Historic Photos of Tacoma / text and captions by Nick Peters. Nashville, Tenn. : Turner Pub. Co., c2007. x, 206 p.

Another one in a series of photo books based on a geographic place by Turner Publishing. T-Town native and historian Nick Peters loves his city and that is communicated in his brief chapter introductions and photo captions. Yet, his historian side does outweigh any civic boosterism as he didn't pretty up some of the less admirable aspects in the City of Destiny's past.

His captions are well written and serve as an excellent support for the over 200 black and white photographs. The daily life of the city is captured, as well as some big events such as the press frenzy during the Weyerhaeuser kidnapping and the collapse of Galloping Gertie. He provides solid dates or takes an educated guess at most photos, which I appreciated. I also enjoy the little bits of human interest he frequently added to help spice up what could be a boring photo. For example, page 43 has a photograph of the Berlin Building. Interesting if you are into Tacoma historic buildings, but how many of us really care that much? Here is Peters' caption, adding some color:

German immigrant Henry Mahncke, with partner Charles Muehlenbruck, built the Berlin Building in 1892 at 1021-23 Pacific Avenue. It was a dream come true for Mahncke, a Tacoma baker since 1882, but a dream short-lived. He lost everything in the Panic of 1893, becoming a janitor and elevator operator in the building he had owned. Mahncke later built a successful career in real estate, dying in 1927. The Berlin was demolished in 1920 to make way for the Washington Building.

The book also introduced me to marathon swimmer Bert Thomas, who swam from Seattle to Tacoma. Since I like collecting odd Washingtonians in my head, this was a nice discovery.

The photos themselves were well chosen. One is really struck by how rough and muddy the city was during the pre-automobile era. They span a time period from 1878 to 1969. The photos from the 1960s do not really add much to the story-- they are presented in too much of a disjointed way. I would've concluded with the shot of Governor Rosellini cutting the ribbon on the Tacoma portion of Interstate 5 (Oct. 10, 1959). That was the day T-Town's provincialism, as with all cities along the corridor, ended. I can remember what it was like riding to Tacoma/Seattle before I-5. Torturous compared to today, even with gridlock. Also, I miss an index and photographer credits.

One major feature of the city's history that I did not see was any mention of the infamous "Aroma of Tacoma." It was so bad to those of us who were driving through that when I was a little kid I told my parents "I didn't do it" once I got a whiff. Ah, those were the days.

Although I have no reason to question the historical accuracy of this book, I did find one big whopper right at the start. Hazard Stevens, the first man to climb Rainier, is also called "the first governor of the Washington Territory." Even three out of my four cats know Isaac Stevens was our first Territorial Governor. Hazard was his son.

Even with my minor criticisms, I liked this book. Tacoma is not a place I know well but would like to get to know better. I worked there for awhile in 1975, and always thought it was sort of a Seattle-with-dirty-fingernails. A real workingman town. Peters' book does a fine job of tracing the image of that image.