About Tacoma
Tacoma Downtown History
Tacoma was first founded upon the shoreline of Commencement Bay where the rivers and streams feed it coming from Mount Rainier, seen in the distance. But when Tacoma was determined to be the terminus of the western expansion of the railroad, that expanded the growth in Tacoma significantly, making it a true working town both for shipping and for rail. It was during those formative years that the McCormick family lived, worked and played in downtown Tacoma. The family ancestors went to high school here, worked on the ship docks, on the ships, in the warehouses and our family even owned and operated a small steamer boat named the Bay Island Steamer.
City Transformations – Comes full Circle
By the end of the 1980’s a new cultural shift was once again taking place. People wanted waterfront, living in downtown areas, working in the downtown areas, they wanted public transportation, and they wanted education opportunities within their own city. At that time our city lobbied and worked to bring the University of Washington to Tacoma to make a major campus here in our city. The University took occupancy in what was then the deserted warehouse district building along Pacific Avenue which 70 years prior had served as a hub of community activity.
And now it is a hub of activity once again.
During the last 30 years since the University came, Tacoma has revitalized once again, and housing has come back strong with newly constructed multifamily properties along the waterfront, and along the hillside and the hilltop areas of this Tacoma city scape. Today McCormick is blessed to have been a part of this entire 120 year life cycle that Tacoma has gone through, having ancestors that experienced the coming of the trains to Tacoma, the expansion of shipping, being a part of that era and living through it all. Now our family’s new generations get to see Tacoma rebirth and thrive again in a wonderful waterfront community that we are able to enjoy.