Looking Back’s theme for 2026 is Downtown by the Decades. In about 1914, photographer Robert Esterly produced a valuable series of photographs of downtown businesses. This photograph captures the bustle of Olympia’s waterfront, with vessels of all sizes and types, and associated industries. Image selected and captioned by Deborah Ross on behalf of the Olympia Historical Society and Bigelow House Museum, https://olympiahistory.org.
Robert Esterly photograph, ca. 1914, Courtesy State Capital Museum collection, Washington State Historical Society