Diablo Dam incline railway climbing Sourdough Mountain, 1930. Courtesy Seattle Municipal Archives, 2306.
Children waving to ferry, 1950. Courtesy Museum of History and Industry.
Loggers in the Northwest woods. Courtesy Washington State Digital Archives.
This Week Then
1/4/2018
Setting the Stage
One hundred years ago this week, on January 7, 1918, the new Pantages Theatre opened in downtown Tacoma as part of Alexander Pantages's vaudeville circuit. Born in Greece, Alexander Pantages came to the United States in the early 1880s and as a young man traveled to the Yukon during the Klondike Gold Rush, where he produced plays that were staged in the restaurants he worked in. In 1902 he moved to Seattle, where he opened the Crystal Theater, which became a huge success. The first house to carry the name Pantages Theater opened in Seattle in 1904, and a second, larger, Pantages theater opened there in 1915.
By this time, Pantages managed or operated dozens of theaters in the western U.S. and Canada. For his Tacoma theater, he hired noted Seattle architect B. Marcus Priteca, who would eventually design 22 theaters for Pantages. Priteca's most recent project before the Tacoma Pantages was Seattle's Coliseum Theater -- now a Banana Republic clothing store -- which also celebrates a birthday this week.
The Tacoma Pantages operated as a live theater for only a few years before becoming primarily a movie house, When Pantages sold it, it was renamed the Orpheum, and later, the Roxy. By the 1980s the building was showing its age, but was lovingly restored to its former glory in 1983. It has since been renamed the Broadway Center for the Performing Arts and is the oldest of the Pantages-built theaters still in operation.
Coming of Age
Apparently the new year is a popular time for Washington cities to form or incorporate, as this week bears out. On January 4, 1851, the first land claims were filed for the future town of Oak Harbor. On January 8, 1875, George and Mary Washington founded the town of Centerville, which later became Centralia. And on January 7, 1884, Tacoma City and New Tacoma merged into one, to be called simply Tacoma.
On January 8, 1904, the SS Clallam set sail from Seattle to Victoria B.C. Upon entering the Strait of Juan de Fuca, she encountered heavy seas and began to founder. Lifeboats were launched, but they immediately capsized, sending 56 persons to their deaths. This week also marks a deadly wreck at Peacock Spit at Cape Disappointment, when the SS Rosecrans went down on January 7, 1913, with a loss of 33 lives.
Children's Physician
On January 4, 1907, Anna Clise and a circle of her friends founded the Children's Orthopedic Hospital Association. They soon opened Children's Orthopedic Hospital (now Seattle Children's Hospital) in space provided by Seattle General Hospital. The all-female Board of Trustees (the first men were not seated until 2004) organized before women could vote, but it quickly garnered broad public support to open a "Fresh Air House" and later a hospital on Queen Anne Hill. Even feared Teamster boss Dave Beck chipped in to help move Children's to its present Laurelhurst campus in 1953.
Highway Transportation
On January 8, 1927, a large crowd attended the opening of the Puyallup Avenue Bridge, which linked Tacoma and Fife. In 2013, after more than 85 years of nearly trouble-free service, part of the aging span was replaced with a modern cable-stayed section, and work is underway to replace the entire structure by the end of this year.
Acts of Legislation
On January 10, 1955, State Representative Margaret Hurley -- injured from a car crash -- was wheeled into the state Capitol to cast the decisive vote to elect Democrat John L. O'Brien as Speaker of the House. On January 10, 1961, former State Senator Lulu Haddon attended the swearing-in ceremony for her daughter, State Senator Frances Haddon Morgan. And on January 10, 1994, Representative Helen Sommers became chair of the House Appropriations Committee.
Rain and Acclamation
On January 6, 1986, a leaky roof at Seattle’s Coliseum halted a Sonics basketball game, marking the first NBA contest to be called on account of rain. In other sports history, it was two years ago this week, on January 6, 2016, that Ken Griffey Jr. -- the most accomplished player in Seattle Mariners history -- was overwhelmingly voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
The theater is the only institution in the world which has been dying for four thousand years and has never succumbed. It requires tough and devoted people to keep it alive.
New Pantages Theatre in Tacoma opens on January 7, 1918.
Tacoma's Historic Downtown -- A Tour
Pantages, Alexander (1876-1936)
Priteca, B. Marcus (1889-1971)
Coliseum Theater opens in Seattle on January 8, 1916.
Zakarias Martin Taftezon, Ulrich Freund, and Clement Sumner file land claims to the future city of Oak Harbor on January 4, 1851.
Oak Harbor -- Thumbnail History
George and Mary Jane Washington found the town of Centerville (now Centralia) on January 8, 1875.
Centralia -- Thumbnail History
Washington Territorial Legislature merges Tacoma City and New Tacoma to take effect on January 7, 1884.
Tacoma -- Thumbnail History
Wenatchee -- Thumbnail History
Wenatchee incorporates as a fourth-class city on January 7, 1893.
Monroe -- Thumbnail History
City of Monroe incorporates on January 7, 1903.
Monroe welcomes a representative of Carnation, the condensed-milk firm, on January 29, 1908.
Inmates riot at Washington State Reformatory (Monroe) beginning on August 20, 1953.
Seattle Neighborhoods: Georgetown -- Thumbnail History
Georgetown (future Seattle neighborhood) incorporates as a city on January 8, 1904.
Georgetown votes to annex to Seattle on March 29, 1910.
Poulsbo -- Thumbnail History
First Council meeting of newly incorporated Poulsbo is held on January 7, 1908.
Seattle residents receive Cedar River water for the first time on January 10, 1901.
Cedar River Watershed (King County) -- Environmental Overview
Cedar Falls -- Thumbnail History
Cedar Falls hydroelectric plant begins lighting Seattle streets on January 10, 1905.
The SS Clallam founders in the Strait of Juan de Fuca on January 8, 1904, with a loss of 56 lives.
SS Rosecrans wrecks on Peacock Spit at Cape Disappointment with a loss of 33 lives on January 7, 1913.
Children's Orthopedic Hospital Association is founded in Seattle on January 4, 1907.
Children's Orthopedic Hospital
Children's Orthopedic Hospital Association opens Fresh Air House on June 1, 1908.
Children's Orthopedic Hospital opens on September 8, 1911.
Beck, Dave (1894-1993), Labor Leader
Children's Orthopedic Hospital in Seattle moves from Queen Anne to Laurelhurst in an elaborate, all-volunteer operation on April 11, 1953.
Politicians, officials, and members of the public dedicate Pacific Highway
Puyallup Avenue Bridge
Puyallup Avenue Bridge Slideshow
Hurley, Margaret (1909-2015)
Injured State Representative Margaret Hurley is wheeled into state capitol building to cast the decisive vote to elect Democrat John L. O'Brien as Speaker of the House on January 10, 1955.
O'Brien, John L. (1911-2007)
Haddon, Lulu (1881-1964)
Former State Senator Lulu Haddon attends the swearing-in ceremony for her daughter, State Senator Frances Haddon Morgan, on January 10, 1961.
After 21 years in legislature, Representative Helen Sommers becomes chair of House Appropriations Committee on January 10, 1994.
Sommers, Helen Elizabeth (1932-2017)
Leaky Coliseum roof halts Seattle SuperSonics-Phoenix Suns game, the first National Basketball Association contest called on account of rain, on January 6, 1986.
Ken Griffey Jr., best player in Seattle Mariners history, is overwhelmingly voted into Baseball Hall of Fame on January 6, 2016.
