Venice, California

I think the spectators must be waiting for someone to climb to the platform and dive off? Venice, California is still a spectacle, though of a different kind.

The message on this card to Mrs. Noah Webster, sent in 1906, reads:

Ocean Park, Cal July 2

Dear Friend-

Are you still in the world of the living? And are you still willing to have a visit from me. I may come your way pretty soon now. Can I hear from you again?

Don't get all excited; the recipient of the card is not the wife of the Noah Webster of Webster's Dictionary, unless she was somehow able to outlive him by more than 60 years. However, it is conceivable that this Noah Webster was a descendant of the earlier one.

If you are confused by the differences between British and American spelling, you can blame the earlier Noah Webster.  He thought it would be a good idea to simplify spelling and, among other things, take the "u" out of colour and humour.  Although these spelling changes stayed with us, his suggested spelling for tongue (tung) did not.

Rouen, France

Three lovely views of a beautiful city.
Rouen is the capital of Upper Normandy and has a population of about 110,000. These pictures date from around 1905, long before the city was heavily damaged at the end of World War II, and long after Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in Rouen (May 30, 1431.)

Streetcar Sunday - Tacoma, WA

 

The message on this card reads:

7/14/10     Tacoma, WA

Just looking for a better position as I quit at Seattle. This is a slow town. I came through Puyalop where Marjory was, it is a small place. your Father

Tacoma's streetcars were a success from the very beginning, with the first horse-drawn streetcars in 1888. The first electric streetcars were introduced in 1890. By 1912, the city had 30 streetcar lines (mostly electric) and an interurban line to Seattle.  The system flourished for a long time, until like so many others, it lost out to competition from cars and buses. The end of Tacoma's streetcar service was celebrated with a parade down Broadway in 1938. At the time, the leftover streetcars were considered worthless because no one wanted them. A Tacoma newspaper article suggested that people could purchase them for $40 for hamburger stands or beach houses.

Despite its success over the years, there was also one notable streetcar tragedy in Tacoma. On July 4, 1900, a streetcar was overcrowded with passengers going to attend 4th of July festivities downtown. They were standing on the running boards, both front and rear platforms, and there was even a young boy riding on the front on the cowcatcher! It was later determined that the motorman was probably going too fast and had the brakes set too hard, which caused the car to jump the tracks on a curve and fall 100 feet down a ravine. Forty-three passengers died in that accident.

Tacoma now has a 1.6 mile light-rail line that connects the theater district and downtown with the Tacoma Dome and rail connections to Seattle.  There is also a group called Tacoma Streetcar, that is working to restore the old streetcar lines in Tacoma.

The writer of the card above describes Tacoma as a slow town, but there's actually a fair amount going on there now and it's a fun place to visit. Dale Chihuly, the well-known glass artist, is from Tacoma, so you will see lots of his work here, particularly at the Tacoma Art Museum and the Museum of Glass.  The Washington State History Museum has amazing  exhibits, including old American Indian photographs and artwork. Many people also rate Point Defiance Park, with its zoo, aquarium, as a top attraction.