The Olympia store was originally called “SeaMart” and the exterior walls were painted with stylized sea creatures by Bing Orr. Later the decision was made to bring the store under the Yard Birds name and the store was repainted yellow.
Olympia, WA
The Olympia store was originally called “SeaMart” and the exterior walls were painted with stylized sea creatures by Bing Orr. Later the decision was made to bring the store under the Yard Birds name and the store was repainted yellow.
Did SeaMart in Olympia have a walkway (skyway) that went above Capitol Way from one side of the street to the other? Seems there was part of the Seamart on the block between A and B Streets (now vacant other than footings for a new building), then another building on the opposite side of Capitol Way (where senior housing is not located) that later housed a grocery store as part of SeaMart/Yardbirds.
Did SeaMart in Olympia have a walkway (skyway) that went above Capitol Way from one side of the street to the other? Seems there was part of the Seamart on the block between A and B Streets (on west side of Capitol Way – now vacant other than footings for a new building), then another building on the opposite (east) side of Capitol Way (where senior housing is now located) that later housed a grocery store as part of SeaMart/Yardbirds.
Nope
…that was a conveyer belt leftover from the cannery days, later used to move merchandise before it got damaged and torn down…
…that was a conveyer belt leftover from the cannery days, later used to move merchandise between the two building until it jammed-up. After it became too damaged and a hazard it was torn down…
I thought Yard Birds and Sea Mart were across the street from each other. Two stores in two buildings, but were basically the same store? Loved how that the building on the left (as you faced the bay) had old school pinball machines. Mechanical ones, not the electronic type.
What was the little restaurant called over the years?
harbor side
Despite efforts to elicit activity from the entity it remains dormant, continuing to pose as a strange and charming mall with an eclectic history. Will continue to monitor.
My mother used to work at this Yard Birds, years and years ago in the early 90’s. I have very vague memories of being there, since I was just a small child, but I think a snake got loose once, and somebody came in once dressed as a Ninja Turtle. The mesh in the mouth for the person inside to see/breathe freaked me out ROFL
Of the buildings included a grocery store, with a meat department. At one point, during the late 1960’s if I recall, customers starting complaining about the “taste” of the ground beef. The health department investigated. The beef contained large amounts of rat meat, fur and bones. The nearby wharf rats were crawling up into the large grinders and being ground up with the beef. Needless to say the meat dept. was shut down for a while……..
Please post more photos of the building inside and out id possible, especially the store/s in Olympia.
I have fond memories of shopping there when I was in college in 1985-7.
We do not have many pictures of the Olympia store and none of the interior. If anyone has any to share, please let us know. Thanks!
I remember a large set of shelves with random different styles of shoes on them that were for sale. it was somewhere between the two stores where they connected at opposite ends of a dim hallway like area that I feel like I remember it having cement floors and an interesting atmosphere of all types of things. this was in 1987 by or 88. I talked my dad into buying me a pair of chuck Taylors shoes that were covered with a metallic multi colored checker board pattern on them. They were ridiculous looking except while inside the yardbird store where somehow they seemed to fit in with the place. Big shock outside of the store. I remember trying to hide my feet while walking in them. I was young but I think people loved that place. I don’t think people today that weren’t there then would understand it today. Olympia was alive back then and the pulse was strong.
This store can be seen in the 1988 music video “Indian Summer” by Beat Happening, at about the 40 second mark.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eaw-zW7RVus
what was the address I was gone for15 years and been walking around trying to figure it out has changed a lot in olympia I have been in olympia since 1977. feels so different.