The Saloonist and the Building Inspector
A prominent local businessman attempted to bypass city fire ordinances to construct an illegal addition for his saloon, exposing alleged official corruption at City Hall.
Ira I. Pearsall, a saloonist at 1116 Pacific Avenue, occupies a high enough station in the city that when laws interfere with his business, they are often pushed aside. Recently, Pearsall wanted to conduct gambling games on his premises. To expand, he attempted to build a second-story wooden addition. He immediately ran up against a Tacoma building ordinance that prohibits wooden second stories within fire limits. Pearsall ignored the law, and construction began. When the Times inquired, the building inspector claimed he had not authorized the work and suggested that the Mayor, Chief of Police, and City Attorney had taken the matter out of his hands. After public pressure mounted, notice was served to stop construction. Pearsall ultimately complied, agreeing that while the room would be built, it would be constructed of brick in accordance with city code.
“What did he care for law? It was only made for citizens without a pull at the city hall.”
This 1904 incident highlights the historic tension between Tacoma's 'pull' culture and municipal regulatory power. Today, debates over zoning and the enforcement of codes on powerful developers continue to shape the city's growth and downtown character.
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