The "then" photo was taken in 1987 and shows a Burlington Northern locomotive hauling freight through Renton on Houser Way. The picture was taken by Robert Johnston and is courtesy of the Pacific Northwest Railroad Archive and colorized. On the left is one of the ~300 "Christmas Tree" style street lamp poles that were installed in 1973 throughout the City. Each pole had sixteen 60 watt light bulbs so they were not energy efficient or maintenance friendly. They were rarely turned on and in 1991, the bulbs and most of the poles were removed. For those interested, there is a fully restored and refurbished one at 3rd and Williams that was unveiled in 2024 by Renton Arts Commission.
The building on the left is Sewing Machine Service Co. which has been in business in Renton since 1942. On the right side, the large sign reads "Pickering," short for Bruce Pickering Appliance and TV, which was at this location since at least 1970 (per old ads I've found). As I recall, it was in operation into 1990s.
In the "now" photo, all these buildings are still standing with current businesses Marianna Ristorante, Details Barbershop, and others.
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