Why Tacoma is So Sweet – We are talking about candy – the kind that sticks and brings you back to being eight years old. Hear the surprising truth: some of America’s iconic candy stories began right here. Mars Candy Company, Brown & Haley, Marcoe Candy Company and Johnson Candy. Who were the men and…

Decades ago, Tacoma had a darker side—one that operated in the shadows and was rarely spoken about openly. The Tacoma Underworld was alive and well, and during the 1970s, arson, bribery, extortion, illegal gambling, and organized crime cast a long, uneasy shadow over the city. Names like Janovich and Carbone were only pieces of a…

When Tacoma’s streetcars were still humming and the Narrows Bridge gateway began here, 6th Avenue was already doing what it still does best. Moving people through, connecting neighborhoods, keeping the city in motion. Kmart is gone. Shakey’s is gone. PhotoMat, the tiny booth-like time capsule you drove past without thinking is gone too. But the…

The Summer of 1929 was exceptionally dry and the Fall was not better, significantly draining Tacoma’s electricity.  The shortage became so critical that Superintendent Ira S. Davisson had to cut power to homes and businesses. In December 1929, there were several discussions between the Tacoma Chamber of Commerce and lumber mill operators to shift their…

What if Christmas isn’t something we invent each year, but something we inherit? Christmas in Tacoma is a warm story-filled presentation tracing how Tacoma has celebrated the season for over 150 years. From a booming Christmas tree business to carolers carrying harmony down dark streets, to snowy evenings that turned Tacoma into a postcard, you…