Sears window of "Land O' Sky Rugs". The first Sears, Roebuck & Company store opened in 1927 on Pacific Avenue, nine years later they moved into a building on Broadway, part of the Tacoma business district. View of Sears' window display featuring American made "Land O' Sky" rugs.

Rugs; Floor coverings; Window displays;

ca. 1943. Packed from wall to wall with customers, Sears and Roebuck Company's sale on alarm clocks was a huge success. This crowd was photographed circa 1943.

Sears, Roebuck & Co. (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma--1940-1950; Crowds--Tacoma--1940-1950; Shopping--Tacoma--1940-1950;

ca. 1943. Sears window, Mr. Moor. Servistan Inlaid Linoleum is advertised at "$9.88 Covers average kitchen". Rolls of samples stand in the window. A sign indicates the store is open until 9 p.m. Monday nights to accomodate shoppers working in the war industry.

Commercial facilities--Tacoma; Sears, Roebuck & Co. (Tacoma); Window displays--Tacoma--1940-1950;

View of alley entrance to Sears, Roebuck's multi-tiered parking lot. As the large sign above the parking lot's entrance indicted, Sears offered their customers one hour of free parking from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. This was a new concept to attract more customers to Sears; even in the summer of 1951, downtown parking was at a premium and parking congestion becoming prevalent. New keys could also be made at the garage's entrance with only a minute's delay.

Sears, Roebuck & Co. (Tacoma); Parking garages--Tacoma; Parking lots--Tacoma--1950-1960; Signs (Notices);

Sears Roebuck and Company Department Store, Sporting Goods Department. Luggage on left, bicycles on right, table of hats, balls and bats. Back wall has rifles, tennis racquets, and fishing poles.

Business Enterprises - Department Stores - Tacoma - Sears Roebuck and Company Equipment - Sporting Goods

Sears, Roebuck held a summer appliance sale on the rooftop parking area of their parking center at 1140-50 Court C in August of 1954. During the summer clearance sale customers could save up to $72 on a Kenmore washer and $81 on a Kenmore dryer. Wringers, refrigerators and chest freezers were also on sale. Beyond the parking garage further up the South 13th Street hill can be seen: the Dewey Hotel, 1308 Market Street; the Coliseum Bowling Alley, 407 South 13th; and (top right, just beyond the bowling sign) the Crescent Ballroom, 1308-10 Fawcett Avenue. The brick building at top center is the Eagles Hall, 1305-07 Fawcett Ave.; it was demolished in April of 2007 several days after its roof collapsed.

Sears, Roebuck & Co. (Tacoma); Washing machines; Appliances;

ca. 1892. The Owen Woods' Building at 1148 Broadway is pictured here shortly after its completion in 1892. It was designed by architects Roath & Mendell with Michael McDonnell as contractor. The building was available for rent at the time of this photograph and interested parties could contact the Tacoma Rent Guaranty Co. The Arcade Store, and later the McCormack Brothers Dept. Store, occupied the building before Sears, Roebuck & Co. purchased it in 1935. Sears added two adjacent buildings to its store during expansion. The building was restored and renamed the Cornerstone Building in 1982.

Department stores--Tacoma--1890-1900;

Shoppers swarmed the McCormack Bros. department store on February 7, 1932, in hopes of capturing great bargains as the store had just settled with its creditors for 20 cents on the dollar. McCormack Bros. had been in downtown Tacoma for many years and had closed the previous December. It reopened on February 5, 1932, under the name of McCormack's, Inc. The McCormack family was still in control of the business with James McCormack as president and his three sons as associates. (TDL 2-4-32, p. 3-article)

McCormack Bros. Department Store (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma--1930-1940; Shopping--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Five volunteer War Savings Bonds salesgirls, (lt to rt) Rose Colombini, Madlyn Piper, Arlene Johnson Keller, Nancy Carlson and Radie Cramer, posed with one of the Bond sales booths used in Tacoma in July, 1942. The War Bond quota for Pierce County for July of 1942 was $1,723,693. Bonds were sold throughout Tacoma from "Victory Booths" set up both inside stores and on the sidewalks in front of stores. On the first day of the sale nothing could be sold in Tacoma stores, with the exception of restaurants, from 12 noon to 12:15 except bonds. On the first day of July, Tacoma unions bought $21,000 worth of bonds. (T. Times 6/30/1942, pg. 1- picture, 7/1/1942 p.9)

World War, 1939-1945--Economic aspects of war--Tacoma; War bonds & funds--Tacoma--1940-1950; Colombini, Rose; Piper, Madlyn; Keller, Arlene; Carlson, Nancy; Cramer, Radie;

Six women pose in front of the Sears Roebuck and Company building at 1148 Broadway with a July war bond thermometer chart, prepared to "heat up" the Tacoma Retail Stores Bond & Stamp Sale to be held throughout July 1942. The salesgirls each wear a cap marked "I'm Selling Stamps and Bonds." Pictured standing are, left to right, Madlyn Piper, Rose Colombini, Arline Keller,and Radie Cramer. Kneeling are, left to right, C lella McElroy and Nancy Carlson. The retail sales bond goal for July was $1,723,693. Sears opened their store on Broadway in May of 1936. They were a major retail presence downtown until they moved to the Tacoma Mall in 1981. (TNT 6/30/42, pg. 9-picture, T. Times 6/30/1942, pg. 1 & 7/1/1942, p.9)

World War, 1939-1945--Economic aspects of war--Tacoma; War bonds & funds--Tacoma--1940-1950; Colombini, Rose; Piper, Madlyn; Keller, Arlene; Carlson, Nancy; Cramer, Radie; Department stores--Tacoma; Sears, Roebuck & Co. (Tacoma);

ca. 1943. Crowd lined-up on sidewalk at Sears, Roebuck and Company for sale on alarm clocks in this circa 1943 photograph. The department store advertised as "Tacoma's Modern Store" featured an updated facade of stucco with a black glass tiled corner entry. Hooded street lamp.

Sears, Roebuck & Co. (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma--1940-1950; Crowds--Tacoma--1940-1950; Queues--Tacoma; Shopping--Tacoma--1940-1950;

This publicity photograph for a Tacoma Tigers game against Salem was taken on July 17,1950. Floyd (Lefty) Isekite, one of the great southpaws of the Western International League, demonstrates a pitching grip for Clarence Stave. Stave, peering over his sunglasses, was a retired umpire. Earl Kuper, at the far right, had been a catcher and manager for the Tigers. The three committeemen were promoting Tacoma Athletic Club night, August 1, at Tiger Stadium. (TNT 7-23-50, B-7)

Baseballs; Baseball players--Tacoma--1950-1960; Sporting goods; Isekite, Floyd; Stave, Clarence; Kuper, Earl;

A well dressed family marches into Sears in the summer of 1951. In a photograph shot for advertising purposes, a sign denoting "New lower down payments" on household appliances is prominently displayed to attract such customers to enter the building. What appears to be a mangler with lid is selling for $124.95 and other appliances can be glimpsed close to entrances and windows. TPL-2530

Sears, Roebuck & Co. (Tacoma); Signs (Notices); Business enterprises--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Sears Roebuck and Company Department Store, Housewares Department. Dishes and glassware in front with pots and pans next to them. Paint Department beyond.

Business Enterprises - Department Stores - Tacoma - Sears Roebuck and Company Equipment - Cooking Utensils, Tableware

Sears, Roebuck and Company Department Store, Powertool Department, as photographed on September 5, 1951. Tablesaws, jointer on left with drill presses. Next row has smaller power drills and accessories.

Sears, Roebuck & Co. (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma--1950-1960; Equipment; Saws; Merchandise displays--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Sears Roebuck and Company Department Store, Appliance Department. Three rows of electric ranges are photographed on September 5, 1951. This was the Tacoma location of Sears, 1148 Broadway.

Sears, Roebuck & Co. (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma--1950-1960; Stoves--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Sears Roebuck and Company's shoe department includes a display of oxfords for $5.99 and moccasins for $2.49 on the right with childrens' and waterproof shoes on the left. The rest of the large department continues in the rear.

Sears, Roebuck & Co. (Tacoma); Merchandise displays--Tacoma; Shoes;

Sears, Roebuck and Co. Hand hooked rugs window display, sizes ranging from 2' X 5' to 10' X 14', including oval shaped carpets as photographed on November 3, 1952. Customers were urged to use Sears' easy payment plan.

Sears, Roebuck & Co. (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma--1950-1960; Merchandise displays--Tacoma--1950-1960; Rugs;

Mrs. N. Earl Davison at Sears with daughter Joanne, 13, and son Steve, 11, are looking at a table saw for a possible Christmas gift. Joanne smiles at her brother as she sticks her finger through a small hole in the rough board. Sears, like now, carried a wide variety of items for sale including home tools.

Saws; Davison, N. Earl--Family; Sears, Roebuck & Co. (Tacoma); Shopping--Tacoma--1950-1960; Children shopping--Tacoma--1950-1960;

June was Dairy Month in the State of Washington and local businesses helped to advertise the virtues of drinking milk. A window display in the Sears, Roebuck store on June 8, 1953, was filled with photographs of cows, perhaps prize-winners, along with cut-outs of nature's "food factory" and a scale model of a dairy. Posters reminded passersby that dairy foods, including milk, cheese and ice cream, were "nature's goodness..at its best!" TPL-9371

Dairy products; Sears, Roebuck & Co. (Tacoma); Window displays--Tacoma--1950-1960; Signs (Notices); Advertisements--Tacoma;

On December 4, 1968, Mrs. Ann Walker and Harry Birmingham, the Tacoma Sears Department Store manager, alerted Santa to all the upcoming festivities planned for the second annual Tacoma-Pierce County Opportunity & Development Christmas party for underprivileged children. Mrs. Walker and Mr. Birmingham were committee members for the event. They showed Santa a sample of the 6,000 pledge cards being prepared to seek donations for the party. Funds from the pledge cards would provide gifts, toys, clothing, and a scrumptious turkey dinner for 3,000 youngsters on December 21st. The cards were targeted toward citizens, church groups, schools, service clubs, granges and civic organizations. Mr. Birmingham also prepared 20 special Santa mailboxes for supermarkets and other locations in Pierce County where pledge cards could be returned. (Photograph ordered by Tacoma-Pierce County Opportunity & Development, Inc.) (TNT 12-8-68, A-20)

Walker, Ann; Birmingham, Harry; Sears, Roebuck & Co. (Tacoma); Santa Claus--Tacoma; Fund raising--Tacoma--1960-1970;

• Built in 1892, the Owen Woods building at 1148 Broadway is now known as the Cornerstone Building. circa 1908.
• Printed on front: Looking North from C. and 13th.

Exterior of Sears store at the corner of South 13th Street and Broadway as pictured on November 15, 1950. The Coliseum Bowling Alley is seen up the hill along South 13th Street and the Savon Rexall Drug store is across Broadway. Ordered by Herb Moore.

Sears, Roebuck & Co. (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma--1950-1960; Coliseum Bowling Alley (Tacoma);

Sears, Roebuck and Co. Department Store, Second Floor. Hardware, hoses in stack, cabinet hardware, tools on back wall. Sears promoted their "easy payment plan."

Sears, Roebuck & Co. (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Sears Roebuck and Co. Department Store, Kitchen Display. Refrigerator on left with cabinets in L- shape. Sink with window above, stove on right, small counter with rounded shelves on end. Photograph taken on September 5, 1951.

Sears, Roebuck & Co. (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma--1950-1960; Merchandise displays--Tacoma--1950-1960; Refrigerators; Stoves--Tacoma--1950-1960;