1900 Map of Tacoma

Railroad development is central to the area's economy, with the Northern Pacific Railway and the Tacoma and Eastern R. R. linking industrial settlements like Carbonado and Wilkeson to the coast. Along the western edge, Vashon Island and Maury Island appear with detailed coastal features such as Quartermaster Harbor and a curious Aquarium near Pt. Beals. This inland empire of timber and coal is punctuated by hundreds of small lakes and the early footprints of towns like Auburn, Kent, and Sumner.