Looking Back’s theme for 2026 was Downtown by the Decades. Each week featured a view of downtown Olympia over the years. In the 1870s, the commercial center of Olympia was still north of Fourth Avenue. In this 1876 photo, we are looking north down Main Street (Capitol Way) from around Sixth Avenue (now Legion Way). Residences are in the foreground, with shops, restaurants and hotels in the distance.
unknown photographer, 1876, courtesy of State Capital Museum collection, Washington State Historical Society, catalog C1966.18.1
Text © Deborah Ross and The Olympian 2026