Port of Tacoma for Times Special Edition, studio stock, B of R. The exterior of the Old Pierce County Court House showing one of the entryways to the building. The arched doorway is set between two pilasters. Attached columns are set immediately adjacent to the doorway which is topped with decorative windows while separated by a frieze from casement windows.

Pierce County Courthouse (Tacoma); Courthouses--Tacoma; Architectural elements--Tacoma; Doors & doorways--Tacoma;

Tacoma-Pierce County Blood Bank was located on 726-28 Saint Helens Avenue in downtown Tacoma. The center opened in July 1946, in 1947 they were receiving blood donations for industrial plants throughout Tacoma. View of prisoner donating blood at Pierce County Jail, the jail was located on the first floor of the building; nurse from Tacoma-Pierce County Blood Bank is helping the patient with the donation.

Prisoners--Tacoma; Prisons--Tacoma; Blood donations--Tacoma; Medical equipment & supplies; Blood; Nurses--Tacoma; Pierce County Jail (Tacoma); Tacoma-Pierce County Blood Bank (Tacoma);

A long line of motorists formed outside Pierce County Auditor Jack Sonntag's office October 25, 1948, to purchase special 1949 license plates. Clare Radek, cashier, is showing Mr. Sonntag license plate B 1 which had been reserved for many years for S.A. Perkins, a prominent Tacoma businessman. "Sam" Perkins had received the first license plate issued by Washington State, plate no.1, in 1905. (photo ordered for the Times by Angeloff) (T.Times, 10/25/1948, p.18)

Pierce County Courthouse (Tacoma); Sonntag, Jack W.; Radek, Clare; License plates--Washington (State)--1940-1950; Government officials--Tacoma--1940-1950;

On Friday December 3, 1948, Judge Hugh J. Rosellini signed the death warrant for Jake Bird; the warrant orders Bird to be hanged on January 14, 1949. Bird was arrested for the Tacoma axe murders of Bertha and Beverly June Kludt earlier this year. The serial killer later confessed to participating in more than forty other murders. This will be Bird's second trip to the death house at Walla Walla Penitentiary, Governor Mon C. Wallgren ordered an investigation, which delayed the initial hearing. All available deputies were ordered to accompany Jake Bird to the Pierce County Court House and to secure the exterior of the building on Friday December 3, 1948. Bird told Patrick M. Steele, Pierce County Prosecutor, "Maybe you've got me this time and maybe you haven't". View of Jake Bird, in handcuffs, being escorted into Judge Rosellini's courtroom (T. Times, 12/1-3/48, p. 1).

Hangings--Tacoma; Homicides--Tacoma; Criminals--Tacoma; Confessions; Judicial proceedings--Tacoma; Courthouses--Tacoma; Actions & defenses--Tacoma; Bird, Jake--Trials, Litigation, etc.; Pierce County Courthouse (Tacoma);

Blocks used for sidewalks on Consumer's Central Heating System at Pierce County Court House, Holroyd Company, Jim Holroyd. A workman is laying concrete blocks on either side of the pipe that provided steam throughout much of downtown Tacoma using an underground distribution system. The central generating plant used hogged fuel (mill refuse) from local sawmills. (TDL, 5/26/1931)

Holroyd Co. (Tacoma); Consumer's Central Heating Co. (Tacoma); Building materials--Tacoma; Concrete products industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Heating & ventilation industry--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Blocks used for sidewalks on Consumer's Central Heating System at Pierce County Court House, Holroyd Company, Jim Holroyd. A workman is backfilling the trench for the Consumer's Central Heating Company pipe that had been lined with concrete blocks to provide easy access to the pipe. The area where the pipe ran is covered with a sturdy material.

Holroyd Co. (Tacoma); Consumer's Central Heating Co. (Tacoma); Building materials--Tacoma; Concrete products industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Heating & ventilation industry--Tacoma--1940-1950;

A view of the exterior of the Pierce County Courthouse built in 1891-1893 of brick and sandstone. The tower was damaged by the April 13, 1949, earthquake and controversy had begun over whether it should be dismantled. It served as the courthouse for 70 years until it was abandoned and torn down following the construction of the present County-City Building along Tacoma Avenue. Constructed at a cost of $743,000, the cathedral-type building was an almost duplicate of architect Henry Hobson Richardson's courthouse in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The central tower clock was 230 feet high. (TNT, 7/24/1949) TPL-154

Pierce County Courthouse (Tacoma); Courthouses--Tacoma; Historic buildings--Tacoma;

The Pierce County Treasurer's office was located on the first floor of the Pierce County Court House, at 1012 South G Street. In 1949 The Pierce County Treasurer was Leander R. Johnson. Interior view of the treasurer's office, county employees are reviewing county treasury information; the man behind the three men in foreground, is looking through a city directory. TPL-8391

County government--Tacoma; Government employees--Tacoma; Government officials--Tacoma; Treasuries--Tacoma; Civil service--Tacoma--1940-1950; Pierce County Treasurer (Tacoma);

In late November 1949 workers dismantled the upper 27 feet of the Pierce County Courthouse tower which had been severely damaged in the earthquake of April 13, 1949. The open part of the topmost part of the tower was taken down stone by stone, lowered to the ground with a specially built exterior elevator, and the stone was hauled away. This view from inside the tower, through the broken face of the clock once housed there, looks across Central School and downtown Tacoma towards Commencement Bay and Browns Point. The clock had a 10-foot face and the glass cover was about 3/8" thick. (TNT, 11/20/1949, p.A-5)

Pierce County Courthouse (Tacoma); Courthouses--Tacoma; Towers--Tacoma; Clocks & watches; Historic buildings--Tacoma; Earthquakes--Tacoma--1940-1950; Damage to property; Demolition--Tacoma--1940-1950;

The Pierce County Courthouse was built in 1892 and served for 70 years until it was abandoned and demolished following the construction of the current County-City Building on Tacoma Ave. Constructed at a cost of $743,000, the Romanesque building of Wilkeson and Pittsburgh grey freestone finished with Tenino bluestone was almost an exact duplicate of architect Henry Hobson Richardson's courthouse in Pittsburgh, Pa. The building was three stories and the central tower was 230 feet tall. The tower's clock, added in 1907, was four feet in diameter and faced on all four sides. The plans for the building included secret stairways, hideouts and a hanging room, reportedly used to hang two prisoners. The cathedral type building was demolished in 1959. (TNT'S "Tacoma Landmarks by Thompson" reprints from the TNT Calendars and Sunday Magazine")

Pierce County Courthouse (Tacoma); Historic buildings--Tacoma;

Three women switchboard operators at the switchboard at the Court House. The two women who are seated wear head sets with ear phones and microphones together. They are busy with the cords connecting and disconnecting phone calls. A 1950 calendar from Great Northern Railway hangs on the wall behind them. Ordered by Llewelyn Advertising Agency.

Pierce County Courthouse (Tacoma); Telephone switchboards--Tacoma; Telephone operators--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Claude R. "Shorty" Doran (at right, holding a microphone), the Pierce County Agricultural Agent, and an unidentified man were photographed using a reel-to-reel tape recorder in Mr. Doran's office at the old County Court House, 1012 South G Street, on June 15, 1950. They were probably recording a program to be broadcast on KMO radio during the Farm Show which was on the air Monday through Friday at 12:45 p.m. "Shorty" Doran became the agricultural agent in 1949. He had been active in promoting dairy practices in Pierce County for several years, and as superintendent of the Dairy department of the Western Washington Fair had successfully developed an outstanding 4-H dairy program. ( Ordered by Llewelyn Advertising Agency.)

Pierce County Courthouse (Tacoma); Sound recordings; Communication devices;

Republican candidates for 28th District. Because no G.O.P. candidates from the 28th District filed for the primary, Republican Central Committee chairman Clarence Sather had to persuade Elmer L. Eddy and Frank A. Glassy to run as "sticker" candidates. Voters would have to write their names in on the ballots in the November general election. Both men have labor ties; Eddy belongs to the boilermaker and barber unions and Glassy owns and operates Glassy Electric, a union shop. They will be opposing Democrats Arthur R. Paulsen and A. L. (Slim) Rasmussen. From left to right in the photograph are Don Perry, Supt. of Elections, Elmer L. Eddy, and Frank A. Glassy at the courthouse. (TNT 9-27-50, p. 12)

Political elections--Tacoma--1950-1960; Eddy, Elmer L.; Glassy, Frank A.; Perry, Don;

Pierce County Courthouse. Three men sitting at tables in court room. This photograph was taken on November 26, 1951. On that day, one of the sessions at the Courthouse involved a decision by the Pierce County Commissioners whereby they voted to ban fireworks sale and use in the county except in supervised displays. Commissioner Harry Sprinker is possibly the first man at left. (TNT 11-26-51, p. 1-article)

Pierce County Courthouse (Tacoma);

Judge Waldo Stone, center, is seated in front of the Auditor's Office in this sepia photograph taken on July 1, 1954. There is a marriage licenses sign behind him indicating that office hours were from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. The two men in the photograph with Judge Stone are T.J. "Pat" O'Brien and Armand R. Moceri of Sumner. Mr. Moceri would announce his candidacy for the 25th District state representative in August, 1954. Mr. O'Brien would seek election to the post of county accessor; he had been elected constable in 1950. (TNT 8-23-54, p. 9, TNT 9-5-54, A-2))

Stone, Waldo; Judges; O'Brien, T.J.; Moceri, Armand R.; Signs (Notices);

Pierce County employees posed in the Auditor's office within the County Courthouse in March of 1898. The Auditor at that time was F.H. Gloyd, possibly the man seated behind the desk. W.D.C. Spike, sporting a large handlebar mustache, is seated near the center of the group. Mr. Spike would go on to defeat Republican A.P. Peterson on November 8, 1898, for the Auditor's position, 4,209 votes to 3,617. W.D.C. Spike was a native of Halifax, Nova Scotia, and came to Tacoma about 1890. He was a widely known businessman involved in the Pacific Coast Gypsum Co. and the American Coal Co. Mr. Spike would go on to serve two terms as County Auditor. He passed away on July 2, 1915, at home. (TDL 7-3-15, p. 11-obit.; Bonney, W.P., History of Pierce County Washington, p. 539-voting statistics)

Spike, W.D.C.; Government officials--Tacoma; Government employees--Tacoma; County government--Tacoma; Pierce County Courthouse (Tacoma);

• Built in 1892, and made out of Wilkeson and Pittsburg grey freestone, finished with Tenino bluestone--this was demolished in 1959 after the County-City Building was constructed.
• Printed on front: Pierce Co. Court House, located at Tacoma.

• Pierce County Court House. Built in 1892 at 1012 So. G Street, it was demolished in 1959. circa 1907.
• Printed on front: Court House, Tacoma, Wash.

• Although mailed in 1993, this postcard was published in 1959. Both the old Pierce County Courthouse and the new County-City Building are shown here, with the Armory visible to the far left. circa 1959.
• Printed on front: Tacoma, Washington

Printed on front: Pierce County Court House, Tacoma, Wash.

Printed on front: Pierce County Court House, Tacoma, Washington

Printed on front: Pierce County C.H. (Courthouse), Tacoma, Wash.

Printed on front: Pierce County Court House, Tacoma

Pierce County Courthouse, Tacoma

Printed on front: 1132 - The Armory and Courthouse, Tacoma, Washington

Printed on front: No. 7 State Armory, Tacoma, Washington.

Current location of Tacoma Public Library's Main Branch. Printed on front: Carnegie Public Library and Court House -- Tacoma, Wash.

Current location of Tacoma Public Library's Main Branch. Printed on front: Public Library also showing Court House, Tacoma, Wash.

Current location of Tacoma Public Library's Main Branch. Printed on front: Public Library and Court House, Tacoma, Washington.