As 2Pac once said, “Pour out a little liquor for your homies.” While he may not have had Malt Rainier in mind, there is a Rainier Ale still poured out or imbibed by homies today — as this website clearly shows. This is the third in our series of vintage Seattle Brewing & Malting Company ads (see previous entries here and here). If you zoom in on the Malt Rainier bottle you can once again make out that old slogan “There’s new strength and vigor in every drop.” Indeed! Click on the thumbnail for higher resolution.

Malt Rainier. The Pure Malt Tonic. For mothers who require additional nourishment and strength. Seattle Brewing & Malting Company. The Argus. February 20, 1909. Price 50 cents. Vol. 16, No. 3. Published by H.A. Chadwick.

This ad certainly brought back some memories for me. I suppose you could say memories of cherished relationships, but not necessarily “sacred.” They were memories of living on Capitol Hill a couple years ago just a few blocks away from this building. Of course, now it’s a hip bar. Maybe that’s why my memories of it are hazy rather than sacred. It is a fun place to go to on a Friday night — the music usually isn’t bad and the interior is quite a sight. Check out the ad from the 1928 Argus, when it was The Butterworth Mortuary. I’d say this is one of the more creative adaptive re-use projects in the city. If not for the dry cleaning leakage, Deano’s could have taken a cue.

The Butterworth Mortuary. The Season of Christmastide suggests sacred memories of cherished relationships. The Argus. Dec. 15, 1928. Price 35 cents. Vol. 35, No. 48.

Today we’re going way back to 1900 for these vintage Seattle area ads. The first is for the Puget Sound Machinery Depot (see here for a tour of their 1922 facility). After that, find an ad for the Z.C. Miles & Piper Company selling Ohio Steel Ranges. Note that they used corn as a fuel source. Our brilliant plan for getting off of oil isn’t so new. Click on the thumbnails for larger versions.

Puget Sound Machinery Depot. Corner Railroad Avenue and Washington Street. The Argus, 1900.

The Ohio Steel Ranges. Z.C. Miles & Piper Co. 78-84 Yesler Way, Seattle. The largest stove house in the northwest. The Argus, 1900.

The next time someone you know asks what’s so special about Seattle (and doesn’t it rain there, like, every day?)… you may want to whip out this ad from the 1914 Cosmogram. Tell ‘em Seattle has the most equitable climate. Tell ‘em about the twenty miles of Boulevards. Tell ‘em its death rate was 8.37 per thousand. Tell ‘em Seattle has the lowest rate of illiteracy of any city. Tell ‘em it’s the City of Destiny ™. Just don’t tell ‘em about the Mariners.

Seattle — The City Of Destiny. The New York of the Pacific and the Home Port of Alaska — WHY? The Cosmogram, 1914.

Last month’s City Center Motel post had John Methot wondering if the Towne Centre Motel was what we know today as the Kings Inn Motel. Not only was John right, but the 1962 “Beautiful Seattle Offers A Plus Convention” pamphlet also contained an ad for the Towne Centre. Here it is. They both had “courtesy and consideration to the commercial traveler” and “sparkle-clean housekeeping,” but the “center” vs “centre” should tell you which was slightly more snooty. Speaking of ads, you may have noticed the Google ads to the right. This is a test to see if I can offset some material acquisition costs. At the current rate I should have everything paid off in 7 or 8 years. In other words, you may see those ads disappear quite soon. It’s not worth the bother and really, I kind of loathe website ads. Regardless, check out the Towne Centre.

Towne Centre Motel. 2106 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, Washington. Two blocks from Frederick & Nelson and three blocks from Bon Marche, the Caravan Towne Centre Motel is considered the best located in Seattle. This new,  completely modern motel has all the regular features plus many extras to make your Seattle visit most pleasant. From “Beautiful Seattle Offers A Plus Convention,” Seattle Chamber of Commerce, 1962.

A Memorial Day road trip needs a good motel for when you’ve run out of gas money. Fitting the bill for many years was the City Center Motel, conveniently located on Aurora. Check this vintage 1962 ad showing the property and its features (some were coming soon). These days this location is a Holiday Inn Express, still serving travelers along 99. Do we have any readers who stayed here back when it was the City Center Motel?

City Center Motel, 226 Aurora Ave., Seattle, Washington. Truly the only “MOTEL” in downtown Seattle that features parking directly in front of the guest rooms. The City Center Motel is conveniently located and easily accessible from all parts of the city. A cafe, cocktail lounge and swimming pool are planned for the near future. From “Beautiful Seattle Offers A Plus Convention,” Seattle Chamber of Commerce, 1962.

As wheat and other grain prices surge upward, we can look back to a time when it wasn’t quite as pricey. Check out this early 1900′s ad for Holly Flour and the Mills of Lilly, Bogardus & Co. of Seattle. It makes me nostalgic for a time when speculators didn’t jerk our lives around so much. Give the image a click while you’re thinking of the old times.

“This is the Flour that makes the Bread that makes the Men of Alaska. Its Holly Flour that’s what it is. From the Mills of Lilly, Bogardus & Co., Seattle.” Early 1900′s advertisement.

Check out this 1952 ad for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer from The Argus. The short of it is that here in the Puget Sound area we’re rich and have electricity. Surely that deserves a pat on the back. Click on the thumbnail for the higher-res version.

Only morning newspaper in one of America’s Most Prosperous areas! The State of Washington is one of the most prosperous in the Union… with a per capita income of $1,642, compared with the national average of $1,436. In the western half of this rich, able-to-buy market, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer is the only morning newspaper, with a heavy circulation concentrating in Seattle and the Puget Sound Area. This area, combining 12 counties, has 60% of the state’s retail sales, 65 % of the state’s effective buying income and 98% of its homes are wired for electricity. For advertising results, remember that “people who buy read the P.-I.!”

Julie from Mid Beacon Hill recently posted a few snapshots of the new building Sabey will be putting up to replace the Stock House. What do you think? Personally, I like it. Seems like a nice meeting of the old and new. Speaking of Sabey, VP Jim Harmon provided me with some further information on the history of the 1522 E Jefferson property that I’d documented here and here last week. More on that later. For now, let’s pop open a cold one and take in another vintage Rainier Beer ad and some shots of the plant from back in the day.

Rainier Beer. An American Product For Lovers Of Quality. Seattle Brewing & Malting Co. Seattle, Wash.

A few snapshots of the bottling department of the Seattle Brewing & Malting Co., brewers and bottlers of the celebrated Rainier Beer. Washington Illustrated.

The Frederick & Nelson ghost sign on the Van Vorst Building may be disappearing, but this vintage ad is sticking around. It’s a bit of Century 21 Expo co-branding from a 1962 World’s Fair magazine. You can see an artist’s take on the old Monorail terminal (see here) as well as the flagship Frederick & Nelson store building (now occupied by Nordstrom). Click on the image for a better view.

1962 ad for Frederick & Nelson during the World’s Fair.

Today we’re also serving up this vintage ad from the December 1900 Argus newspaper for Moore Investment Co. Pictured next to the firm’s properties is J.A. Moore, perhaps best known for originally developing most of Capitol Hill. In July of 1900, he paid $225,000 for 160 acres of what would become the hill. Check out this article from the Washington State Historical Society for more on the purchase and naming of Capitol Hill. Interesting stuff! Give the thumbnail a click to investigate.

Moore Investment Co. The Argus, December 22, 1900. Vol. 7 no. 46.

Before Seattle Engraving there was Seattle Engraving Co. This vintage ad comes from said company around 1900. The firm offered “quality, utility, artisticness, and uniqueness” with their plates for printers. From what I can gather, the Hinckley Block was probably on 2nd and Columbia (Thanks BenL). Click on the thumbnail for higher-res.

Seattle Engraving Company. Plates for printers. 5th Floor, Hinckley Block. Seattle, U.S.A. The Argus, 1900.

Along the lines of the Hallidie Machinery Co ad I posted in December comes this vintage 1900 ad from the Mitchell, Lewis & Staver Company of Seattle. In addition to the usual hardcore equipment listing, the ad has a fun little diagram of a typical mining operation in Alaska. Click on the image for a larger version.

Mitchell, Lewis & Staver Co. Seattle, Washington. Mining In Alaska. General Agents For Ingersoll Drills and Compressors, Snow Duplex Steam Pumps, Cameron Mine and Sinking Pumps, Pulsometer Steam Pumps, Ottumwa Mine Hoists, Herules Gasoline Engines, Phoenix and Double Diamond Steam Hose, Belting, Packing, Oils, etc. Manufacturers of Automatic Hoists and Conveyers, Steam Thawing Points and Boilers, Klondike Saw Mills, Engines and Boilers. Dealers in Wire Rope, Drill Steel, Shafting, Oar Cars and Buckets, Ore Crushers. We carry a large stock and can make prompt shipments. The Argus, 1900.

Now this ad is sure to make the modern day “Miss Seattle” groan. The 1952 Seattle Gas Company ad comes from a copy of the 1952 Argus touting the world’s most modern laboratory-size range. Laboratory-size?! They insisted that in ’53 Miss Seattle would be cooking with gas. Speaking of ads (but hopefully the less groan inducing type), you may have noticed some popping up on a handful of pages. I’ve titled them “Vintage Listings” and hope they aren’t too invasive or distracting. They really just serve to bring some cash back in to cover the money going out for the items I procure for the blog — there will be no profit. Let me know if you have any feedback and feel free to call me a sellout in the comments.

Miss Seattle Cooks With Gas! Yes, this year and throughout the New Year 1953, Miss Seattle will be cooking with Gas on the world’s most modern laboratory-size range. Today Miss Seattle is cooking on “Seattle Miss” — the de luxe school range created especially for cooking classes in Seattle public schools, installed without cost by Seattle Gas Company. Built by Wedgewood to Seattle Gas Company specifications, “Seattle Miss” has all the fine features of Mother’s modern, automatic Wedgewood at home. Seattle Gas Company. 1507 4th Avenue. Main 6767. The Argus, 1952.

One of my favorite record covers of all time is this Bo Diddley album from the early 60′s. It partially inspired me to become interested in buying a stylish pair of cowboys boots. However, every time I saw a pair for sale — that price tag! A couple hundred bucks for a pair… it was just too much for me. All the while my girlfriend kept making fun of the idea. A year passed and just last month she ended up buying a very similar looking pair of boots. What’s the point of all this? Well, there was some level of vindication there. But more importantly, this nearly interesting story brings us back to this early 1900′s advertisement I came across. It’s advertising boots from the Washington Shoe Manufacturing Company, one of Seattle’s oldest continually running businesses. L.B. Allain founded the company in January, 1891 opening the city’s first shoe factory at 807 Western Ave. And you can still buy from them today. Check out the ad and click on it for more res.

The Washington Shoe Manufacturing Company. Seattle, U.S.A. Wholesale Mfgrs. and Dealers Boots, Shoes, and Rubbers. Three beauties in tan color. Quality the very best. Fine dress shoes in all popular leathers.