Between 2014 and 2026, the Olympia Historical Society and Bigelow House Museum selected and captioned Olympia-area images for the Sunday Olympian. This page features those images and may include additional information about them. You can use the Search button on our menu banner to search for specific photographs and subjects, or go to our Visual Resources dropdown menu.
The Carlyon Fill in 1910-1911 added 29 blocks to the central peninsula of Olympia, adding most of what we now know as the port area. Just after the fill was completed, in May 1911, aviator Fred Wiseman piloted his tiny aircraft to make several landings in the newly filled area. The little airplane is now on display at the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum, as it was the first airplane to carry mail.
Asahel Curtis photo, 1911, Courtesy State Capital Museum collection, Washington State Historical Society, catalog C1943.2x.30
Text © Deborah Ross and The Olympian 2022
Looking Back’s theme for 2026 is Downtown by the Decades. In 1996, the City of Olympia acquired a parcel of property between Fourth and Fifth Avenue as part of the Heritage Park complex. A generous bequest funded the popular interactive Heritage Fountain, shown here in a City of Olympia image from around 1997.
In 1853, Charles Burmeister established one of the earliest saloons in Olympia. It was located on Fourth Avenue and Washington Street, where the State Theater is now. This photograph from the 1860s shows Burmeister, his wife, and others in front of the saloon. The building was later moved further west on Fourth Avenue but succumbed to the extension of downtown’s masonry buildings in the early 1900s.
1960s photograph, courtesy State Capital Museum collection, Washington State Historical Society, catalog C2019.0.145
Text © Deborah Ross and The Olympian 2020
”Committee Room X”, a/k/a Storeroom 405 at the Legislative Building, was a long-standing unofficial – and controversial – hangout for legislators seeking a break from the bustle of Legislative Session business. In this photo, George White obliterates a painting on the wall that depicted a donkey leapfrogging over an elephant.
Daily Olympian photograph, State Capital Museum Collection, Washington State Historical Society, catalog C1986.43.64.11.25.2.1
Text © Deborah Ross and The Olympian 2020
Isabella Bush and her husband, mixed-race George Bush, arrived in Thurston County in 1844, settling in what is now Tumwater. Their oldest son, William Owen Bush, pictured here in middle age, was a prominent and respected legislator, farmer, and tireless promoter of Washington State agriculture and industry.
photo about 1890, Courtesy Washington State Historical Society, catalog 2015.0.75
Text © Deborah Ross and The Olympian 2020
A young Catherine Redpath gazes out the window of her home, located across from Sylvester Park. She was the daughter of Dr. Nathaniel Redpath and Lucy Maynard Redpath, prominent Olympia citizens. The home still exists but was moved to the South Capitol neighborhood in the 1920s.
1914 photo, unnamed photographer, courtesy State Capital Museum collection, Washington State Historical Society
Text © Deborah Ross and The Olympian 2019
A group of Native American children and their parents bear picket signs at the Rotunda of the Legislative Building to protest a Washington State Supreme Court decision that limited Indian fishing rights. One child, marching by the Rotunda’s Christmas tree, bears a sign reading “Santa Claus isn’t coming to my house. Do you know why?” Tribal fishing treaty rights were ultimately recognized in the Boldt decision of 1974.
Daily Olympian photo, December 1963, State Capital Museum collection, Washington State Historical Society, catalog C1986.43.63.12.23.2.1
Text © Deborah Ross and The Olympian 2019
A photograph from around 1870 captures the snow-clad home and store of Sam Williams at the northwest corner of Fourth and Main Street (now Capitol Way). Sam and his brother Charles eventually erected masonry buildings here. These, the three-story Mottman Building at the corner and the smaller Olympia Hardware building nearby, still exist and are on the heritage register. The home was moved to a site adjacent to the YMCA on Franklin Street, where older photographs of the YMCA building show it, but it no longer exists.
A.B. Woodard photo, about 1875, courtesy State Capital Museum Collection, Washington State Historical Society, catalog C2008.5.47
Text © Deborah Ross and The Olympian 2019 and 2026
In an 1899 photo, Edgar McClarty stands outside his tent at Camp Albert G. Forse in Huntsville, Alabama. McClarty was one of many young men from Olympia who volunteered to serve in the Spanish-American War. He was twice wounded at the battle of San Juan Hill in Cuba, and later served as Quartermaster Sergeant in the Philippines. He was elected Thurston County sheriff in 1903.
1899 photo, courtesy State Capital Museum collection, Washington State Historical Society, catalog C2018.0.145
Text © Deborah Ross and The Olympian 2019
Looking Back’s theme for 2026 is Downtown by the Decades. In May 1984, the City of Olympia was honored to host the time trials for the first Women’s Olympic Marathon. The race began and ended on Evergreen Park Drive, above the future site of Marathon Park, named in honor of the event, and passed through downtown, witnessed by huge crowds.
1984 photo, Olympian archives
The Olympia Reserve Fleet (also known as the Mothball Fleet) was stationed in Budd Inlet from the 1940s to the 1970s. In a 1964 exercise that would doubtless horrify today’s environmental regulators, the fleet deliberately set fire to an oil barge near the Port of Olympia to practice their firefighting skills.
Daily Olympian photo, 1964, State Capital Museum collection, Washington State Historical Society, catalog C1986.43.64.10.8.2.1
Text © Deborah Ross and The Olympian 2019
Looking Back’s theme for 2026 is Downtown by the Decades. In 1979, civic organizations and the City retained a national organization known as R/UDAT to come up with a vision for the revitalization of downtown Olympia. One recommendation was to make downtown streets more attractive and pedestrian-friendly. In 1981, Governor John Spellman cut the ribbon dedicating the “Fifth Avenue Demonstration Project,” which added pedestrian crossings, benches, and trees to the landscape.
Olympia Planning Commission archives, Washington State Archives
Looking Back’s theme for 2026 is Downtown by the Decades. In 1979, civic organizations and the City retained a national organization known as R/UDAT to come up with a vision for the revitalization of downtown Olympia. One recommendation was the development of a performing arts center. In 1984 the Washington Center for the Performing Arts, shown here under construction in 1983, was dedicated and remains a central element of the downtown arts scene.
Olympia Planning Commission archives, Washington State Archives
Looking Back’s theme for 2026 is Downtown by the Decades. From the 1930s to late 1970s, the Port of Olympia hosted an array of large tanks to store oil offloaded from ships. The tanks were finally removed in the early 1980s. The structure in front of the tanks in this image from about 1979 is currently the home of Olympia Seafood on Columbia Street. Image selected and captioned by Deborah Ross on behalf of the Olympia Historical Society and Bigelow House Museum, https://olympiahistory.org.
Olympia Planning Commission archives, Washington State Archives
Looking Back’s theme for 2026 is Downtown by the Decades. In the 1970s, downtown Olympia had three second-run movie theaters, the Capitol, the State, and the Olympic. First-run movie showings had by then moved to the Capital Mall. Shown here in a photograph from around 1978 is the Olympic Theater on Washington Street near Legion Way (the current location of the Washington Center for the Performing Arts).
Olympia Planning Department archives, Washington State Archives
Looking Back’s theme for 2026 is Downtown by the Decades. The 1950s, 60s and 70s produced several important structures in downtown Olympia. The Evergreen Plaza building, erected in 1972, was jointly financed and constructed by several business owners who were pursuing a goal to add to commercial office space in downtown Olympia. It is considered an important addition to mid-century modern architecture downtown. Image selected and captioned by Deborah Ross on behalf of the Olympia Historical Society and Bigelow House Museum, https://olympiahistory.org.
Olympia Planning Department photograph, Washington State Archives
Looking Back’s theme for 2026 is Downtown by the Decades. On September 15, 1967, an era came to an end with the closing of the iconic Mottman’s Mercantile department store, located at 4th and Capitol. Shown here, in a photo taken shortly before, is the ground floor of the store, looking down from the balcony where George Mottman presided until he was well into his 80s. The building still exists. Image selected and captioned by Deborah Ross on behalf of the Olympia Historical Society and Bigelow House Museum, https://olympiahistory.org.
Mottman Collection, Olympia Historical Society and Bigelow House Museum
Looking Back’s theme for 2026 is Downtown by the Decades. The China Clipper, now the Clipper Cafe, is an iconic establishment in downtown Olympia. In this photograph from 1963, owner CY Wong is at work in the restaurant’s kitchen. The Clipper was one of the businesses destroyed in the Great Train Wreck of 1959, but was rebuilt within a year and continued to be a popular source of Chinese cuisine. Photograph selected and captioned by Deborah Ross on behalf of the Olympia Historical Society and Bigelow House Museum. For more information see olympiahistory.org.
Daily Olympian photo, 1963
Looking Back’s theme for 2026 is Downtown by the Decades. Shown here in a photo from 1962 is a new Mercury Comet station wagon at Kearns Motor, located on Cherry Street. The name reflected the fascination with the space race. The showroom demonstrated the versatility of the wagon, with camping gear and sleeping bags on display. Image selected and captioned by Deborah Ross on behalf of the Olympia Historical Society and Bigelow House Museum, https://olympiahistory.org.
Susan Parish collection, Washington State Archives
