General view of Cushman Indian Hospital showing original buildings. Pictured left to right in the front were Patient Building B, the kitchen, a dorm and the school. (filed with Argentum)

Tacoma Indian Hospital (Tacoma); Cushman Indian Hospital (Tacoma); Hospitals--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Cushman Indian School Convention Group portrait of Native Americans posed on the grass outside the Cushman Indian School, 2002 E. 28th St., in June of 1918. The school buildings became the Cushman Hospital the same year. G5.1-017

Group portraits; Meetings--Tacoma--1910-1920; Indians of North America--Tacoma--1910-1920;

These Native American girls were taking a sewing class at the Cushman Indian School on the Puyallup Reservation in June of 1918. The goal of Native American education from 1880-1920 was to assimilate the children into the dominant European culture, removing them from traditional Indian ways. One method was to remove them from their families and enroll them in government run boarding schools. By 1910, the Puyallup Indian School had become the Cushman Indian School, a large industrial boarding school, hosting over 350 students from the Northwest and Alaska. The school's focus was training the students for a place as a laborer in an industrialized America. During WWI the Red Cross entered into a partnership with schools to produce needed goods for the war torn countries. The girls in this photograph are probably sewing for the Red Cross. The boarding school closed in 1920. G39.1-163; TPL-2822

Cushman Indian School (Tacoma); Boarding schools--Puyallup Reservation; Sewing--1910-1920; Sewing machines--1910-1920;

Veterans undergoing treatment at Cushman Hospital. Two men appear to be getting help for their backs on July 23, 1925, in Cushman Hospital's treatment room. A third man, barefoot, stares at a machine equipped with a gauge. Cushman would close as a veterans hospital in 1928 and reopen shortly thereafter to aid Indians with tuberculosis. G30.1-002

Cushman Hospital (Tacoma); Hospitals--Tacoma--1920-1930; Sick persons; Veterans; Medical equipment & supplies;

Doctors and other medical personnel at Cushman Hospital appear to be preparing a patient for surgery under an array of bright lights on July 23, 1925. Cushman was a veterans hospital located at 2002 E. 28th St., the former grounds of the Puyallup Indian School. The government had built a modern hospital with up-to-date equipment to be used on ailing ex-servicemen. G30.1-001

Cushman Hospital (Tacoma); Hospitals--Tacoma--1920-1930; Operating rooms--Tacoma--1920-1930; Sick persons; Veterans;

Aerial view of Tacoma's east side and Cushman Hospital. The hospital for veterans is the cluster of buildings in the center of this June, 1926, photograph. Surrounding homes are nestled in wooded lots.

Aerial views; Aerial photographs; Cushman Hospital (Tacoma); Hospitals--Tacoma--1920-1930; Neighborhoods--Tacoma--1920-1930;

View of Cushman Hospital and neighborhood taken from McKinley Hill on March 6, 1927. This hospital for veterans was located in Tacoma's east side. It originally housed the Puyallup Indian School. In January of 1929, Cushman would close as a veterans hospital and reopen as a tuberculosis unit for the U.S. Indian Service. G8.1-097

Cushman Hospital (Tacoma); Hospitals--Tacoma--1920-1930; Neighborhoods--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Patricia Stewart, an occupational therapist at the Tacoma Indian Hospital , smiles at Bob McIntyre and Janet Sawyer as they examine a large box of flower pot decorations on December 14, 1957. The little flower pots, wrapped in tissue, were on stars fashioned from Christmas seals. The two teens were officers on the Junior Board of the Tuberculosis Association of Pierce County; McIntyre from Franklin Pierce High School was the program chairman and Sawyer, from Clover Park High School, the president. The flower cups were created by Junior Board members and were to be filled with candy and put on Christmas trays of the 216 T.B. patients. This informal photograph was taken on the grounds of the U.S. Indian Hospital. The Indian Hospital, despite Northwest Indian requests, was finally closed in 1959 due to falling T.B. levels. Photograph ordered by the T.B. Association. (TNT 12-22-57, A-11)

Tacoma Indian Hospital (Tacoma); Hospitals--Tacoma--1950-1960; Occupational therapy--Tacoma; Stewart, Patricia; McIntyre, Bob; Sawyer, Janet;

On July 14, 1941, an informal ground breaking ceremony was held for the new Cushman Indian Hospital. The first spade of earth was being turned by, left to right, O. F. Sunde (representing the contractor,) Jennie E. Madsen (chief of nurses,) Dr. Jesse H. Henry (Hospital superintendent) and L.P. Johnston (engineer in charge.) The two million dollar facility was scheduled to be finished in 450 days. A victim of the shortage of building materials during World War II, it was not completed until April of 1943. (T. Times 7/14/1941, pg. 14)

Cushman Indian Hospital (Tacoma); Hospitals--Tacoma--1950-1960; Madsen, Jennie; Henry, Jesse; Johnston, L.P.; Sunde, O.F.; Ground breaking ceremonies--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Ground breaking ceremonies for new buildings at Cushman Indian Hospital. L.P. Johnston, engineer in charge, stands in the ruins of some of the former structures at this site. The new two million dollar, modern Cushman Hospital would be built on the site that one housed an Indian School (1860), a Veterans Hospital and an older Indian Hospital.

Cushman Indian Hospital (Tacoma); Hospitals--Tacoma--1950-1960; Johnston, L.P.; Ground breaking ceremonies--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Robert Hall, Kenneth Johnson, and C. M. Wienker present gifts on behalf of the Young Men's Business Club to young children at the Tacoma Indian Hospital. The Y.M.B.C. was a civics organization that performed many charitable works including supporting the Jessie Dyslin Boys Ranch. Just prior to Christmas, 1958, they traveled to the Tacoma Indian Hospital with gifts for the young patients. Many of the children came to Tacoma from out-of-state and would not be able to return home for the holidays, including Keith Pocatilla of Fort Hall, Idaho, and Thelma Jones of Poplar, Montana. Photograph ordered by the Young Men's Business Club. (TNT 12-23-58, p. 11)

Young Mens Business Club (Tacoma); Clubs--Tacoma--1950-1960; Community service--Tacoma--1950-1960; Hall, Robert; Johnson, Kenneth; Wienker, C. M.; Pocatilla, Keith; Jones, Thelma;

Installation of new charter for the Cascadia Juvenile Reception-Diagnostic Center. Two men display the new charter from the American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees on April 22, 1964 for the Cascadia Juvenile Reception-Diagnostic Center Employees, Washington, Local 368. The state had taken over the former site of the Tacoma Indian Hospital on E. 28th St. in 1961. Photograph ordered by the Washington Federation of State Employees, Olympia.

Charters--Tacoma; Labor unions--Tacoma--1960-1970;

Acceptance of charter for union employees. 25 employees of the Cascadia Juvenile Reception-Diagnostic Center, 2002 E. 28th St., watch as the new charter from the American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees is displayed on April 22, 1964. It proclaims them to be a part of Local 368. Photograph ordered by the Washington Federation of State Employees, Olympia.

Charters--Tacoma; Labor unions--Tacoma--1960-1970;

Cushman Indian Hospital near completion in March of 1943. Ground was broken for the two million dollar Cushman Indian Hospital in 1941. It was not completed until April of 1943 due to a shortage of building materials caused by World War II demands. In 1954, the hospital was closed to all but tuberculosis patients. It was closed completely in 1959 despite Northwest tribal requests to keep it open. Taken over by the state in 1961, the building was then put in use as the Cascadia Diagnostic Center until again given over to the tribe in the seventies after a contentious dispute. This building was demolished in 2003, and the Emerald Queen casino complex sits on the land where it once stood.

Tacoma Indian Hospital (Tacoma); Cushman Indian Hospital (Tacoma); Hospitals--Tacoma--1940-1950;

This aerial view of the area surrounding the Puyallup Indian Hospital, 2002 E. 28th St., was taken in August of 1948. On three sides of the large empty rectangle of land were the Laundry, top left; Commissary, bottom left; nurses' building, bottom; and the Cushman Hospital, right. The Puyallup Indian Cemetery was located in the area dotted with trees to the right of the Indian Health Services buildings. The Puyallup River and bridge can be seen in the background. The hospital, which was built between 1941-43, has been demolished.

Cities & towns--Washington; Aerial photographs; Aerial views; Indian reservations--Puyallup; Puyallup Tribal Health Authority (Puyallup); Puyallup Indian Cemetery (Puyallup); Puyallup Indians (Puyallup);

Parkland's Girl Scouts and Pack 33 Cub Scouts played Santa at Cushman Indian Hospital. The children presented toys they had built, trains and doll beds, to the children who are patients at the hospital. Left to right, Rosalie Russell, Louise Duffey, Robert Duffey, Wayne Thomas, David Melmin, Bill Ostenson, Marian E. Gaiser (background), Girl Scout leader, and Robert Thomas (background), pack leader. (T. Times, 12/21/48, p. 13).

School buses--Tacoma; Toys; Christmas--Tacoma; Christmas presents; Uniforms; Community service--Tacoma--1940-1950; Children--Clubs--Tacoma; Cub Scouts (Tacoma); Girl Scouts (Tacoma); Cushman Indian Hospital (Tacoma);

On July 15, 1949 a group of unidentified young patients at the Tacoma Indian Hospital, also known as Cushman Hospital, received a surprise visit from Gene Autry, the singing cowboy. A symbol of clean entertainment in western movies, radio and records (and later on television), Mr. Autry had flown into the Seattle-Tacoma Airport earlier that day at the controls of his private Beachcraft twin engine plane. He was in Tacoma as headliner of a 12-act western Musical variety show that was being presented that evening in the College of Puget Sound Fieldhouse. (TNT 7-15-49, p. 13, 7-16-49, p. 3) ALBUM 8.

Autry, Gene, 1907-1998; Hospitals--Tacoma--1940-1950; Cushman Indian Hospital (Tacoma); Indians of North America--Tacoma--1940-1950; Sick children; Children--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Western singer and motion picture actor Gene Autry (center with white hat) with a group of unidentified men at Cushman Indian Hospital on July 15, 1949. Mr. Autry made the most of his one-day stay in Tacoma with a visit to the Cushman Hospital to visit sick children, a radio broadcast on KMO, and capped it off with the Tacoma Athletic Commission - College of Puget Sound variety show at Memorial Fieldhouse. ALBUM 8.

Actors--Tacoma--1940-1950; Musicians--Tacoma--1940-1950; Singers; Autry, Gene, 1907-1998; Hospitals--Tacoma--1940-1950; Cushman Indian Hospital (Tacoma); Indians of North America; Celebrities;

Western singer and motion picture actor Gene Autry visits patients at Cushman Hospital on July 15, 1949. Known as the Cushman Indian Hospital, it had originally housed the Puyallup Indian School. It provided care for Northwest Indian tribal members, especially in the field of tuberculosis. Mr. Autry, dressed in his trademark white hat, smiles at two adult male patients. He had also paid a visit to the children's ward that day. Mr. Autry would be appearing in a Western variety show at Memorial Fieldhouse on the campus of the College of Puget Sound later that evening. ALBUM 8.

Singers; Actors--Tacoma--1940-1950; Autry, Gene, 1907-1998; Hospitals--Tacoma--1940-1950; Cushman Indian Hospital (Tacoma); Indians of North America--Tacoma--1940-1950; Sick persons;

Western singer and motion picture actor Gene Autry is welcomed to Cushman Hospital on July 15, 1949. He is shown shaking hands with an unidentified man, perhaps a hospital official, while children wait in the background. Although Mr. Autry was in Tacoma for only one day as part of a large musical variety show, he made time to visit the sick children at the Cushman Indian Hospital on East 28th St. People were very familiar with Mr. Autry even before his long running television program, The Gene Autry Show on CBS (1950-55), due to his Melody Ranch radio program which ran from 1940-1956. His trademark theme song, "Back in the Saddle Again," was extremely popular. WWII Sgt. Gene Autry would go on to own several radio and television stations and become active in professional baseball as the owner of the (California) Angels. ALBUM 8.

Singers; Actors--Tacoma--1940-1950; Autry, Gene, 1907-1998; Hospitals--Tacoma--1940-1950; Cushman Indian Hospital (Tacoma); Indians of North America--Tacoma--1940-1950; Shaking hands--Tacoma;

On June 21, 1938, a $30,000 fire destroyed the two and 1/2 story wood frame commissary at the United States Cushman Indian Hospital. Four firemen with hoses are pictured spraying water on the burning building. The building was used to store foodstuffs and supplies for the hospital. It was located on the west side of the grounds so that the fire, despite its intensity, did not endanger the dormitories or wards. The building was fully engulfed when the first fire company arrived about 11:45p.m. on 6/20/38. The fight was hampered by a lack of water pressure from the hospital's tank. (T. Times, 6/21/1938, p. 1).

Fires--Tacoma--1930-1940; Fire fighting--Tacoma--1930-1940; Cushman Indian Hospital (Tacoma); Hospitals--Tacoma--1930-1940;