Downtown Tacoma

Images of America: Washington

by Ronald E. Karabaich, Ron Karabaich

In 1873, the Northern Pacific Railroad selected the south shore of Commencement Bay as the terminus of its transcontinental line. Connected to, but independent of the railroad, the Tacoma Land Company created a city adjacent to the terminus. By the early years of the 20th century, downtown Tacoma was the place to go for a wide array of activities from retail shopping and government activity to entertainment. Streetcars, and then automobiles, contributed to the ever-changing vitality of people and place. After the late 1960s, when developers constructed a mall south of the central core, city planners created a new type of urban experience centered on amenities designed to lure tourists and Tacomans alike.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

128 pages, Paperback

First published August 24, 2009

Reviews

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

a decent pictorial into Tacoma’s architectural past

A nice little guide into Tacoma’s architectural past. Not terribly impressive as it barely touches on the present, but that’s me.

[Bethany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the descriptions of the larger buildings were too dense/unrelatable to enjoy, but this book still offers a lot to learn. Photos of Tacoma decorated for President Benjamin Harrison's visit, a close-up of four young, modestly dressed women sitting on men's laps (prostitutes!), and information about terrible things done to the Japanese (belongings were later found in old homes that had belonged to people being sent to concentration camps, as we know also happened in Seattle). Also, more photos of the Tacoma Hotel fire (an aerial of the water being sprayed over its roof). A very nice photo of Jack the Bear climbing on something (rest in bearly peace, Jack). This copy even had someone's penciled-in corrections.

[Maddie Tiare]

I only skimmed it, but I'm counting it anyway. This book is going to stand in for all the historical documents I read doing thesis research.