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…

In 1906, seven square blocks became something more than a dot on the map, they became Ruston. A small town shaped by the people of the Tacoma Smelting Company who wanted what everybody wants, safety, better streets and services. A steadier kind of everyday life. And maybe most of all, that simple, beautiful thing called…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…