On a warm February day in 1940 a group of boys gathered in the playground behind Lowell school, 1210 No. Yakima Ave., to play an energetic game of leapfrog. Lowell school was named in honor of the American poet and diplomat James Russell Lowell. The school was badly damaged by the April 13, 1949 earthquake that shook Tacoma and the Pacific Northwest. One Lowell student, Marvin Klegman, was killed and two others were injured.

Children playing outdoors--Tacoma; Lowell Elementary School (Tacoma); Boys--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Tacoma Philharmonic at Tacoma Schools. Students sit two to a seat listening to recorded music as a preview to the second young people's concert of the season that was held February 16, 1949, at Temple Theater. Pupils from 4th through 9th grades in public and parochial schools attended. Ann Deyo, a fifth grader in Miss Hilda Meisner's class at Lowell School is about to play a recording of "Die Fledermaus" overture by Johann Strauss which they would hear performed at the matinee concert sponsored by the Tacoma Philharmonic and Meadowsweet Dairies, Inc. (TNT, 2/14/1949, p.2)

Lowell Elementary School (Tacoma); School children--Tacoma--1940-1950; Deyo, Ann; Classrooms--Tacoma--1940-1950; Pianos; Music education--Tacoma--1940-1950; Public schools--Tacoma--1940-1950; Tacoma Philharmonic Association (Tacoma);

Lowell School 6A class and teacher on school steps. (Argentum)

Public schools--Tacoma--1930-1940; Lowell Elementary School (Tacoma); School children--Tacoma--1930-1940; Teachers--Tacoma--1930-1940;

• Built in 1892, Lowell School was demolished after damage from an earthquake on April 13, 1949. circa 1940.
• Printed on front: Lowell School, Tacoma, Wash.

In this photograph from October of 1949, an unidentified student kneels next to the bell that had hung in the bell tower at Lowell School, 1210 No. Yakima Ave., until the school was severely damaged by the earthquake of April 13, 1949. The school was condemned and demolished, and a new Lowell School was built at 810 North 13th Street (T.N.T., 10/15/49, p. 4).

School children--Tacoma--1940-1950; Boys--Tacoma--1940-1950; Public schools--Tacoma--1940-1950; Bells; Lowell Elementary School (Tacoma);

Lowell School 6A Graduating Class, 1932, on school steps. (filed with Argentum)

Public Schools--Tacoma--1930-1940; Students--1930-1940; Lowell Elementary School (Tacoma); School children--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Lowell School 6A Class, circa 1933, and teacher on school steps. The three boys on the right in the first row are wearing school crossing guard uniforms. (filed with Argentum)

Public Schools--Tacoma--1930-1940; Students--1930-1940; Lowell Elementary School (Tacoma); School children--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Lowell School 6A class and teacher, June of 1935. School building in background. (filed with Argentum)

Public Schools--Tacoma--1930-1940; Students--1930-1940; Lowell Elementary School (Tacoma); School children--Tacoma--1930-1940;

School Opening Day. Smiling girls of Lowell School. Large group of elementary school girls standing on the steps to school playground. The accompanying news article focused on how the majority of students were happy to be back in school. (T. Times, 9/4/1935, p. 1).

Public schools--Tacoma--1930-1940; Lowell Elementary School (Tacoma); School children--Tacoma--1930-1940; Girls--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Lowell School 6A Graduating Class, 1932, and teacher on school steps. (filed with Argentum)

Public Schools--Tacoma--1930-1940; Students--1930-1940; Lowell Elementary School (Tacoma); School children--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Lowell School 6A Class and teacher on school steps. (Argentum)

Public Schools--Tacoma--1930-1940; Students--1930-1940; Lowell Elementary School (Tacoma); School children--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Lowell School's tower was demolished with a wrecking ball, the school bell would be removed and replaced into the new school building. View of Tacoma Athletic Commission board members at Lowell School building; this organization was offering support to the school district and community members. Lowell School was deemed unsafe after the April 1949 earthquake. The young man second from the left has been identified as Clay Huntington.

Men--Social life--1940-1950; Men--Clothing & dress--Tacoma--1940-1950; Community service--Tacoma--1940-1950; Tacoma Athletic Commission (Tacoma); Lowell Elementary School (Tacoma)--Buildings;

Several buildings in Tacoma were damaged by the earthquake, including: the Pacific First Federal Savings and Loan Association, Wheeler Osgood Company, Tacoma Public Library Carnegie Building, Lowell School, Willard School, Whitman School and Edison School. View of damage at Lowell School, unidentified people look at the site where 11 year old Marvin Klegman died (T.N.T., 4/14/49, p. B-2). TPL-5462

Building failures--Tacoma; Rescue work--Tacoma; Earthquakes--Tacoma; Disasters--Tacoma; Bricks; Public schools--Tacoma--1940-1950; Lowell Elementary School (Tacoma)--Buildings;

This is Miss Anna B. Quigley's 6A class standing in front of the entrance to Lowell School, 1210 North Yakima Avenue, in June of 1924. Two girls in the front row hold a scroll indicating that the class was a "Savings Banner Room." The scroll was given by the Education Thrift Service headquartered in New York. Each Tuesday was banking day at Tacoma Public Schools and each week Miss Quigley's class had the greatest percentage of depositors at Lowell. Her class were perennial winners. TPL-2331; G46.1-105 (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 6-15-24, 4-A)

Lowell Elementary School (Tacoma); Public schools--Tacoma--1920-1930; School children--Tacoma--1920-1930; Teachers--Tacoma--1920-1930; Quigley, Anna B.;

Lowell School 6A Graduating Class, 1932, and teacher on school steps. (filed with Argentum)

Public Schools--Tacoma--1930-1940; Students--1930-1940; Lowell Elementary School (Tacoma); School children--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Lowell School 6A class and teacher on school steps. (Argentum)

Public schools--Tacoma--1930-1940; Lowell Elementary School (Tacoma); School children--Tacoma--1930-1940; Teachers--Tacoma--1930-1940;

On April 13, 1949, at 11:55 am, Tacoma was hit by a magnitude 7.1 earthquake. Bob Anderle (far right) looks down at the broken gable and the facing bricks that fell from one of the dormer windows at Lowell School during the quake killing eleven-year-old Marvin Klegman. Mel Woodke is standing in the doorway from which Marvin ran just as the bricks began to fall. In all, eight people in Washington died as a direct result of the earthquake. (T.N.T., 4/14/49, p. B-2). TPL-2028

Building failures--Tacoma; Rescue work--Tacoma; Earthquakes--Tacoma--1940-1950; Disasters--Tacoma--1940-1950; Bricks; Public schools--Tacoma--1940-1950; Lowell Elementary School (Tacoma)--Buildings; Anderle, Bob; Woodke, Mel;

• This Lowell School building was built in 1892, and was demolished after being damaged in the 1949 earthquake.
• Printed on front: Lowell School, Tacoma, Wash.

Miss Berg's first grade class at Lowell School. The children are all clutching small postcard-sized cards while one young man waits with an open bag. The classroom flag is hoisted by a boy dressed neatly in suit and tie. Miss Berg would later teach third grade at Lowell where one of her pupils was George Weyerhaeuser, victim in the 1935 famous kidnapping. TPL-5797; G46.1-054

School children--Tacoma--1920-1930; Lowell Elementary School (Tacoma); Public schools--Tacoma--1920-1930; Berg, Lucille; Teachers--Tacoma--1920-1930; Flags--United States;