Celebrating Hilltop History

Do you have stories to share about important people, places, or events in Hilltop, or a desire to help identify which stories need to be told? As part of the Hilltop Streetscape Improvement Project, we are creating up to 20 bronze plaques that will each include a photo and paragraph about an important story in Hilltop. The plaques will be installed along Martin Luther King Jr. Way, between 6th Ave and S. 19th. We are looking for people, places, businesses, events, stories, and organizations to honor permanently in the streetscape. This project is informed in part by community engagement and outreach done in 2016-2018, where there were many calls for the history of Hilltop to be included in the design of the streetscape. A committee of community members is helping to review and refine the subjects and design of these plaques. You can find more info about the engagement work that has already been done here: Hilltop creative specialists engage community about street design | Tacoma Daily Index and here: Links to Opportunity - City of Tacoma.
 
We are compiling historical information and images, and we need your help! This survey is a tool to gather stories and images about important Hilltop stories, which will inform the design of the plaques to be placed on the improved streets. It includes a list of potential plaque subjects we have already gathered, and space for you to share what’s missing. If you have more information to share and would like to be contacted for a follow-up conversation, there is space for your contact information, as well. 
 
Please reach out to Rebecca Solverson with questions, Rebecca.solverson@cityoftacoma.org / 253-591-5564.

Question Title

* 1. What is your relationship to Hilltop and/or what does the neighborhood mean to you?

Question Title

* 2. Check any/all of the subjects you would like to see commemorated in a plaque and/or if you have information or images to share about those subjects.

  I would like to see a plaque dedicated to this I have information and/or images related to this that I can share
Adona Richardson
Al Davies Boys & Girls Club
Alberta Canada
Black Collective
Black Muslim Fish Market
Browne's Star Grill
Buffalo Soldiers Museum
Carl Brown
Colored Women's Club
Dr. Dolores Irene Silas
Eliza McCabe
Fab 5
Fish House Cafe formerly Soul King Record Shop
Freddie Mae Barnett
George Putnam Riley/Landpurchase
George Tanbara M.D./Community Health Care
Harold Moss
Hawthorne neighborhood demolition and relocation 
Helen B. Stafford
Hilltop Action Coalition (HAC)
Hilltop Festival/Street Fair
Hilltop Pawns & Loans
Italian, Norwegian, Swedish, Chinese, Japanese communities
Johnson's Candy Co.
Lyle Quasim
Martin Luther King Jr.
Maxine Mimms/Evergreen Tacoma
Mother's Day Riot
Mr Mac LTD
Mural at 11th & MLK
Nettie Craig Asberry
Normanna Hall
Pastor Gregory Christopher
People's Center/Malcolm X Community Center
Ray Gibson's Caballeros Club
Redlining/gentrification
Reverend Earnest Stonewall Brazill
Sam & Terry's Barber Shop
Sons of Italy
St. Leo's
Thomas Dixon
Tiffanny Hammonds
Virginia Taylor & NW Dispatch
Walker's gas station

Question Title

* 3. Do you have stories and/or associated images of historic Hilltop, about any of the subjects above, that you are willing to share for this project?

T