Aerial view of West Coast Grocery, St. Paul and Tacoma lumber and Tacoma Iron and Steel. A view of the Tacoma tideflats and some of the industry built on it looking north.

Tacoma Tideflats (Tacoma); Aerial photographs; Industry--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Aerial view on July 13, 1947 of West Coast Grocery, St. Paul and Tacoma Lumber Company and Tacoma Iron and Steel. A view of the Tacoma tideflats and some of the industry built on it looking northeast.

Tacoma Tideflats (Tacoma); Aerial photographs; Industry--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Aerial view of West Coast Grocery, St. Paul and Tacoma Lumber Company and Tacoma Iron and Steel. A view of the Tacoma tideflats and some of the industry built on it looking northwest. Log booms are seen in the waterways. One of the bridges on the Puyallup River is open. TPL-5892

Tacoma Tideflats (Tacoma); Aerial photographs; Puyallup River (Wash.); Industry--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Aerial view of West Coast Grogery, St. Paul and Tacoma Lumber Company and Tacoma Iron and Steel. A view of the Tacoma tideflats and some of the industry built on it looking east. Log booms are seen in two of the waterways. TPL-3215 and TPL-3659

Tacoma Tideflats (Tacoma); Aerial photographs; Puyallup River (Wash.); Industry--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Permanente Metals, producers of Kaiser Aluminum, bought the Olin plant and after rehabilitating and improving the facilities, they have started production. They began operating one pot line, but within a month they should be producing aluminum at full capacity. The Tacoma plant is one of the most modern aluminum producing facilities in the country. Aerial view of Permanente, which is located on the Tacoma Tideflats, covering more than 129 acres of land (PMC Annual Report, 1947-48).

Aerial views; Industrial facilities--Tacoma; Aluminum industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Permanente Metals Corp. (Tacoma);

Aerial view of Tacoma, tide flats, CPS, City downtown area. This elevated view shows the Tacoma tideflats and the waterways that run and were cut through it, the Puyallup Valley and Mount Rainier in the background. Log booms are strung together in the forefront, near St. Regis paper mill. The Port of Tacoma had been working with reclaimation of the tidelands, construction of deep waterways and lease or sale of suitable sites for new factories for nearly 30 years since Tacoma voters approved a plan of development under an elective commission. During the decade of the 1940's an extended program had been developed which was to ensure hundreds of acres of new sites and provision for more deep water frontage for those to whom ocean commerce was vital. Mount Rainier is seen in the background. (T.Times, 1/12/1948, p.5)

Aerial photographs; Harbors--Tacoma--1940-1950; Waterfronts--Tacoma; Logs; Land use--Tacoma--1940-1950; City planning--Tacoma--1940-1950; St. Regis Paper Co. (Tacoma)--1940-1950; Paper industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Rainier, Mount (Wash.);

ca. 1947. An aerial photograph shows the College of Puget Sound campus in the foreground and Mount Rainier in the distance. TPL-6702

Aerial photographs; Universities & colleges--Tacoma; College of Puget Sound (Tacoma)--Buildings;

ca. 1947. An aerial photograph shows the College of Puget Sound campus lying between Union Avenue and Alder Street. Jones Hall is prominent in the center of the complex. TPL-6703

Aerial photographs; Universities & colleges--Tacoma; College of Puget Sound (Tacoma)--Buildings;

This aerial view of downtown Tacoma, taken in May of 1948, shows the city looking up 9th Street from the railroad tracks that line the waterfront to Tacoma Avenue. Prominent in the foreground is the parking lot located at the former location of the Tacoma Hotel, 913 A Street. The hotel occupied the site from 1884 until it was destroyed by fire in 1935. In 1988, the Frank Russell Co. built their offices at this location. Left of the parking lot on A St. were (l to r): the Tacoma Building (1017-21 A St.), the Lawrence Block (1009-15 A St.- demolished) and the Mason Block (1001-07 A St.- demolished.) The Weyerhaeuser Building (1015 A St.) now occupies the site of the demolished buildings. Also shown is the Hotel Winthrop (773 Broadway) across 9th St. from the Pantages Theater (902 Broadway). The Tacoma Theater (902-14 Broadway) can be seen behind the Pantages and the Medical Arts building (747 Market- now the Tacoma Municipal Building) can be seen beyond the Winthrop. Photograph ordered by Miss Helen Whitney. TPL-1440

Aerial photographs; Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma); Cityscapes; Railroad tracks--Tacoma; Business districts--Tacoma; Commercial streets--Tacoma--1940-1950;

On August 18, 1948, the Richards Studio photographer flew around the city of Tacoma taking shots of various neighborhoods and individual streets. This aerial view is of S. 15th & Market Sts. near downtown Tacoma. The street running left to right at the bottom is 15th St. The light colored street at center is Market St. The Labor Temple, built circa 1941, is at the corner of 15th & Market (actual address of 1355 Market St.)

Aerial photographs; Aerial views; Neighborhoods--Tacoma--1940-1950; Labor Temple (Tacoma); Streets--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Aerial view, taken in August of 1948, of the large St. Regis Paper Co. plant located in Tacoma's industrial Tideflats. Waterway in center is the Puyallup Waterway. St. Regis was undergoing expansion as depicted by the unfinished building in the foreground. Three years later a big new bag plant would be built, adding to Tacoma's payroll.

Aerial photographs; Aerial views; St. Regis Paper Co. (Tacoma)--1940-1950; Paper industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Industrial facilities--Tacoma--1940-1950; Building construction--Tacoma--1940-1950; Puyallup Waterway (Tacoma);

This is an aerial southeastern view of the downtown Tacoma business district and portion of the industrial Tideflats that was taken in August of 1948. Two boats are approaching the 11th Street Bridge (now Murray Morgan Bridge), left center, as it extends over the City (now Thea Foss) Waterway. The two bridges pictured to the right of the Murray Morgan Bridge have since been removed. Prominent structures also include the 17-story, Art Deco-styled Medical Arts Building (now Tacoma Municipal Building) on Market St., the massive Washington Building and Puget Sound National Bank with its spire, both on Pacific Avenue.

Aerial photographs; Bridges--Tacoma--1940-1950; 11th Street Bridge (Tacoma); Business districts--Tacoma--1940-1950; City Waterway (Tacoma); Puget Sound National Bank (Tacoma); Washington Building (Tacoma); Medical Arts Building (Tacoma);

View by air of downtown business district taken in August 1948; includes Market, Broadway, and Commerce streets. Many prominent commercial structures are clearly visible including the 17-story Medical Arts Building on Market St., the uniquely-shaped Bostwick Building, Winthrop Hotel on Broadway, Elks Club and (Old) City Hall found in upper left. Glimpses can be spotted of the sandstone tower of First Baptist Church at bottom of photograph, the Rialto theater, the turret of the Music Box theater and the Roxy (Pantages) nearby.

Aerial photographs; Commercial streets--Tacoma--1940-1950; Business districts--Tacoma; Medical Arts Building (Tacoma); (Old) City Hall (Tacoma); Elks Club (Tacoma); Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma);

Aerial view of Tacoma, George Jacobson. Streets from left to right are South Tacoma Way, (Burlington Northern - Santa Fe Rail Road tracks) Center Street, and 25th Street. The large unimproved property, upper center, is Allenmore Golf Club. A new residential area is just across 19th Street from the golf course. The building in the upper center, left was a furniture factory. TPL-9318

Aerial photographs; Commercial streets--Tacoma--1940-1950; Railroad tracks--Tacoma--1940-1950; Allenmore Golf Club (Tacoma); Golf--Tacoma--1940-1950; Land use--Tacoma--1940-1950; Land--Tacoma--1940-1950; Hills--Tacoma;

This aerial photograph shows the Dickman Lumber Company at 2423 Ruston Way as it looked in 1948. Built as the Young Brothers Shingle Mill in 1899, Ralph L. Dickman Sr. and Leonard Howarth purchased the mill in 1922. The Dickman mill remained in operation until 1977 when rising costs, competition from larger companies, and the unavailability of specialized logs forced the company to close. They were the last mill on Tacoma's "old town" waterfront. The mill was destroyed by fire in January of 1979, and the land on which the mill stood is now the Dickman Mill Park. (History of Pierce County, Vol. 1, p. 11-13)

Aerial photographs; Dickman Lumber Co. (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Logs;

Dickman Lumber Co. August, 1948, aerial view of plant operations at the Dickman Lumber Co., 2423 Ruston Way, with focus on log booms and stacked lumber. Dickman Lumber was established in 1889 by Abraham Coon Young as the Young Bros. Shingle Mill and was later purchased by Leonard Howarth and Ralph L. Dickman, Sr., in 1922, subsequently being renamed the Dickman Lumber Co. The finished products turned out by the mill were not only used locally but shipped to countries around the world. Dickman Lumber's operations on Ruston Way were closed in September, 1977, and the mill was gutted by fire in January, 1979. Its ruins were demolished in 1997. (History of Pierce County, Vol. 1, p. 11-13)

Aerial photographs; Dickman Lumber Co. (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Logs;

Aerial view of Tacoma's Lincoln High School and Lincoln Bowl; the bowl is expected to be completed by September 1948, photo ordered by Columbia Breweries. TPL-8134

Aerial photographs; Lincoln High School (Tacoma); Lincoln Bowl (Tacoma);

Logs are kept ready for the St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. operations in convenient log booms. This August, 1948, aerial photograph shows logs floating in the Puyallup and other waterways. Established in 1888, St. Paul & Tacoma had extensive holdings in the Tideflats, sprawling on both sides of East 11th St. They would merge with St. Regis Paper Co. in 1957.

Aerial photographs; Logs; Puyallup Waterway (Tacoma); St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma);

Aerial view of Bremerton Shipyard, also known as Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, in August, 1948, including harbor, aircraft carriers and ships. Established in 1891 as a naval station, the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard originally opened as a repair facility but expanded in WWI to accommodate shipbuilding. During WWII, its primary business was in repairing battle-damaged ships of the US fleet and those of its allies. New construction appeared limited to smaller vessels such as destroyer escorts as the yard performed much work in modifying and upgrading ships. Following WWII, the shipyard was busy modernizing carriers, including conversion of conventional flight decks to angled decks. During the war years, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard had five large drydocks (a sixth was added later) and four new shipbuilding ways for construction of escort vessels. It is located adjacent to the city of Bremerton and covers 327 acres of hard land and 338 acres of submerged land. (www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/puget_sound-nsy.htm)

Aerial photographs; Naval yards & naval stations--Bremerton; Government vessels--Bremerton; Marine terminals--Bremerton; Puget Sound Naval Shipyard (Bremerton);

This was how Tacoma's Stadium district appeared from the air in August of 1948. The First Presbyterian Church at 20 Tacoma Avenue South, marked by its bell tower, lay at the corner of Tacoma Avenue South and Division Avenue. The Big Bear Market (618-20 No. 1st St.) and Walker Chevrolet (633 Division) were in the narrow portion of the pie shaped wedge between Division Avenue and North 1st Street. Stadium High School, 111 No. E St., was in the upper left and the Shaffer Terminals lined Commencement Bay in the background. Photo ordered by Columbia Breweries.

Aerial photographs; Neighborhoods--Tacoma; First Presbyterian Church (Tacoma); Stadium Market (Tacoma); Stadium High School (Tacoma); Shaffer Terminals, Inc. (Tacoma);

Aerial view of business district in Tacoma, office rooftops; photo ordered by Columbia Breweries, possibly to display prominent Tacoma buildings in their future, newly remodeled facilities.

Aerial photographs; Roofs--Tacoma; Neighborhoods--Tacoma;

This aerial view of Tacoma, encompassing the buildings between South 9th and South 12th Streets (left to right) and Fawcett and Yakima Avenues (top to bottom), was taken in August of 1948. The building shaped like a large inverted "U" at the bottom right is the Tacoma Vocational School (now Bates). It was undergoing its first expansion since it was originally built in 1941. The old Pierce County Courthouse dominates the center of the picture, with the Armory to its left. Most of the buildings in this the center of this photograph, including the church partially hidden by the courthouse tower, were demolished in the 1950s to make way for the County-City Building which was dedicated in April 1959.

Aerial photographs; State Armory (Tacoma); Pierce County Courthouse (Tacoma); First Presbyterian Church (Tacoma); Tacoma Vocational School (Tacoma);

Aerial view of Tacoma Lumber Fabricating Co. on Old Town waterfront. This is an August, 1948, view of the Tacoma Lumber Fabricating Co. including stacks of lumber. Tacoma Lumber was situated on the former site of Henry Mill & Timber Co. on No. Starr St. It had taken over the business in August, 1945. Realizing the need for more affordable, quicker construction of new homes after WWII, Tacoma Lumber expanded its structural beam business to include the creation of panels for entire prefabricated houses. By the early 1950's, Tacoma Lumber was gone from No. Starr St., replaced by Pacific Oerlikon Co., manufacturers of electric equipment.

Aerial photographs; Tacoma Lumber Fabricating Co. (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950;

This is how the area around South Tacoma Way and Steele St. appeared in aerial photographs taken in August of 1948. Street near photograph's bottom is South Tacoma Way. The uniquely designed Java Jive (then called the Coffee Pot Restaurant) is on the left. Across the street is Lowrie Moving & Storage and the large Northwest Chair Co. plant at 2201 South Tacoma Way. To the left of Northwest Chair is the Johnson's Millwork firm at 2319 South Tacoma Way. At 2629 So. Steele St. is the big F.S. Harmon Mfg. Co. who bought the former Gregory Furniture Mfg. plant in 1945. Harmon's name is clearly labeled on the building's exterior.

Aerial views; Aerial photographs; Java Jive (Tacoma); Coffee Pot Restaurant (Tacoma); F.S. Harmon Manufacturing Co. (Tacoma); Northwest Chair Co. (Tacoma); Johnson's Millwork, Inc. (Tacoma); Lowrie Moving & Storage (Tacoma);

This is the neighborhood surrounding the Old St. Joseph Hospital as viewed by air in August of 1948. The hospital is at the upper center of the photograph at 1812 South "I" St. St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, with its dome, is on the right edge of the photograph at 1523 Yakima Ave. So.

Aerial views; Aerial photographs; Neighborhoods--Tacoma--1940-1950; St. Joseph Hospital & School of Nursing (Tacoma); St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church (Tacoma); Streets--Tacoma--1940-1950;

The areas around South 15th and South 17th Streets were photographed by air in August of 1948. The Old St. Joseph Hospital (1812 S. "I") is on the left center side of the picture. The ballpark at the upper right hand corner is believed to be Athletic Park (later renamed Peck Field), 1418 S. Sprague.

Aerial views; Aerial photographs; Streets--Tacoma--1940-1950; Neighborhoods--Tacoma--1940-1950; St. Joseph's Hospital & School of Nursing (Tacoma);

This is an aerial view of the Prospect Hill neighborhood which was taken in August of 1948. The photograph mainly focuses on the intersection of East Road and North Road. The large and elegant homes included 91 East Road, 95 East Road (since demolished) and 101 East Road to the left . There is a vacant lot on the right side of East Road and another spacious residence at 102 East Road.

Aerial views; Neighborhoods--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Another view of the Prospect Hill neighborhood by air in August of 1948. The spacious homes are bordered by a large forest. East Road is pictured here curving into North Road. A vacant lot, perhaps being readied for construction, is situated between homes at 74 East Road and 102 East Road. 76 East Road is directly across the street from the empty lot. 14 North Road with covered patio is on the left side of North Road.

Aerial views; Neighborhoods--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Aerial view of the Star-Lite Park In Theatre, which opened in May 1948. Tacoma's Star-Lite Theatre was one of the largest outdoor theaters in the world. South Tacoma Way runs through the center of the photo, an athletic field is located on south side of theater (T. Times, 8/31/48, p. 21).

Cities & towns--Tacoma; City & town life--Tacoma; Aerial views; Aerial photographs; Athletic fields--Tacoma; Drive-in theaters--Tacoma; Star-Lite Park In Theatre (Tacoma); South Tacoma Way (Tacoma);

The Auto-View Theater was located on South Tacoma Way and South 99th Street. At 9915 South Tacoma Way was the Motel Fontaine, at the bottom center in this photograph. Aerial view of available area, neighborhoods and the Auto-View Theater (right side), all located along South Tacoma Way (T. Times, 8/31/48, p. 21).

Cities & towns--Tacoma; City & town life--Tacoma; Aerial views; Aerial photographs; Neighborhoods--Tacoma; Drive-in theaters--Tacoma; Auto-View Theater (Tacoma); South Tacoma Way (Tacoma);