A Commencement Bay Journey

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A Commencement Bay Journey 4/10/2017 A Commencement Bay Journey Washington Chapter APWA History Committee Pat Brodin John Carpita Bob Moorhead A: Tacoma Dome B: LeMay Car Museum A B C: Brown and Haley C D: Cable Stay Bridge E: Museum District D F: Thea Foss Waterway E G: 11th Street/Murray X Morgan Bridge F H: Old City Hall and Northern Pacific G Railway Headquarters Buildings H I: Foss Waterway Seaport Events Center Port of I J: TEMCO Grain Elevator Tacoma K: Old Town Tacoma J K Commencement Bay 1 4/10/2017 A: Tacoma Dome • Largest wooden building when completed in 1983. • Major upgrades planned for 2017-2018. • Large enough for indoor football. • Venue for state high school basketball championships. B: LeMay – America’s Car Museum • Opened in 2012. • More than 400 cars on display in 15 galleries. • Some say it has the appearance of the front fender of a 1958 Cadillac. 2 4/10/2017 C: Brown & Haley Candy • Harry L. Brown owned a small confectionery store. • J. C. Haley worked for Schilling and Company, a spice company, and had a flair for sales and advertising. • Their candy business was incorporated in 1914. • By 1916, Brown & Haley was marketing a full line of candy products. • Signature products include Almond Roca and Mountain Bars. D: Cable Stay Bridge • Opened in 1997. • Twin towers are 180 feet tall. • Two spans totals 707 feet. • One of only 13 such bridges in the nation. 3 4/10/2017 E: Museum District • Washington State History Museum 1996. • Museum of Glass 2002. • Bridge of Glass 2002. E: Museum District • Tacoma Art Museum 1963. • Union Station 1912 now Federal Courthouse. Designed by Reed & Stem, architects of New York’s Grand Central Station 4 4/10/2017 F: Thea Foss Waterway • Story of Thea Foss and the rowboat. Made more money than husband Andrew as a carpenter. • Tugboat Annie. • Foss Maritime. • Change from working seaport to gentrification. • EPA Superfund Cleanup Site. G: 11th Street/Murray Morgan Bridge • Designed by Alexander Waddell, who also designed Columbia River Interstate Bridge. • Water mains over the top. • Murray Morgan, local college instructor who wrote about local history while employed as the night shift bridge tender in the little house on top of the lift span. • Renovated by WSDOT c. 2009 even though no longer a state highway. 5 4/10/2017 H: Old City Hall and Northern Pacific Railway Headquarters Buildings • City Hall built in 1893. • Northern Pacific Railway Headquarters Building 1888. I: Foss Waterway Seaport Events Center • Heavy timber truss members 12” by 18” by 160 feet long, each made from a single tree. • Foss Waterway Development Authority. • Originally the Balfour Dock Building. 6 4/10/2017 J: TEMCO Grain Elevator • Originally built by Port of Tacoma in 1975. • Leased to Cargill/TEMCO. K: Old Town Tacoma • Job Carr Cabin • Original site of historic Tacoma • Docks, wharves, warehouses, sawmills along waterfront (1880s to 1950s) • Ruston Way now known locally as “Restaurant Row,” site of 4th of July Fireworks and other community celebrations 7 4/10/2017 NARRATIVE Credits • National Park Service Coast Starlight Trails & Rails Guide PHOTOS • Bridgehunter.com - K. A. Erickson • Historylink.org • Wallflower Photography • Washington State Historical Society • Blue Water Shipping • LeMay Car Museum • Google Maps • Wikipedia 8.
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