Looking Back’s theme for 2026 was 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.
Robert Esterly photograph, ca. 1914, Courtesy State Capital Museum collection, Washington State Historical Society, catalog 2010.149.39.2
Text © Deborah Ross and The Olympian 2026