This area was known as Edison to honor Thomas Edison, a friend of the railroad owner, before transitioning to the name South Tacoma. The Northern Pacific Railway moved its railway shops from downtown Tacoma to the prairie land which is now known as South Tacoma. Soon South Tacoma became a bustling route for early auto…

Ever feel downtown Tacoma whispering? Streetcars once rolled out from the transportation barn, carrying the city forward. A child was christened on the girders of the Rust Building – steel and blessing, high above the street. Department stores where you shopped for everything from washing machines to violins to jewelry, you will be fascinated to…

What if Tacoma was built twice…once in lumber and brick and again in courage? Meet Mrs. Bethel Schneebeck, Miss Alice Humble, Mrs. Elsbeth Haering, Mrs. Violet Graham - strong women, business owners, well ahead of their time. Not waiting to be invited into the room – but creating the room. Through vision, risk and persistence,…

What if Tacoma was built twice…once in lumber and brick and again in courage? Meet Mrs. Bethel Schneebeck, Miss Alice Humble, Mrs. Elsbeth Haering, Mrs. Violet Graham - strong women, business owners, well ahead of their time. Not waiting to be invited into the room – but creating the room. Through vision, risk and persistence,…

A beautiful stretch of Commencement Bay has been home to the well-loved Top of the Ocean restaurant, Fourth of July celebrations, Cummings Boat Company and over 30 lumber mills through the decades.  Come hear the history of how Ruston Way got its name, Tall Ships that shipped lumber from Tacoma to San Francisco and Japan…

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…

This area was known as Edison to honor Thomas Edison, a friend of the railroad owner, before transitioning to the name South Tacoma. The Northern Pacific Railway moved its railway shops from downtown Tacoma to the prairie land which is now known as South Tacoma. Soon South Tacoma became a bustling route for early auto…

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…

Step into Tacoma’s shadowy past. Have you heard about the 1951 vice raids – the kind of story that doesn’t just make the headlines, it rearranges a whole city. Hear about the scandal, the secrets and the shockwaves. From bootleggers and bordellos to a former city attorney who died in a mysterious fire, these aren’t…

A beautiful stretch of Commencement Bay has been home to the well-loved Top of the Ocean restaurant, Fourth of July celebrations, Cummings Boat Company and over 30 lumber mills through the decades. Come hear the history of how Ruston Way got its name, Tall Ships that shipped lumber from Tacoma to San Francisco and Japan…

A beautiful stretch of Commencement Bay has been home to the well-loved Top of the Ocean restaurant, Fourth of July celebrations, Cummings Boat Company and over 30 lumber mills through the decades.  Come hear the history of how Ruston Way got its name, Tall Ships that shipped lumber from Tacoma to San Francisco and Japan…

Ever feel downtown Tacoma whispering? Streetcars once rolled out from the transportation barn, carrying the city forward. A child was christened on the girders of the Rust Building – steel and blessing, high above the street. Department stores where you shopped for everything from washing machines to violins to jewelry, you will be fascinated to…