A veteran of the road, F.A. Read, is pictured in the "Official Car" of the Automobile Club of Western Washington. It was fortunate for him that on this rainy day in June of 1921 his 490 Chevrolet roadster with special built body came equipped with a hardtop. Automobile tires were much narrower then, as viewed above, and he prudently carried a spare which was mounted outside the driver's side. Mr. Read, an employee of the Automobile Club of Western Washington, spent most of his time mapping new roads which involved much travel. He appreciated his Chevrolet for its low operating cost and ability to roam where other vehicles may have had difficulty. G11.1-050 (T.Times 7-2-21, p. 10)
Smoker - K.C. Bldg. Cushman Hospital This large hall in the "K.C.Bldg." was used for multiple events including dances and on this day in July of 1921, wrestling or boxing matches. A large crowd has gathered for this "smoker." They may have been employees or patients of the Cushman Hospital, a hospital for veterans located on the site of the former Puyallup Indian School, 2002 E. 28th St. If the two men in the ring are going to box, they will do so sans gloves. G53.1-128
Haering's opened a new brick one-story grocery store in the Hillsdale neighborhood on the east side of town in July of 1921. It was the first of several new buildings to house the rapidly growing firm; more would be built in different parts of the city. The store was designed and built by P.C. Walesby for about $4500. Employees of the company are pictured above enjoying a celebratory banquet inside the store. Haering's Grocetorium promoted the "self-service" form of shopping as a means to keep prices low. As the signs inside the store indicated, smart shoppers could purchase five cans of Del Monte corn for $1.00, flour for $2.20, ginger snaps and citrus for 25 cents. "Help Yourself" seemed to be the store's byword. (TDL 6-12-21, B-5-article); TDL 7-11-21, p. 7-article)
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;
The tip of Mount Rainier (called Mount Tacoma by Tacomans at that time) is barely visible through heavy cloud cover on this mid-July day in 1921. In the foreground is Dock Street next to the City (now called Thea Foss) Waterway. The Tacoma Steam Boiler Works, Ryan Fruit Company and the Dock St. steam plant (Consumers Central Heating Co.) with tall smokestack adjoin the waterway. G27.1-081
Smokestacks--Tacoma--1920-1930; Tacoma Steam Boiler Works (Tacoma); Ryan Fruit Co. (Tacoma); Rainier, Mount (Wash.); City Waterway (Tacoma); Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930;
Cliff Avenue improvement. Construction of the ramp to Stadium Way (then called Cliff Ave.) is underway in July of 1921. Pacific Avenue in the back of the Central Police Station located in (Old) City Hall has been torn up with mounds of gravel, stacks of lumber and piles of cement bricks scattered around the area. Albertson, Cornell & Walsh won a contract with their sole bid of $153,535 for improvements to Cliff Avenue and a viaduct around City Hall. A reinforced concrete viaduct will lead from Pacific Avenue around the east side of (Old) City Hall to Cliff Avenue below the gulch. A concrete retaining wall will be built across the gulch and Cliff Avenue will be paved from Commerce to Division, 30-feet wide with concrete. (TNT 6-17-21, p. 1-article; Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 7-10-21, B-5)
Progress photographs; Road construction--Tacoma--1920-1930; Old City Hall (Tacoma);
Even in summer, Mount Rainier (then called Mount Tacoma by locals) had a sprinkling of snow on its cap. This is an image taken in July of 1921 by photographer Marvin Boland. The roofline of an unidentified building blends neatly in the wooded background. This may be part of Paradise Inn. G76.1-065
Parked outside Griffith Motor Co. on August 16, 1921, is a Dodge Bros. automobile with oversized Federal brand evaporated milk can on display. The Federal Condensed Milk Co. advertised that their milk was safe for all to drink with the slogan "It's Pure That's Sure." W.J. Clifford, advertising manager for the milk company, has his hand on the steering wheel while peering out the glassless window frame. Mr. Clifford has had his Dodge for two years and indicates that he finds the vehicle most satisfactory and well suited for his travels through Washington, Oregon and Idaho. G6.1-075; TPL-912 (T.Times 8-27-21, p. 7)
Griffith Motor Co. (Tacoma); Dodge automobile; Advertising--Tacoma--1920-1930; Clifford, W.J.;
The steamer "Santa Inez" at Tidewater Mill. On August 21, 1921, the "Santa Inez" was docked at the Tidewater Mill, 3901 E. 11th St., located on the east side of the Hylebos Waterway. She was being loaded with timber, probably similar to the logs floating in the photograph's foreground. An additional stop for the ship was the St. Paul dock for more lumber loading. The "Santa Inez" sailed for San Pedro on August 24th. G49.1-079 (TDL 8-23-21, p. 7-article)
A truckload of coal is being delivered to the Lucerne Block, 901 Tacoma Avenue South, by Economy Fuel in August of 1921. The fuel company's driver pauses his shifting of the coal to gaze at the camera. The coal is being deposited in the building's coal bin through a coal hole in the sidewalk. The buildings across the street would be demolished in the early 1950s so the County-City Building with jail could be built on the site. In the far background is Central School now used by the Tacoma School District as its Administrative Building.
Economy Fuel Co. (Tacoma); Fuel trade--Tacoma--1920-1930; Coalholes--Tacoma; Trucks--Tacoma--1920-1930; Central School (Tacoma);
September, 1921, display of "Old Faithful" brand of canned goods and apple cider. Spread across the long customer desk located at the Puget Sound Bank & Trust is a display of canned goods and cider under the "Old Faithful" brand. "Old Faithful," according to the framed poster, put its name on pickles and vinegar, pork & beans, and canned vegetables. The Northern Pickle Co. of Tacoma manufactured "Old Faithful" products. These were part of the refreshments served at the bank's reception/housewarming on Saturday, September 24th. The bank (later Puget Sound National Bank) was celebrating its 31st anniversary where the public was invited to view the enlargement and renovation of their skyscaper's ground floor. The interior was finished in soft gray marble, Caen stone, ivory plastering and statuary bronze. G34.1-140 (TNT 9-22-21, p. 6-article; TNT 9-24-21, p. 1+)
Construction appeared complete on the new ramp leading to Cliff Avenue (name changed to Stadium Way later in November of 1921) in this November 2, 1921, photograph. The new viaduct was pictured looking north from Pacific Ave. The building with the Central Police Station sign was the (Old) City Hall, 625 Commerce St. The cost of the project was $153,535, including improvements to Cliff Avenue, and work was done by Albertson, Cornell & Walsh. The reinforced concrete 440-foot long viaduct started from 7th St., extended on Pacific around (Old) City Hall, and joined with Cliff Avenue below the gulch. The work was completed in 120 days with the hope that it would alleviate congested traffic in the 9th & Broadway area. The new driveway was open to the public on Friday, November 11, 1921. G62.1-051 (TNT 6-17-21, p. 1-article; Tacoma Sunday Ledger 7-10-21, B-5-article); Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 11-6-21, B-5)
Road construction--Tacoma--1920-1930; Old City Hall (Tacoma);
Dodge automobile traveling on new Fairfax Bridge in December of 1921. According to Griffith Motor Co., Dodge Brothers dealers in Tacoma, this Dodge was among the first cars to cross the new bridge which spans the gulch near Fairfax. Residents residing near the coal mining town of Fairfax were finally able to have highway access with the opening of the new Carbon River-Fairfax Road on December 17, 1921. An $80,000 bridge, known as the James R. O'Farrell Bridge, Carbon River Bridge or Fairfax Bridge, spanned the Carbon River canyon in Pierce County. Local politicians and residents had pushed for twenty years to have highway access; prior to the bridge construction, the only way out of the area was through the Northern Pacific Railroad or a long hike overland. At the time of construction, the bridge, standing 240 feet above the river, was the highest bridge in the state. It was nearly 500 feet in length. G15.1-035 (TNT 5-19-21, www.wsdot.wa.gov/environment/eao/cultres/bridges/bridge_pierce_072.htm, www.nwhighways.amhosting.net/165.html; Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 1-1-22, C-5)
The Fairfax Bridge, south of Carbonado on SR-165, was dedicated on December 17, 1921. The one-lane bridge, built in 1921 at a cost of $80,000, spans the Carbon River Canyon and provides access to Fairfax and the Carbon River entrance to Mt. Rainier National Park. Officially named the James R. O'Farrell Bridge, it is one of only two extant three-hinged steel arches in the State of Washington and at 240 feet, was the highest bridge in the state at the time of its construction. G15.1-037; TPL-3656. (TNT 12-19-21, www.wsdot.wa.gov/environment/eao/culres/bridges/bridge_pierce_072.htm, www.nwhighways.amhosting.net/165.html)
Summit View Farms. This agricultural scene photographed in February of 1922 featured a view of a farmhouse and outlying buildings including a barn located in the Summit View neighborhood. Owner of the property was not identified. TPL-536; G6.1-105
Summit View Farms. General view of a farm in the Summit View area of Pierce County, photographed by Marvin Boland on February 22, 1922. Wooden farmhouse, unidentified man with horse, tree stumps and misc. buildings.
23 members of the Girls (Junior) Advertising Club of Tacoma posed for a group portrait on April 4, 1922, at their regular meeting at the Commercial Club. All the young women were well-dressed and all wore hats. The club is composed of businesswomen banded under the motto "greater efficiency, joint interests, ability and cooperation." TPL-3210; G24.1-011 (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 4-2-22, D-5-article)
Girls Advertising Club (Tacoma); Women--Clubs--Tacoma; Women--Clothing & dress--Tacoma--1920-1930;
Wood framed farmhouse with extended porch and surrounding buildings including a barn located in the Summit View area of Pierce County. Unidentified crops, perhaps beans, are preparing to grow in the foreground. Property owners were not identified.
Farmhouse and outlying buildings in the Summit View area. Crops have been planted in neat rows on this unidentified farm in April of 1922. TPL-2014; G6.1-106
The Trinity Episcopal Church choir posed outside on grassy lawns on Easter Sunday in 1922. An American flag is held by a choir member in the back row. The Boys Choir was organized in 1921 with a charter membership of 10. There are now 35 boys in the choir with the average age of 11. The adults pictured above are workers in the church. Trinity Episcopal was located at 316 North "K" and had been built in 1889. It has since been demolished. G22.1-083 (TNT 4-24-22, p. 9)
Blewett harvester. Sign attached to the machine indicates that this was a "self-propelled" harvester manufactured by the Blewett Tractor Co., presumably not requiring horses or mules. The company was not found in the 1922 Tacoma City Directory although it had been listed the previous year. G6.1-039 (photograph was damaged on left bottom corner)
Children from Grant (Elementary) School were dressed in a variety of costumes depicting other nations in late April of 1922. Some of the clothing was undoubtedly retrieved from the children's own homes, perhaps relics from older generations. It is believed that the children, numbering 40, had sung and danced in a musical play, "A Meeting of Nations," before the Grant P.T.A. on April 28, 1922. The Grant P.T.A. had its biggest meeting of the year to support the 30-10 initiative which sought to equalize school funding. Grant School is located at 1018 North Prospect and was named for former President of the United States Ulysses S. Grant. (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 4-30-22, D-7-article)
School children--Tacoma--1920-1930; Grant School (Tacoma); Public schools--Tacoma--1920-1930; Costumes;
On May 2, 1922, a group of entertainers identified as the Hick Minstrels posed on stage during dress rehearsal before Mrs. D.E. Fleming, musician, and G.H. Wallace, director, at the piano. The men's club of St. Mark's Episcopal Church was presenting its annual minstrel show on May 3rd and 4th at the church's community house. An Abe Lincoln look-alike is in the center of the photograph in front of the American flag. The introduction of live chickens, ducks and geese on stage during the show emphasized the bucolic setting and theme. Six "vaudeville" acts followed the minstrel show. Names of the men's club participants were listed in the News Tribune article dated 5-3-1922. (TDL 5-1-22, p. 7; TNT 5-3-22, p. 6) G64.1-037
Minstrel shows--Tacoma--1920-1930; Musical revues & comedies--Tacoma--1920-1930; Hick Minstrels (Tacoma); Fleming, D.E.--Family; Wallace, G.H.; St. Mark's Episcopal Church (Tacoma);
Hick Minstrels. St. Mark Episcopal's men's club was dressed and ready to rehearse its annual minstrel show in May of 1922. Fake whiskers, bright plaid shirts, kerchiefs and straw-chewing were all in evidence. The men were preparing for their May 3rd and 4th performances at the church's community house. An "Honest Abe" stand-in and the American flag lent a patriotic touch to the proceedings. Seated at the piano was Mrs. D.E. Fleming with G.H. Wallace, the program's director, at her side. G40.1-049 (TNT 5-3-22, p. 6-article & alternate photograph)
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;
Stump burning. The public was invited to view a demonstration of the new Zysset stump and root burner all day Saturday, May 13, 1922, at a Summit View farm. Three burners were to burn out stumps and roots from a tract of land owned by Electric Logging Co. of Tacoma. The Zysset machine claimed to burn through a four-foot stump in 24 hours. This photograph of a large hole dug on one side of the wide stump was one of a series of pictures taken by Marvin Boland of the event. G75.1-070 (TNT 5-11-22, p. 13-article)
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 Japanese freighter "Arabia Maru" moored at Milwaukee Dock on May 24, 1922. She would sail for Hong Kong the following day. Another vessel is pictured behind her which is also believed to be of Japanese origin. G49.1-092
Venus in dry dock. This boat, dubbed "Venus," was owned by Dr. S.L. Blair and built by Skansie Bros. of Gig Harbor. She was one of the newer boats owned by members of the Tacoma Yacht Club. Measuring 53-feet by 11-feet, she was powered by a 36 h.p. Enterprise engine with cruising speed of 8 mph. All controls were in the pilothouse. "Venus" contained the owner's state room, quarters for several guests including a galley and dining salon. Three other boats are afloat in the background including the "Prosperity" and the "Mary Ellen." G37.1-122 (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 2-19-22, G-2-article on the "Venus" and alternate picture)
Puget Sound Electric Railway sign for the Interurban line, over the Engh Brothers Public Market in Puyallup at 110-12 No. Meridian St. The streetcars left Puyallup for Tacoma every hour from 5:45 a.m. to 10:40p.m. Family commutation books were $2.50 for 20 rides. A delivery wagon for the Federal Bakery is parked outside the market. TPL-236; G66.2-030 ("To Tacoma By Trolley" by Warren W. Wing; "Tacoma by Trolley" trolley schedule by McCormack Bros. Inc.)
Puget Sound Electric Railway (Tacoma); Engh Bros. Public Market (Puyallup); Billboards--Puyallup--1920-1930;
