Aerial photograph of downtown Tacoma to show the spired Puget Sound National Bank building at 11th and Pacific (1119 Pacific Ave.) To the building's left is Peoples Department Store at 1101-07 Pacific and to its right is the National Bank of Washington, 1123 Pacific, the 2002 location of the Tacoma Art Museum. Behind facing A Street is the Federal Building and the Post Office at 1102 A Street. The city appears divided into a grid of large office buildings. The streets, left to right, vertically are Commerce, Pacific and A Street. They are divided by, top to bottom, by 11th Street and 12th Street. Left to right at the top of the picture are the Rust building at 950 Pacific, the Washington Building at 1019 Pacific and the Tacoma Building at 1017-21 A Street. Across 11th Street from the Tacoma Building is the Perkins building at 1101 A Street.

Puget Sound National Bank (Tacoma); Aerial photographs;

ca. 1941. Detail view of Puget Sound National Bank (National Realty Company) building showing elaborate doorway featuring carved figures. Heath and Twichell, Architects, 1910.

Commercial facilities--Tacoma--1940-1950; Business districts--Tacoma--1940-1950; Puget Sound National Bank (Tacoma); Banks--Tacoma;

When erected in 1910, Puget Sound National Bank's main branch was the tallest building west of the Missouri River. Later buildings were constructed to rival the bank's height but it remained a focal point on Pacific Avenue. It dwarfed its neighbors, Peoples store and the National Bank of Washington. A large plaque on the side of the building indicates that the bank was established in 1890. Puget Sound Bank was the first to use a T & T sign, clearly visible, which gave the time and temperature to passersby. A "hometown bank," Puget Sound National Bank was absorbed by Key Bank in the early 1990's. Photograph ordered by the Condon Co. TPL-6569

Puget Sound National Bank (Tacoma); Banks--Tacoma;

Puget Sound National Bank bookkeeping department on the 3rd floor of its home office. Although Puget Sound installed the first computer in 1959, much of the bookkeeping was still done by hand. A department staffed mostly by women is shown with a variety of manual equipment and customer records.

Puget Sound National Bank (Tacoma)--People; Banks--Tacoma; Banking--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Puget Sound National Bank, interior work area.

Business Enterprises - Financial Institutions - Banks - Tacoma - Puget Sound National Bank

ca. 1941. Teller windows and Christmas tree in lobby of Puget Sound National Bank for the Christmas season circa 1941. Square columns, open beam ceiling, and what appears to be either granite or marble embellishments.

Banks--Tacoma; Puget Sound National Bank (Tacoma);

Puget Sound National Bank, vault with open door.

Business Enterprises - Financial Institutions - Banks - Tacoma - Puget Sound National Bank

Interior of Puget Sound National Bank, view of lobby, defense poster on column.

Business Enterprises - Financial Institutions - Banks - Tacoma - Puget Sound National Bank

ca. 1941. Row of teller windows and safe deposit boxes inside lobby of Puget Sound National Bank, 1117-19 Pacific Ave., circa 1941.

Puget Sound National Bank (Tacoma); Banks--Tacoma;

An unidentified employee of the Puget Sound National Bank put the bank's new IBM 1210 Reader Sorter through its paces for (l to r) Robert G. Gordon, Vice President and Cashier, and Harold Stephens, Assistant Vice-President, on January 13, 1961. In 1959 PSNB became the first bank in the State of Washington - and the second on the west coast - to convert to the use of computers. The other banks in the northwest resisted computerization, and attempted to talk PSNB out of taking this radical step, because they felt that banking customers would not accept being numbered. (Banking on Independence; the first century of Puget Sound Bankcorp, c1990)

Puget Sound National Bank (Tacoma); Banks--Tacoma;

The erection of the new Puget Sound National Bank sign has finally been completed. Taken later in the evening on June 10, 1953, the electric sign is aglow with the bank's name. In addition, there is an digital clock which would also trade off the time with the current temperature. The bank was one of the first in the country to have a double "T" sign--temperature and time. The entire sign is 96 feet from sidewalk to top. It weighs over 8000 pounds. Beneath the clock is a small plaque indicating the bank was established in 1890. View of new sign, clock and plaque shot looking upward; photograph ordered by Puget Sound National Bank. (TNT 6-26-53, p. 4 - Ad)

Progress photographs--1950-1960; Electric signs--Tacoma--1950-1960; Puget Sound National Bank (Tacoma); Clocks & watches; Plaques--Tacoma;

Group at Puget Sound National Bank with Golden Jubilee hats. Men in western wear and women in bonnets. Bank president Reno Odlin is standing wearing dark clothing without a hat to the right of the column, in the center of the group. All employees were required to wear Jubilee garb in celebration of Pioneer Days at Puget Sound Bank. The bankers wore beaver top hats with dignified frock coats and black ties. (T. Times 7/20/1939, pg. 20)

Washington State Golden Jubilee, 1939--Tacoma; Banking--Tacoma--1930-1940; Puget Sound National Bank (Tacoma); Banks--Tacoma; Odlin, Reno, 1897-1979;

Exposure of the Tacoma Planning Commission's traffic control display in the lobby of the Puget Sound National Bank. Photograph ordered by the Condon Co. The display shows the Commission's plans for a street program that will provide for a growing Tacoma's traffic needs. The plan is the result of a long range study of Tacoma's future traffic needs completed by the City Planning Commission. Emphasis is placed on the development of a Tacoma- Everett toll road, the forerunner of a freeway system. It is predicted that in the future Tacoma will have several freeways with one way traffic, no left turns, no parking and no commercial traffic. (TNT 7/12/1955, pg. 4)

Presentation drawings; Traffic congestion--Tacoma;

This damaged print is of the Puget Sound National Bank Building (1117-19 Pacific Avenue-formerly the National Realty Bldg.) taken from the 12th St. viewpoint on June 25, 1926. On its right at the corner is the National Bank of Tacoma. Looking northbound, buildings right to left are: the barely visible one-story structure at 1115 Pacific Avenue which had been built as an annex/addition to the National Realty Bldg., then the Bankers Trust building at 1109-13 Pacific, Peoples department store (1101-07 Pacific) with the 17-story Washington Building skyscraper at the far left (1019 Pacific). Flags and bunting decorate both Peoples and the Puget Sound National Bank Bldg. G61.1-043

Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Business districts--Tacoma--1920-1930; Puget Sound National Bank (Tacoma); National Bank of Tacoma (Tacoma); Banks--Tacoma; Peoples (Tacoma); Washington Building (Tacoma); Office buildings--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Exterior view of Puget Sound National Bank Building in July of 1926. This block of Pacific Avenue was home to many prominent businesses including (L-R) the Washington Building, Peoples department store, the Bankers Trust Building, building at 1115 Pacific Ave. built as annex/addition to the National Realty Bldg., Puget Sound National Bank Building and the National Bank of Tacoma. When completed in 1910, the 16-story Puget Sound National Bank Building (then called the National Realty Building) was the tallest on the West Coast and the first built on the West Coast to withstand earthquakes. It was also the first in Tacoma to use cantilevered beam construction. Puget Sound Bank purchased the building in 1920. Some 80+ years later, Heritage Bank now occupies the structure. G61.1-041

Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Business districts--Tacoma--1920-1930; Puget Sound National Bank (Tacoma); National Bank of Tacoma (Tacoma); Washington Building (Tacoma); Peoples (Tacoma); Banks--Tacoma; Office buildings--Tacoma--1920-1930;

September, 1921, display of "Old Faithful" brand of canned goods and apple cider. Spread across the long customer desk located at the Puget Sound Bank & Trust is a display of canned goods and cider under the "Old Faithful" brand. "Old Faithful," according to the framed poster, put its name on pickles and vinegar, pork & beans, and canned vegetables. The Northern Pickle Co. of Tacoma manufactured "Old Faithful" products. These were part of the refreshments served at the bank's reception/housewarming on Saturday, September 24th. The bank (later Puget Sound National Bank) was celebrating its 31st anniversary where the public was invited to view the enlargement and renovation of their skyscaper's ground floor. The interior was finished in soft gray marble, Caen stone, ivory plastering and statuary bronze. G34.1-140 (TNT 9-22-21, p. 6-article; TNT 9-24-21, p. 1+)

Merchandise display--Tacoma--1920-1930; Canned foods; Puget Sound Bank & Trust (Tacoma); Banks--Tacoma;

Reno Odlin stands under the 96 foot tall Puget Sound National Bank electric sign which displayed both the temperature and time in this photograph from December 5, 1956. Erected in June, 1953, the double "T" sign was one of the first in the country. Reno Odlin was the long-time president and chief executive officer of the bank. He successfully led Puget Sound National Bank for several decades, positioning it as the "hometown bank" and increasing branches to 33. He retired in 1974, leaving the bank to be led by former son-in-law, Bill Philip, and passed away in 1979. (Provorse: Banking on Independence, p. 130)

Odlin, Reno, 1897-1979; Bankers--Tacoma; Puget Sound National Bank (Tacoma); Electric signs--Tacoma--1950-1960; Clocks & watches;