Thurston County’s Boston Harbor will honor old Main Street with new signs

The quaint waterfront community of Boston Harbor will pay homage to its original Main Street with new signs along 73rd Avenue Northeast.

The historical signs will go up later this fall where 73rd Avenue intersects with Boston Harbor Road and Commercial Street. Pam Trautman of the Boston Harbor Neighborhood Association said a ceremony will be announced soon.

Trautman worked with the Thurston County Historic Commission to approve the signs for 73rd Avenue, which had been called Main Street until 1978. That’s when the county renamed several streets after establishing a grid system for street names.

The neighborhood association is paying $175 apiece for the two new signs.

The official road name will remain 73rd Avenue Northeast, and no addresses will be affected.

“It’s kind of a feel-good thing,” Trautman told The Olympian. “A lot of people out here are interested in the history of the community.”

Situated along the east side of Budd Inlet about 5 miles north of Priest Point Park, the area has been inhabited since the mid-1800s, according to the historic commission. Seattle real estate developer C.D. Hillman platted the community of Boston Harbor in 1907 with the slogan “Where the sails and rails meet.” He then embarked on a vigorous marketing campaign to lure thousands of prospective property buyers.

However, Hillman’s staff used some dishonest practices, including selling a piece of property several times, according to the county. Hillman was eventually convicted of mail fraud and was incarcerated for 18 months at McNeil Island.

Boston Harbor is home to about 270 houses and 610 residents, although the neighborhood doesn’t have a firm boundary. Boston Harbor’s landmark is the Dofflemeyer Lighthouse, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.

This story was originally published September 24, 2015 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Thurston County’s Boston Harbor will honor old Main Street with new signs."