Tacoma Historical Society

Many Tacomans will remember Juan Perez, who played the piano at the Tacoma Nordstrom store for 27 years. UW Tacoma student Nathan Hiatt recorded this episode in remembrance of Perez, who left a long-lasting impact on the Tacoma community.

Hiatt created this beautiful tribute as the final project for T ARTS 225: Musical History of Tacoma, taught by Kim Davenport at the University of Washington, Tacoma. At the time he took the class in Autumn 2023, he was a senior majoring in Arts, Media and Culture.

Join Tacoma Historical Society for our May monthly program presented by THS Communications Manager and Tacoma Historian, Kim Davenport. Kim shares the story of how her family tree of ancestors came to Tacoma via the Northern Pacific Railroad. Sponsored by the Port of Tacoma, Tacoma Public Utilities and Amtrak. With thanks to Tacoma Creates for support of our programming.

THS Communications Manager Kim Davenport is joined on Nettie Asberry's porch by Karin Choo, Executive Director of Northwest Sinfonietta, and Klair Ethridge, Executive Director of Tacoma Urban Performing Arts Center (TUPAC) to discuss their exciting upcoming celebration of the legacy of Nettie Asberry.

Northwest Sinfonietta's season finale on May 20 and 21, 2023 brings live music and dance together in 'This Land.' Partnering with Tacoma Urban Performing Arts Center, the program features a new ballet celebrating the life and story of Tacoma icon Nettie Asberry.

Tickets: nwsinfonietta.org

Saturday, May 20 at 7:30pm, Rialto Theater, Tacoma

Sunday, May 21 at 2pm, Pioneer Park Pavilion, Puyallup

Discount code for May 20 performance with support from Tacoma Creates: 1219 Nettie

In honor of Women's History Month, THS Communications Manager Kim Davenport interviews Kimberly Klontz, a longtime BNSF engineer and leader in the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen 238 in Tacoma. Kimberly has an interest in railroad labor and mechanical history dating back to her childhood, when her family volunteered at several railroad museums in the local area. She developed an interest in labor history by listening to the older volunteers talking about their experiences on the railroad. She was fortunate have met one of the last motormen for the Tacoma Trolley system, several women who had hired out as operators for the Northern Pacific Railroad during the second world war, and numerous men who worked on the railroad in a variety of positions from entry level labor to upper management. Most had worked for the Northern Pacific, Milwaukee Road or the Burlington Northern. She continues to have an interest in preserving railroad labor history, and volunteers at the Pacific Northwest Railroad Archives.

We are delighted to announce the first episode of a new virtual series, Tacoma's Family Table, hosted by THS volunteer Rose Mattison. The inaugural episode features guest Abby Woods, owner of Trini Plate. Abby shows us how to make a holiday favorite from Trinidad, Pastelle.  Jump over to our YouTube channel to watch the video for this episode!

We all have food in common. Most of us get together around the table with friends and family to celebrate birthdays, gather for holidays and sometimes to mourn and support each other through difficult times. Tacoma’s Family Table uses food and the stories and traditions connected to that food to forge connections, build understanding and relationships, and tell the rich, varied and unique history of our city through its citizens and share that history with the public.  

With thanks to Tacoma Creates for support of our public programming.

Tacoma Historical Society is delighted to introduce a new virtual series, "Tacoma's Family Table."  

We all have food in common. Most of us get together around the table with friends and family to celebrate birthdays, gather for holidays and sometimes to mourn and support each other through difficult times. Tacoma’s Family Table uses food and the stories and traditions connected to that food to forge connections, build understanding and relationships, and tell the rich, varied and unique history of our city through its citizens and share that history with the public.

The first episode airs on our YouTube Channel beginning Monday, December 12 at 7pm.

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In honor of Transgender Awareness Week, we are pleased to share this talk by our curator Elizabeth Korsmo, exploring the life and works of Dr. Alan L. Hart, transgender doctor and author who lived and worked in Tacoma during the 1930s.

Get to know our THS Registrar, Ben Inokuchi.

Get to know our THS Curator, Elizabeth Korsmo.

Get to know our THS Communications Manager, Kim Davenport.

Get to know our THS Director, Jessica Smith!

Join THS Communications Manager and local music historian Kim Davenport in this virtual program celebrating the 60th anniversary season of the Tacoma Youth Symphony Association. 

The program begins with a conversation between Kim and TYSA executive director Anna Jensen, which provides an overview of the upcoming season of music and celebration. Then, share in Kim's research into the organization's history through words, music, and historic photographs.

With thanks to Tacoma Creates for support of our virtual programming.

For our September virtual program, Tacoma Historical Society is delighted to host a presentation by local historian Whitney Brady titled "Hillstorian Voices - Intro to Hilltop Businesses (1st Edition)." The presentation, created in partnership with Historical Research Associates (HRA) working with Horizon Housing Alliance (HHA), is based on a series of audio interviews Whitney and his partners performed, tells the story of significant places in the Hilltop by weaving together the voices of long-time and former residents of the neighborhood, who become historians themselves as they share their memories and experiences of the community.  

Whitney, who has an ear for significant themes, has used these interviews to create dynamic audio tapestries that narrate the history of Hilltop. His audio presentation will be paired with a visual presentation using maps and historic photos to introduce the audience to the buildings and landscapes that are touchstones for the featured “Hillstorians.”  

With thanks to Tacoma Creates for support of our public programming.

Joe Bomar interviews historical interpreter Jerry Eckrom at Fort Nisqually.

Get to know our Grit City Stories host, Tacoma Historical Society volunteer Joe Bomar!

Joe Bomar interviews Melissa Malott about the work of Communities for a Healthy Bay.

In honor of Pride Month in Tacoma, THS communications manager Kim Davenport sits down for an interview with Washington State Representative Laurie Jinkins.

Rep. Jinkins discusses what brought her to Tacoma and got her started in politics, her involvement in fights for equal rights for LGBTQ+ people, and the significance of our current exhibit, Finding Home: LGBTQ+ History in Tacoma.

In honor of Preservation Month, join THS Communications Manager Kim Davenport as she celebrates the 100th birthday of her home, the Gray House in Tacoma's Lincoln District. In addition to learning the interesting history of the man who built the home and seeing some of the home's architectural details, Kim will also share her story of learning to use local research tools to uncover the home's history.

Kim is joined by Spencer Bowman, Northwest Room librarian for Tacoma Public Libraries, and Susan Johnson, Historic Preservation Coordinator for the City of Tacoma, to share resources that are available to anyone interested in learning more about the history of an historic Tacoma home or property.

With thanks to Tacoma Creates for support of our public programming.

Joe Bomar interviews Paul Miller about the origins of Tacoma's own "America's Car Museum."

Joe Bomar interviews Kathi Rennaker, Director of Marketing for Brown & Haley Candy Co., and self-appointed B&H historian.

Joe Bomar interviews local historian Erin Lasley about the 62nd Air Lift Wing at McChord.

Joe Bomar interviews local historian Erin Lasley about the history of McChord Air Force Base (now part of JBLM).

Joe Bomar interviews Fircrest resident Blake Surina about the history of Fircrest.

Joe Bomar interviews local historian Erin Lasley about D.B. Cooper, the mysterious unidentified man who hijacked a Boeing 727 aircraft in 1971.

For more information about the exhibit: https://www.tacomaartmuseum.org/exhibit/gather-27-years-of-hilltop-artists/

Joe Bomar interviews Margaret Bullock, Chief Curator of Tacoma Art Museum, about the history of TAM.

For our March 2022 Virtual Meeting, we are honored to share an interview with Michael Mirra, recently retired as executive director of Tacoma Housing Authority.

As we prepare to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the New Salishan project at our upcoming Destiny Dinner on April 2, this interview is an excellent opportunity to learn more about the history behind the original Salishan development during World War II and the award-winning redevelopment of New Salishan which began in 2002.

For more information about the Destiny Dinner, visit: www.tacomahistory.org/destiny-dinner

Tacoma Historical Society is honored to share this interview featuring Lou Smith, the first president of the Black Student Union at the University of Puget Sound, which, at its inception in 1967, was the first BSU established in the state of Washington.

Current UPS students Kellen Hagans and Serena Sevasin interview Mr. Smith and THS board president Bill Baarsma, who worked with the first BSU leaders at UPS in his role as acting coordinator of the Black Studies program.

Join Tacoma Historical Society for our February 2022 virtual meeting, when in honor of Black History Month we will share a sampling of stories from Tacoma's Black History from our own research and exhibits. We hope the presentation will inspire you to continue exploring the deep and rich history of black lives in our community. 

Joe Bomar interviews John Buffelen Haley about the Buffelen Lumber Company and its role in building early Tacoma.

Joe Bomar visited the Museum of Glass and spoke with MoG curator Katie Buckingham about the origins of the museum and its role in the revitalization of downtown Tacoma. 

Learn more about the Museum of Glass on their website: https://www.museumofglass.org/

Joe Bomar visits the Foss Waterway Seaport and talks with Julia Berg, Director of Education, about the Seaport facility and the fascinating exhibits on display there.

Learn more about the Foss Waterway Seaport on their website: https://fosswaterwayseaport.org/

For our January 2022 virtual meeting, THS Communications Manager Kim Davenport interviews Pretty Gritty Tours founder Chris Staudinger about some of his favorite stories from Tacoma history.

Joe Bomar interviews Tacoma Historical Society board president and former Tacoma mayor Bill Baarsma about his time in office.

Joe Bomar sits down again with John Buffelen Haley, this time for a discussion of some stories from his family's connections to local aviation history.

Joe Bomar chats with Gritty City Tours founder Chris Staudinger about some spooky stories from Tacoma's past.

Tacoma Historical Society's November 2021 virtual meeting, in honor of Veterans Day, features Donald Christian, retired United States Air Force Veteran.  Christian's resume includes TV/Video Producer, Investigative Researcher, Historical Archivist, WW1 Historian, and Public Speaker. He is the proud son of WW1 Veteran AEF Engineer Ernest Earle Christian. Don has written a book about WW1 and the first AEF Engineers to arrive in France in August 1917.  Christian's presentation for Tacoma Historical Society will place his father's time at Camp Lewis into his larger story of service, with a focus on some of his father's collection of photographs from WWI, which have never been shared before. His intimate and historical photo archive presents a new personal side that the U. S. AEF troops brought to the war effort, both here and overseas in France.  This multi-media lecture tells the story of the vital construction work done by the US American Expeditionary Force and the 18th Engineers Regiment in WW1. AEF Engineer Ernest Earle Christian was among the first American engineers to arrive in France in late August of 1917. He was among the 1,700 handpicked Pacific Coast Engineers who were tasked with building a 10-berth, 4,100’ dock and railroad infrastructure at Bassens, France. This American base and dock supply depot’s location was important as it allowed the US to quickly move AEF troops and supplies to the French war front. It was built in record time, over existing lowland mudflats, and with minimal equipment, tools and supplies.

View on our YouTube Channel to see photographs shared in the presentation.

Joe Bomar interviews John Buffelen Haley, who shares stories from his family's long history in Tacoma.

THS Communications Manager Kim Davenport interviews Judy Carlson Hulbert, author of the new book, The Wind Will Not Stop.

The Wind Will Not Stop, the first book published by the Chinese Reconciliation Park Foundation, addresses the topic of the expulsion of Chinese residents from Tacoma in 1885 in a way that is accessible to younger readers. The author achieves this by making the Chinese expulsion the backdrop to a story about a young boy who sees his Chinese neighbors forcibly removed from town.

With thanks to Tacoma Creates for support of our public programs.

As the 2021-2022 school year begins, Tacoma Historical Society shares several ways in which teachers and students of all ages can get involved with Tacoma Historical Society - learning through exploring local history!

September 2021 virtual meeting, with featured speaker Karla Stover, author of the recent book, Wicked Tacoma.

Tacoma, the city where the rails meet the sails, has always been a place of innovation and rule-breakers. When the railroad came in the nineteenth century, business boomed, along with smuggling, bootlegging and prostitution. Men such as Peter Sandberg walked the line between criminal and respectable. Police in the growing town had their hands full not just with human criminals, but with stray cows, ducks and the occasional bear. Rumor has it that in the 1920s, gangsters Lucky Luciano and Frank Nitti were sent to cool their heels in the port city and may have been behind a smoke bomb attack on a movie theater. Join author Karla Stover as she delves into the wild and colorful past of the City of Destiny. 

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With thanks to Tacoma Creates for support of our public programs.

Metro Parks Tacoma historian and Planning and Asset Management Administrator Claire Keller-Scholz spoke on the recent Dickman Mill Park project, sharing the history of the site and the process through which the Tacoma Landmark head saw has at long last been restored to its original waterfront location. She will discuss the significance of the head saw to lumber history in Tacoma, and walk us through the stages of park development as the mill site was transformed from burned out rubble to a welcoming natural shoreline habitat and recreation space over the past thirty years.

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With thanks to Tacoma Creates for support of our public programming.

On Monday, July 12, 2021, Tacoma Historical Society hosted our first in-person meeting in more than a year. The featured speaker was Donald Tjossem, whose latest book for Arcadia Publishing's Images of America Series, "Tacoma Narrows Bridge," has just been released. For those who were not able to attend in person, we are pleased to share the audio from that evening's presentation.

THS Communications Manager Kim Davenport interviews David B. Williams, author of the new book Homewaters, now available from University of Washington Press.

Not far from Seattle skyscrapers live 150-year-old clams, more than 250 species of fish, and underwater kelp forests as complex as any terrestrial ecosystem. For millennia, vibrant Coast Salish communities have lived beside these waters dense with nutrient-rich foods, with cultures intertwined through exchanges across the waterways. Transformed by settlement and resource extraction, Puget Sound and its future health now depend on a better understanding of the region’s ecological complexities.

Focusing on the area south of Port Townsend and between the Cascade and Olympic mountains, Williams uncovers human and natural histories in, on, and around the Sound. In conversations with archaeologists, biologists, and tribal authorities, Williams traces how generations of humans have interacted with such species as geoducks, salmon, orcas, rockfish, and herring. He sheds light on how warfare shaped development and how people have moved across this maritime highway, in canoes, the mosquito fleet, and today’s ferry system. The book also takes an unflinching look at how the Sound’s ecosystems have suffered from human behavior, including pollution, habitat destruction, and the effects of climate change.

With thanks to Tacoma Creates for support of our public programming.

"Sounds of our City: Twenty-One Musical Tales from Tacoma History," written by Kim Davenport. Audiobook read by the author.

Author's Note: Music is universal. Styles may change with time and place, but human beings have always created music for personal expression, communication, and entertainment. Music, therefore, can serve as a lens through which to explore history. What type of music did people make when, and why?

The twenty-one stories in this book do not necessarily represent the most famous or successful musicians ever to create music in Tacoma. They do not give us a comprehensive understanding of any particular musical genre. Rather, they teach us more about the history of the city we live in, through exploring the lives of musicians who were in one way or another shaped by Tacoma.

Music clips in the order in which they are heard:

"Tacoma: The Rose of the West" (1910), performed by Drew Shipman and Kim Davenport.

"You'll Like Tacoma" (1909), performed by Drew Shipman and Kim Davenport.

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor: "Pilgrim's Song," Op.59 No.20 (1905), performed by Kim Davenport.

UW Tacoma student David Derouin discusses the history of Tacoma Opera with someone who knows it intimately, Lisa Ingraham. She has been the opera’s orchestra manager for about two decades and also serves as a violinist.

David produced this podcast episode as an assignment in the UW Tacoma class “Musical History of Tacoma,” taught by Kim Davenport in Winter Quarter 2021. 

For our April 2021 virtual meeting, THS Communications Manager Kim Davenport interviews UW Tacoma faculty members Dr. Lisa Hoffman and Dr. Mary Hanneman about their new book, Becoming Nisei: Japanese American Urban Lives in Prewar Tacoma.  

Tacoma’s vibrant Nihonmachi of the 1920s and '30s was home to a significant number of first generation Japanese immigrants and their second generation American children, and these families formed tight-knit bonds despite their diverse religious, prefectural, and economic backgrounds. As the city’s Nisei grew up attending the secular Japanese Language School, they absorbed the Meiji-era cultural practices and ethics of the previous generation. At the same time, they positioned themselves in new and dynamic ways, including resisting their parents and pursuing lives that diverged from traditional expectations.  

Becoming Nisei, based on more than forty interviews, shares stories of growing up in Japanese American Tacoma before the incarceration. Recording these early twentieth-century lives counteracts the structural forgetting and erasure of prewar histories in both Tacoma and many other urban settings after World War II. Lisa Hoffman and Mary Hanneman underscore both the agency of Nisei in these processes as well as their negotiations of prevailing social and power relations.  

The book is available for purchase in the THS Museum Store, located at 406 Tacoma Avenue S, open from 11am-3pm, Wednesday-Saturday. 

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With thanks to Tacoma Creates for support of our public programming.