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Olympia,WA - Thurston County - c1878 - City View Stereograph :

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Photographic Images Start Price:250.00 USD Estimated At:500.00 - 1,000.00 USD
Olympia,WA - Thurston County - c1878 - City View Stereograph :
Measures 6 3/4" by 3 3/4." By the Huntington Bros. This card shows "Main Street looking south" Olympia - in Washington Territory. It is in excellent condition. Only the upper right corner shows some wear from handling. On the back of the card, there is a write up on the city. Apparently, C. R. Talcott, Watch Maker and Jeweler, handed these cards out to his customers as his business logo is attached. Many citizens, as well as horses, wagons, and carriages, are lined up along both sides of the street. One carriage is in the middle of the street and will be the viewer's focal point. Early Olympian businesses on Main include a hardware store, and a store selling stoves and tinware. Olympia began as a settlement in 1846. The city was formally laid out in 1850, and in 1853, when Washington Territory separated from Oregon, Olympia was named the capitol. At first, Olympia was the fastest growing city in the territory, but when an earthquake damaged the area in 1872, the growing Northern Pacific Rail Road decided to bypass the area for safety reasons, so the town remained growing but not a big draw for new settlers. In the West, having a railroad stop always meant prosperity and without one, it meant loss of revenue. However, Olympia remained the social hub for rural folks in Washington. It stayed a lumber and saw mill town producing timber, pilings, shingles and furniture for transport to other areas. What would later cement Olympia on the map was the beer company named after it in 1896.