Renton Then and Now

Renton Then and Now Then and now photos, media, and history about Renton, Washington. Please follow, like, comment, and share my content with anyone that might have an interest!

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The 1938 "then" photo shows Safeway in the 2 story Gieldseth Building at 230 Wells Ave. Built in 1910, it's one of the o...
09/24/2025

The 1938 "then" photo shows Safeway in the 2 story Gieldseth Building at 230 Wells Ave. Built in 1910, it's one of the oldest buildings in downtown Renton. Safeway was one of the first chain grocery stores to appear in Renton in the 1930s. Prior to this, family owned groceries, meat markets, and bakeries catered to the community. Additional photos from 1962 and 1971, courtesy of Renton Historical Society, show Custer Hardware Appliances and Ye Old Trading Post in the building. However, St. Charles Place Antiques has been in this building the longest, opening in 1973 and still at this location after 52 years.

Sidenote: The statue on the left in the 1938 image is the bronze bust of Chief Seattle by sculptor James A. Wehn. It sits atop a drinking fountain and horse trough. It was presented to the city in 1910 by the Renton Volunteer Fire Department after raising $500 to purchase it. At the time of the photo it was located in front of the City Hall building (behind the photographer). It's been moved a several times, but since 1982 its been next to the Renton History Museum. There is an identical statue in Seattle's Pioneer Square.

Photos courtesy of Puget Sound Regional Archives and Renton Historical Society, all colorized.

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This 1982 "then" photo shows a brand new Burger King at the corner of Sunset Blvd and Duvall Ave (4637 NE Sunset Blvd). ...
09/22/2025

This 1982 "then" photo shows a brand new Burger King at the corner of Sunset Blvd and Duvall Ave (4637 NE Sunset Blvd). There's a large sign in the background for Albertsons, Ernst, and Pay 'n Save, which were located in the same shopping complex in the Highlands. The Burger King was here for decades but eventually closed. In 2005 it was converted into a Starbucks.

Photos courtesy of Puget Sound Regional Archives (1982 photo is colorized)

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The 1951 "then" photo shows the newly constructed Williams and Swanson Oldsmobile building at 332 Burnett Ave. A 1971 ph...
09/20/2025

The 1951 "then" photo shows the newly constructed Williams and Swanson Oldsmobile building at 332 Burnett Ave. A 1971 photo shows the view from the parking lot across the street. In both photos, railroad tracks are visible running down Burnett. The Olds building was a showroom and new cars were stored and displayed in a "New Car Plaza" on the opposite side of the parking lot (third photo).

Today, the Olds building has multiple tenants including Vigor Ground Fitness, Jack & Jill Nails, and Blue Door Skin Studio. The new car plaza has been replaced with the Burnett Station Apartments built in 2000.

Hayden Williams and John Swanson started a Chevrolet dealership in 1931 at the corner of 3rd and Burnett. Over decades it expanded and grew, adding Oldsmobile sales, a service building, the new car plaza, and used car lots. A circa 1966 brochure shows the various buildings that made up the business.

Fun facts:
- Williams and Swanson sold the business in the early 1970s and it became Good Chevrolet
- The railroad tracks on Burnett were removed in 1972

Photos courtesy of Puget Sound Regional Archives and Renton Historical Society (colorized)

This series of "then" photos from 1970 and 1983-84 show Skyway Park Bowl, located outside the Renton city limits in Skyw...
09/19/2025

This series of "then" photos from 1970 and 1983-84 show Skyway Park Bowl, located outside the Renton city limits in Skyway (11819 Renton Ave). The building was built in 1961, expanded in 1970, remodeled in 1984, and improved multiple times since. The business has been closed since January 2024.

Interesting fact: Skyway, Bryn-Mawr, and Lakeridge (collectively also known as West Hill) are in unincorporated King County between the cities of Renton and Seattle. In 2012 the residents voted to remain unincorporated and not be annexed into Renton. They are nonetheless considered part of the greater Renton community.

Photos courtesy of Puget Sound Regional Archives and colorized. Video courtesy of FB Skyway Park Bowl.

These 1959-1972 "then" photos show the Gene Meyer buildings located at 225 & 235 Rainier Ave. The original 1958 structur...
09/17/2025

These 1959-1972 "then" photos show the Gene Meyer buildings located at 225 & 235 Rainier Ave. The original 1958 structure was a rectangular building for Gene Meyer Auto Rebuild. It was expanded to the south in 1965 with an office/retail structure in the adjacent lot. In addition to auto repair they also towed/recovered vehicles and sold import motorcycles. The 1972 photo shows signs for Triumph, BSA, and Suzuki motorcycles, and a Datsun "Lil Hustler" pickup in front. Today, Gene Meyer is still at this location as Gene Meyer Towing, and the retail space is Big Island Poke.

Trivia: There's a motorcycle on the roof in the 1965 photo and a car on the roof in the 1969 photo.

Photos courtesy of Puget Sound Regional Archives (colorized)

The 1939 "then" photo shows Albin Hassell's Store and Gas Station in Kennydale at the corner of Lake Washington Blvd and...
09/15/2025

The 1939 "then" photo shows Albin Hassell's Store and Gas Station in Kennydale at the corner of Lake Washington Blvd and N 33rd St. The building was built in 1930 and had a single pump selling Gilmore fuel. There are signs for Renton Ice Cream and Coca-Cola at the entrance. The building once held the post office for the community. A 1943 photo shows the view down 33rd after a snow storm. The Hassell building is on the left (green arrow) with the County Dock (blue arrow) in the background which was used to ferry people and goods across Lake Washington. In 1955 a garage addition was built to the south. Today the building is home to The Lake Nail Salon, Urban Cafe, and Malik Law Firm.

Fun facts:
Kennydale started in 1898 when developer C.D. Hillman purchased several acres north of Renton and began selling lots in a development he called "Lake Washington Garden of Eden." The U.S. Post Office reportedly rejected the name for having too many words. He renamed it Kennydale after his wife's maiden name, Kenny. It was unincorporated King County until January 1970, when residents voted to be annexed into the City of Renton.
Renton Ice and Ice Cream Company was located in downtown on Williams Ave in the 1930s-50s.

Photo's courtesy of Puget Sound Regional Archives, Renton Historical Society, and King County Road Services (colorized)

These photos show some of the many restaurants that have occupied 505 Rainier Ave N across from Renton Airport. The buil...
09/13/2025

These photos show some of the many restaurants that have occupied 505 Rainier Ave N across from Renton Airport. The building was built in 1958. The first photo shows Schnitzel House in 1984 with a Bavarian themed exterior compared with Kizuki Ramen which opened in 2020. The second and third photos show a steak and seafood restaurant in the 1960s with the front portion of the building expanded in 1967 when it was Cook's Steak House. The original building was just a small pancake house in 1959 (fourth photo). For many years it was Chang's Mongolian Grill (2002-2015).

Photos courtesy of Puget Sound Regional Archives and colorized

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This 1980 "then" photo shows Lyon's Restaurant at the corner of Rainier Ave and 2nd Street in a building constructed tha...
09/12/2025

This 1980 "then" photo shows Lyon's Restaurant at the corner of Rainier Ave and 2nd Street in a building constructed that year. There's a Ford F-150 and a VW Rabbit Pickup truck in the parking lot. Lyon's was a diner-style restaurant chain that originated in San Francisco. The Lyon's here was short lived and it was a Denny's since at least 1986. Around 2008 Denny's closed and the building sat vacant until it was demolished in 2022. Today it's an empty lot but a handicap parking sign and fire hydrant bring perspective to the re-photograph. Interestingly, much of the original tile floor and building slab wasn't demolished and is still visible.

Photo courtesy of Puget Sound Regional Archives (colorized)

The 1945 "then" photo shows McBain's Store in Bryn Mawr just north of Renton (11449 Rainier Ave S). The 2 story building...
09/10/2025

The 1945 "then" photo shows McBain's Store in Bryn Mawr just north of Renton (11449 Rainier Ave S). The 2 story building was built in 1926 by Alexander W. McBain. An addition to the first floor was constructed in 1945. The McBains sold the building to Dave Thorson who ran Dave's Grocery here in the 1950s and 60s. Thorson sold to a Mr. Yamamoto who ran a grocery until the 1970s. Today the main first floor tenant is the Why? Grocery which has been here since at least 1986.

Alex and Minnie McBain started a butcher shop at this location in 1924. Very few homes had refrigerators so customers came daily for their meat. They had just a cool room and a butcher block, and decided to invest $2,000 in a refrigerator (~$37,000 in today's dollars). Business increased and they began offering some groceries. In 1926 they built the two-story brick building we see today. It was the pride of the Bryn Mawr community and the McBain's had all the business they could handle. In 1945 the first floor was expanded and the U.S. Post Office operated a sorting station there for several years.

Photo courtesy of Puget Sound Regional Archives and colorized
Reference: Bryn Mawr 1872-1986, by Harold "Jiggs" Hoyt, 1986

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These 1973 "then" photos, courtesy of Renton Historical Society and colorized, were taken from the corner of 3rd and Mai...
09/08/2025

These 1973 "then" photos, courtesy of Renton Historical Society and colorized, were taken from the corner of 3rd and Main and show views of the 1938-built Evans Building. In one photo, a boy on a 10 speed is waiting to cross the street. There's a wood bench in the foreground and a "Christmas Tree" style lamp pole in the background. These were installed throughout the city in 1973. Each pole had sixteen 60 watt bulbs and were neither energy efficient nor easy to maintain. Signs for Pat's Tavern, Western Optical, and Evans Bldg are visible. In the other photo, a man waits to cross the street in front of Main Corner Cafe. There are window signs that read 7Up, Darigold Ice Cream, and Fountain Service. Two newsracks (self service newspaper boxes) flank the entry door.

Today, Premier Meat Pies occupies the tenant spaces shown, but other tenants include The Devil on 3rd and Drum Roll Wine. The light poles pictured still exist but the fixtures have been removed, and the crosswalk has been improved for accessibility.

The 1965 "then" photo shows T&R Market at the corner of Sunset Blvd and Edmonds Ave in the Renton Highlands (1190 NE Sun...
09/05/2025

The 1965 "then" photo shows T&R Market at the corner of Sunset Blvd and Edmonds Ave in the Renton Highlands (1190 NE Sunset). The building was built in 1964. The signs indicate eggs were 45 cents/dozen, cauliflower was 19 cents/head, and carrots were 10 cents/pound. There's a 1959 Chevy Brookwood station wagon and a 1955 Ford Fairlane in the parking lot. T&R was an IGA grocery (Independent Grocers Alliance). IGA was founded in 1926 to support family-owned local groceries and is the largest independent grocery chain in the world.

In 1983 this was Mark 'N Pak market. In 1998-99 a convenience store and Tesoro gas pumps and canopy were constructed. From the 1994 to 2014 the No Bull Saloon was here. Today, The Brick Kitchen + Lounge is one of the main tenants.

Photos courtesy of Puget Sound Regional Archives and Renton Historical Society (colorized)

This 1988 "then" photo shows Kent Video at Fairwood Square (17650 140th Ave SE), courtesy of Puget Sound Regional Archiv...
09/04/2025

This 1988 "then" photo shows Kent Video at Fairwood Square (17650 140th Ave SE), courtesy of Puget Sound Regional Archives and colorized. The building was built in 1988 and Kent Video was one of its first tenants. Today their old space is Papa Murphy's.

In the early 1980s, before the internet and streaming video, locally owned video stores were everywhere. These included Dahlstrom's Video and Cascade Vista Video in the Fairwood/Cascade area, and The Video Stop in the Highlands. National chains like Blockbuster and Hollywood Video dominated the market in the late 1980s and early 90's, forcing these businesses to close.

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