In 1884, John Collins opened his Occidental Hotel at the junction of James Street and Mill Street (now Yesler Way) in Seattle. The ornate, four-story brick building was at the center of the city, just off of what is now Pioneer Square. It was considered to be the grandest hotel in Washington Territory. A bank occupied part of the ground floor.

This photo shows the triangular Occidental Hotel, bounded by James Street (left) and Mill Street, now Yesler Way (right). The sidewalks are filled with pedestrians, and a man waits in the street with his horse and cart. The tracks of Seattle's first streetcar line can be seen curving upwards toward the residential area on James Street.

SHS category: Hotels