"Beginnings" takes us on a journey into our city’s past and tells the early story of the people and events which shaped the community we see today. Using resources of the vast photo collections of the Tacoma Public Library and the words of local historians, Beginnings shows how Tacoma evolved and grew from a collection of 19th Century farming & logging communities to a modern industrial city almost overnight.

While the story is sometimes humorous and sometimes tragic it is always captivating. Beginnings will not only entertain but may also teach each of us something we didn’t know about the city we call home.