Renton Then and Now

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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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06/19/2026

This 1967 "then" photo shows Dairy Queen on Sunset Blvd in the Highlands (1170 NE Sunset Blvd). The building was constructed in 1966 and had an interesting curved roof. In the early 1990s it was Sunset Teriyaki. It was then Chop Sticks Express (2003-2005) and Herfy's Burgers (2005-2009). Around 2010 it became Santa Fe Mexican Grill. They remodeled and expanded in 2013, adding covered patio seating that surrounded the original Dairy Queen sign post.

Fun facts: The building is located near the unique intersection of "Sunset and Sunset" - where Sunset Blvd NE intersects NE Sunset Blvd. The confusing road naming makes more sense when one considers that the lightly trafficked road directly in front of Santa Fe was the original alignment of Sunset Blvd and the historic Sunset Highway to Eastern Washington (1958 Kroll map).

Photo courtesy of Puget Sound Regional Archives, colorized.

06/17/2026

The 1984 "then" photo shows Fuel Injection Systems / Dynamometer Service next to Schucks. The building was built in 1961 as part of a service station at the corner of Rainier Ave N and Airport Way. In 1961 it was Barrons Service and Auto Sales, owned by Bernard and Roger Barron. The building was then split into two spaces. The space facing Rainier Ave had several tenants, including Arbuckle Glass (1971-76), Crown Glass (1977-81), Fuel Injection Systems of America (1985-87), and J&K Automotive (1995-99). The other space was Duke's Transmission, owned by Orgus Tallant, which was in business for over 30 years (1970-91). The service station area was Crossett Cars beginning in the 1980s.

Around 2003 the buildings and service station canopies were demolished and replaced with a new Arco gas station, AM/PM convenience store, and car wash.

Photos courtesy of Puget Sound Regional Archives (colorized)

06/14/2026

The Sheraton Renton Inn was constructed in 1965 at the intersection of Rainier Ave and Grady Way/SR-167. At 5 stories high, it was the largest hotel in Renton. A 1965 aerial photo shows the hotel (red arrow) next to the Evergreen Building (under construction) and Renton Village Cinemas. In 1982 there was a Cessna 150 airplane installed on the roof to symbolize Renton's aircraft industry. The 1982 and 1985 photos show the airplane's initial installation and when it was used to promote the 1985 Renton Western Aire Faire, the city's summer festival that saluted the aviation industry and Will Rogers & Wiley Post, the famous travelers that came through Renton in 1935 on their attempt to fly around the world. The red plane was quite iconic and was part of the hotel's marketing brochures until it was removed around 1990.

Around 1994, the hotel became a Holiday Inn and a 6th floor was added in 1998. For a brief period in 2013 it was known as the Rainier Hotel. Ownership changed again in 2014 and it became the Red Lion Hotel. The attached restaurant, The Yankee Grill, was a popular place back when there were fewer restaurant choices within the city. The hotel buildings have been vacant since at least 2023.

Trivia: Prior to the Western Aire Faire, Renton's summer festival was known as Renton Western Days. Following the 1985 Western Air Faire, the festival became known as Renton River Days, which in 2026 is now in its 40th year.

Photos courtesy of Renton Historical Society (colorized)

06/12/2026

This 1957 "then" photo shows the Triple ### Drive In at the corner of SW Sunset Blvd and Rainier Ave S. A large ### sign extends above the car canopies, and the restaurant building is in the background. This is believed to be the first Triple ### in Washington State, opened by A. H. "Archie" Rutherford in the 1930s (King County records indicate the building was built in 1934). A circa 1937 matchbook shows there were several other Triple ### locations that opened shortly after.

Rutherford's Triple ### was situated near the entrance to downtown Renton and where the major highways intersected (Sunset Blvd used to be Sunset Highway/Empire Way/Dunlap Canyon Rd; Rainier Ave used to be State Highway 5). It was also along the Renton Loop, the popular cruising route from the 1950s - 80s. A 1969 aerial shows the Triple ### (red arrow) as well as Dag's Beefy Boy across the street, another popular drive in. Also shown is the wagon wheel-shaped Renton Hospital (top of photo).

The Triple ### remained in operation until about 1975. Today, it's the parking lot for Walgreens.

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

06/09/2026

This 1969 "then" photo shows 7-Eleven in the Highlands. It was built in 1968 at 3131 NE 12th St near Sunset Blvd (second photo). Jacks Drive-In Restaurant was also at this corner. Both buildings were demolished in 2003 and Walgreens was constructed shortly after.

Fun fact: Since 1968, the 7-Eleven logo has used a lowercase "n" instead of a capital to match the other letters. It's believed the wife of the company president thought all capitals looked too harsh. She suggested a lower case "n" to make the logo look more graceful.

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

06/08/2026

This 1963 "then" photo shows Rubattino's Restaurant/Diner at 808 3rd Street. The original restaurant was The Owl Cafe, which was here since the building was constructed in 1927. A 1932 photo shows the left side of the restaurant was The Owl Annex beer parlor. Tom Rubattino and wife Helen owned and operated the business. They also had various partners including Mike Rubattino and Chuck Hamer. At its height of popularity it was open 24 hours/day to meet the demand of locals, Boeing workers, and truck drivers. (Before I-405 and the floating bridges, the highways went through Renton)

It was renamed Rubattino's around 1956, and the Owl Annex was renamed the Owl Room. A circa 1970 photo shows the neon Owl sign outside (red arrow). In 1974, after ~47 years in business, Tom sold the restaurant and retired. Robert Delancey then operated it for ~48 years before selling it around 2025. The current owner completed an extensive remodel that greatly improved the interiors while retaining the classic diner counter service and booths.

Photos courtesy of Puget Sound Regional Archives and Renton Historical Society (colorized). Ref. Renton From Coal to Jets, by Morda C. Slauson.

06/04/2026

This 1984 photo shows Schuck's Auto Supply near the corner of Rainier Ave and Airport Way (257 Rainier Ave N). It was built in 1970 and was here until it moved 1/2 mile south to the corner of Rainier and Sunset Blvd (now O'Reilly Auto Parts). Renton Laundry has occupied the building since at least 2015.

For the car enthusiasts, the 1983 photo shows a Mustang II in front of the store. The often misunderstood model was designed for fuel efficiency after the 1970s gas crisis. It was extremely popular and Ford sold 1.1 million units in 5 years.

Fun Facts: Schuck's was founded by Harry Schuck in 1917 when he opened a Seattle store selling parts for bicycles, motorcycles, and early automobiles. By 1983 it had grown to 58 stores in the PNW when it was acquired by the Pay 'n Save Corp. Over the next couple years it was sold and acquired by other corporations, landing with CSK Auto which also owned Checker Auto Parts and Kragen Auto Parts. In 2008, CSK was sold to O'Reilly Automotive Inc, which then rebranded all Schuck's stores to O'Reilly Auto Parts.

Photos courtesy of Puget Sound Regional Archives, colorized

06/02/2026

The 1938 "then" photo shows the Old City Hall building at 227 Wells Ave. Constructed in 1924, it replaced two earlier city buildings; a converted wood frame residence that was Renton's first dedicated city hall after its 1901 incorporation, and the 1908-built Renton Fire Hall, the city's first fire station. The 2 story brick building, also known as the Louisa Building, served both functions (the fire apparatus bay was on the right). As the City's office needs grew it would eventually sell the building to Umberto Barei in the mid 1950s. In 1956 the main tenants were Raymond's Dept Store, Macy's Apparel, and Ames Jeweler. By 1970, Macy's had expanded into a second store, Macy's Bootery. By 1976, Macy's Apparel became Macy's Warehouse and the jewelry space had become Renton Coin Shop. A 1991 photo shows these businesses continued at this location for decades.

The building was renovated in 2010 by developer Dave Smith of Paragon Real Estate. Today, the building is home to Method + Madness Salon, Four Generals Brewing, Dpad Retro Gaming, and Diablo Guitars.

Trivia: Renton Coin Shop is now located near the corner of Bronson Way and Park Ave, and has been a Renton business for 62 years.

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

05/28/2026

The circa 1900 "then" photo shows Thomas Harries' cash grocery store at the NE corner of 3rd and Wells. Harries is the fourth person to the right of the power pole. A Seattle, Renton, and Southern Railway streetcar is stopped in front. The trolley's sign reads "Hillman City" and "Garden of Eden." Hillman City was a small community in the Rainier Valley that was annexed into Seattle in 1907, and Garden of Eden is today's Bryn Mawr neighborhood just north of Renton.

In addition to running one of Renton's first grocery stores, Thomas Harries was the town postmaster and the Post Office was in this building as well. In 1909, Harries demolished the wood frame building and replaced it with the 2 story brick building we see today. In the 1930s and 40s a major tenant was Renton Drug Store (Brendel's Drugs). Since 2007 one of the main tenants has been Common Ground Coffee & Cupcakes.

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

05/27/2026

The 1983 "then" photo shows the It'll Do Tavern at 209 Airport Way, across the street from Renton Airport. Built in 1968, its been several different taverns over the years. The original business was Angelo's Tavern, owned by Angelo Barei from 1968-74. It was It'll Do Tavern from 1975-84, owned by Harry Naon and later Gerald Neisingor. From 1985 to the early 90s it was Bergie's Tavern, owned by Barbara Bergman. In the early 2000s to 2010s it was Love's Landing Bar & Grill. Lastly, it was Hangar 205 Sports Bar until around 2019. The building is currently vacant.

Photos courtesy of Puget Sound Regional Archives, colorized.

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