Puget Sound National Bank had requested aerial photographs of the land between 320th in Federal Way, North Puyallup, Pacific Highway South and Valley Ave. in late March of 1975. The area shown above is heavily wooded with small neighborhoods scattered among the trees.

Aerial views; Firs;

A series of aerial photographs were taken on March 27, 1975, on behalf of Puget Sound National Bank of the area between 320th in Federal Way, North Puyallup, Pacific Highway South and Valley Ave. The purpose for the photographs was not expressed in Richard studio notes but it is possible that the bank was preparing for the later acquisition of banks in the vicinity.

Aerial views;

ca. 1974. Aerial photograph of Kaiser Aluminum plant in industrial tideflats area of Tacoma, probably taken during the summer of 1974. The plant's 500-foot stack dominates the landscape. A ship is docked nearby taking on shipments of logs. Photograph ordered by Kaiser Aluminum.

Aerial views; Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corp. (Tacoma); Industrial facilities--Tacoma--1970-1980; Aluminum industry--Tacoma--1970-1980; Smokestacks--Tacoma; Logs; Shipping--Tacoma--1970-1980;

ca. 1974. This view of the Kaiser Aluminum plant is a cropped version of D165187, image A. It was taken circa 1974 with the focus on the 500-foot stack near right center. The stack was built in 1968, the same year Kaiser's new aluminum rod mill commenced operation.

Aerial views; Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corp. (Tacoma); Industrial facilities--Tacoma--1970-1980; Aluminum industry--Tacoma--1970-1980; Smokestacks--Tacoma;

Westgate Shopping Center and environs via helicopter on August 28, 1974. The Westgate Shopping Center at North 26th & Pearl would later expand to include the large block across North 26th St. Most of the lot was undeveloped at the time of this 1974 photograph. Major streets on display are Pearl and Orchard St. (running vertically and parallel to one another) intersected by North 21st and North 26th. The North 30th St. water tower and reservoir is located at the upper right corner. Photograph ordered by Puget Sound National Bank.

Aerial views; Neighborhoods--Tacoma--1970-1980; Westgate Shopping Center (Tacoma); Water towers--Tacoma; Reservoirs--Tacoma;

Closer look by air at Pearl St. in Tacoma's west end. Pearl St. is the street farthest left running vertically toward Point Defiance. Parallel to Pearl is Orchard St. with the playing fields of Wilson High School nearby. North 11th St. runs horizontally intersecting Orchard and Pearl. The Auto View Drive-In is to the left of Pearl. ASARCO's famous smokestack is clearly visible near the top of the photograph. Photograph ordered by Puget Sound National Bank.

Aerial views; Neighborhoods--Tacoma--1970-1980; Auto View Drive-In (Tacoma); Smokestacks--Tacoma;

Aerial view of Tacoma's west end neighborhoods on August 28, 1974. Main streets shown above are Pearl (running toward Point Defiance) and Sixth Avenue (more diagonally). Hunt Junior High School (now Middle) with its mushroom-shaped cafeteria/auditorium is at the bottom of the photograph. On the left side of Sixth Ave. is the Highland Hill(s) shopping center with Ernst Hardware (white building) nearby. On the left of Pearl is the Auto View Drive-In at the center of the photograph. ASARCO's smokestack is near the top of the picture. Photograph ordered by Puget Sound National Bank.

Aerial views; Neighborhoods--Tacoma--1970-1980; Auto View Drive-In (Tacoma); Henry F. Hunt Junior High School (Tacoma); Highland Hills Shopping Center (Tacoma); Smokestacks--Tacoma;

Aerial view of Sixth Avenue close to Orchard St. This August 28, 1974, view by helicopter shows the enormous Kmart parking lot with room for 1000 cars. Directly across the street is the new Goodyear Service, 5131 Sixth Avenue, managed by Chuck Ackley. The First Christian Church, at Sixth & Orchard, is separated from the Goodyear store by a thick strand of firs. Smaller strip malls have since been erected on the wooded sites to the left and rear of the Goodyear store. Photograph ordered by Puget Sound National Bank.

Aerial views; Neighborhoods--Tacoma--1970-1980; Parking lots--Tacoma--1970-1980; Kmart (Tacoma); Goodyear Service (Tacoma); First Christian Church (Tacoma);

This section of Sixth Avenue looks a bit different now than it did in 1974. Kmart, with its 1000-car parking lot, is still there but the area directly across the street has been dotted with small shopping malls. In 1974 the only business immediately across Kmart was a new Goodyear store which would celebrate its grand opening at the tail end of October, 1974. The First Christian Church is set on a large wooded lot close to Goodyear. Wilson High School, 12th & Orchard, is the cluster of buildings near the top left center. Aerial photograph ordered by Puget Sound National Bank.

Aerial views; Neighborhoods--Tacoma--1970-1980; Kmart (Tacoma); Parking lots--Tacoma--1970-1980; Goodyear Service (Tacoma); First Christian Church (Tacoma); Woodrow Wilson High School (Tacoma);

Aerial view of the Westgate neighborhood, taken via helicopter on August 28, 1974, on behalf of Puget Sound National Bank. Shopping center below is the Westgate Shopping Center at North 26th & Pearl St. The Westgate Thriftco (formerly known as Thriftway) was one of the main tenants. North 26th runs horizontally at bottom of the photograph; it intersects with Pearl Street on the left. Pearl is the extremely long street that will eventually end at Point Defiance Park. Other landmarks clearly visible include the North 30th St. reservoir and water tower at photo's right-center and ASARCO's smokestack at top.

Aerial views; Neighborhoods--Tacoma--1970-1980; Westgate Shopping Center (Tacoma); Reservoirs--Tacoma; Water towers--Tacoma; Thriftco (Tacoma); Smokestacks--Tacoma;

Log storage along the Hylebos Waterway. Pan Pacific Trading were log exporters with locations at 3502 Lincoln Ave and Yard 2 at 2407 Port of Tacoma Rd. This August, 1974, aerial shows the large Pan Pacific lot filled with stacks of logs. Color photograph ordered by Pan Pacific Trading Co.

Aerial views; Pan Pacific Trading Co. (Tacoma); Logs; Lumber industry--Tacoma--1970-1980; Shipping--Tacoma--1970-1980; Hylebos Waterway (Tacoma);

Aerial color view of Tacoma's industrial Tideflats area in the summer of 1974, taken on behalf of Pan Pacific Trading Co., log exporters. This particular business, with plenty of empty land surrounding it, has not been positively identified. Mount Rainier in background with snowy tip emerging from cloud cover.

Aerial views; Industrial facilities--Tacoma--1970-1980; Rainier, Mount (Wash.);

Mount Rainier casts a benevolent eye on the industrial Tideflats in this color photograph taken on August 9, 1974. Kaiser Aluminum plant with 500-foot stack is on the right and Hylebos Waterway on the left. Piles of logs near bottom belong to Pan Pacific Trading Co., log exporters. Color photograph ordered by Pan Pacific Trading Co.

Aerial views; Pan Pacific Trading Co. (Tacoma); Logs; Lumber industry--Tacoma--1970-1980; Shipping--Tacoma--1970-1980; Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corp. (Tacoma); Rainier, Mount (Wash.); Hylebos Waterway (Tacoma);

Kaiser Aluminum plant. This aerial view of the Kaiser Aluminum plant was taken on June 10, 1974. The plant was located in Tacoma's tideflats at 3400 Taylor Way. The wisps of smoke emerging from the plant's 500-foot stack appear to blend into the heavy cloud formation. Color photograph ordered by Kaiser Aluminum.

Aerial photographs; Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corp. (Tacoma); Industrial facilities--Tacoma--1970-1980; Aluminum industry--Tacoma--1970-1980;

Aerial of Kaiser Aluminum plant as viewed on June 10, 1974. Smoke drifts from the 500-foot stack near the aluminum rod mill. 32 years later in July of 2006, the smokestack was demolished in front of hundreds of fascinated spectators. Color photograph ordered by Kaiser Aluminum.

Aerial photographs; Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corp. (Tacoma); Industrial facilities--Tacoma--1970-1980; Aluminum industry--Tacoma--1970-1980;

Aerial view of the City of Tacoma as seen from the industrial Tideflats. The City (now Thea Foss) Waterway separates the bustling industrial area from Tacoma's downtown business district. This May, 1974, photograph aptly captures how the ready availability of rail, water, and highway transport attracted such companies as Hooker Chemicals and St. Regis to Tacoma.

Aerial photographs; Aerial views; City Waterway (Tacoma); Business districts--Tacoma--1970-1980; Industrial facilities--Tacoma;

1974 Richards stock footage. Construction of the new Liberty House/Rhodes department store at the Tacoma Mall is proceeding rapidly during the spring of 1974. The two-story building is being built at the Mall's far west end for an estimated $2,000,000. There would be 128,093 square feet of floor space. The store was scheduled to open in the fall of 1974. Also included in this May, 1974, aerial view of the shopping center: the Tacoma Mall Office Building (in rear), the 10-month old west end addition to the Mall, Nordstrom, and the Bon Marche. (TNT 1-13-74, F-8 article)

Aerial views; Aerial photographs; Tacoma Mall Shopping Center (Tacoma); Shopping centers--Tacoma--1970-1980; Building construction--Tacoma--1970-1980; Tacoma Mall Office Building (Tacoma); Bon Marche (Tacoma); Liberty House (Tacoma);

1974 Richards stock footage. A look at the Tacoma Mall by air in the spring of 1974 shows that the Mall continues to grow with the building of the new Liberty House/Rhodes department store at the Mall's extreme west end. The store was scheduled to open that fall. I-5 runs nearly vertically at the photograph's right, allowing easy access to the shopping center. The wooded area east of the freeway would eventually be dotted with new homes; businesses would also take the place of the homes located at the bottom of the photograph.

Aerial views; Aerial photographs; Tacoma Mall Shopping Center (Tacoma); Shopping centers--Tacoma--1970-1980; Neighborhoods--Tacoma--1970-1980; Express highways--Tacoma--1970-1980;

1974 Richards stock footage. Aerial view of the Tacoma Mall and surrounding south end neighborhoods. This May, 1974, view by air makes it plain that one of the main attributes of this popular shopping center was its ready access by freeway and its enormous free parking lots. Should a visitor to the Mall decide to bypass the freeway, the Mall would still be accessible through well traveled local streets such as Pine, South 38th and South 48th. The Mall had opened its west end addition in July of 1973 to add 20 more stores to the shopping center; in May of 1974, construction was proceeding rapidly with the new Liberty House/Rhodes department store at the far west end of the shopping center. TPL-5876

Aerial views; Aerial photographs; Tacoma Mall Shopping Center (Tacoma); Shopping centers--Tacoma--1970-1980; Express highways--Tacoma--1970-1980; Neighborhoods--Tacoma--1970-1980;

Aerial view on April 2, 1973, of the Nalley Valley and 38th St. interchange. Atlas Foundry is on the right side. The Tacoma Mall is left-center, adjacent to the freeway. There were a variety of ways to get to the Mall, including the heavily utilized South Pine and South 38th St. entrances. Less than nine years old and already boasting of several large department stores as well as specialty shops, the Mall was able to draw a shopping population from as far south as Olympia and from as far north as Seattle. Photograph ordered by Puget Sound National Bank.

Aerial views; Neighborhoods--Tacoma--1970-1980; Tacoma Mall Shopping Center (Tacoma); Shopping centers--Tacoma--1970-1980; Express highways--Tacoma--1970-1980;

The focus of this April, 1973, aerial is the Tacoma Mall Shopping Center and its environs. Located in the city's south end, the Tacoma Mall enjoyed easy access from the freeway and acres of free parking space. Customers could choose from about 100 stores, all under one climate-controlled roof. Rhodes Bros. would be the next large department store to open in the newly expanded Mall, a move that would eventually mean the closing of its flagship downtown location in late 1974. This view, looking east, also shows South Tacoma Way at the bottom. Photograph ordered by Puget Sound National Bank.

Aerial views; Neighborhoods--Tacoma--1970-1980; Tacoma Mall Shopping Center (Tacoma); Shopping centers--Tacoma--1970-1980; Express highways--Tacoma--1970-1980;

This is what the populous south side of Tacoma looked like in April of 1973. The aerial photograph of the South 72nd and South Lawrence Sts. looking north was taken on behalf of Puget Sound National Bank. The Tacoma Mall Shopping Center is at the extreme top -right side- of the photograph.

Aerial views; Neighborhoods--Tacoma--1970-1980;

Another in a series of aerial photographs taken on April 2, 1973, for Puget Sound National Bank regarding the Tacoma Mall and surrounding areas. The hundreds of automobiles in the parking lot appear the size of matchbox cars when viewed via helicopter on this sunny spring day. Parking was obviously no problem and the weather would not be a factor either, since the Tacoma Mall was an enclosed, climate-controlled shopping center. J.C. Penney, the Bon Marche, Nordstrom and the soon-to-be constructed Rhodes department store on the west side would be the four major stores anchoring the Mall. Separate buildings in the Mall area included (l-r)the Tacoma Mall Office Building, the Bon Marche Tire Center, the round Pacific National Bank of Washington and the Tacoma Mall Theatre.

Aerial views; Parking lots--Tacoma--1970-1980; Tacoma Mall Shopping Center (Tacoma); Shopping centers--Tacoma--1970-1980; Tacoma Mall Office Building (Tacoma); Tacoma Mall Theater (Tacoma); Pacific National Bank of Washington (Tacoma);

Aerial view of Tacoma's largest shopping center, the Tacoma Mall, on April 2, 1973. Traffic on I-5 flows quickly along and there was easy access to the shopping center. South 48th St. with its overpass over I-5 intersects with South Ferry at the Mall. The Allstate Insurance Co.district office is the large building at the southwest corner of South 48th & Ferry. The wooded area next to Allstate would later be developed. This view, looking north, shows the Mall in its entirety, including the separate structures of the Tacoma Mall Theatre, Pacific National Bank of Washington, and the Tacoma Mall Office Building. With 83 acres of land, there was plenty of room for free parking and also for later expansion. Rhodes department store had already announced plans to open a branch at the Mall; it would be built on the extreme far west section. This aerial also shows the Mall's surrounding neighborhoods including Lincoln Heights off 38th St. past the grove of evergreens. Photograph ordered by Puget Sound National Bankl.

Aerial views; Tacoma Mall Shopping Center (Tacoma); Shopping centers--Tacoma--1970-1980; Express highways--Tacoma--1970-1980; Allstate Insurance Co. (Tacoma); Tacoma Mall Theater (Tacoma); Tacoma Mall Office Building (Tacoma);

Closer look at the Tacoma Mall Shopping Center as seen by air on April 2, 1973. 25 more stores would open on July 25th bringing the total number of stores found within the Mall to 110. Construction would begin soon on the two-story Rhodes Bros. department store at the far west end. Prominent buildings easily noted in this photograph are the Bon Marche, which was the first occupant of the Mall; the luxurious Tacoma Mall Theatre (bottom center); Pacific National Bank of Washington's circular building; the Bon Marche Tire Center, directly across from the Bon and the six-story Tacoma Mall Office Building. What the Tacoma Mall enjoyed, and downtown shopping lacked, was an abundance of free parking and a climate controlled atmosphere. Access to the Mall was easy with several entrances and quick freeway travel time. The wooded area across the Mall on South 48th St. would eventually become Best Buy, a Pierce County Transit Center, and closer to Pine St., the Social Security office. Ordered by Puget Sound National Bank.

Aerial views; Tacoma Mall Shopping Center (Tacoma); Shopping centers--Tacoma--1970-1980; Parking lots--Tacoma--1970-1980; Bon Marche (Tacoma); Tacoma Mall Theater (Tacoma); Pacific National Bank of Washington (Tacoma); Tacoma Mall Office Building (Tacoma)

Northeast view from Manitou Park to the Tacoma Mall, taken via helicopter on April 2, 1973. In the near center of the photograph is the sprawling campus of Mount Tahoma High School, built in 1961. The school has since been relocated to a 50-acre site formerly part of the old Flett Dairy. The Tacoma Mall Shopping Center is center, near the top of the photograph, with I-5 traffic flowing adjacent to the busy Mall. Photograph ordered by Puget Sound National Bank.

Aerial view; Neighborhoods--Tacoma--1970-1980; Mount Tahoma High School (Tacoma); Tacoma Mall Shopping Center (Tacoma);

Looking west from South 56th & Pacific Ave. Aerial view on April 2, 1973, of the densely populated area around the Tacoma Mall. The Mall itself is right-center. Olympics are at the top of the photograph. Photograph ordered by Puget Sound National Bank.

Aerial views; Neighborhoods--Tacoma--1970-1980; Tacoma Mall Shopping Center (Tacoma); Shopping centers--Tacoma--1970-1980;

Northwest view from South 84th & Park Ave. This aerial look at Tacoma's south side was taken on behalf of Puget Sound National Bank on April 2, 1973. Lake in the center is Wapato Lake, bordered by South Alaska, South 72nd and Sheridan Ave. John S. Baker Junior High (now Middle School) is near bottom-center. Park Ave. has been marked in ink. Yakima Ave. is parallel to Park and is left of Park.

Aerial views; Neighborhoods--Tacoma--1970-1980; Wapato Lake (Tacoma); Baker Junior High School (Tacoma);

One of a series of aerial views, taken aboard a helicopter on April 2, 1973, of the Tacoma Mall area as requested by Puget Sound National Bank. This view is east from South 56th & Manitou area. The Tacoma Mall is upper center with I-5 running next to the shopping center. Heavily wooded area in direct center is part of South Park and also the Tacoma Cemetery, established in 1875. Northern Pacific Shops are lower center.

Aerial views; Neighborhoods--Tacoma--1970-1980; Tacoma Mall Shopping Center (Tacoma);

These buildings at the intersection of 112th & Meridian appears to be under construction in April of 1973. This may be the location of the new "Willows" 10-acre shopping center which would open in May. Piggly-Wiggly supermarket and 15 other stores including a Hallmark, State Farm Insurance, and Sunrise Brokers would be the first stores to open; Pay N Save, Puget Sound National Bank, and others would follow in August or September. Aerial photograph ordered by Collison Realty. (TNT 3-18-73, D-10-article on shopping center)

Aerial views; Neighborhoods--Puyallup--1970-1980; Building construction--Puyallup--1970-1980;