Looking Back’s theme for 2026 was Downtown by the Decades. The early 20th century brought demands for better road surfaces for bicycles and early automobiles. In 1909 the city finally paved Fourth Avenue, with workers taking a moment to pose for their photograph, and spectators looking on.
unidentified photographer, 1908, courtesy State Capital Museum Collection, Washington State Historical Society, catalog C1960.290X.4
Text © Deborah Ross and the Olympian 2026