6. Birthplace of Columbia City: Rainier Avenue S and S Ferdinand Street:

On April 4, 1891, promoter J. K. Edminston and his partners pitched a tent at this intersection and started selling lots in the newly-platted town of Columbia. Lots measuring 30 feet by 110 feet could be had for $300, with $10 dollars down and $1 per week. By 1898, when this historic photograph was taken, the town had been renamed Columbia City. Its amenities included a Fraternity Hall, on the left, and an ornate Knights of Pythias Hall, on the right. Only the first floor of the Pythias Hall survives, although thoroughly remodeled. Historian Carey Summers is shown in the foreground of the contemporary photo, taken in 1991, 100 years after the promoters first invited people to "Watch Columbia Grow."

Courtesy Paul Dorpat

Courtesy Rainier Valley Historical Society