HILLTOP
Tiffany Hammond
The history of Tacoma's Hilltop neighborhood is deeply intertwined with the broader social dynamics of race and segregation in the United States, including the effects of Jim Crow laws and practices.
The Hilltop neighborhood's development provides a compelling narrative on how African American citizens built resilience and established thriving communities in the face of systemic racism and segregation.
While Jim Crow laws were not codified in Washington State as in the Southern states, de facto segregation was prevalent. African Americans in Hilltop, like those in many Northern communities, often faced restrictions in housing and limited job opportunities, confined to specific neighborhoods and roles.
Discriminatory practices in employment and housing led to socioeconomic disparities. However, the community's response was to build self-reliant infrastructures including schools, churches, and businesses that became central to Hilltop’s identity.
​
Land that established the Hilltop as a home for the Black community came from two sources: the Conna family, and George Putnam Riley through his leadership of the Workingmen's Joint Stock Asssociation.
The Conna Addition, contributed by John and Mary Conna in 1889, encompassed 40 acres of land in Tacoma's Hilltop neighborhood. This area became an important site for the development of the Black community within Tacoma, as John Conna, a prominent African American businessman and advocate, played a major role in advancing civil rights and promoting opportunities for African Americans in the region. This land donation, strategically situated in a burgeoning area of Tacoma, laid the groundwork for Hilltop's growth as a center for African American residents and businesses​
George Putnam Riley was a pioneering African American businessman and civic leader who left a lasting impact on Tacoma's Hilltop neighborhood. Born in Boston, Riley ventured westward in the 1860s, initially working as a barber in San Francisco before arriving in the Tacoma area. In 1869, he organized the Workingmen’s Joint Stock Association, pooling funds with other Black entrepreneurs to invest in real estate in Tacoma. His group purchased a substantial 67-acre tract known as the "Alliance Addition," which became a central part of the Hilltop area—a neighborhood that would evolve into a core of Tacoma’s Black community.
George Putnam Riley
John and Mary Conna
