ca. 1890. The Tacoma Hotel as it looked circa 1890, before any of the numberous additions had been added to the structure of the building. Tacoma was justly proud of this elegant structure with its beautiful views of Commencement Bay. It had opened in August of 1884. Photo from "Northern Pacific Railroad Scenery" with photos by F. Jay Haynes (F. Jay Haynes Collection)

Tacoma Hotel (Tacoma); Hotels--Tacoma--1890-1900;

Although photographer Marvin Boland's notes stated that this was the United States "Marine" Band posed on the lawn of the Hotel Tacoma on July 24, 1919, it is believed that this was actually the United States Navy Recruiting Band or The Great Lakes Band. They were there to play for the Tacoma Rotary Club for a luncheon held at the ivy-covered south end of the porch. The United States Navy Recruiting Band would perform later that evening in the Stadium Bowl along with Metropolitan Opera's prima donna Marie Rappold. G71.1-034 (TDL 7-24-19, p. 3 (ad); TNT 7-24-19, p. 1-articles on concert)

Tacoma Hotel (Tacoma); Military bands--United States;

On May 26, 1924, the Los Angeles Newsboys' Quartette posed in front of the Tacoma Hotel. They were on a cross-country singing tour from L.A. to "Noo Yawk" and had been engaged by the Rialto Theater for a week, in conjunction with the showing of "When A Man's A Man." They had also performed at the Tacoma Advertising Club luncheon that day. Pictured left to right are Ernest Davis, first tenor; Buckles Brente, second tenor; Leon Lyons, baritone and John Myers, basso. The boys, who billed themselves as real newsboys, had recently finished an engagement at Grauman's Theater in Los Angeles. Written on the back of their touring vehicle are the names of all the cities they have performed in so far on their cross country tour. To the right of the Tacoma Hotel is the famed Tacoma totem pole. G30.1-140 (TNT 5-27-24, p. 2; T. Times 5/31/1924, pg 2 & 3) BU-11933, TPL-1395

Los Angeles Newsboys' Quartette (Los Angeles); Davis, Ernest; Brente, Buckles; Lyons, Leon; Myers, John; Singers--1920-1930; Music ensembles--1920-1930; Hotels--Tacoma; Tacoma Hotel (Tacoma); Totem poles--Tacoma;

A large contingent of druggists and their wives pose outside the Hotel Tacoma on June 23, 1924. The style of the day called for hats, long dresses and ankle-length coats for the women and standard business attire for the men. They were preparing to join a caravan of 50 and more cars to Olympia for a three-day convention. In addition, the Tacoma druggists met delegations of fellow pharmacists from other parts of Washington state who were on the way to the Olympia annual convention and took them on brief tours of Tacoma. G30.1-097 (TNT 6-19-24, p. 8-article; TDL 6-24-24, p.12)

Pharmacists--Tacoma--1920-1930; Tacoma Hotel (Tacoma);

Famed orator, presidential candidate, and Secretary of State (under Woodrow Wilson), William Jennings Bryan visited Tacoma in September of 1924. Mr. Bryan is shown shaking hands with William R. Lee, Democratic nominee for Lt. Gov., in front of the Tacoma Hotel, 913 A Street, where an invitation-only breakfast was held in his honor. Mr. Bryan would later lecture at the First Methodist Church on "Problems confronting government, society, and religion." He also made a brief radio address on KGB, the Tacoma Ledger broadcasting station. Mr. Bryan was on his farewell lecture tour to the West; he died July 26, 1925. The man on the right has been identified as attorney Robert E. Evans. He was the president of the newly organized Young People's Democratic Club of Tacoma. Mr. Evans was a longtime member of the Tacoma bar and was later appointed Pierce County Superior Court Judge by Governor Clarence Martin. He was a partner in the well-known law firm of Ellis, Fletcher and Evans; all of whom became judges. Robert E. Evans was the last survivor of this pioneer legal firm and passed away after a long illness on December 7, 1941. (TDL 9-16-24; TNT 9-15-24, p. 1; T.Times obituary 12-8-41) G67.1-134

Bryan, William Jennings, 1860-1925; Evans, Robert E., 1876-1941; Lee, William R.; Shaking hands--Tacoma; Lawyers--Tacoma;

The Ladies Musical Club presented its regular concert on Tuesday afternoon, March 2, 1920, in the drawing room of the Tacoma Hotel. The program featured pianist George Congdon Bailey of Seattle. Mr. Bailey, who is blind, is a student at the University of Washington. Marjorie Miller, also of Seattle, entertained the club with a violin solo. Mr. Bailey may be the man seated in the front row with Miss Miller, holding a large bouquet of flowers, next to him. (TNT 2-28-20, p. 8-article)

Ladies Musical Club (Tacoma);

The staff of the Tacoma Hotel stood ready to serve the 348 hungry diners at the P.C.A.C.A. annual banquet held on July 7, 1921 on the grounds of the famous hotel. Waitresses were prepared to hoist large round trays filled with plates of chicken and vegetables which had been kept warm by steam tables. Diners were able to admire the 11th Street (now Murray Morgan) Bridge and the hotel's gardens. The Pacific Coast Advertising Clubs Association held their annual convention in Tacoma from July 3-10, 1921. Delegates were headquartered at the Tacoma Hotel and were treated to rounds of business meetings, excursions and picnics. The annual banquet was followed by a dance. (TDL 7-7-21, p. 1-article; Tacoma Sunday Ledger 7-10-21, A-12-article)

Banquets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Tacoma Hotel (Tacoma); 11th Street Bridge (Tacoma); Meetings--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Posed in front of the Tacoma Hotel on May 8, 1922, are members of the National Executive Board of the P.T.A. and National Congress of Mothers. They were in town for the 26th annual national convention of the group. Second row from the top wearing a feathered black hat is Mrs. Harry Zimmerhackel of Colorado. Standing in the second row, extreme right in fur stole, is Mrs. Eugene Crutcher, also of Colorado. G30.1-087

Meetings--Tacoma--1920-1930; Parent-Teacher Association; Tacoma Hotel (Tacoma); Zimmerhackel, Harry--Family; Crutcher, Eugene--Family;

The staff of Haering's Grocetorium enjoyed a fine dinner in the Stone Room of the Tacoma Hotel on May 18, 1922. The occasion was Haering's annual appreciation banquet for its employees. 50 employees and officers of the grocery chain were in attendance; names are listed in the Tacoma Daily Ledger's May 22, 1922, edition of the newspaper. Haering's, founded by Nicolaus Haering in 1913, was a chain noted for "help yourself service." G31.1-003 (TDL 5-22-22, p. 9)

Banquets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Haering's Grocetorium (Tacoma); Tacoma Hotel (Tacoma);

The American Barred Plymouth Rock Club held a banquet at the Tacoma Hotel, 913 A Street, on December 5, 1925. Barred Plymouth Rocks were excellent producers of eggs and meat. The breed was generally known as good general farm chickens and their owners, like those pictured above, could be assured of docility, hardiness and broodiness in their flocks. Members of the club had participated in the annual Tacoma poultry show put on by the Tacoma Poultry Association and held December 1-6, 1925, the same time as the national Barred Plymouth Rock exhibition. This was the first time that the national meet had been staged west of Omaha. Attendance at the poultry show had broken previous local records with the News Tribune reporting daily on activities and awards. Cleve Stout of Anglum, Missouri, was elected president of the American Barred Plymouth Rock Assn. in a business meeting held after the banquet. G6.1-097; G31.1-001 (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 10-18-25, G-10-article; TNT 12-5-25, p. 5-article; TNT 12-7-25, p. 4-article)

Banquets--Tacoma--1920-1930; American Barred Plymouth Rock Club (Tacoma); Poultry industry--Tacoma;

This group of 16 men shown dining at the Tacoma Hotel on January 15, 1928, is believed to have been associated with the Lidgerwood Pacific Company. The firm, with general offices and works in the Tideflats, manufactured steam, gas and electric logging, hoisting and dredging machinery. G31.1-002

Tacoma Hotel (Tacoma); Hotels--Tacoma--1920-1930; Eating & drinking--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Boland Studio notes indicate that this group of young athletes came from Lincoln High School and were photographed at the Tacoma Hotel on December 6, 1929. In the back row, far left, is coach Homer Post. Bert Beal is at the far right, first row. G47.1-004

Lincoln High School (Tacoma); Students--Tacoma--1920-1930; Tacoma Hotel (Tacoma); Post, Homer; Beal, Bert;

Tacoma Hotel. An arched entryway welcomed guests to the Tacoma Hotel in 1928. 300 rooms were available, some with splendid views of Commencement Bay, and all at reasonable rates. The hotel advertised itself as being famous worldwide for its good food and restful surroundings. Built in 1884, the historic hotel was destroyed by fire in October of 1935. G30.1-112; BU-11,942

Tacoma Hotel (Tacoma); Hotels--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Former world heavyweight boxing champion Jack Dempsey finds himself flanked by prominent Tacomans in this July 25, 1930, photograph taken on the veranda of the Tacoma Hotel. L-R Mike Lavelle, former Pantages manager and current Tacoma Hotel manager Jack Calvert, TNT sports writer Elliott Metcalf, Mr. Dempsey, Mayor Melvin G. Tennent, unidentified, and J. Frank Hickey, president of the elegant Tacoma Hotel. Mr. Dempsey was in town to referee the Tod Morgan - Joey Coffman match at the Greenwich Colliseum that evening. The bout was sponsored by the Kay Street Athletic Club. Mr. Dempsey was clearly the favorite attraction that night with cheers shaking the Colliseum's rafters. A record-breaking crowd was so loud in cheering him that he could not be heard in the ring. (TNT 7-25-30, p. 17-article; TNT 7-26-30, p. 4-article) G67.1-178

Dempsey, Jack, 1895-1983; Boxers (Sports); Hickey, J. Frank; Metcalf, Elliott; Tennent, Melvin Green; Mayors--Tacoma--1930-1940; Lavelle, Mike; Calvert, Jack; Tacoma Hotel (Tacoma);

Members of the First Regiment, U.S. Engineers, enjoyed a reunion banquet at the Tacoma Hotel on September 13, 1930. G24.1-017

Banquets--Tacoma--1930-1940; Tacoma Hotel (Tacoma); First Regiment, U.S. Engineers (Tacoma);

Salvation Army conference at the Tacoma Hotel. Attendees pose for a group portrait on April 22, 1931 on the steps of the hotel. Many are wearing the familiar Salvation Army attire. Among those pictured is Col. Andrew Crawford of San Francisco, second in command of Salvation Army work in the Western states. G21.1-187 (TDL 4-22-31, p. 9-article on convention)

Salvation Army (Tacoma); Meetings--Tacoma--1930-1940; Tacoma Hotel (Tacoma);

The Tacoma Hotel was the site of a hardware convention in late January of 1932. Participants, all male, posed for a group portrait on the hotel's steps. The Pacific Northwest Hardware & Implement Association met in Tacoma for the first time in its 37 years of existence. The three-day meeting was to discuss hardware trade problems. A.E. Vaughn of Aberdeen was president of the association. G30.1-088 (TNT1-27-32, p. 11-article)

Tacoma Hotel (Tacoma); Meetings--Tacoma--1930-1940; Pacific Northwest Hardware & Implement Association;

A small child is photographed at a distance in August of 1922 while on the porch of the elegant Tacoma Hotel, 913 A Street. She can also been seen in Boland B6533 along with an older gentleman in the hotel gardens. Guests at the hotel were able to enjoy outdoor dining, weather permitting, on the extended porch of the Tacoma Hotel. This photograph was used in an advertisement promoting the Tacoma Hotel site as the site that should be selected for the new hotel built by the Citizens Hotel Corporation. The ad emphatically noted the beautiful view from the hotel site of the Mountain (Mount Tacoma) and of Commencement Bay. Even little children could appreciate the flowers, birds and sunshine abundantly available at this location. Although the Tacoma Hotel site was among the top two vote-getters, it was not ultimately chosen as the location of the new hotel. The Tacoma Hotel was destroyed by fire in October of 1935. (TDL 10-7-22, p. 5-ad)

Tacoma Hotel (Tacoma); Hotels--Tacoma--1920-1930; Children--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Blurred image of little girl standing next to the ivy-covered walls of the Tacoma Hotel. She is believed to be the same child as in Boland B6534 and B6533. This is the back porch and lawn of the famous Tacoma Hotel, the city's showpiece for many years. Photograph has been damaged on the right.

Tacoma Hotel (Tacoma); Hotels--Tacoma--1920-1930; Children--Tacoma--1920-1930;

An elderly gentleman holds the hand of a little girl as they stood in the gardens of the Tacoma Hotel in August of 1922. A circle of plants is directly behind them. Also shown is the hotel's gazebo which overlooked the city's waterfront. G41.1-008

Tacoma Hotel (Tacoma); Gardens--Tacoma; Gazebos--Tacoma;

ca. 1935. Photograph taken of the destroyed Tacoma Hotel after the disastrous fire on October 17, 1935. Ivy was still clinging to the lower walls despite the intense heat and in the right foreground was the Tacoma Totem Pole. The Tudor Hotel was built in 1884 from a design by Stanford White's architectural firm of McKim, Mead and White. The Tacoma landmark was widely recognized as one of the finest hotels on the Pacific Coast. It was not rebuilt after the fire and although its annex continued as the new Tacoma Hotel, it never achieved the same prominence as the original. (photograph courtesy of the Tom Stenger collection)

Fires--Tacoma--1930-1940; Hotels--Tacoma; Tacoma Hotel (Tacoma);

ca. 1935. Photograph taken of the ruined Tacoma Hotel after the disastrous fire on October 17, 1935. The hotel was totally destroyed by a fire that started out in the north end of the basement in the early morning hours. (photograph courtesy of the Tom Stenger collection)

Fires--Tacoma--1930-1940; Hotels--Tacoma; Tacoma Hotel (Tacoma);

ca. 1934. This is part of the lobby of the grand Tacoma Hotel circa 1934. The spacious foyer had several chairs and benches resting against the enormous pillars for guests taking their ease. Of note are the fancy "sea horses" at tops of the pillars and a large clock attached to the ceiling beams. A portion of a dining area is visible further down the lobby. The Tacoma Hotel was reduced to ruins by a massive fire on October 17, 1935. TPL-219

Hotels--Tacoma--1930-1940; Tacoma Hotel (Tacoma); Lobbies--Tacoma--1930-1940; Clocks & watches;

ca. 1885. Photograph of "The Tacoma" (Hotel) shortly after it was built - before any of the later additions were added. The massive hotel, focus of much civic pride, opened on August 8, 1884. It had cost more than $250,000 to build, an enormous sum at the time, and was the design of architect Stanford White in 1881 who, according to Murray Morgan's South on the Sound, had been commissioned by the Northern Pacific Railroad and Tacoma Land Co. In subsequent years, several additions and renovations were made to further extend the hotel's reputation as "the finest west of the Mississippi and north of San Francisco." The Tacoma Hotel even boasted of having for a time a tame bear named Jack who spent time in the hotel lobby and was a drinker of beer. The elegant hostelry attracted many prominent visitors who enjoyed breathtaking views and luxurious furnishings. It was destroyed by fire on October 17, 1935 and never rebuilt.

Tacoma Hotel (Tacoma); Hotels--Tacoma--1880-1890;

ca. 1884. The Tacoma Hotel, 913 A street, with its commanding view of the Tacoma tideflats, was one of the best hotels north of San Francisco. Designed by the famous architect Stanford White, it had its official opening in August of 1884. The scaffolding at the north end of the building suggests that it was still under construction when this photograph was taken. Note the Northern Pacific Railroad tracks crossing the almost completely barren tideflats; mills and manufacturing structures had yet to be fully built. The body of water at the left is the Puyallup River as it flows unfettered into Commencement Bay. The massive Tacoma Hotel was destroyed by fire on October 17, 1935, and was never rebuilt; its annex would be remodeled and called the "new" Tacoma Hotel in January, 1936.

Tacoma Hotel (Tacoma);

ca. 1934. Two couples enjoy a tender dance within the Tacoma Hotel while a young lady provides the music on a piano in this circa 1934 photograph. Others enjoy dining at small tables placed nearby. The Tacoma Hotel, Tacoma's showpiece, opened in August of 1884 and underwent several renovations before being destroyed by fire in October of 1935. TPL-346

Hotels--Tacoma--1930-1940; Tacoma Hotel (Tacoma); Dancers--Tacoma--1930-1940; Pianos;

William Jennings Bryan visited Tacoma in Sept of 1924. This photograph was taken outside the Tacoma Hotel, 913 A St., where an invitation-only breakfast was held in his honor. The famed orator had been a Presidential candidate and Woodrow Wilson's Secretary of State. Mr. Bryan was on a farewell lecture tour of the West and stopped in Tacoma to give an address at the First Methodist Church and a brief talk on local radio station KGB. He would pass away the following year on July 26th, at the age of 65. (TDL 9-16-24; TNT 9-15-24, p.1-article)

Bryan, William Jennings, 1860-1925;

Dinner held at the Tacoma Hotel on September 7, 1907, in honor of William H. Taft during his visit to Tacoma while he was Secretary of War. 300 prominent members of the Chamber of Commerce and local businessmen accorded Secretary Taft a rousing welcome. Those included Everett G. Griggs, S.A. Perkins, Francis W. Cushman, T.J. Handforth, George F. Wright, Alexander Baillie, Thomas Carstens and Dave Gross among hundreds. This was the second address of the day for Secretary Taft who had arrived in Tacoma after inspection of the maneuver grounds at American Lake. He had praised the site as ideal for a military post with the only drawback being the cost of some of the privately held property. Secretary Taft spoke to a teeming crowd of some 12,000 Tacoma citizens at Wright Park at 5 p.m. that evening prior to the banquet. They had gathered to hear the potential successor to Teddy Roosevelt. Showing that he was held in high esteem by not only the well-to-do but the average working man, an impromptu escort of about 500 men just finished with their daily endeavors marched along the automobile carrying William Taft and his party to Wright Park. 2/3rds of them bore lunch pails and working garb. (TDL 9-7-1907, p. 1-article; Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 9-8-1907, p. 1, 23-article)

Banquets--Tacoma--1900-1910; Tacoma Hotel (Tacoma); Taft, William H.; Government officials--United States;

Panorama of a large, formally dressed standing party.

Panorama of the Japanese-American Citizen's League Inaugural Banquet.