Earl and Floyd Willits are two brothers who came from Iowa with a talent like no other: determination, perseverance and unique carpentry skills. These brothers worked together along the shore of Commencement Bay while a neighborhood of homes and families grew up alongside them. Discover how the Day Island Yacht Club was formed, how documenting…

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…

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…

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,…

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…

Picture this: A room full of people saying, “We can do this” and then actually doing it. Come hear how the Tacoma Chamber of Commerce helped spark this bold project and meet the Boomers who showed up with hard hats, long days, and stubborn hope, building all three bridges with their own hands and their…

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,…

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Reservations required by calling 253-785-2744

Picture this: A room full of people saying, “We can do this” and then actually doing it. Come hear how the Tacoma Chamber of Commerce helped spark this bold project and meet the Boomers who showed up with hard hats, long days, and stubborn hope, building all three bridges with their own hands and their…

What if Tacoma was built twice…once in lumber and brick and again in courage? Meet Mrs. Bethel Schneebeck, Miss Alice Humble, Dr. Ella Fifield, Mrs. Elsbeth Haering and 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…