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55-599: The Kitsap County Transportation Company grew out of a business known as the Hansen Transportation Company. The founder of Hansen Transportation was Capt J.J. Hansen who moved to Tacoma from Minnesota in 1888. In Minnesota, and later in Boxton, North Dakota , J.J. Hansen had been in the business of selling farm equipment. J.J. Hansen had two sons who joined him in the steamboat business, Captains Henry A. Hansen and Ole L. Hansen (1875–1940), as well as

110-725: A " pyramid scheme " with shares of his own stock. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison. President Franklin Roosevelt commuted 10 years from Foshay's sentence, but Foshay only actually served three years in Leavenworth because of "good behavior." President Harry Truman granted Foshay a full and unconditional pardon in 1947. The remnants of this third company became the basis for Citizens Utilities . After his pardon Foshay moved to Arizona and Colorado where he worked with local chambers of commerce. Destitute, in 1957 he moved back to Minnesota to live with his son's family. That year he had

165-750: A branch campus of the University of Washington ; the numerous privately financed renovation projects near the campus; the Washington State History Museum (1996), echoing the architecture of Union Station; the Museum of Glass (2002); the Tacoma Art Museum (2003); and the region's first light-rail line (2003). The glass and steel Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center opened in November 2004. America's Car Museum

220-488: A consensus. All the male jurors voted for conviction, but Mrs. Genevieve Clark stubbornly held out. A mistrial was declared. It was later discovered that Genevieve Clark had worked for the Foshay Company at one time, and that her husband knew Foshay personally through doing business with him. Clark was charged with contempt of court. A Supreme Court appeal failed. She was sentenced to six months in prison. Clark

275-482: A conservative Republican, focused on the vulnerabilities of computers to fraud. In 1998, Tacoma installed Click! Network , a high-speed fiber optic network throughout the community. The municipally owned power company, Tacoma Power , wired the city. In response, the State of Washington passed RCW 54.16.330 in 2000, effectively preventing further research and development of Click! Network until its repeal in 2021 during

330-687: A dock at Suquamish , valued at $ 1,800. In 1927, Kitsap County Transportation Companyand Puget Sound Freight Lines (PSFL) formed a joint venture company called the Ferry Dock Company , which took out a long-term lease on the Grand Trunk Pacific dock in Seattle, which was then in a rundown condition. The dock became the main terminal and for both lines. In 1929, the stockholders of KCTC and PSFL reached agreement with Wilbur B. Foshay (b. 1887) to sell their companies, including

385-555: A longer route, Harper – Colby – West Bainbridge Island – Brownsville . With Gazzam in charge as president, the company officially changed its name, in March 1905, to the Kitsap County Transportation Company. The company's official emblem as painted on the ships' smokestacks, was a white band (called a "collar") painted around the stack, with the letter "K" in black or red on each side. The company

440-569: A major destination for big-time automobile racing, with one of the nation's top-rated racing venues just outside the city limits, at the site of today's Clover Park Technical College . In 1924, Tacoma's first movie studio, H. C. Weaver Studio, was sited at present-day Titlow Beach . At the time, it was the third-largest freestanding film production space in America, with the two larger facilities being located in Hollywood. The production studio

495-443: A mayor and city-manager system in 1952. Tacoma was featured prominently in the garage rock sound of the mid-1960s with bands including The Wailers and The Sonics . The surf rock band The Ventures were also from Tacoma. Downtown Tacoma experienced a long decline through the mid-20th century. Harold Moss , later the city's mayor, characterized late-1970s Tacoma as looking "bombed out" like "downtown Beirut " (a reference to

550-469: A period of revitalization. Developments in the downtown include the University of Washington Tacoma ; the T Line (formerly Tacoma Link), the first modern electric light rail service in the state; the state's highest density of art and history museums; and a restored urban waterfront, the Thea Foss Waterway . The area was inhabited for thousands of years by American Indians , most recently

605-725: A rate war with the Moe Brothers who were running the steamer Reliance on the Dogfish Bay route in against the Hansens' Sentinel . The rate war was settled when Kitsap County businessman Warren I. "Colonel" Gazzam (b. 1863) bought Reliance . Gazzam also had some business allies acquire a major stake in the Hansen company. Gazzam arranged to have Reliance left on the Dogfish Bay route, while transferring Sentinel to

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660-499: A replica was built in 2000 near the original site in "Old Town"). Carr hoped to profit from the selection of Commencement Bay as the terminus of the Transcontinental Railroad, and sold most of his claim to developer Morton M. McCarver (1807–1875), who named his project Tacoma City, derived from the indigenous name for the mountain. Tacoma was incorporated on November 12, 1875, following its selection in 1873 as

715-610: A son-in-law, Capt. Alf Hostmark. The business was formally organized in 1898, but started earlier. Hansen Transportation initially acquired the steamer Quickstep and put it on the mail route between Port Madison and Poulsbo . Business proved good, and the business was able to acquire the Hattie Hansen , trading the Quickstep for machinery to build another steamboat, the Sentinel . The Hansens then become involved in

770-515: A stroke and soon died. Foshay's trial was a public spectacle at the time. Journalists, investors, and the general public all wanted to know how Foshay had misled them. At one point during the trial, Foshay claimed he was colorblind to explain peculiar marks in his accounting books—"in the red" and "in the black" were marked by symbols rather than ink color, when really these marks represented which entries were artificially inflated. The trial lasted six weeks. The jury deliberated, but could not reach

825-547: A whole most Tuesdays at 5:00 p.m. in the council chambers at 747 Market St. Meetings are open to the public and provide for public input. Victoria Woodards began her term as mayor of the City of Tacoma on January 2, 2018. She is Tacoma's third African-American mayor and third female mayor, and the second African-American female mayor. She succeeded Marilyn Strickland , who was elected in 2009, becoming Tacoma's first African-American female mayor. Normal day-to-day operations of

880-495: Is at 47°14′29″N 122°27′34″W  /  47.24139°N 122.45944°W  / 47.24139; -122.45944 (47.241371, –122.459389). Its official elevation is 381 feet (116 m), varying between sea level and about 500 feet (150 m). According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has an area of 62.34 square miles (161.46 km ), of which 49.72 square miles (128.77 km )

935-637: Is land and 12.62 square miles (32.69 km ) is water. Tacoma straddles the neighboring Commencement Bay with several smaller cities surrounding it. Large areas of Tacoma have views of Mount Rainier. In the event of a major eruption of Mount Rainier, the low-lying areas of Tacoma near the Port of Tacoma are at risk from a lahar flowing down the Puyallup River. The city is several miles north of Joint Base Lewis–McChord , formerly known separately as Fort Lewis and McChord Air Force Base . According to

990-563: Is locally known as the "City of Destiny" because the area was chosen to be the western terminus of the Northern Pacific Railroad in the late 19th century. The decision of the railroad was influenced by Tacoma's neighboring deep-water harbor, Commencement Bay . By connecting the bay with the railroad, Tacoma's motto became "When rails meet sails". Commencement Bay serves the Port of Tacoma , a center of international trade on

1045-438: Is the county seat of Pierce County , Washington , United States. A port city, it is situated along Washington's Puget Sound , 32 miles (51 km) southwest of Seattle , 36 miles (58 km) southwest of Bellevue , 31 miles (50 km) northeast of the state capital, Olympia , 58 miles (93 km) northwest of Mount Rainier National Park , and 80 miles (130 km) east of Olympic National Park . The city's population

1100-477: The COVID-19 pandemic , a period of over 20 years. Beginning in the early 1990s, city residents and planners took steps to revitalize Tacoma, particularly its downtown. Among the projects were the federal courthouse in the former Union Station (1991); Save Our Station community group; Merritt+Pardini Architect (1991); Reed & Stem Architects (1911); the adaptation of a group of century-old brick warehouses into

1155-507: The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in 2022, there were 3,601 violent crimes and 19,217 property crimes, for 221,776 residents. Of these, the violent crimes consisted of 147 forcible rapes, 41 murders, 752 robberies and 2,661 aggravated assaults, while 2,365 burglaries, 11,027 larceny-thefts, 5,582 motor vehicle thefts and 243 instances of arson defined the property offenses. Tacoma's Hilltop neighborhood struggled with crime in

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1210-459: The Köppen climate classification , Tacoma has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csb ). The warmest months are July and August; the coldest month is December. As of the 2020 census , there were 219,346 people and 91,951 households residing in the city. As of the 2010 census , there were 198,397 people, 78,541 households, and 45,716 families residing in the city. The population density

1265-574: The Lebanese Civil War that occurred at that time); "Streets were abandoned, storefronts were abandoned and City Hall was the headstone and Union Station the footstone" on the grave of downtown. The first local referendums in the U.S. on computerized voting occurred in Tacoma in 1982 and 1987. On both occasions, voters rejected the computer voting systems that local officials sought to purchase. The campaigns, organized by Eleanora Ballasiotes,

1320-567: The Pacific Coast and Washington's largest port. The city gained notoriety in 1940 for the collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge , which earned the nickname "Galloping Gertie" due to the vertical movement of the deck during windy conditions. Like most industrial cities, Tacoma suffered a prolonged decline in the mid-20th century as a result of suburbanization and divestment. Since the 1990s, downtown Tacoma has experienced

1375-533: The Puyallup people, who lived in settlements on the delta. In 1852, a Swede named Nicolas Delin built a water-powered sawmill on a creek near the head of Commencement Bay, but the small settlement that grew around it was abandoned during the Indian War of 1855–56 . In 1864, pioneer and postmaster Job Carr , a Civil War veteran and land speculator, built a cabin (which also served as Tacoma's first post office;

1430-403: The 1930s, the city became known for the " Tacoma Aroma ", a distinctive, acrid odor produced by pulp and paper manufacturing on the industrial tide flats. In the late 1990s, Simpson Tacoma Kraft reduced total sulfur emissions by 90%. This largely eliminated the problem; where once the odor was ever-present, it is now only noticeable occasionally downtown, primarily when the wind is coming from

1485-494: The 1980s and early 1990s. The beginning of the 21st century has seen a marked reduction in crime, while neighborhoods have enacted community policing and other policies. Bill Baarsma (mayor, 2002–2010) was a member of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition , a bi-partisan group with the goal of "making the public safer by getting illegal guns off the streets". Starting in 2020, during

1540-629: The Ferry Dock Company, to Foshay, who was then assembling a utility and transportation business empire. Foshay however was financially ruined in the October 1929 stock market crash and the transaction never went through. As of January 1, 1917, the company operated on the following routes originating from Pier 3 (now Pier 54) in Seattle: Tacoma, Washington Tacoma ( / t ə ˈ k oʊ m ə / tə- KOH -mə )

1595-461: The World (IWW), with the goal of a fifty-cent per day pay raise. The strike was strongly opposed by the local business community, and the smelter owners threatened to blacklist organizers and union officials. The IWW opposed this move by trying to persuade inbound workers to avoid Tacoma during the strike. By August, the strike had ended without meeting its demands. Tacoma was briefly (1915–1922)

1650-628: The acquisition phase of the next. His second empire included three utility companies that served the Crookston, Bemidji, and Hallock areas in northern Minnesota (all are today served by Otter Tail Power Company ). As he worked on his third and largest utility empire, Foshay built the Foshay Tower in Minneapolis , Minnesota, which opened in August 1929. In 1932 he was convicted of conducting

1705-541: The board of the Weyerhaeuser Company . In 1940, after eviction notices failed, the police department attempted to burn down Hooverville. In 1956, the last occupant of "Hollywood" was evicted and the police used fire to level the grounds and make room for industrial growth. In 1951, an investigation by a state legislative committee revealed widespread corruption in Tacoma's government, which had been organized commission-style since 1910. Voters approved

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1760-484: The camp. In 1935, Tacoma received national attention when George Weyerhaeuser , the nine-year-old son of prominent lumber industry executive J.P. Weyerhaeuser , was kidnapped while walking home from school. FBI agents from Portland handled the case, in which a ransom of $ 200,000 secured the release of the victim. Four persons were apprehended and convicted; the last to be released was paroled from McNeil Island in 1963. George Weyerhaeuser went on to become chairman of

1815-502: The city at-large. All serve four-year terms and are elected in odd-numbered years. The council adopts and amends city laws, approves a two-year budget, establishes city policy, appoints citizens to boards and commissions, and performs other actions. The council also meets in "standing committees", which examine the council's work in more defined areas, such as "Environment & Public Works", "Neighborhoods & Housing", and "Public Safety, Human Services & Education". The council meets as

1870-495: The city government are administered by Tacoma's city manager, who is appointed by the city council. Elizabeth Pauli was appointed Interim City Manager on February 6, 2017. She replaced former manager T. C. Broadnax, who was appointed to the office in January 2012 and left in 2017 to become the city manager of Dallas, Texas . At the federal level, Tacoma is part of two congressional districts. The western and northern portions of

1925-422: The city is part of the 6th District , represented by Derek Kilmer . The eastern portion is in the 10th District , represented by Marilyn Strickland . Tacoma is the home of several international companies, including staffing company True Blue Inc., lumber company Simpson , and the food companies Roman Meal and Brown and Haley . Frank C. Mars founded Mars, Incorporated , in 1911 in Tacoma. Beginning in

1980-412: The city without sufficient power and heat. During the 30-day power shortage in the winter of 1929 and 1930, the engines of the aircraft carrier USS  Lexington provided Tacoma with electricity. A power grid failure paired with a newly rewritten city constitution – put into place to keep political power away from a single entity such as the railroad – created a standstill in the ability to further

2035-597: The city. As described by the account prepared by the Chinese Reconciliation Project Foundation, on the morning of November 3, "several hundred men, led by the mayor and other city officials, evicted the Chinese from their homes, corralled them at 7th Street and Pacific Avenue, marched them to the railway station at Lakeview and forced them aboard the morning train to Portland, Oregon . The next day two Chinese settlements were burned to

2090-454: The city. The median income for a household in the city was $ 37,879, and the median income for a family was $ 45,567. Males had a median income of $ 35,820, versus $ 27,697 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 19,130. About 11.4% of families and 15.9% of the population were below the poverty line , including 20.6% of those under the age of 18 and 10.9% of those 65 and older. According to Uniform Crime Report statistics compiled by

2145-633: The company purchased Suquamish for $ 23,807.73. In November 1915, KCTC bought Camano from the Capt. H.B. Lovejoy's Island Transportation Company for $ 15,000 and renamed the vessel Tolo . Suquamish , sometimes referred to at the time as " Hyak' s pup" was notable for being the first diesel-powered passenger vessel in the United States. As of January 1, 1917, the company owned 2,200 feet (670 m) of waterfront property at Brownsville, Washington , valued for rate-paying purposes at $ 6,600, and

2200-566: The east. The mill produces pulpwood and linerboard products; previously owned by St. Regis Company, the mill was sold to RockTenn in 2014. The mill's name changed yet again in 2016 to WestRock and closed on September 30, 2023. Wilbur B. Foshay Wilbur Burton Foshay (1881–1957) was an American businessman, who built a fortune buying utilities throughout the Midwest in the early 20th century. Foshay had built up three different utility company empires; selling each one in turn to fund

2255-539: The ground." The discovery of gold in the Klondike in 1898 led to Tacoma's prominence in the region being eclipsed by the development of Seattle. A major tragedy marred the end of the 19th century, when a streetcar accident resulted in significant loss of life on July 4, 1900. From May to August 1907, the city was the site of a smelter workers' strike organized by Local 545 of the Industrial Workers of

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2310-407: The intersection of Dock Street EXD and East D Street in the train yard, a shanty town became the solution to the growing scar of the depression. Tacoma's Hooverville grew in 1924 as the homeless community settled on the waterfront. In 1927, Tacoma's Hooverville was coined "Hollywood" due to the type of crimes at the camp. The population boomed in November 1930 through early 1931 as families from

2365-408: The local economy. Local businesses were affected as the sudden stop of loans limited progression of expansion and renewal funds for maintenance, leading to foreclosures. Families across the city experienced the fallout of economic depression as breadwinners sought to provide for their families. Shanty-town politics began to develop as the destitute needed some form of leadership to keep the peace. At

2420-584: The neighboring McKinley and Hilltop areas were evicted. Collecting scraps of metal and wood from local lumber stores and recycling centers, families began building shanties (shacks) for shelter. By 1934, alcoholism and suicide were a common event in the Hooverville that eventually led to its nickname of "Hollywood on the Tide Flats", because of the Hollywood -style crimes and events taking place in

2475-435: The pandemic, Tacoma's crime started to rise again. In 2022, the city of Tacoma had the highest number of murders in its recorded history, at 45 murders, which dropped to 34 in 2023. The government of the city of Tacoma operates under a council-manager system. The city council consists of an elected mayor ( Victoria Woodards ) and eight elected council members: five from individual city council districts and three others from

2530-420: The population (8.1% Mexican, 1.1% Puerto Rican). There were 78,541 households, of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.8% were married couples living together, 14.8% had a female householder with no spouse present, 5.6% had a male householder with no spouse present, and 41.8% were other families. 32.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.6% had someone living alone who

2585-600: The western terminus of the Northern Pacific Railroad due to lobbying by McCarver, future mayor John Wilson Sprague , and others. However, the railroad built its depot in New Tacoma , two miles (3 km) south of the Carr–McCarver development. The two communities grew together and joined, merging on January 7, 1884. The transcontinental link was effected in 1887, and the population grew from 1,098 in 1880 to 36,006 in 1890. Rudyard Kipling visited Tacoma in 1889 and said it

2640-430: Was "literally staggering under a boom of the boomiest". George Francis Train was a resident for a few years in the late 19th century. In 1890, he staged a global circumnavigation starting and ending in Tacoma to promote the city. A plaque in downtown Tacoma marks the start and finish line. In November 1885, white citizens led by then-mayor Jacob Weisbach expelled several hundred Chinese residents peacefully living in

2695-622: Was 219,346 at the time of the 2020 census . Tacoma is the second-largest city in the Puget Sound area and the third-most populous in the state. Tacoma also serves as the center of business activity for the South Sound region, which has a population of about 1 million. Tacoma adopted its name after the nearby Mount Rainier , called təˡqʷuʔbəʔ in the Puget Sound Salish dialect, and “Takhoma” in an anglicized version. It

2750-595: Was 3,864.9 inhabitants per square mile (1,492.2/km ). There were 81,102 housing units at an average density of 1,619.4 per square mile (625.3/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 64.9% White (60.5% Non-Hispanic White ), 12.2% African American , 8.2% Asian (2.1% Vietnamese, 1.6% Cambodian, 1.3% Korean, 1.3% Filipino, 0.4% Chinese, 0.4% Japanese, 0.2% Indian, 0.2% Laotian, 0.1% Thai), 1.8% Native American , 1.2% Pacific Islander (0.7% Samoan, 0.2% Guamanian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian), and 8.1% were from two or more races . Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were 11.3% of

2805-494: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.10. The median age in the city was 35.1 years. 23% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 29.6% were from 25 to 44; 25.3% were from 45 to 64; and 11.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.4% male and 50.6% female. As of the 2000 census , there were 193,556 people, 76,152 households, and 45,919 families residing in

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2860-534: Was also the first of its kind in the Pacific Northwest The first film produced in Tacoma was Hearts and Fists , which starred John Bowers and premiered at Tacoma's Rialto Theater . The studio's importance has undergone a revival with the discovery of one of its most famous lost films, Eyes of the Totem . In 1932, the studios burned to the ground in a mysterious fire, and the production facility

2915-400: Was capitalized at $ 200,000. The Kitsap County Transportation Company acquired a number of steamboats, including Kitsap , Hyak , Burton , Falcon , Vashon II , Tolo , and Kitsap II . In March 1905 KCTC bought Reliance for $ 20,000. In December 1906 the company purchased Burton for $ 11,225. In June, 1909 the company bought Hyak , paying $ 51,101.72. In April 1914

2970-925: Was completed in late 2011 near the Tacoma Dome . The Pantages Theater (first opened in 1918) anchors downtown Tacoma's Theatre District. Tacoma Arts Live manages the Pantages, the Rialto Theater, and the Theatre on the Square. Tacoma Little Theatre (opened in 1918) is northwest of downtown in the Stadium District. Other attractions include the Grand Cinema, McMenamins Elks Temple, and the Landmark Temple Theatre. Tacoma

3025-479: Was never rebuilt. Several films were destroyed in the fire as old nitrate-based film did not survive. The 1929 crash of the stock market, resulting in the Great Depression , was only the first event in a series of misfortunes to hit Tacoma in the winter of 1929–30. In one of the coldest winters on record, Tacoma experienced mass power outages and eventually the shutdown of major power supply dams, leaving

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