THE ONE PICTURE...
Hanging on the wall, there is a copy of a photo taken of the building in 1916. Interestingly, it appears the little store was not the intended focus of the image. Lucky for us, the city had a great freeze in 1916 and the picture was taken of the frozen, snow-covered river. It appears the picture was taken from a high vantage-point across the street. If you look across the street, you will see a very tall brick building. The picture was likely taken from the roof of that building.
There were two key elements of historical significance that helped us discover the origins of the building and this tiny space. One, were the Sanborn Insurance Company's fire maps of 1908 and 1940. The maps show the building did not exist in 1908, but was standing in 1940. Also, an article from the Snohomish County Tribune newspaper dated February 18, 1916 tells of Mr. & Mrs. Sydman selling their interest in the confectionery to a Mr. Brown of Monroe. The article did not note how long the confectionery was in business, but it would have had to of been established sometime between 1908 and 1916.
Carved out of the surrounding storefront, this little shop space shares the original facade, displaying two large wooden doors and 12 high-placed windows for a beautiful, natural light, with the surrounding retail establishment. It is thought that Mr. Sydman had the sporting goods store in the larger, surrounding space, while Mrs. Sydman operated the confectionery, in the small space that Lather & Salt now occupies.
This is such a curious little space, measuring 103" x 112" respectively. Perhaps the smallest store you have ever seen? Lather & Salt was established in 2015 to offer handcrafted body & bath products, perfumes & salts.
Thank you for visiting! We are happy to share what we have discovered about the store's history with you!
Always my best,
H.