The American Legion Auxiliary unit #138; installation of new officers. Twelve women sit or stand in front of a small stage area with ceremonial wall hangings. The standing group are, left to right, Mrs. Anele Larson, Mrs. Gilbert Hougle, Mrs. Nettie Mae Grisham, Mrs. Wilmer Boyer, Mrs. Howard Zachow, Mrs. John Johnson and Mrs. Karl Thomas. The seated row, left to right: Mrs. Thomas Johnson, Mrs. William Miller, Mrs. Carl W. Kruse, Mrs. Richard Lambert and Mrs. Roy Hincliff. (TNT 7/22/1956, pg. B-3)

Clubwomen--Tacoma--1950-1960; Women--Social life--1950-1960; Veterans' organizations--Tacoma; American Legion Auxiliary Unit #138 (Tacoma);

ca. 1956. Rilla Barnes and Albert Grau smile brightly through the window of their automobile as they prepare to leave on their three week honeymoon to California. The couple was married July 25, 1956 in the bride's apartment. The wedding was followed by a reception at the Tacoma Lawn and Tennis Club. During their honeymoon, the couple plans to visit the Grand Canyon and Zion national parks. (TNT 7/29/1956, pg. D-8)

Couples--Tacoma--1950-1960; Barnes, Rilla; Grau, Albert; Weddings--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Studio set up of a circus clown desk made of plywood, for the Douglas Fir Plywood Association. A young girl in a sailor dress colors industriously at the decorative desk. The sides of the desk and bench are brightly colored circus clown cut outs. The clowns are standing on their hands, with their feet supporting the top of the desk. The front of the desk is a book shelf for favorite story books and coloring books.

Desks; Children drawing & painting--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Wood panelling has been used in the dining room of this model home in the Tyee Park addition; Potlatch model. Photograph ordered by Georgia Pacific Plywood. The new homes at the Tyee Park development in Lakewood were advertised as the best in indoor/outdoor living. The development was located off Bridgeport Way, 2 miles south of the Lakewood Center and 4 blocks north of the Highway 99 intersection. The plan was to build 99 homes of 5 different designs. They were designed and built by Herman Sarkowsky of S & S Builders. The new homes were divided by curved streets with Indian names. 15,000 interested buyers attended the Grand Opening. (TNT 6/24/1956, pg. B1- B9)

Dining rooms--Lakewood--1950-1960; S & S Builders (Tacoma); Houses--Lakewood--1950-1960; Housing developments--Lakewood--1950-1960;

Brothers Ramon "Ray" (left) and Quentin "Gib" Gibson posed in front of the pumps at their service station at 1020 Division Avenue on August 17, 1956. The Mobilgas Special was selling at just under 37 cents a gallon. Gibson's Service opened July 1, 1947. When they opened their doors, the Gibson brothers paid $171.24 for 844 gallons of gas. The two pump station was a true service station, where the brothers pumped gas, washed windows, checked oil and air. They worked seven days a week, or traded every other Sunday off. After 41 years of service, the station closed December 31, 1988; the end of an era. (TNT 12/27/1988, pg. B-1, column by C.R. Roberts) TPL-9498

Gibson's Service (Tacoma); Gibson, Ramon; Gibson, Quentin; Automobile service stations--Tacoma--1950-1960; Gasoline pumps--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Tacoma Mayor John H. (Big John) Anderson, during his second non-consecutive term as Mayor, for the Asphalt Institute. In the spring of 1956, former Mayor John Anderson became Tacoma's freshman City Councilman, taking the position formerly held by the retiring Albert Hooker. On June 4, 1956, in a surprise move, Anderson was chosen by his fellow Council members to be the new Mayor, ousting the highly favored current Mayor Harold Tollefson. Anderson would have less power than his previous term, sharing duties with the City Manager under the new mayor/manager form of city government; a governing system supported by Anderson. In January of 1957 Tacoma was honored with the All-America City award, as one of eleven cities selected by Look Magazine and the National Municipal League that had made significant progress through "intelligent citizen action." Mayor Anderson and city manager David Rowlands were pictured in the three page article. (TNT 6/5/1956, pg.1; Look Magazine 6/25/57 p. 67-70)

Mayors--Tacoma--1950-1960; Anderson, John H.;

Three men at the opening of the new Puget Sound National Bank 84th street branch. In the center of the group is Puget Sound bank president Reno Odlin. Puget Sound celebrated the opening of its temporary branch office at 84th and Pacific; the permanent branch scheduled to be completed in 1957. Its opening marked the bank's 66th year of banking in Tacoma. Located on part of the Old Byrd's Hill Rd, recently renamed Washington State Historical Rd. #1, the celebration had a Gay Nineties flair, with entertainment planned with Steve's restaurant's can can dancers and free rides on Steve's cable car. Photograph ordered by the Condon Co., advertising agency. (TNT 6/29/1956, pg. 10-11)

Odlin, Reno, 1897-1979; Puget Sound National Bank (Tacoma); Bankers--Tacoma; Banking--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Aerial view of Reichhold Chemical Co. on the Tideflats. Reichhold manufactured chemicals used by the plywood industry. Occupying 51 acres of land, the company was a large concern that would employ over 100 people.

Aerial photographs; Building construction; Reichhold Chemicals, Inc. (Tacoma);

B & B Glass & Paint Co.- interiors of shop, showing glass top on counters and sliding doors. B& B sold glass for all purposes, including auto and mirror glass, plexiglas plastics and Pabco paints. They were owned by Benjamin E. Bassett and LeRoy O. Bertheau and had a Lakewood store at 11104 Gravelly Lake Drive. In the photograph, there is a counter to the left with a cash register, and shelves underneath with sliding plexiglas doors. A large desk occupies the space behind the counter, topped with a typewriter and a phone. A large adding machine sits on a stand nearby. Plexiglas sheets do duty as room dividers.

B & B Glass & Paint Co. (Tacoma); Glass industry--Tacoma;

Capital Finance Co. interiors. This loan company was managed by Clarence E. Cubbage. A single office area is occupied by four loan officers and two female secretaries or accountants. The women's desks sport an adding machine and typewriter. A counter with open spaces for customer interaction stands at the front.

Capital Finance Co. (Tacoma);

Bert's Mens Wear at 938 Broadway was closing to make way for Leeds Shoe Store in June of 1956. The large signs in the front windows read "Lease expires! We must vacate!" and "Closing out entire stock! Fixtures for sale!" Bert's sold men's clothing, such as Lancer shirts and Jarman shoes. Wilbur Meier was the manager.

Clothing stores--Tacoma--1950-1960; Berts Mens Wear (Tacoma); Signs (Notices);

Roof slabs being laid in place on Manitou Elementary School, photograph ordered by the Simpson Logging Co. The street immediately in view is the 6600 block of Mullan Street. Manitou Elementary was built in 1919 and underwent remodeling in 1924, 1956 and 1967. (Additional information provided by a reader)

Construction--Tacoma--1950-1960; Roofs--Tacoma--1950-1960; Flat roofs; Manitou Elementary School (Tacoma);

Grand opening of Deans Tavern at 759 So. 38th St., owned and operated by Charles Zigmont. Flowers line the front of the mirror at the back of the bar, good luck tokens from well wishers. A refrigerator and what is possibly the door to a walk in freezer can be seen in the foreground behind the bar. For another view of the tavern, see A100233-1. The Grand Opening was scheduled for Thursday, August 2nd, between 6 a.m. and 2 a.m. (TNT 8/1/1956, PG. A-6 & A-11)

Deans Tavern (Tacoma); Bars--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Street scenes from the housing addition "Fairway at Lakewood," developed by H.A. Briggs. Fairway was a planned community of upscale ranch homes off Steilacoom Blvd. about 1 mile from the Lakewood Center. The rambler homes were distinctive in that they were originals; of different designs and varied materials. The curved streets and rolling green lawns invited play by neighborhood children and a suburban style of life.

Houses--Lakewood--1950-1960; Housing developments--Lakewood--1950-1960;

I.B.M. offices, ordered by the Douglas Fir Plywood Association highlighting Reeds Fixtures. International Business Machines Corp was located in Tacoma at 12 Tacoma Ave. No. At 11:15, the office is empty. Almost each desk and the area over the rear door is emblazoned with a placard admonishing one to "THINK." Framed portraits, possibly of company founders, hang on the left wall. Fluorescent lighting boxes hang down from the ceiling. The free standing fixture at the front left contains printed information about IBM products and a write up from the Wall Street Journal. Dark tile squares cover the floor.

International Business Machines (Tacoma); Signs (Notices); Logos; Offices--Tacoma--1950-1960; Office equipment & supplies;

Aerial view of Reichhold Chemical Co. on the Tideflats. Reichhold manufactured chemicals used by the plywood industry. Occupying 51 acres of land, the company was a large concern that would employ over 100 people.

Aerial photographs; Building construction; Reichhold Chemicals, Inc. (Tacoma);

B & B Glass & Paint Co.- interiors of shop, showing glass top on counters and sliding doors. B& B sold glass for all purposes, including auto and mirror glass, plexiglas plastics and Pabco paints. They were owned by Benjamin E. Bassett and LeRoy O. Bertheau and had a Lakewood store at 11104 Gravelly Lake Drive. In the photograph, there is a counter to the left with a cash register, and shelves underneath with sliding plexiglas doors. A large desk occupies the space behind the counter, topped with a typewriter and a phone. A large adding machine sits on a stand nearby. Plexiglas sheets do duty as room dividers.

B & B Glass & Paint Co. (Tacoma); Glass industry--Tacoma;

Barcott's Sea Food restaurant. Tables are set in a narrow room with rough hewn walls and exposed beams. Barcott's signature life preservers with the restaurant's name decorate the walls. Barcott's was owned by John E. Barcott Jr., a member of one of Tacoma's best known families of restauranteurs. It opened in 1953.

Barcott's Sea Food (Tacoma); Restaurants--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Aerial view of Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. Storage tanks dot the area around the plant and one of the Pennwalt barges can be seen being maneuvered to the dock by two tugs. The large corporation, now known as Pennwalt, had its beginnings in 1850 when five Philadelphia Quakers organized the Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. and constructed a plant to produce lye and alkaline salts of soda from natural salt. Today Pennwalt, with its headquarters in Philadelphia, is a worldwide manufacturer of chemicals, health products and precision equipment. The chlorine produced by the company is used in paper and pulp manufacturing, but also in water purification, bleach and the manufacture of adhesives. Caustic soda is also used in pulp production. ("South on the Sound" by Murray Morgan)

Chemical industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington (Tacoma);

This aerial view of Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Company shows their building complex, 2901 Taylor Way, as it appeared in July 1956. Storage tanks dot the area around the plant and one of the Pennwalt barges can be seen being maneuvered to the dock by two tugs. In 1928, the eastern firm was invited to build a caustic soda and liquid chlorine plant on 14 acres of filled ground adjacent to the Hylebos Waterway. The plant opened the following year as Tacoma ElectroChemical Company. As the parent firm diversified the plants' chemical production, it became known as Pennsalt, and then Pennwalt. Pennwalt Corp. was taken over by Elf-Atochem in 1990. ("South on the Sound" by Murray Morgan)

Chemical industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington (Tacoma);

Grand opening of Deans Tavern at 759 So. 38th St., owned and operated by Charles Zigmont. Flowers line the front of the mirror at the back of the bar, good luck tokens from well wishers. A refrigerator and what is possibly the door to a walk in freezer can be seen in the foreground behind the bar. For another view of the tavern, see A100233-1. The Grand Opening was scheduled for Thursday, August 2nd, between 6 a.m. and 2 a.m. (TNT 8/1/1956, PG. A-6 & A-11)

Deans Tavern (Tacoma); Bars--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Interiors of doctors office, believed to be 1002 So. 10th St. Constructed in 1955, the offices were occupied by Drs. Ernest E. Banfield, Lloyd S. Durkin and dentist Burton H. Goodman. Close up view of the waiting area. The sofas and chairs have the spare lines of the fifties. A rough hewn rock wall backs up the seating area. What appears to be a receptionist area is in an alcove to the left of the door.

Medical offices--Tacoma--1950-1960; Atriums--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Harbor Terrace Apartments, ordered by McGuire and Muri, Architects. These apartments were built in 1951 by Elmer L. Burnham and Henry O. Wheeler. The apartment building seems to consist of three distinct units, two of two stories and one of three stories. The balconies of the units have floor to ceiling windows that offer a view of the Sound.

Apartment houses--Tacoma--1950-1960; Harbor Terrace Apartments (Tacoma);

The Chart Room at Barcott's Sea Food restaurant. The bar is backed by a rustic brick, while overhead is a rough finished dropped ceiling. Dark upholstered curved booths and cocktail tables await patrons.

Barcott's Sea Food (Tacoma); Restaurants--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Exteriors of the Bell Fuel Co. in Lakewood and the oil loading rack. Bell Fuel was owned by William H. and Edgar A. Bell. They had two branch offices. The Tacoma office was located at 1210 Sprague Ave. The new office in this picture was located in Lakewood at 111th and Bridgeport Way and opened for business on August 15, 1956. It had its own storage tanks and business office. The Lakewood branch served the Lakes district and was managed by Robert W. Bell and Frank Radnick, both 15 year veterans with the company. The new branch had been in the planning stages for over a year as a part of a long range expansion and modernization program. Bell Fuel offered "Mobilheat" fuel and the famous flying horse logo can be seen at their filling area. They also sold Pres-to-logs by automatic dispenser. Four delivery trucks can be seen at the filling area; two are oil carriers, one is a flat bed truck and one appears to be a station wagon. Their slogan was "Ring us for oil." (TNT 8/14/1956, pg. 9)

Bell Fuel Co. (Lakewood); Fuel trade--Tacoma--1950-1960;

The curved asphalt street and rolling lawns of the suburban Lakewood community "Fairway at Lakewood," developed by H.A. Briggs. The planned community consisted of 3 bedroom 1 1/2 bath ramblers, built from several different designs and of varied materials, selling for $10,000- 14,000. The different designs gave the look of custom designed homes to the neighborhood. Two children stop their bicycles on a summer day to converse. The streets are empty of traffic. The above street has been identified as Oakridge Dr. S.W. Young children were used to walking to Custer Elementary School via streets like Oakridge. (Additional information provided by a reader) TPL-10463

Houses--Lakewood--1950-1960; Housing developments--Lakewood--1950-1960; Residential streets--Lakewood--1950-1960;

Interiors of a model home at Tyee Park housing addition. Photograph ordered by Riconosciuto Advertising Agency. The two twin beds fit comfortably in the large bedroom. Tyee Park was a new $1,500,000 suburban residential community being built in the Lakewood area. Tyee Park was located on Bridgeport Way; 2 miles south of the Lakewood Center and 4 blocks north of the Highway 99 intersection. It was conveniently located near Ft. Lewis and the McChord airbase. At this time, only a dozen of the 99 planned residences were completed. There were five different home designs to choose from. The new homes were created by builder Herman Sarkowsky and based on specifications made by home makers to the leading national magazines House & Home, House Beautiful and Better Home & Gardens. Over 15,000 people showed up for the Open House of the new addition. (TNT 6/20/1956, pg B-2 & 6/24/1956, pg. B1-B9, 6/25/1956, pg. 3)

Bedrooms--Lakewood--1950-1960; Houses--Lakewood--1950-1960; Housing developments--Lakewood--1950-1960; Real estate development--Lakewood--1950-1960;

The new medical office of Burton H. Goodman, D.D.S. The medical building consists of two buildings, with Dr. Goodman's office in the smaller one story building.

Dental offices--Tacoma--1950-1960; Goodman, Burton--Homes & haunts;

ca. 1956. Hairdresser styling woman's hair at #9 St. Helens, ordered by Howard R. Smith Co. The stylist is creating one of the very controlled fifties hairstyles, a pinned and sprayed curl coif.

Hairstyles--Tacoma--1950-1960; Hairdressing--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Exteriors of the Lakewood Ice Arena. Perched on the shores of Steilacoom Lake, the facility had once been the ballroom for the Oakes Pavilion, which also offered a water stadium for competitive swimming where the tryouts for the American Olympic team were held in the mid twenties. After a brief stint as the Towers, a nightclub, the frame building was purchased by developer Norton Clapp in 1936. In 1938, at the urging of his wife who was a fan of ice skating, the building was remodeled into the Lakewood Ice Arena. The lake area around the club was still available for summer swimming and the Figure Skating Club even kept a dock and float available for members. The Arena was demolished in 1982 and replaced by lakeshore condominiums. ("History of Figure Skating in Pierce County, Lakewood Arena") TPL-5672

Ice skating--Tacoma--1950-1960; Lakewood Ice Arena (Lakewood); Lakewood Figure Skating Club (Lakewood); Ice skating rinks--Tacoma--1950-1960; Lake Steilacoom (Wash.);