Collins Memorial Library: ENGL 229: Introduction to Creative Nonfiction: Tacoma Sites &amp; History

Researching Place

This page provides a (non-exhaustive!) list of links to government websites, tourism-focused websites, news publications based in Tacoma and the Puget Sound region, monuments and landmarks, historical societies, digital collections and more.

Researching a different location? Try looking up city websites, historical organizations, libraries, and digital collections in your area!

Government Sites, Libraries, Historical Organizations and more

Historylink: The Free Online Encyclopedia of Washington State History
An authoritative online encyclopedia dedicated to Washington state history. Many of the articles--written by scholars, journalists, teachers, and students--are originals prepared for the website.
Tacoma Historical Society
Members of Tacoma Historical Society and its museum forge connections between past and present by collecting, documenting and sharing the unique history of our city.
Tacoma Public Library Northwest Room
Digital images, information, and collections on the exploration, growth and development of Tacoma and the Puget Sound Region.
City of Tacoma
The official website for the city of Tacoma.
Tacoma City Landmarks
The City of Tacoma maintains the Tacoma Register of Historic Places, which includes individually registered City Landmarks in addition to Historic Districts and Conservation Districts.
Tacoma's Historic Districts
Tacoma has eight historic districts, including four that are listed on the local Tacoma Register (TR), seven that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NR), and seven that are listed on the Washington Heritage Register (WR).
Tacoma Historic Properties & Districts
Map and Historic Property Register Search from the City of Tacoma.
Tacoma History Walks
This page is a collaborative source for historic walking tours in Tacoma.
Historic Tacoma
Historic Tacoma's mission is to promote, conserve and enhance Tacoma’s architectural character.
Tacoma History
Local historian Michael Sullivan shares stories about Tacoma's past.
Travel Tacoma
Website of the official destination marketing organization for Pierce County, Washington.
Historical Marker Database
An illustrated searchable online catalog of historical information viewed through the filter of roadside and other permanent outdoor markers, monuments, and plaques. It contains photographs, inscription transcriptions, marker locations, maps, additional information and commentary, and links to more information.
The Tacoma Method
This website, originally created by University of Puget Sound students enrolled in Digital History (399) during the spring of 2017, recounts the history of the expulsion of the Chinese community in Tacoma in 1885 and provides a broader context to the event.
Chinese Reconciliation Project Foundation
Learn more about the 1885 Expulsion of the Chinese from Tacoma and the Reconciliation park.
WSDOT Tacoma Narrows Bridge History
This website is rich in information on the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, includes articles and images.

Tacoma News

News Tribune (Tacoma) Collection
Explore local news, events, people, and history with this Integrated Collection. Search current and archived issues with full-color newspaper pages, full-text articles and content only published online.
Washington State News
Explore and research topics across Washington State. This resource contains news sources from across the state including: the Bellingham Herald, Columbian, Kitsap Sun, News Tribune, The Olympian, Seattle PI, Seattle Times, Spokesman-Review, Tri-City Herald, Yakima Herald-Republic and more.

Images of Tacoma and South Sound History

Northwest Postcards
An extensive collection of postcards of Tacoma and the Pacific Northwest region, created by the Tacoma Public Library Northwest Room.
Tacoma Public Library Image Archives
A database containing over 40,000 images from the holdings of the the Tacoma Public Library Northwest Room, covering 1888 to the present day.
Tacoma-Pierce County Buildings Index
A comprehensive index of home and building construction news in Tacoma newspapers from 1883 through 1941 created by the Tacoma Public Library; includes thumbnail images of certain buildings.
University of Washington Libraries Digital Collections
Photographs, documents, and audiovisual resources from the UW Libraries, UW faculty and departments, and from UW collaborators.
Washington State Historical Society Image Collections
Historical photographs, maps, sheet music,as well as images of artifacts, ephemera, and drawings from the collections of the Washington State Historical Society.
Washington State Fair Collection
Contains more than 13,500 photographs showing the scenes, people, rides, events, and many attractions of the Washington State Fair from its founding in 1900 through 2011.
Tacoma Then and Again
This database contains a growing collection of rephotography (or "then and now" photographs) of buildings, streets, neighborhoods, and parks in Tacoma.
Tacoma Narrows Bridge Collection
A collection that contains images and text about the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, drawn from the University of Washington Special Collections Division and the Museum of History and Industry.
Local History & Biography Index
The Local History & Biography Index from Tacoma Public Library includes information about the lives, times and events that have shaped our history. Search by name or keyword to find references to articles indexed from Tacoma area newspapers, magazines and books.
American Indians of the Pacific Northwest
Digital collection of historic photographs of NW coastal tribes.
Columbia River Basin Ethnic History Archive
Digital archive focused on groups in the Columbia Basin.

Citing Images

Images must be cited like all other resources. If you use an image you did not create, you must provide a citation. Images should be cited in all cases, even if the image is very small, or in the public domain. The citation should be accessible in the context of the image's use (within a Powerpoint presentation, on a web page, in a paper, etc.).

Image citations should include the following information at a minimum:

Title
Creator name
Repository information (museum, library, or other owning institution)
Image source (database, website, book, postcard, vendor, etc.)
Date accessed

It is also useful to include date, culture, and rights information, if known.

Citations can be formatted according to the citation style you are using.

Books of Historic Photographs of Tacoma

Historic Photos of Tacoma by Nick Peters; Tacoma Public Library
Call Number: F899.T2 P48 2007 Print Books
ISBN: 9781596523340
Publication Date: 2007
Old Tacoma by Caroline Gallacci; Tacoma Historical Society
Call Number: F899.T2 G36 2006 Print Books
ISBN: 9780738531038
Publication Date: 2006
South Tacoma by Darlyne A. Reiter
Call Number: F899.T2 R44 2007 Pacific Northwest Room
ISBN: 9780738548074
Publication Date: 2007
Tacoma's Parks by Doreen Beard-Simpkins; Melissa McGinnis; Metropolitan Park District of Tacoma
Call Number: F899.T2 M38 2007 Pacific Northwest Room
ISBN: 9780738548968
Publication Date: 2007
Tacoma's Point Defiance Park by Melissa McGinnis; Doreen Beard-Simpkins; Metropolitan Park District of Tacoma Staff
Call Number: F899.T2 M385 2012 Pacific Northwest Room
ISBN: 9780738595917
Publication Date: 2012
Tacoma's Proctor District by Caroline Gallacci; Bill Evans
Call Number: F899.T2 G34 2007 Pacific Northwest Room
ISBN: 9780738548128
Publication Date: 2008
Tacoma's Salmon Beach by Roger Cushman Edwards
Call Number: F899.T2 E33 2006 Pacific Northwest Room
ISBN: 9780738531083
Publication Date: 2006
Tacoma's Wright Park by Melissa McGinnis; Doreen Beard-Simpkins; Metropolitan Park District of Tacoma Staff
Call Number: F899.T2 M39 2008 Pacific Northwest Room
ISBN: 9780738559322
Publication Date: 2008
Tacoma's Waterfront by Caroline Gallacci; Ron Karabaich
Call Number: F899.T2 G364 2006 Pacific Northwest Room
ISBN: 9780738548647
Publication Date: 2006

University of Puget Sound Archives & Special Collections

Interested in the history of the University of Puget Sound? Check out the following resources from Archives & Special Collections!

University of Puget Sound from the Archives: people, places, and stories (1884-2017) by John M. Finney (Editor); Chuck Luce (Editor)
Call Number: LD4651.P84 F56 2017 Archives & Special Collections
ISBN: 9780692886083
Publication Date: 2017
Historical records and stories from the university's archives, researched and written by John M. Finney.

A small selection of digitized material from the Archives & Special Collections is available online 24/7. If you do not find what you are looking for, please contact us!

Material available online includes:

Puget Sound Digital Collections, a selection of digitized material from the Archives & Special Collections.

A small selection of photographs from Puget Sound.

Puget Sound historical material - all of which is keyword searchable.

Puget Sound films, 1930s-1970s.
Precursor to Arches: The Alumnus, 1930s-1970s.
A complete run of the student newspaper The Trail, 1890s-2010s.
Histories of Puget Sound written by past presidents and founders. The Thompson histories contain detailed accounts of professors, student and campus activities, and interesting stories related to Puget Sound during Thompson's presidency (1942-1973).
Puget Sound Bulletins, 1907-1970, 2006-present, the early bulletins contain a history of campus, classes offered, and the names and addresses of students enrolled.

Archives & Special Collections Hours

The Archives & Special Collections is located on the second floor of the Collins Memorial Library.

Set up an appointment: We are open to researchers by appointment Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. To make an appointment, email archives@pugetsound.edu or book online.

We look forward to assisting you!