Fourth Avenue in the 1860s

Looking Back’s theme for 2026 was Downtown by the Decades. This etching is likely based on an 1869 photograph. It was published in 1891, in a special edition of the Olympia Tribune, to show what Fourth Avenue looked like the 1860s. The cupola of Columbia Hall (current site of the 4^th Ave Tav) can be seen in the mid-distance on the right (north) side of the street.

1891 Souvenir Edition, Olympia Tribune, Washington State Library

Text © Deborah Ross and The Olympian 2026