Monthly Archives: October 2011

Tribal Cemetery

In honor of Halloween, we visited the Tribal Cemetery at 2002 East 28th Street, Tacoma, adjacent to the Emerald Queen Casino. We didn’t stay long, as dusk was approaching and we didn’t want the gate to lock behind us, but there is so much history there that I would like to go back. The entryway says Tribal Cemetery, but it is also known as Old Puyallup Indian Cemetery, Cushman Indian Cemetery, Puyallup Indian Cemetery and the Puyallup Tribal Cemetery. The best source of information was found on this website http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=223067

The cemetery’s land was formally set aside in 1894, but there are report of the site being used for burial for hundreds of years prior. The cemetery use to be next to the Cushman Indian Hospital, which I remember seeing on the hill. During the 1920s through the 1940s, the hospital tended to many cases of tuberculous and some of those who did not survive the illness are located here, often without their names being known. The cemetery is still in use.

Chief Leschi who died in 1858 is buried here. I hadn’t realized that he was hanged in Lakewood, WA for murder. In 2004, both houses of the Washington state legislature passed resolutions stating that Leschi was wrongly convicted and executed and  the state supreme court vacated Leschi’s conviction.

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=5861425

There is a small church located in the cemetery.

Halloween is for decorating!

The house at 202 Ramsdale in Fircrest is considered one of the best decorated Halloween Houses according to the Tacoma News Tribune.  So, on our way elsewhere, we stopped and snapped a quick photo. It wasn’t until later, at home, that I realized the pumpkin head figure that is the focal point of the display is actually one of those carved bears that Fircrest is known for!  That’s kind of cool. I throw a pumpkin frame around the whole thing because I didn’t think that overkill was a concern 😀 And while I was at it, I added a skeleton with a candy corn frame!

Adam Plenning Residence

The Adam Plenning Residence at 1524 S. Cushman St.,Tacoma, WA 1905 is a two story wood frame cottage with gable roof and cross gable that added to Tacoma Register by Resolution No.33231 on 12/5/1995.

The house is described as a “wall dormer which rests on a side first story three sided bay. There is a half round window with keystone in the front end gable end. Gables have returned eaves and dentils. Windows are one over one double hung. The three sided front bay has hip roof. The over the door porch has a gable roof with small column supports and balustrade. The house is covered with clapboard siding.”

To see how the building looked when it was constructed, go here http://search.tacomapubliclibrary.org/buildings/bldg1image.asp?j=1&o=3&n=13098&i=9771#text

Nordstrom at the Tacoma Mall

Nordstrom at the Tacoma Mall by Gexydaf
Nordstrom at the Tacoma Mall, a photo by Gexydaf on Flickr.

I had an appointment at the mall and took a minute to wander into Nordstroms at the Tacoma Mall to look at boots.  I learned the 10 Top Fall 2011 Fashion Trends, which are:

  • Capes & Ponchoes
  • The Heritage Jacket
  • Stacked Heels
  • Midi Length
  • Chocolate Metals
  • Bow Blouse
  • The Skinny
  • Bold Color Mixes
  • Leather Sportswear
  • Faux Fur

http://shop.nordstrom.com/

Oriental Noodle and Grill

Oriental Noodle and Grill by Gexydaf
Oriental Noodle and Grill, a photo by Gexydaf on Flickr.

Dear daughter and I needed to stop for a quick nosh and we ended up sharing yellow curry with tofu at the Oriental Noodle & Grill at 1620 South Mildred in Tacoma. It is located in a strip center surrounded by other strip centers and freestanding retail buildings. The mural on the outside is a nice touch and the inside is also more than I would have expected. The meal was tasty and the service was excellent.

Engine House #5

Engine House No. 5 is located at 1453 Earnest S. Brazil St., Tacoma, and was constructed in 1935 and listed on the National Register in 1984. It is one of 17 fire stations in Tacoma. http://www.cityoftacoma.org/Page.aspx?hid=8023

The City of Tacoma placed 11 individual fire related properties (9 stations, 1 ship and an alarm system) on the national historical register in 1983. The nomination form is located here:  http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NRHP/Text/64000904.pdf

 

Carr’s Hall

The Connelly Law Office is located in a beautifully restored historic building at the corner of North 30th and North Carr Street (2301 North 30th). I confessed to knowing nothing about the firm except I like their mission statement “Seeking Justice for our Clients by holding Corporations, the Insurance Industry and Government  Agencies Accountable.” Their web address is: http://www.connelly-law.com/

I had several fine meals in the building when it was painted a bright green and was Grazie’s Ristorante. The original name of the building is Carr’s Hall and it was built in 1888 and restored in 1983. A photo of how it looked in 1978 can be found here http://search.tacomapubliclibrary.org/buildings/bldg1image.asp?j=1&o=1&n=29375&i=8948#text

Over its life, the building has been Knights of Pythias Temple, Bethel Mission Presbyterian Sunday School, Star Grocery Store, Anton Bush’s Grocery Store, apartments, Grazie Caffe Italiano in Aug. 1983 and now a law center.

Best Seats Ever at AMC Loews

The AMC Loews Lakewood Town Center 12 has the most comfortable theater seats ever! The theater had been around when the Lakewood Mall was in place and over the past 12 months or so they have been replacing their traditional seating and putting in these oversized and very comfy chairs. The best part is that with the push of a button the seat turns into a recliner! Dear husband and I claimed our own adjoining chairs, but I noticed other couples and parent/child combinations sharing 😀

http://www.amctheatres.com/Lakewood/

The Fern Hill Substation is located in the 8300 block of  Yakima Avenue in Tacoma. Puget Sound Energy states “To increase reliability for our customers and meet their growing demand for power in Pierce County, Puget Sound Energy is upgrading our existing low-voltage 55 kilovolt (kV) transmission lines to our now current standard of 115 kV. These projects will entail upgrading two substations and 12.5 miles of transmission line, and decommissioning our existing Fern Hill substation.”  The timeline to decommission the substation is 2012-2013. I wonder what one does with property that had been occupied by a substation!

To read more, go to http://pse.com/inyourcommunity/pierce/ConstructionProjects/Pages/Woodland-St-Clair.aspx

 

Burkee-Francois House

The Burkee-Francois House at 2326 South L Street was constructed in 1904 and is on the Tacoma, Washington State and National Register of Historic Places. More information can be found here http://wspdsmap.ci.tacoma.wa.us/website/HistoricMap/scripts/summary.asp?ID=%28346%29&map=%2847.2384900131,%20-122.450535574%29

I was delighted to see that this wonderful historic home is decorated for Halloween!