THS Press
Tacoma Historical Society Press welcomes proposals. Publication under the name of Tacoma Historical Society Press requires advance review by one or more editors approved by the THS board and authorization by the THS board.
Please submit proposals or inquiries to info@tacomahistory.org or PO Box 1865, Tacoma, WA 98401.
Sounds of our City: Twenty-One Musical Tales from Tacoma History
Music is universal. Styles may change with time and place, but human beings have always created music for personal expression, communication, and entertainment. Music, therefore, can serve as a lens through which to explore history. What type of music did people make when, and why?
The twenty-one stories in this book do not necessarily represent the most famous or successful musicians ever to create music in Tacoma. They do not give us a comprehensive understanding of any particular musical genre. Rather, they teach us more about the history of the city we live in, through exploring the lives of musicians who were in one way or another shaped by Tacoma.
First printing made possible by a gift from Ted Brown Music.
Leading Ladies: Twenty-One of Tacoma's Women of Destiny
We love Tacoma. We love its history, buildings and people. Most of all we love Tacoma's stories. But many history stories are just that, "his story." We think it's time to start telling her story. This book honors twenty-one of the many women who have played a role in the history of Tacoma, Washington: The City of Destiny.
April 2020: Tacoma Historical Society is pleased to release a free audiobook version of Leading Ladies, as read by co-author Deb Freedman. Listen and learn from some great stories of women who made significant contributions to our city throughout its history. We hope this can be a valuable resource to students, teachers, parents, and Tacomans of all ages looking for opportunities to learn more about Tacoma history.
Click here to access the Tacoma Historical Society podcast, where you can listen to the entire audiobook, one chapter at a time.
Speaking Out: Twenty-One of Tacoma's Social Justice and Civil Rights Champions
The book is the latest in our '21 Tales' series, books which are intended to share important stories from Tacoma history with students in local schools. The book was published in conjunction with our 2017-2018 exhibit Dreams That Matter, which was funded by a grant from the Puyallup Tribe of Indians. The printing of copies to be delivered to all Tacoma elementary schools for use in classrooms is made possible by generous support from KeyBank.
Please see the links below for helpful downloads relating to the book, including the bibliography and discussion questions designed for teachers to use when integrating the book into their classrooms.
June 2020: Tacoma Historical Society is pleased to release a free audiobook version of Speaking Out, read by Bill Baarsma and Kim Davenport. We hope this can be a valuable resource to students, teachers, parents, and Tacomans of all ages looking for opportunities to learn more about Tacoma history.
Click here to access the Tacoma Historical Society podcast, where you can listen to the entire audiobook, one chapter at a time.
Showtime in Tacoma
Tacoma’s Dry Goods and Wet Goods: Nineteenth Century Jewish Pioneers
Tacoma, Its History and Its Builders; a Half Century of Activity
Who was this Herbert Hunt, whose name has become a synonym for Tacoma history?
"He had worked on newspapers in Indiana, Baltimore and other places before coming to Washington in 1905 as editor of The Everett Record. … That newspaper soon folded, and Hunt came here as city editor of The News. [He became editor in 1906.]
He was a scholar, a fast and tireless worker and was interested in nearly all lines of civic and cultural advancement. He died of cancer in [1918} at the early age of 48, but not before he had completed his History of Tacoma, a precise and invaluable record of events in the city from the beginning to 1916. "
Paul W. Harvey, Tacoma Headlines, 1962.
What historians have to say about Herbert Hunt's Tacoma, Its History and Its Builders; a Half Century of Activity:
"Herbert Hunt's adventurous story of Tacoma as it grew from a sawmill village to a world city is the finest narrative written so far. Hunt also gives a vivid account of the upper strata of Tacoma society."
- Gary Fuller Reese, noted Northwest historian and retired manager of Special Collections and the Northwest Room for Tacoma Public Library.
Copies of the original are hard to find and expensive. With this THS re-publication:
- You will receive three volumes of engaging history and detailed biography, plus a fourth volume, an expanded and improved index.
- The reprinting is on durable, high-quality paper with hard-cover binding. It includes all the original illustrations.
- The price for all four volumes is $99.00 for members of the Tacoma Historical Society in good standing. For non-members, the price is $110.00.
Rising Up from Tacoma’s Twenty-One Disasters and Defeats
Author's Note courtesy of Deb Freedman:
These stories cover a wide variety of topics, from relatively minor defeats to major disasters and tragedies. Several depict poor treatment of animals and even worse treatment of racial minorities. They are not meant for children to read alone, but as a means for starting conversations and learning.
The topics in this book were selected by 2012-2013 students of Seabury Middle School, and are not intended to rank as Tacoma’s top twenty-one disasters. That list would likely include the loss of Native American lands or the hanging of Chief Leschi. I feel strongly that those subjects deserve a book - and a perspective - of their own.
April 2020: Tacoma Historical Society is pleased to release a free audiobook version of Rising Up, as read by co-author Deb Freedman. We hope this can be a valuable resource to students, teachers, parents, and Tacomans of all ages looking for opportunities to learn more about Tacoma history.
Click here to access the Tacoma Historical Society podcast, where you can listen to the entire audiobook, one chapter at a time.
