Celebrating Women Throughout Downtown Tacoma’s History

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Gaby Kinner

Celebrating Women Throughout Downtown Tacoma’s History

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March is Women’s History Month and today, March 8th, is International Women’s Day, which is a global celebration of social, economic, cultural, political and artistic achievements made by women worldwide.

Tacoma is no stranger to strong-willed women who are change makers and community leaders, and today we are proud to highlight five incredible females who helped pave the way for generations to come.

Thea Foss – Founder of Foss Maritime:

One day in 1889, 32-year-old Thea Christiansen Foss, a Norwegian immigrant, bought a boat for $5 from a fisherman in Commencement Bay while her husband was away working for months on end. With a little TLC and a fresh coat of paint, Thea was able to sell the boat for double the money. Using the profits from her sale, she bought another boat, spruced it up and sold it, and eventually earned enough money to acquire a small fleet of 4 rowboats.

Upon her husband’s return he realized that she had developed a solid business plan and had actually made a better profit than he had while he was away. Thea’s husband left his job to join her efforts, and the duo began renting out their boats to the public, eventually growing the fleet from 4 rowboats to 200. The rest was history. By using the profits from their rowboat rentals, they began purchasing larger boats, and Thea became the founder of Foss Maritime, which grew to become the largest tugboat company in the western United States and still is to this day. Aside from Thea’s entrepreneurial spirit, she was well known throughout the Tacoma community for her kind and loving nature, creativity, and charity work, helping pioneer the way for immigrants and women in Tacoma.

Helen Stafford – Civic & Civil Rights Advocate:

In 1926, Helen Stafford moved to Tacoma from Wagemo, Kansas with aspirations of becoming a teacher. Although Helen had experience as an educator prior to moving, she ultimately was denied the job because of the color of her skin. Little did she know that rejection would set her on a trajectory that led her to blaze trails for communities of color in Tacoma. Helen went on to become the first Black case worker for the Tacoma Department of Public Assistance, served on the board of the YWCA while fighting for Black women to be included in their services, and helped organize Tacoma’s chapter of the NAACP, serving as the chapter’s president.

Helen was a devoted community leader who was avidly involved in numerous local civic and cultural organizations, and was a lifelong community and civil rights advocate. To honor her life’s many achievements, today Helen B. Stafford Elementary School bears her name, and in 1999 on her 100th birthday, Tacoma City Council officially declared November 15th “Helen B. Stafford Day”.

Babe Lahrer – Lyon’s Apparel:

At 19 years old with only $350, Babe Lehrer opened a women’s clothing store in Downtown Tacoma named Lyon’s Apparel. Babe was known as a tremendous saleswoman, and over the course of her career, she went on to successfully build a chain of 15 women’s apparel stores. The lifelong Tacoma resident became an accomplished businesswoman, who in her retirement was a tireless volunteer and was wholeheartedly dedicated to serving her community. Her gusto and hard work were vital in the restoration of local buildings, statues, and gardens, among supporting the arts, various different members of the community, and more.

Hazel Farber – LeRoy Jewelers:

80 years ago, Hazel Farber and her husband Irving opened LeRoy Jewelers in Downtown Tacoma’s Theater District in 1941. After Irving passed away in 1965 and many shoppers began flocking to the new Tacoma Mall, Hazel was determined to keep the business running even despite many others who shut their doors during the 70’s and 80’s, and the negative predictions that were made about “that blonde dame on Broadway”. LeRoy Jewelers continued to be a sought-after destination in the heart of Tacoma and today is the oldest operating retail business downtown.

After 60+ years in the shop, Hazel retired in 2004 and had become a legend among the other downtown merchants, in addition to being honored by the Pierce County Council for her role in the county’s economic development.

Karen Vialle – First Female Mayor of Tacoma

Karen Vialle, born and raised in Tacoma, was a dedicated servant to her community, first as an educator before becoming a Tacoma City Council Member. In 1990, Vialle was elected as the first female Mayor of Tacoma, playing an instrumental role in the purchase and cleanup of the Foss Waterway, the renovation of Union Station, and the development of the UW Tacoma, in addition to leading urban renewal and mass transit projects. Vialle fought for equality for all students and was credited for increasing the district’s graduation rates, which led the Tacoma Public School district to be designated as the first “Innovation Zone” for schools in the state of Washington.

Current Mayor of Tacoma, Victoria Woodards, claimed that she often asked Vialle for advice on how to best lead the city and how to be recognized in the room as a woman leader. Vialle was a force in the community of Tacoma right up until her passing in 2019 and wanted to be remembered for two important traits: vision and guts.

To celebrate International Women’s Day 2022, we identified and listed over 60 women-owned businesses* in Downtown Tacoma. To each of you, thank you for pressing on and adding immeasurable value to our community!

Today, female business owners in Downtown Tacoma include:

*If you are someone you know was missed in this list, please email gabriellak@downtowntacomapartnership.com and we will make sure to add you. Please keep in mind, this list is primarily focused on brick & mortar businesses. Thank you!

Photos courtesy of Tacoma Public Library’s Northwest Room and the University of Washington Tacoma Library.

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