Neighbours Fight a Saloon at the Library's Door
Residents and business owners on Tacoma Avenue organize against a proposed Pacific Brewing & Malting saloon at 1147 Tacoma Avenue, opposite the public library.
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The application of the Pacific Brewing & Malting company for a license to run a saloon at 1147 Tacoma avenue, opposite the public library, has created considerable stir in that part of the city. Business men and people who have homes on Tacoma avenue take the position that there are more than enough saloons on that street now, and will do their utmost to prevent any others being opened there. A remonstrance against granting the license is now being prepared, which will be presented to the police and license committee at its meeting next Tuesday. The remonstrance will include the names of people living and doing business in the vicinity and of all others who are interested in keeping the vicinity of the public library as free as possible from the saloon influence. The application for the license was before the committee at its meeting last Tuesday. At the suggestion of one of the members who knew the feeling against granting any more saloon licenses in that vicinity, action was postponed one week.
“Business men and people who have homes on Tacoma avenue take the position that there are more than enough saloons on that street now, and will do their utmost to prevent any others being opened there.”
The fight over a liquor licence opposite a public library is a recognisable neighbourhood zoning battle: residents arguing that one more saloon would change the character of a street. Washington's temperance movement would eventually make the state dry in 1916, but this 1904 remonstrance shows the pressure building locally, block by block.
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