Historic Tacoma

 Welcome to the Historic Tacoma blog. I search for homes, fire stations, churches, movie houses, and businesses of Tacoma in the late 1890s and early 1900s. If you're interested in history and Tacoma you'll enjoy the tour. 

Let's start with some of the fire houses of the horse-drawn engine era at the turn of the 19th century and early 20th century. 

This is Fire House No. 8 on South L and 43rd Street. It was constructed in  1909 when the engines were horse drawn. There are five of these fire houses constructed in the first decade and all similar in design. 

The houses were built to fit into their neighborhoods. And they did. The neighborhood firehouses were similar to the construction of the fine old homes of the early 20th century, replete  with all the decorative touches in the interior. Fire House No. 9 is a wonderful example and well preserved. 

The ground level was where the engines were stored and the horses were stabled. The second floor was living quarter for the men and the hay loft from which the hay was thrown down for the hoses. 

This former fire house is now a private home and owned by an afficionado of fire houses, no doubt. . 

The next is Fire House No. 3 on N. 13 and J Street and served the neighborhood on N. 21st Street. 

Fire House No. 3 has been made into a condominium. It was constructed in  1907 at about the same time as the street car line pushed through I Street and North 21st Streets to Proctor neighborhood and Point Defiance to the north and west. 

Fire House No. 9 in  Proctor neighborhood, North Tacoma,  is still in use. It was built in  1912. With the new development of condo and Commercial buildings, the need for fire protection  will ensure that this fire house remains in use. 

Fire House No. 11 served the east side from McKinley and 38th Street. It is the one other fire House still in service. Constructed in 1909 it is just up hill from the McKinley neighborhood. It is also the best loved. When I was out collecting these pictures people would always direct me to the "McKinley Fire House." 

Fire House No. 4 was built in 1911 and served the growing Pacific Ave business and industrial districts in the heart of Tacoma. It, along with the others, was built after the Seattle fire of 1889 when much of the downtown of Seattle burned. The city leaders in Tacoma felt that they needed to protect Tacoma from such devastation, and they authorized the construction of a network of fire houses to serve Tacoma. The building follows the purpose of the city leaders for the fire houses to fit into their neighborhoods. No. 4 is in the industrial district of old Tacoma, and its style was similar to other building surrounding it. 

Fire House No. 9 has been transformed into a beer and pizza parlor. Inside some of the original architecture remains. The bar is where the horse horses were stabled and the upstairs where the men were quartered has been tuned into a room for large groups.  This was the last house to use horses to draw the engine. 

From the E9 Gastropub website: ENGINE HOUSE NO. 9 around 1908—At the sound of the alarm the night watchman would open the stable gate (where the bar is located now) the horses would trot into position for harnessing and within 30 seconds the crew would have the steamer fire lit, pre-heat water pipes disconnected and be underway. The original accordion doors which were spring-loaded opened in seconds causing the horses to bolt out much like a horse race track. 

 Engine House No. 9 was built in 1907 to provide fire protection for Tacoma’s North End.  For many years it served as battalion headquarters.

 It was the last station in Tacoma to convert from horse-drawn to mechanized equipment—in 1919 when Rufus Harben and Earle More made the final symbolic run aboard an Amoskeg steam pumper drawn by the horses Nip, Dick and Joe.

  Engine House No. 9 was in service until 1965 when it was abandoned and fell into disrepair.  Vandals touched off no less than three fires in the building in the ensuing seven years.  Although the

structure remained, it was stripped and battered and its bones exposed to winter snow and rain when it was discovered by a young newspaper reporter in 1971.

Click to enlarge the photos.