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…

What if Tacoma was built twice…once in lumber and brick and again in courage? Meet the first female doctor, an imaginative entrepreneur, the first female voter, a creative teacher and the first female general manager. Strong women, business owners, leaders, well ahead of their time. Not waiting to be invited into the room but creating…

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…

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 shoes to jewelry, you will be fascinated to…

During the 1910's residents of Tacoma wanted the peace and quiet of the suburbs before the suburbs became popular.  Craftsman homes on the corner of North 13th and Stevens Street, North 12th and Stevens Street and North 12th & Huson Street still stand today.  Residents Mr. William Lechner, a barber; Mr. Christian Jorgensen a laborer…

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…

During the 1910’s residents of Tacoma wanted the peace and quiet of the suburbs before the suburbs became popular.  Craftsman homes on the corner of North 13th and Stevens Street, North 12th and Stevens Street and North 12th & Huson Street still stand today.  Residents Mr. William Lechner, a barber; Mr. Christian Jorgensen a laborer…

What if a neighborhood story isn’t about headlines but by the people who unlocked the door each morning? Hear about Wright Park, Stadium High School and distinctive entrepreneurs who shaped the Stadium business District. You may not recognize the names of Mrs. Lucy Darling, Mr. Harold Allen or Mrs. Lois Scholl, most don’t. And yet…

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…

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 shoes to jewelry, you will be fascinated to…