Looking Back’s theme for 2026 was 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.
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