Tacoma, Washington: Please Stand for our National Anthem (Gone)
A plaque marked the spot where, on Oct. 18, 1893, Gen. Rossell O'Brien began the custom of standing for the Star Spangled Banner. Reported gone in 2023.
- Directions:
- The plaque is bolted to a wall on the west side of Broadway, about a hundred yards north of S. 9th St. It's just to the left of a doorway that's just to the left of a vintage toy shop.
- Hours:
- Reported gone in 2023.
- Admission:
- Free
- Status:
- Gone
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Plaque is gone as of 2023! Ah, well.
[Dana, 12/12/2023]
A plaque commemorates Rossel G. O'Brien, who originated the custom of standing for the Star Spangled Banner in 1893.
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Rossel was the mayor of Tacoma at the time, so his opinion carried some weight. Not only did he stand, he proposed that everyone else should stand, too. His Civil War veteran buddies quickly adopted the practice, and soon it became a national custom.