Looking Back’s theme for 2026 is Downtown by the Decades. In 1914, photographer Robert Esterly produced a valuable series of photographs of downtown businesses and their owners. Shown here is the corner of Fourth Avenue and Main Street (now Capitol Way). At left of the image is the Chambers Block, still in existence. The presence of horse-drawn cart captures a time of transition from horse-drawn to motorized transportation. Image selected and captioned by Deborah Ross on behalf of the Olympia Historical Society and Bigelow House Museum, https://olympiahistory.org.
Robert Esterly photograph, ca. 1914, Courtesy State Capital Museum collection, Washington State Historical Society