(Pictured: Eddy’s Cafe, seen here in 1934, operated for more than 40 years in Tacoma’s Tideflats area.)

As a fourth-generation Tacoma native, Patty Rivers Mannie knows a thing or two about the city’s history, including her own family. Her great-grandfather, Eugene Scheele, worked as a blacksmith on the corner of North 30th and White Street as early as 1910. And her grandparents, Edward and Alma Wildes, owned and operated Eddy’s Café on the Tacoma Tideflats for over 40 years. 

Mannie has started a boutique tour company, Tacoma History Comes Alive, offering historical treks through downtown and the North End neighborhood, as well as the bordering Town of Ruston. She also provides history research for those looking to learn more about their homes. She can be reached at tacomacomesalive.com and 253-208-0135.

Born and raised in the North End, Rivers Mannie attended St. Patrick’s Elementary School and graduated from Wilson High School. She developed her passion for Tacoma’s history after attending a tour of homes in 1976, during the American Bicentennial. Since then, she has been a charter member of the Tacoma Historical Society while working in banking and marketing.