Star of Destiny

The Star of Destiny - 120 statements about Tacoma's advantages - was created by developer Allen C. Mason (1855-1920) and designed by engineer L.A. Nicholson. Mason used the Star of Destiny in newspaper advertising around the country. It is part of larger historical marker and statue recognizing the Mr Mason, who is seen greeting visitors to Tacoma and the Proctor District. The bronze representation of the Star and the Mason statue were created by sculptor, Paul Michaels.

The Tacoma Star of Destiny is an advertising tool that was developed early in the 20th century touting all the advantages of Tacoma, WA.

The following is the list of the manufacturers, organizations, opinions and transportation companies that contribute to the greatness of the city. Grouped around a central star bearing the name “TACOMA” are:

• Great Northern Railway
• A great dairying country
• Largest sawmills in Pacific Northwest
• Largest smelter west of Montana
• Best lighted city in the Northwest 
• Leading manufacturing city in the Northwest
• City owns its own light and water plant
• Center of biggest timber belt in the world
• Thousands of acres of cheap manufacturing sites
• Largest timber shipping port on the Pacific
• Undisputed center of the timber industry
• Cheapest and largest electric power producing facilities in the world
• Precious and base metals in the mountains
• Probable center of iron and steel industry
• Product of Tacoma mills goes to every country on earth
• Largest factory payroll in the Northwest
• Logical place for wholesale business
• Highest average wage scale in the Northwest
• Headquarters for flour and food products
• Largest area for manufacturing sites
• Diversity and immensity of natural resources
• Central to the best coal on Puget Sound
• Chicago, Milwaukee & Puget Sound Ry.
• Steamers to the Orient
• Longest wheat warehouses in the world
• Steamers to London
• Exchange between rail & sail at minimum cost
• Steamers to Alaska
• 17 ½ miles of water frontage
• The world’s largest seaports are at the head of navigation
• 8 ½ miles of wharves and warehouses
• Directly accessible to deep sea fishing
• Twenty different lines of steamers and sailing vessels
• Steamers to Central and South America
• Third largest harbor in the world 
• Home port of nine great transpacific steamship lines
• Steamers to Hawaiian Islands
• Steamers to coast ports
• One of the most remarkable harbors in the world
• Head of navigation forever
• Largest grain shipping port on the Pacific
• Steamers to Hamburg
• Union Pacific Railway
• City of beautiful homes
• Only High School stadium in the world
• Only museum in the Northwest
• Happy, healthy, contented & prosperous population
• Mecca of all who glory in water sports
• Largest High School building west of Chicago
• Few cities of better church advantages
• Noted for the high standards of its numerous schools & colleges
• Conservatively & intelligently managed
• First commission charter adopted by a Pacific coast city
• National reputation as the city beautiful
• Ideal place for man of large or small means
• Hub of good roads movement
• Place for sane investment in real estate
• A hospitable city
• Tacoma Eastern Railroad
• Health resort
• Nights always cool & conducive to sound sleep
• A notable flower & fruit city
• Center of truck gardening and berry raising
• (No) Tornadoes nor hurricanes
• Twelve hundred acres in parks
• Picturesque prairie for everyone enjoyment
• Park or (sic) national reputation
• No poisonous bugs nor reptiles
• Famed throughout the world for beauty of situation & environment
• Ideal townsite, no lightning rods in the city
• Grass is green the year round
• Finest military maneuver grounds in the Northwest
• Lowest death rate in the U.S.
• Equable and healthful climate
• Ideal camping grounds at lakes and beaches
• Fertile valley and upland soil
• Less average rainfall than Chicago
• No ague or malaria
• Northern Pacific Railway
• Finest drives in the Northwest
• Largest area of level land for railroad terminals
• Best paved city in the Northwest
• Objective point of other transcontinental railroads
• Favorite destination of tourists
• Conservative valuation (sic) of real estate
• On the path of greatest attraction & least resistance
• Superb automobile road to Mt. Tacoma
• An inland empire tributary to it. 
• Interurban railroads 
• Direct service over eight railroads operating 44,948 miles of track
• Car shops of two transcontinental railroads
• Automobile center of Puget Sound
• Exceptional commercial and industrial advantages
• Aptly called the Naples of America
• Hunter’s and fisherman’s paradise
• Columbia River basin second largest in the United States
• Ideal for retired capitalists
• Gateway to Mt. Tacoma and Paradise Valley
• Unsurpassed mountain scenery

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