Pacific First Federal Savings & Loan building at intersection of S. 11th & Commerce Sts. Pedestrians wait to cross busy Commerce St. on February 1, 1961. The savings & loan association had announced two weeks before that they would be constructing a new building on the original site and including the Bernice Building location next door. Both buildings had been built in the late 1800's and heavily utilized the semi-circular Roman arch feature. Photograph ordered by Pacific First Federal Savings & Loan Assn.

Pacific First Federal Building (Tacoma); Bernice Building (Tacoma);

In September of 1958, Day Ward (kneeling) and an unidentified man examined the huge Univac system installed in the Pacific First Federal Savings & Loan building at 1102-04 Pacific Avenue in downtown Tacoma. Mr. Ward became vice president of the savings & loan association and worked for them for 27 years prior to his passing in 1980. "Univac" stood for Universal Automatic Computer. It was the first commercial computer built in the United States as well as the first computer designed for business use. The first sales in about 1951 were to governmental agencies, such as the Census Bureau, and private companies such as the A.C. Nielsen Co., and Prudential Insurance. General Electric Appliance Division purchased the first Univac using business applications to calculate payroll in 1954. By 1958 when this photo was taken, Univac had become slightly more common in the American workplace. Photograph ordered by Pacific First Federal Savings & Loan Assn. (Computer Science Club > csclub.@cs.ucdavis.edu; TNT 5-18-80, A-6-obit. of Mr. Ward) (Additional identification provided by a reader)

Computers; Banking--Tacoma; Pacific First Federal Savings & Loan Association (Tacoma); Ward, Day;

Rows and towers of safe-deposit units greet customers of Pacific First Federal Savings in June, 1957. Each box is numbered and two keys would be necessary to open each individual box, much as is done in 2002. Carpeted floors would muffle the tread of many footsteps. Pacific First Federal Savings was located at the corner of 11th and Pacific in downtown Tacoma. The Romanesque-style building was constructed in 1891 as the home of Merchants National Bank. Photograph ordered by Puget Sound Office Equipment.

Pacific First Federal Savings & Loan Association (Tacoma); Banks--Tacoma; Safe-deposit boxes--Tacoma;

American flags flank the marbled entrance to Pacific First Federal Savings on Flag Day, 1957. Pacific First Federal Savings & Loan Association was a mutual savings institution with branches in Bellingham, Seattle, Tacoma, Longview, Portland and Eugene. It served over 57, 000 families with $170 million in resources. Tacoma was its home office, established in 1907. Gerrit VanderEnde was the longtime president of the savings & loan.

Pacific First Federal Savings & Loan Association (Tacoma); Banks--Tacoma; Flags; Doors & doorways--Tacoma--1950-1960; Pacific First Federal Building (Tacoma);

Exterior of Pacific First Federal Savings Building. The large revolving corner clock indicates that it is 11:50 a.m. and the Pacific First Federal Savings Building is open for business. Plaques on the marbled foundation indicate that the bank offered a safe deposit vault for protection of valuables as well as insuring customers' savings and issuing home loans. Situated in the downtown business district of 11th & Pacific, the venerable building had been a local presence since 1891. Photograph ordered by Puget Sound Office Equipment.

Pacific First Federal Savings & Loan Association (Tacoma); Banks--Tacoma; Pacific First Federal Building (Tacoma);

ca. 1936. Pacific First Federal Savings & Loan with entrance on So. 11th Street. Building is divided by modernized lower floors and the 19th century facade of Equitable Bldg. on upper floors. Original structure dates from 1891, Proctor & Dennis, architects. Crown Drug located in Pacific Ave. storefront. (Argentum)

Pacific First Federal Savings & Loan Association (Tacoma); Banks--Tacoma; Pacific First Federal Building (Tacoma); Crown Drugs (Tacoma);

ca. 1936. Interior of Pacific First Federal Savings and Loan, circa 1936, showing desks and business equipment behind tellers' counter. For Mr. Goff. (Argentum)

Banks--Tacoma--1930-1940; Pacific First Federal Savings & Loan Association (Tacoma);

Elegant, but simple, interior of the Pacific First Federal Savings & Loan Association building. Elaborate grill work and Art Deco-style ceiling light fixtures. Free-standing panels display house plans.

Banks--Tacoma--1930-1940; Pacific First Federal Savings & Loan Association (Tacoma);