Where did you go, TACOMA? Missing sign reappears in city waters. Here’s who’s behind it
A smoky sun was setting behind Fox Island Thursday evening as dozens of people at Titlow Beach were opening laptop computers at tables, splashing in the incoming tide and shooting selfies of the amber sunset.
But something was missing.
For the past several years the view has included a widely spaced series of letters, attached to off shore pilings, and shouting TACOMA.
First, an A disappeared. Then, on July 23, the rest of the sign vanished.
Not to worry, says its creator, a new TACOMA is about to appear and this one will be sturdier and stronger than its predecessors.
You’ll like Tacoma
John James Nelson is a Titlow Beach-based electrician and guerrilla artist. His motto might be described as “Art first, ask questions later.”
He’s the man behind the sign and its predecessors.
The first, an homage to the famous “You’ll like Tacoma” sign that graced the 1909 Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition in Seattle, was installed on off shore pilings in 2019. It lit up and featured a heart-shaped 253 design.
The batteries for that version needed changing every few days and since installation work is done either by kayak or boat, that got old.
In 2020, a new, non-illuminated version of the sign went up: TACOMA, each on its own piling.
Weather is tough and an artist’s inspirations can change. The sign morphed into TACO and CAT, depending on the status of letters and Nelson’s whims.
Glow-in-the-dark
When he refurbished and reinstalled TACOMA in 2022, Nelson used glow-in-the-dark paint. During the day, TACOMA was a pale green. At night ... it disappeared. The shadow box construction and east-facing letters couldn’t absorb enough light to glow after dark.
In all of his public work, Nelson relies heavily on volunteer help to install his work, be it the TACOMA sign or his ever-evolving Halloween displays at Titlow.
“I need help from people to carve the pumpkins, bring them out, put lights in them,” he said. He may be a guerrilla artist, but he’s also a community artist, he said.
Landmark
As a Tacoma icon, the Titlow sign is only in its infancy. But, it serves as the backdrop for countless photos, has made it onto greeting cards and, rumor has it, appears in the current season of “The Bachelorette” on ABC later this year. One contestant has local ties.
For Nelson, the fact that people have been asking the local newspaper about the missing sign is gratifying.
“It feels really good, and I just know that I have to keep going with it,” he said.
He’s never heard any complaints, even from the numerous entities that govern various shoreline aspects.
The sign’s message is clear, to the point and self-referential. If cities wore name tags, this would be Tacoma’s.
“I’ve kept it non-biased. I’m not putting out a message. I’m just like, we love Tacoma,” Nelson said.
New sign
In July, an A disappeared, leaving the sign to read “TACOM.” Nelson, took the rest down, realizing it was time to build a better version.
At 26- by 20-inches, the new letters are slightly larger than the previous version. They’re also made out of more durable plywood and have a non-corrosive support system.
Someone found the missing A, covered in seaweed, and left it at a nearby restaurant.
In another nod to Tacoma, the new sign is aligned on a 253 degree compass heading, Nelson said.
Pilings
Decades of waves and weather have varied the heights of the pilings, giving each letter of TACOMA a slightly different height.
In addition to roughly six pilings with birdhouses — which Nelson avoids — there are numerous other ghost posts which protrude from the water.
Nearby, much taller pilings mark the remains of a ferry landing. In 1927, a ferry was taking travelers to Wollochet Bay, according to an ad in The News Tribune. Later, ferries left the Sixth Avenue Dock, as it was called, for Point Fosdick and Fox Island.
The ferry shut down when the first Narrows span was built. After Galloping Gertie collapsed in 1940, it went back into operation until the replacement span was built in 1950.
Iconic
Nearby residents Marsha and Mike Ebert have had a direct view of the sign. They’ve used it to keep an eye on water levels.
“We love them because we judge how high the tide is by where it is on the letters,” Marsha Ebert said. “You’ve really got a high tide when it’s up above the M.”
It was disconcerting when Nelson removed the sign in July.
“We looked out there. We’re like, what’s missing?,” she said.
The couple watch park goers take photos of the sign all day long.
“People love those,” Ebert said. “It’s kind of iconic.”
The new sign isn’t permanent Nelson said. A newer, better version will replace this one. It just depends on where his whims will take him.
This story was originally published August 11, 2024 at 6:00 AM.
