Not the least of the marvels of Tacoma’s history is the great business blocks that have been erected, converting a forest wild into a city of brick and stone in less than a decade. A suggestion of the massive appearance of the buildings on a portion of one of the streets is given by the first engraving in this volume, while on other pages are presented engravings of a number of fine business blocks but recently erected. Here is located the only chamber of commerce building north of San Francisco. It is a substantial three-story stone and brick structure, and in addition to the board of trade rooms contains commodious offices and stores. Union block, on the corner of Eleventh street and Pacific avenue, is a three-story and basement brick structure, erected by Cogswell & Son and John S. Baker. It is one hundred by one hundred and twenty feet in size, contains large stores and office rooms and cost $55,000. Sprague Buildings is the title of a large brick block four stories high, and extending three hundred and eighteen feet on Pacific avenue, erected by Gen. J. W. Sprague. It cost $75,000.00, and contains four stores for wholesale business, each occupying four floors and basement. Germania hall is a frame structure sixty-six by one hundred and twenty feet in size, erected by the Germania Society, on E street, between thirteenth and fourteenth, at a cost of $10,000.00. It contains a large hall for amusements and meetings, with other rooms and basement. Ouimette block is a handsome three-story brick structure on Pacific avenue. Mason block stands on A street, one block from “The Tacoma,” and is a handsome three-story brick edifice, with St. Louis pressed brick front and Bellingham bay blue stone trimmings. It contains the post office, express office, a store and many elegant office rooms. The buildings specially mentioned are only those recently completed. Many other fine business structures adorn the business thoroughfares and testify to the prosperity and solid business interests of the city.
GERMANIA HALL. FARRELL & DARMER ARCHITECTS
UNION BLOCK. FARRELL & DARMER ARCHITECTS
TACOMA.
STREETS, WATER WORKS AND ELECTRIC LIGHTS.
Electricity lights the business thoroughfares and many of the stores, while gas illuminates other portions of the city. The gas works were built in 1884, and the electric light plant, now having twenty miles of wire, was put in by a responsible company in 1887. There is, also, an excellent telephone service, with an extended circuit reaching Puyallup valley. In its water works it is especially fortunate. The system was built in 1884, at a cost of $300,000.00, and consists of eleven miles of mains, supplied with pure water by an aqueduct ten miles in length. The lower portion of the city is supplied by direct pressure from the reservoir, two hundred and sixty-two feet above the harbor, while the upper levels are served by powerful Holly pumps. A splendidly equipped fire department gives the city ample protection from the destroying element. In the matter of the improvement of its streets the city has done more to show its progressive and metropolitan character than in any other way. The leading thoroughfares are macadamized, and throughout the entire city streets are graded and in good condition. There are thirty-five miles of graded streets and fifty miles of sidewalk within the city limits. A horse car line runs the entire length of Pacific avenue from the water front, and a motor line runs out to Division avenue and Tacoma avenue, and along the latter both north and south for a long distance.
