a military tournament held at the stadium at Stadium High School. The display includes bunting over the entrance to the building. The next level has a rider on horseback and the figure of a man carrying a rifle.

A cable car is in the image lower center. A horse team drawn vehicle is partially visible from the rear in the image lower right. Commercial buildings are on both sides of the Street. Pedestrians, including men and women, are on the sidewalks.

Some are seated in the open-top automobiles, and some wait by suitcases on the railroad platform. Name on front of cars: Rapid. Two alpenstocks stand by the act of one car. The train depot is in the left background, and a saddled horse stands in front.