No. 108 1/2

1st Ave S. and Yesler, Pioneer Square


There are a whole lot of these tile signs in Pioneer Square, and I love them! For more information on the Lippy Building, please visit the Department of Neighborhoods website.

J&M Cafe and Cardroom

1st and Washington, Pioneer Square

I almost missed this entirely. This sign is painted at the J&M Cafe and Cardroom, and the only legible word is "HOTEL" which it was during the gold rush days. Some depressing news about the J&M can be read about here: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009249738_auction22m.html

Driftwood

1st and Washington, Pioneer Square


This building has a long and varied history which can be read about here: http://web1.seattle.gov/dpd/historicalsite/QueryResult.aspx?ID=1108593418

The "Paul Bunyon Outerwear" and "Driftwood Sportswear" signs are circa 1950.

Smith Tower Annex

2nd and Yesler, Pioneer Square


















Fun Fact! The stone building in the forefront was once G.O. Guys drugstore, and is where former Seattle Police Chief William Meredith was shot and killed by John Considine while defending himself against Meredith.

Mutual Life Insurance

605 First Avenue South
1st and Yesler (seen from Post Ave.)


















Fun Facts:
-This building is on the original site of Yesler's Cookhouse.
-When built, it was called The Yesler Building.
-Mutual Life bought the building in 1897
-The building was restored in the 1980's
-Prior to it's restoration and current owner Historic Seattle, the building had four owners: Henry Yesler, the Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York, Shafer Brothers Land Company, and Dr. S. T. Magnuson.

Click on the bottom photo to enlarge. There are three additional ghost signs visible in this photo: the Black Bear Beans sign, the Lovera Cigars sign and a third "..ale.." which I can't quite figure out.







For more interesting information on this historic Pioneer Square building, please visit Historylink.org.

OK Hotel

Alaskan Way and Main, Pioneer Square


















My photo was taken from the right side of the building. If you look closely, you can see the address:

"212 RR Ave."

Now, that's excitin'!































Railroad Ave became Alaskan Way I believe around 1936 or so. Follow this Wikipedia entry to learn more. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaskan_Way

The Hotel has been an important aspect of the Seattle music scene, and now operates as an art gallery. Follow this link for more history and current information about the O.K.: http://www.galleryok.com/hist.html

Black Bear Brand

1st and Main, Pioneer Square



I originally titled this post as Black Bear Beans, but recently found this photograph in a book about Pioneer Square which nails it down:



Black Bear Manufacturing made overalls and even had a line catering to the ladies!

Frye Hotel Garage

Washington and Occidental, Pioneer Square

















What's somewhat interesting is that the Frye Hotel is 2 blocks east of here, which doesn't seem very convenient unless the hotel had valet service.

Optimus

419 Occidental Avenue South, Pioneer Square
Seen from 2nd and Jackson
Currently Houses FX McRory's Steak, Chop and Oyster House

"Optimus Soda Fountains and Store Fixtures. 'Purity' Brand Crushed Fruits & Fountain Syrups", Estab. 1882 Stewar[t] .... Drug Co. [Wholes]ale Drugs . Importers & Manufacturers".

This is an amazing sign, and runs a close second to the Chop Suey Chow Mein sign in Chinatown as my favorite in Seattle.

Particularly interesting to me about this sign is the name "Chris" in very small letters between the windows and just under and between the words "Wholesale" and "Drugs". Could be the artist's name, but of course I don't really know.

Washington Shoe

Jackson and Occidental, Pioneer Square
Currently occupied by Washington Shoe Company

"DAGG DERNEDEN CO. MFGRS. GREENHOOD SHIRTS"
"THE WASHINGTON SHOE MFG. CO."

from washingtonshoe.com:

"Originating in 1891,Washington Shoe Company is one of the Seattle area's oldest companies. They began their business by selling rugged work boots to the thousands of men trying to make their fortunes in the harsh conditions of the Alaska Gold Rush.

The Company now designs and manufactures a variety of boots and shoes for adult female and male audiences and also sells a line of children's shoes, boots and accessories."

Quality

553 1st Ave S.- Pioneer Square
Currently occupied by Triangle Pub

There looks to be at least three ads here, two of which are for beer. The words I can make out here are "...mrich Bros beer Sign of Quality". Under or over that was painted some fancy swirly lettering that I can't make out, though one of the words looks like it could say "today". From "Vanishing Seattle" by Clark Humphrey: "Andrew Hemrich opened the Bay View Brewery in South Seattle in 1878. It Merged with two larger firms in 1893 to form the Seattle Brewing and Malting Company, who's flagship brand was Rainier Beer. Rainier became Seattle's most popular beer and was shipped as far as Alaska. Its Georgetown main plant was the worlds sixth largest brewery by 1916, when Prohibition shut it down. Upon repeal, Canadian Fritz Sick and his Tacoma-born son Emil bought Rainier's old Airport Way plant, the acquired the Rainier name from a California firm that had picked it up."

My opinion is that this advertisement was painted sometime between 1910 when the building was built and the beginning of Prohibition in 1920.


















From trianglepub.com:
"Originally a hotel and bar, this flatiron building, home of the present-day Triangle Pub, was built at a cost of $22,000 in 1910. In the 1920s, the hotel closed as the city grew north. The bar closed during this time due to prohibition and the war against alcohol.

Western Union occupied a part of the building from its inception in 1910 until 1940. The top floors of the building are said to have served as a brothel until as recently as 1945.

The National Park Service granted this building landmark status in 1976. The tavern re-opened in 1981 to its current name of the Triangle Pub."

Line

Post and Yesler- Pioneer Square

There are three things to notice here... on the main building in this photo, there are bands of advertisements above and below the top floor windows. The top band appears to include the word "Line"... or not. The other thing to notice is the far building which also includes a ghost sign. No telling what it is.

Electric Supplies

Post and Yesler- Pioneer Square

This ad is on the smokestack of the Seattle Steam Corporation's Pioneer Square facility. All I can make out is "Electric Supplies".

























































From Wikipedia:

"The Seattle Steam Company is a privately owned district heating public utility that provides steam (generated by burning natural gas, diesel oil, and recycled wood) to over 175 business in downtown Seattle and on First Hill via 18 miles of steam pipeline. Its plants are located on Western Avenue at Union Street, just west of the Pike Place Market, and on Post Avenue at Yesler Way, in Pioneer Square."

"Seattle Steam was founded in 1893 as the Seattle Steam Heat and Power Co. It owns 18 miles of pipes under the streets of Downtown. Its average winter output is 250,000 to 300,000 lbs of steam per hour; this drops to less than 100,000 pounds in the summer."

"Seattle Steam's biggest customers are Swedish Medical Center, Harborview Medical Center, and Virginia Mason Medical Center, which use the steam for heat and sterilization. Other big customers include hotels, which use the steam for heat and for generating hot water, Seattle Public Library, which uses it for heat and the Seattle Art Museum, which uses it for heat and humidity control."

Lovera Cigar

1st and Yesler- Pioneer Square

"Lovera Cigar Today's Smoke Only 5C"

This advertisement is in excellent shape, and was a complete surprise. We went to the top of a parking structure for a different reason altogether (incidentally, the parking structure is in the spot where the old Seattle Hotel once stood) and immediately spotted this beauty. Clearly at least a double sign and probably a triple, though I can't tell what it once said. Let me know if you can read the underlying ads.

Mission

1st and Washington- Occidental Park, Pioneer Square

Looks to me like there were several signs here over the years. "The Alki" is clear, and I believe goes along with with the illegible black wording just under "Rainier Beer". The word "MISSION" is in different lettering which I believe is the oldest and is a remnant of William Booth's "Christian Mission" organization, which later became "The Salvation Army". Due to the adjacency of Skid Road (Yesler Way) and the "downtrodden" who resided there, The Salvation Army planted its Northwest roots on this very spot.




Also seen here is "80-TOW BATHS" on the far right. I have no idea what "80-TOW" refers to.

From Murray Morgan's book "Skid Road", an 1899 "Battle of the Brass Bands" account from a reporter from the Post-Inelligencer :
" It is about 8'o'clock in the evening that the battle begins. About that hour the players of the brass band on the west side of the avenue [Second Ave.] file out from behind the swinging doors of some cool, darkened beer saloon and, removing their coats, hats and collar, prepare for the fray... An admiring crowd quickly gathers. The selection ended, the leader of the orchestra lowers his cornet from his ruddy countenance, bows low to the crowd surrounding him and to his brave supporters.

In the meantime, the champions of the opposition have... taken their stations on a high platform built over the entrance of the People's Theater. There are three of them. The leader is armed with a violin, which he handles with the daredevil grace and ease of a plowman handling a six shooter. Scarcely less deadly is his execution. Another dark-faced young man with a melancholy cast of countenance strums a huge harp. The third of the challenged musicians defiantly pipes away through a husky clarinet.

These three musicians have only been dallying during the bout of a brass-band men. Now they strike up a lugubrious melody...a stalwart young fellow with lungs of leather adds his voice to their efforts of the instruments. "She stole nine thousand and six hundred", he bellows in the deepest of baritones" Say babe, I know we will be happy after awhile"...

The band across the street hesitates to return the fire. The crowd looks toward them for an answer. Suddenly around the block is heard the discordant blare of an untutored brass band and the voices of men and women upraised in a popular street ditty. But the words are strangely out of joint. They seem to have been adapted from a hymn book and misfitted to the tune. It is the Salvation Army!

Fifty strong, the uniformed Soldiers of the Lord swing into the street in front of the theater and march up toward their Yesler Way barracks, flags flying, torches smoking and sputtering, musicians playing like mad.

The approach of the Army settles it with the brass bands. The [Summer] heat is forgotten and with renewed interest the players await the signal. It comes, and pandemonium reigns... The crowd cheers. The Salvationists are outpointed two to one in the contest, but on they march, happily unconcsious of the fact , leaving the theater band to finish that enliviening melody, "There'll be a hot time in the old town tonight"...

Washington State Ferries

Occidental and Yesler.

This sign has a lot going on; it is clearly at least a double sign, and I believe probably triple. The clearest words are "Capital","Sperry's Flour", "Co", and then of course "Washington State Ferries", which has been repainted at least once as the "Have Lunch Over Seas" is offset. A lot of tinkering with contrast etc shows what I believe is the word "use" next to "Sperry's Flour". The Sperry Flour company was founded in 1853 in California, but didn't expand to the NW until around 1887. The Washington State Ferries system was established in 1951. I'm very curious about the iron work on the side of the building. The bottom floor of this building currently houses a pizza joint, a soup joint and a printing business.