Dennison's Chili, found in markets today, was first made in a Tacoma plant located in Fern Hill. The factory opened in 1925, when they moved to Fern Hill. Belle Dennison started canning chicken in her kitchen in 1915. Friends raved about the product and soon her husband Lee was selling it to local stores. When this photograph was taken in 1931, 15 women from the Fern Hill neighborhood worked at Dennison & Company. Meat from 45,000 chickens, purchased at nearby ranches and packed in glass jars, was sold in stores from Alaska to the border of Mexico. The product line was expanded in the 1930s and sold about 1938 when the company moved to Seattle. (TDL, 3/29/1931, p. 4A).
ca. 1931. Dennison & Company, chicken canners, Fern Hill. Belle and Lee Dennison founders of food line. Glass jars filled with Dennison's Tender Chicken on display circa 1931.
ca. 1931. Dennison & Company, chicken canners, Fern Hill. Belle and Lee Dennison founders of food line. Unidentified Dennison employee stands near canning equipment circa 1931.
ca. 1931. Dennison & Company, chicken canners, Fern Hill. Belle and Lee Dennison founders of food line. This view of equipment at the cannery was taken circa 1931. See series 310, image 069 for exterior view of Dennison & Company.
ca. 1931. Dennison & Company, chicken canners, Fern Hill. Belle and Lee Dennison founders of food line. This circa 1931 photograph depicts five women working at an assembly line of glass jars full of Dennison chicken.
On February 3, 1927, T.F. McGettigan, left, test engineer, and his helper E.R. "Red" Randolph, in doorway, pose with the great electric locomotive #5007 that they accompanied from Pittsburgh to Tacoma. The locomotive was constructed for the Great Northern Railroad by Baldwin Locomotive Works and Westinghouse Electric Co. working together. On completion, it was hitched to a through freight train, destination Everett, Wa. Although the engine was not working, it still needed care during the trip and McGettigan and Randolph were assigned that task. Freight trains make few stops and do not usually carry passengers, so the pair packed a ham and 13 dozen eggs and set up a small stove on the engine. They slept on planks suspended over the machinery and endured temperatures of 40 degrees below zero when crossing the Rockies. The behemoth locomotive was on display in Tacoma on February 2 (see G44.1-069) and then proceeded on to Portland, then Everett, where it was placed into service. (TNT 2/3/1927 p.14)
Filming of "Battle of Argonne" scenes - "The Patent Leather Kid," March 24, 1927 at Camp (Fort) Lewis. "German" soldiers beat a hasty retreat back to waiting comrades in trenches as their attempt to battle American troops are thwarted by the presence of 27 whippet tanks. Later scenes would show the tanks hurdling German trenches and fierce hand-to-hand fighting .
Foundation Co., Yard #4, located on the Tacoma Tideflats - Rigger Storage and Water Tank, May 10, 1918. The Riggers Store House measured 32' x 27'6", 14' high, 880 sq. feet and built at a cost of $250. The water tank cost $1241 to build and consisted of a 25' diameter tank 16' high and a 26 x26 platform, 18' high. Due to the fact that most of the machinery was steam driven, an abundance of water was very important.
A spectacular five-hour blaze gutted the Day Island plant of the Clear Fir Lumber Co. on the evening of October 18, 1934. It was the fifth major industrial fire in the Tacoma area in the past 24 days. The sawmill and dry kilns were destroyed but the door factory adjoining the sawmill was saved. Losses were conservatively estimated at $300,000 which included 3,000,000 feet of finished lumber and 170,000 feet of valuable ship decking. Six Tacoma fire companies and the city fireboat battled the blaze of undetermined origin which had begun near the boiler room. The reddened skies made the fire visible for many miles and attracted a crowd of about 10,000 on the hillside roads on three sides of the flaming plant. Another 15,000 viewed the fire from a variety of locations. The mill had begun operations in 1912 and was incorporated in 1916 as Clear Fir Lumber Co. Lately 250 men had worked there. Plans to rebuild were not immediately announced. BU-12606 (T.Times 10-19-34, p. 1-article; TNT 10-19-34, p. 1,11- alt. photograph)
Women are pictured hard at work at their sewing machines in this undated photograph by photographer Chapin Bowen of the Shull-Day, later Day's Tailor-d, Clothing Co. They are surrounded by piles of the finished product, men's trousers. The company, founded by Frank Eugene Day in 1902, became the Northwest's largest manufacturer of trousers. The company perfected the assembly line where over 33 different types of sewing machine performed one function each, with the pants product being passed between the machines until completed. TPL-9501, BOWEN 2657
This photograph from the 1940s shows a man welding a seam in a large pipe section. He is inside the open pipe. Neither the man's name nor his employer's was given. TPL-9514
Tacoma greets movie stars at the Union Depot. A hearty greeting from the City of Tacoma was offered to the actresses and actors appearing in the H.C. Weaver Productions studio film, "Totem Pole Beggar," on March 5, 1926. Shaking hands with star Wanda Hawley, wearing a voluminous fur coat, is believed to be A.D. Bjornstad. Mr. Bjornstad had attended school with Miss Hawley ten years previously and was currently employed as auditor at the Weaver Studios. The couple is flanked by two city policemen on motorcycles; the police officers are dressed for the cold weather with leather boots, gauntlets with long gloves and thick coats. "Totem Pole Beggar," whose title would later be changed to "Eyes of the Totem," would be the second film produced by the H.C. Weaver Productions studio. It would begin filming on March 8, 1926, and open at the Broadway Theatre on June 10, 1927. (TDL 3-6-26, p. 1)
Arthur Edeson, cameraman, First National Productions' "The Patent Leather Kid," March 29, 1927. Mr. Edeson positions his camera which is mounted on a wheeled cart. He was the director of photography for the film which was lensed on the grounds of Camp (Fort) Lewis. A founder of the A.S.C. (American Society of Cinematographers), he later pioneered location sound photography as the cameraman of "In Old Arizona" (1929). "Stella Dallas,' "All Quiet on the Western Front," " Mutiny on the Bounty ," "They Drive By Night," "Maltese Falcon," and "Casablanca" were just a few of the many films Mr. Edeson worked on. He retired at the age of 58 after a career spanning the silent and sound eras. (Film Encyclopedia, p. 373) BGN-165
Arthur Edeson, director of photography, manipulating camera on location of "The Patent Leather Kid," March 29, 1927. Dressed in suit and tie but with a newsboy's cap, Mr. Edeson may be surveying the scene at Camp (Fort) Lewis. He is perched aboard a wheeled cart while his crew help to steady the tripod. Mr. Edeson entered the film industry with the Eclair Co. in 1911. He would play a pivotal role in location sound photography when the silent era came to a close in the late 1920's. BGN-166
Lights! Cameras! Action! Cameras roll as filming occurs on Camp (Fort) Lewis with "The Patent Leather Kid" in March, 1927. One of the cameramen is believed to be Arthur Edeson, director of photography, a founder of the A.S.C. (American Society of Cinematogophers). He pioneered location sound photography in later work as the cameraman of the successful Western "In Old Arizona." Both he and the other cameraman are wearing protective helmets. Camp Lewis was used by the First National Inc. studios for outdoor photography with indoor scenes filmed in California. Multiple cameras captured the fierce battle action in the "Argonne" where thousands of soldiers from the 4th Infantry, 7th Infantry and ROTC from the University of Washington served as extras. The artillery range was used for the main part of the picture with the construction of five French villages and a cathedral. BGN-115
Troop of soldiers relax during the filming of "The Patent Leather Kid" on March 29, 1927, on the grounds of Camp (Fort) Lewis. An exceptionally tall soldier certainly stands out in the crowd of his compatriots. These men were probably portraying American foot soldiers in a vivid enactment of the Battle of the Argonne. First National Studio arranged to have the outdoor battle scenes filmed at Camp (Fort) Lewis and thousands of regular USA personnel as well as ROTC units from the University of Washington and 600+ civilians participated in the filming. BGN-117
Actor Richard Barthelmess, writer Adela Rogers St. Johns & director Al Santell on location at Camp (Fort) Lewis during filming of "The Patent Leather Kid, " March, 1927. Miss St. Johns wrote the screen adaptation of Rupert Hughes' short story of the same name. She had arrived in Tacoma on March 22, 1927, to help the continuity of the script. Mr. Barthelmess played the role of a self-centered boxer who learns to face death with the same courage he had faced his ring opponents. He was a Best Actor nominee at the 1927-28 Academy Awards for "The Noose" and "The Patent Leather Kid;" Mr. Hughes also received a nomination for Original Writing. Director Santell was praised by the New York Times critic Mordaunt Hall for bringing out Mr. Barthelmess' flawless acting and while realizing the full pictoral values of his scenes, never permitting them to interrupt the trend of the story. Mr. Santell would go on to direct dozens of silent and sound films of all genres, including The Arizona Kid (1930), Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1932), Winterset (1936) and The Hairy Ape. (1944) BGN-438
Portrait of Al Santell, director of "The Patent Leather Kid," on location at Camp (Fort) Lewis on March 24, 1927. A jaunty beret and Army-issue jacket protect him from the often inclement weather. Mr. Santell was chosen to helm the war drama starring Richard Barthelmess and Molly O'Day. A San Francisco native, he was a comedy writer, set decorator and occasional actor before directing comedy shorts at the age of 20. He subsequently directed a number of silent and sound films of all types. He is perhaps best known for his film adaptations of Maxwell Anderson's "Winterset" (1936) and Eugene O'Neill's "The Hairy Ape." (1944). BGN-116
Director Al Santell and actor Richard Barthelmess flank Al Rockett, First National producer, at a train station in March, 1927. The stars and crew of "The Patent Leather Kid" arrived by special train in Tacoma for filming at Camp (Fort) Lewis where vivid battle scenes would be shot. Mr. Barthelmess would be later nominated for an Academy Award for his portrayal of a boxer who eventually enlists in the war and engages in the Battle of Argonne. (TNT 3-16-27, p. 1)
Filming of "The Patent Leather Kid" at Camp (Fort) Lewis in March, 1927. Cameras on top of platforms are protected under large umbrellas; ladders must be utilized by cameramen and director(s) for access to the platforms. Groups of actors and military personnel appear to be waiting for the next scene. BGN-114
Soldiers at attention during filming of "The Patent Leather Kid" at Camp (Fort) Lewis in March, 1927. The filming of this war drama involved the usage of thousands of soldiers from the 4th Infantry (Fort Lawton), 7th Infantry (Vancouver) and ROTC units from the University of Washington. Actual soldiers played screen soldiers on both sides in the First National production, although most of the enemy soldiers were played by the U.W. college students who had to cut their film careers short to return to school after spring break. The studio had to recruit hundreds of extras to replace them. This group pictured above of Imperial German soldiers seems unsure whether all should salute or not. TPL-10377
Bursting of shrapnel during filming of "The Patent Leather Kid," on March 15, 1927, at Camp (Fort) Lewis. Trenches were dug and explosives laid before filming of the big battle scenes depicting the "Battle of the Argonne." 27,000 similar shrapnel shells were made and stored at Camp Lewis. Thousands of spectators had the opportunity to watch the filming until further into the war manuevers when it was decided that it was potentially too dangerous. Gravel and rocks were strewn over a wide area when the charges of powder exploded. An assistant powderman for First National studios, Walter Holt, was seriously injured in an explosion when a rock badly fractured his skull. He stayed on the job for half-an-hour to set off the complicated explosives before finally collapsing. (TNT 3-25-27, p. 1, TNT 3-16-27, p.1) BGN-103
Battle of Argonne filmed on location at Camp (Fort) Lewis on March 24, 1927. German troops huddle in trenches behind rock and vegetation barriers as they await the charge of American soldiers during the filming of "The Patent Leather Kid." Camp (Fort) Lewis was apparently ideally suited due to its natural resources as a prime substitute for France and thousands of military personnel were made available for use as extras with the permission of the Army. The location of the "Big Drive," scene of the fierce fighting of the Argonne forest, is almost the exact replica of the famous war sector according to Army technical advisers. BGN-113
Crown Prince & German soldier "Battle of Argonne." Arms akimbo and cigarette in hand, the German "Crown Prince" converses with a soldier from the "German" Army during filming of "The Patent Leather Kid" at Camp (Fort) Lewis on March 24, 1927. Even the wooden sign behind them is in the German language. The war scenes filmed were said to be the most vividly real sequences ever made for the camera. Trenches were dug, barb wire strung and fallen trees and other debris were scattered across the war zone. Thousands of extras, mostly Army personnel, were used to depict the sheer magnitude of the bloody battle. 37 Army and National Guard tanks were used as well as 100 army trucks, 15 ambulances and 15 wagon trains. Four batteries of 75 mm guns, two batteries of 155 mm guns, two batteries of 8-inch howitzers were also utilized. BGN-182
Between scenes of "The Patent Leather Kid" on Camp (Fort) Lewis, March, 1927. Making films, even back in the silent era, involved lots of downtime. Scenes needed to be set up, camera angles discussed and positioned, and actors herded into place. Some of the actors, probably extras, stand in a group with their guns at rest while others lounge in a truck. Four giant loudspeakers would give plenty of warning when action was ready to commence. BGN 124
