Finding the Center: The Story of Key Center
February 24, 2025 – November 29, 2025
Exhibition view
Key Center in 1928. Visell land in green, original Olson homestead in purple. Adapted from White’s, Atlas of Pierce County, 1928
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- How Key Center started
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- The early days
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- The fire on Feb. 4, 1970
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- Key Center reborn
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- The decades after the fire
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- Andrew and Ellen Olson on their wedding day, 1892. Andrew Olson homesteaded on the hill west of today’s Key Center.
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- Elmer Stanley Olson
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- Alden Emmet Visell
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- Nelson Wanderlust Peck. Peck came up with the name Key Center.
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- Tacoma Daily Ledger 3/12/1932
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- 1940s Olson KC cafe. This later became Jerry’s Cafe, the Huckleberry Inn, and is today (2025) El Sombrero Restaurant.
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- 1940s Olson huckleberry shed
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- 1950s grocery, hardware store
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Tacoma News Tribune
Feb. 5, 1970
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The morning after the fire
Feb. 4, 1970
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Peninsula Gateway
Feb. 5, 1970
Read more about the 1970 fire here and the fire marshal’s report here
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Plans for Key Center after the fire.
Tacoma News Tribune Apr. 8, 1971
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Construction of the KC Corral.
Key Peninsula News(letter), August 1977
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KC Corral Grand Opening
Key Peninsula News(letter), Nov. 1977
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- Pioneer Days Parade, 1987
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- Key Center Tavern, 1996. The tavern occupied the west half of Calahan building.
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- The Angel Guild at the Pioneer Days Parade, 2000
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- The Huckleberry Inn closed in 2007. It is now (2025) El Sombrero Restaurant.
