Crawford's Sea Grill Restaurant

Circa 1948.

25 girls attending banquet at Crawford's Delta Rho Gamma, Phyllis Brynestad. The Delta Rho Gamma sorority of Pacific Lutheran College held several reunions in the first week of September 1948 and on September 11th, Crawford's Sea Grill was the scene of a reunion banquet. Several of the young women would be going to different colleges in the fall and this was the last reunion before their departure. Miss Beulah Heidahl, new dean of women at PLC, was also introduced. The sorority women are seen here watching home movies. (TNT, 9/12/1948, p.D-1)

Delta Rho Gamma (Parkland); Fraternities & sororities--Parkland--1940-1950; Pacific Lutheran College (Parkland)--1940-1950; Universities & colleges--Parkland--1940-1950; Students--Parkland--1940-1950; Group portraits; Motion pictures;

Wild West Veteran's Club was located at 505 Broadway in Crawford's Sea Grill Restaurant. Crawford's was built at the Nelson Bennett Mansion site in 1946 and was considered a modern sea view restaurant. Crawford's Sea Grill was from Seattle and was owned and operated by J. E. Meaker and Mrs. E. Crawford. View of waitresses at the Wild West Club, wearing black dresses, sitting in front of an American Flag and eagle.

Flags; Veterans' organizations--Tacoma; Waitresses--Tacoma; Women--Clothing & dress--Tacoma; Organizations' facilities--Tacoma; Wild West Veteran's Club (Tacoma); Crawford's Sea Grill (Tacoma);

Bartenders at the Wild West Veteran's Club in Nov. 1947. The club was affiliated with VFW Wild West Post No. 91. It was located in the Crawford's Sea Grill Restaurant Building at 505 Broadway. Note the cowboy mural in the background at right. In 1960 the post was honored with a perpetual charter for having more than 25 life members. TPL-6377

Veterans' organizations--Tacoma; Employees--Tacoma; Bartenders--Tacoma; Bars--Tacoma; Organizations' facilities--Tacoma; Wild West Veteran's Club (Tacoma); Crawford's Sea Grill (Tacoma);

Wild West Veteran's Club was affiliated with the Veterans of Foreign Wars Wild West Post Number 91. The club was only listed in the 1947 Tacoma City Directory at this location, in the 1949 Tacoma City Directory the club is listed as being located at 260 South 5th Street. During 1947 the club was managed by F. S. Downs. View of Wild West staff, mountain mural in background.

Veterans' organizations--Tacoma; Employees--Tacoma; Organizations' facilities--Tacoma; Wild West Veteran's Club (Tacoma); Crawford's Sea Grill (Tacoma);

Wild West Veteran's Club was operated by the Wild West Home Corporation. John Taylor was President, Fred Brining was Vice President and Oscar J. Olson was Secretary Treasurer of the Wild West Home Corporation, which was also located at the same site. The Wild West Taxi Company was also based out of Crawford's Restaurant. View of band that will play at the Wild West Club.

Veterans' organizations--Tacoma; Music ensembles--Tacoma; Organizations' facilities--Tacoma; Wild West Veteran's Club (Tacoma); Crawford's Sea Grill (Tacoma);

Wild West Club was located in Crawford's Sea Grill Restaurant, a two story concrete blocks and glass, 275 person capacity building. Crawford's became very popular with Tacoma residents and tourists, especially after they added a unique terrace room in 1950. They completely enclosed a room with glass, which hung over Stadium Way, overlooking Commencement Bay. View of piano player at the Wild West Club.

Veterans' organizations--Tacoma; Pianos; Organizations' facilities--Tacoma; Wild West Veteran's Club (Tacoma); Crawford's Sea Grill (Tacoma);

Construction continues on the site of the now closed Crawford's Sea Grill restaurant; the restaurant and land was leased to the Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Co. in February, 1953. The telephone company planned to build a $250,000 addition that would house the billing department for all of Western Washington, except Seattle. R.H. Dobell was the architect and James W. Purvis, the contractor. Elevated view of Crawford's Sea Grill with Sea Food sign still erect; plywood forms are propped up. Photograph ordered by Tom Sias, Douglas Fir Plywood Association.

Progress photographs; Building construction--Tacoma--1950-1960; Crawford's Sea Grill Restaurant (Tacoma); Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Co. (Tacoma); Plywood; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma);

Crawford's Sea Grill Restaurant, built on the site of the old Nelson Bennett mansion in 1946, is shown in the process of being converted to a Pacific Telephone & Telegraph accounting office in March, 1953. The restaurant, located at 505 Broadway, boasted of a splendid sea view, including a terrace enclosed in glass where residents and tourists alike could dine while enjoying Commencement Bay. The telephone company would build a $250,000 addition at 501 Broadway which would become the billing headquarters for all of Western Washington, except for Seattle. Photograph ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association.

Crawford's Sea Grill (Tacoma); Building construction--Tacoma--1950-1960; Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Co. (Tacoma)--Buildings; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma);

Flooring detail, new Telco location. Ordered by the DFPA. In February of 1953, the site of the former Crawford's Sea Grill Restaurant was leased to Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Co. (Telco). The site would be remodeled under the direction of R.H. Dobell, architect, and James W. Purvis, contractor, into a new billing center for all of Western Washington, with the exception of Seattle. Workers are shown laying tile for the new office building. The new accounting office was scheduled to open 8/10/1953 with a staff of 58 young women. When the move to the office was completed by the end of 1953, the office would handle 200,000 customer accounts, with an additional 175 people employed. A.P. King from Seattle was selected to head up the office. (TNT 8/2/1953, pg. A-14)

Floors--Tacoma; Progress photographs; Building construction--Tacoma--1950-1960; Crawford's Sea Grill Restaurant (Tacoma); Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Co. (Tacoma); Plywood; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma);

Welfare aides from the American Red Cross met at Crawford's Sea Grill in May of 1951. The well-dressed women all wear suits, gloves and hats.

Crawford's Sea Grill (Tacoma); Restaurants--Tacoma--1950-1960; Charitable organizations--Tacoma--1950-1960; Community service--Tacoma--1950-1960; American National Red Cross Pierce County Chapter (Tacoma); Women--Clothing & dress--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Four retiring officers of the Delta Theta sorority are posed in an August, 1951, photograph. They had turned over their positions to new officers at the sorority installation banquet held at Crawford's Sea Grill restaurant on August 27, 1951. From L to R are Janie Wilhelmi (outgoing recording secretary), Junice Ates (outgoing president), Jean Trovani (outgoing vice president) and Myrna Scheckner (outgoing corresponding secretary). All four young ladies are college bound: Wilhelmi to Washington State College, Ates and Trovani to the University of Washington, and Scheckner to the Colorado Women's College. (TNT 9-3-51, p. 18)

Delta Theta Sorority (Tacoma); Fraternities & sororities--Tacoma--1950-1960; Women--Clothing & dress--Tacoma--1950-1960; Group portraits--1950-1960; Wilhelmi, Janie; Ates, Junice; Trovani, Jean; Scheckner, Myrna; Students--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Eilert Meader, District Traffic Supt., and Martin J. Gallwas, Supt., were honored at a banquet at Crawford's Sea Grill on August 9, 1950. Both men were employed by Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Company. The banquet was a farewell to Meader who would assume new duties as Division Traffic Supt. and a welcome to Gallwas as his successor. Toll operators presented Meader with a portable charcoal barbecue complete with utensils and supplies. (TNT 8-10-50, p. 35)

Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Co. (Tacoma)--Employees; Meader, Eilert; Gallwas, Martin J.; Crawford's Sea Grill (Tacoma);

Crawford's Sea Grill, located at 505 Broadway, opened its new Star Room Terrace in August of 1950. Owned by Jack Meaker, Crawford's was built on the site of the Nelson Bennett Mansion in 1946. It was a very popular restaurant with Tacoma residents and visitors alike who enjoyed the unique Terrace which was completely enclosed in glass to take advantage of the view of Commencement Bay. The Town & Country Shop and the Wild West Veterans Club (Post #91) shared space at the same location. Crawford's closed in the early 1950s. (TNT, 8/30/1950) TPL-9848

Crawford's Sea Grill (Tacoma); Restaurants--Tacoma--1950-1960; Town & Country Shop (Tacoma); Wild West Veterans Club (Tacoma);

Crawford's was built at the Nelson Bennett Mansion site in 1946 and was considered a modern sea view restaurant. Crawford's Sea Grill was from Seattle and was owned and operated by J. E. Meaker and Mrs. E. Crawford. View of Henry A. Wells and his family, they were gathered at Crawford's Sea Grill for a Wells family reunion in October of 1949.

Reunions--Tacoma--1940-1950; Restaurants--Tacoma--1940-1950; Celebrations--Tacoma--1940-1950; Families--Tacoma; Wells, Henry A.--Family; Crawford's Sea Grill (Tacoma);