Tacoma was incorporated in 1887. The first settlers were Dr. S. Hoge, Henry Seavers, Daniel Bruce, Harvey Bruce, and F. A. Ashworth. Now living and about 93 years old. Samuel Horn, Daniel Eaton, Johnson Horne who had 15 children: William Horne, Shade Greer, Dr. Grenoc Milton Bruce and Dr. Sparks.
     Some or part of these old settlers were prisoners from the north and had fled and had settled here in Tacoma. This valley, the first settlers said, was one of the most ideal places to live in Wise County. W. E. Harrison and F. A. Stratton were two of the men who put up real estate offices there in Tacoma, and said that
Tacoma was going to be one of the richest young cities in Wise county on account of the coal, scenery, railroad coming in and farming. These men are the two who started the boom of Tacoma. Several lots were sold, and
the people of Tacoma even thought they would get the County Courthouse there. And if Wise had not beat them to building the railroad to Wise, that would have been the County seat now, if not changed later.
     Elbert Kilgore ran the first planing mill in Tacoma. There was a three-story,  30 room hotel run by Captain Biggs in Tacoma was named the El Dorado. Stuart Kelly also ran a hotel in Tacoma, just a small one and afterwards ran as a boarding house. 
     Guest River Post Office was run by Dr. S. Hoge, across from Mrs. Renfro's store there in a field. Big dwelling house with 2 rooms, with log partition between rooms and a chimney in the middle of the house. One of these rooms was used as the Post Office. No one remembers the dates of this or the exact size.
     Harvey Bruce was one of the first Magistrates of the district and he put the fear of God into them the old people says. He would make people stand around, and was one-eyed and weighed about 275 pounds.
     In 1851 John Eaton built the home of F. A. Ashworth at the foot of Stone Mountain, on Eaton Creek or some time called Mill Creek.
     Dr. S. Hoge land was bought from George W. Kilgore, Commissioner and had in it 592 acres, on July 10, 1877. He lived at the foot of the Stone Mountain.
     Harvey Bruce had 211 acres of land around and in Tacoma. The Hodge Lodge of Norton No. 8 was named after Dr. Hodge of Tacoma.
     Tacoma had the first phone in Wise County, owned by J. W. Ashworth now of Coeburn, VA. Mr. Ashworth bought a phone and paid about $50.00 for it. This was about 47 years ago. It was made on the tin can type, with three wires drawn tight and at each and there was a mahogany hollow box, tin lined, and the
wires wrapped around this box tight, so that the sound would carry better and cheap earphones. Mr. Ashworth, had the line from his house to J. M. Durham's, at one time Deputy Sheriff of Wise county. He was also Superintendent of Tacoma Schools, and also Wise County.
     When the first railroad ran through Tacoma, VA, the Superintendent said that if the train would make a certain run into Norton that the "Boys" would buy the train crew a big barrel of whiskey and they did win the whiskey. The number of the first train that ran through Tacoma was No. 144 and everyone in Tacoma that
could pay and ride it, rode the train on into Norton.
     The railroad was built through Tacoma, was about 1889. J. D. Clay was the Engineer of the road.  First Furniture Store in Wise County was in Tacoma and was run by F. A. Ashworth & Son in 1880.
     First Bank in Wise County was in Tacoma about the year 1878. The President was Judge Kilgore and it was located in a frame building. This building held the drug store also and was run by Dr. Livingston.  The furniture store was also located in the same building.
     Captain J. J. Wolfe ran the first saw mill in Tacoma. He was from Tennessee, also returned there and died. Daniel Ramey was also the saw dust man for Captain Wolfe.
     Tacoma was named after a stove says F. A. Ashworth of Coeburn who lived most of his life in Tacoma. Some of the leading men were in the town there and some one had brought a stove in for his house
and the name of the stove was Tacoma. The men were trying to think of a name for the town and one said, "Let's name it after the stove and so it was." 
     F. A. Ashworth was the first Superintendent of the Sunday School in Tacoma and was Superintendent there a long time, as long as the old Church was there. The Church was about « mile from the railroad station
along U. S. Highway above Beam Railroad crossing on the side of the hill to the north. It was called the Guest River Church. There were Circuit Riding Preachers at that time and no records were kept of that Church but one of the first preachers was a preacher named Hill. Also through the years were Frank Wampler, Tom
Comann, J. W. Belt, L. D. Adams, Eugene Blake. This first old church was Methodist.

 Graves in Tacoma
                                
     S. D. Erwin, born March 25, 1823, died January 11, 1910.
     Clyde Miller, born August 8, 1921, died September 19, 1923.
     1 grave rough stone east side, with an old axe head pushed down by the head stone. Axe very odd, long and rusty and bent up. About 8 inches long and about 3 inches wide. Very old looking.
     J. C. Gipson, very old grave. No dates.
     John M. Sparks, born June 16, 1882, died August 21, 1918.
     One rough stone by the above said grave. I think this is old Dr. Sparks.
     W. F. Flanary, son of T. L. and Avie Flanary, born January 28, 1895, 
died April 24, 1913.