Pacific Telephone & Telegraph attended station at 1109 Pacific. Telephones were in great demand during this time. Many people were on home telephone service waiting lists, therefore attended telephone stations was an alternative option. View of three unidentified service men at attended telephone station.

Telephone industry--Tacoma; Communication facilities--Tacoma; Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Co. (Tacoma);

On Christmas Eve 1944, at 8:30 p.m., the staff of the Tacoma Pacific Telephone & Telegraph public telephone station, 1109 Pacific Avenue, served coffee and doughnuts to the service men waiting to use one of the center's telephones. The call center, which had twelve telephone booths, was decorated for the holiday season with a Christmas tree and a poinsettia. New telephone installations in Tacoma/Pierce County had been virtually frozen since May of 1942, with new phones restricted to those "vital to public health, public welfare or security". The phone center was set up primarily for the use of military personnel and war workers. (T.Times 5/20/1942, TNT 2/6/1943)

Parties--Tacoma; Christmas trees--Tacoma; Military personnel--Tacoma; Telephone booths--Tacoma--1940-1950; Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Co. (Tacoma);

Christmas Party at attended station. The public telephone center opened up in February 1943. Telephones were available for public use and attendants were present to offer assistance. Exterior view of Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Co. Public Telephone Center, ionic column to the right of Christmas decorated window.

Wreaths--Tacoma; Show windows--Tacoma; Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Co. (Tacoma);

Christmas Party at attended station. The Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Public Telephone Station was set up in February 1943. Twelve telephone booths with a service attendant available to help were available for anyone needing access to a telephone. Window view of people gathering for a Christmas party through the telephone center's entrance.

Parties--Tacoma; Doors & doorways--Tacoma; Telephone industry--Tacoma; Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Co. (Tacoma); Public Telephone center (Tacoma);

The staff at the Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Company public telephone station at 1109 Pacific Avenue tried to bring a little Christmas joy into the lives of servicemen stationed far from home. Wreaths and swags hung on the walls, and a Christmas tree stood against in the back corner. It was Christmas Eve day 1944 and a group of servicemen with no particular place to go crowded around the telephone station's service desk, some chatting with the operators and station attendants. Most of the phone booths for both local and long distance calls stand empty. The serviceman seated on left side can be seen reading a Life magazine. In December of 1944 "I'll be Home for Christmas" sung by Bing Crosby hit the charts for the second year in a row, and earned Bing his fifth gold record.

Parties--Tacoma; Military personnel--Tacoma; Christmas decorations; Telephone booths--Tacoma; Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Co. (Tacoma); Public Telephone Center (Tacoma);

Christmas Party at attended station. The Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Public Telephone Station was set up in February 1943. The telephone center was used primarily by servicemen and war workers. Many war workers were recent residents of Tacoma and were unable to obtain telephone service. Materials needed for phones were being used for production of weapons and other war industries. Interior view of attended telephone station decorated with Christmas wreaths and swags for party. Unidentified servicemen and telephone staff gathered for party.

Parties--Tacoma; Military personnel--Tacoma; Telephone industry--Tacoma; Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Co. (Tacoma); Public Telephone Center (Tacoma);

Interior of attended station on Pacific Avenue. Looking towards the back of the Telephone Center, service men wait their turn to use the phones. They fill nearly every chair in the center and many crowd the service counter. A sign at the back says, "Welcome Home, Job Well Done". A clock and world map hang below the sign. Troop ships were bringing 500 to 3,000 service men at a time through the Tacoma port. They were discharged or sent to other bases through the Fort Lewis staging area. Several ships brought troops home through Tacoma each week until the staging area was closed January 21, 1946.

World War, 1939-1945--Peace--Tacoma; Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Co. (Tacoma); Public Telephone Center (Tacoma); Telephone operators;

Telephone switchboard operators and clerks at the Public Telephone Center on Pacific Avenue are assisting sailors returning to the states at the end of World War II. Troop ships arrived each week at the Port of Tacoma bringing several thousand service men and women at a time. Army personnel were discharged or sent to other bases through the Fort Lewis Separation Center. Telephone centers at the Port and downtown overflowed with returning veterans who were anxious to call home.

World War, 1939-1945--Peace--Tacoma; Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Co. (Tacoma); Public Telephone Center (Tacoma); Telephone operators; Telephone switchboards; Sailors; United States Navy;