Acme Transfer & Storage delivery truck as viewed on March 29, 1924. The moving company was located at 901 Tacoma Avenue South with telephone number Main 722. Its delivery trucks were decorated with advertising that stated plainly the types of jobs accepted and their competitive rates. Acme Transfer & Storage was operated by Fred Sheldon. Photograph ordered by Heilig Advertising. G66.2-111
Acme Transfer & Storage Co. advertised in the 1924 City Directory that "We Move Anything Any Time Any Place." Pianos and furniture deliveries were their specialty. Items were stored in a steam heated warehouse to prevent rust and mold. The company was located at 901 Tacoma Avenue South. This view of one of their delivery trucks was taken on March 23, 1924, in front of the Lucerne Building. G66.2-112
Raising the sunken ship "Rubaiyat." Hart Construction Co. rig used in the raising of the sunken steamer "Rubaiyat" which went down with the loss of four hands on September 29, 1923. The ship, which sank within 30 seconds of capsizing in Commencement Bay, lay in 35 fathoms of water, or more than 200 feet, and was thought initially not able to be salvaged. The "Rubaiyat" was valued at $20,000. (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 9-30-23, p. 1-article) G49.1-017
Hart Construction Co. (Tacoma); Hoisting machinery;
Water Power Furniture Manufacturing Co. Situated on the banks of Steilacoom Lake was the Water Power Furniture Manufacturing Co. facility per this March, 1924, photograph. Its approximate address was 8700 Edgewater Dr. S.W., Lakewood. G35.1-012
Water Power Furniture Co. (Lakewood); Furniture industry--Lakewood; Lake Steilacoom (Wash.);
Exterior view of the Water Power Furniture Manufacturing Co., located on Steilacoom Lake, as pictured in March of 1924. The plant was situated on what is approximately 8700 Edgewater Dr. S.W., Lakewood. The firm was listed in the 1917-22 City Directories but not in the following 1923 or 1924 years. Edward C. Hill, president of the manufacturing company, had apparently moved on to the South Tacoma Mill Co. as its secretary/treasurer, per the 1923 City Directory. TPL-2700; G35.1-004
Water Power Furniture Co. (Lakewood); Furniture industry--Lakewood;
Circular tank located at Tacoma Gas & Fuel Co. property in the Tideflats on February 14, 1924. Standard Oil Co. plant in the distance. Construction had begun in late 1923 of a new $250,000 plant on 4 1/2 acres on South River Road. The above tank is a 250,000 cubic feet gas tank. The old Tacoma Gas & Fuel plant was to be abandoned next summer upon the connection of mains to the new plant. G35.1-046; TPL-258 (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 10-7-23, 8-E-article; TNT 1-24-24, p. 6-article)
Tacoma Gas & Fuel Co. (Tacoma); Fuel tanks; Storage tanks--Tacoma;
Window display - H.D. Baker Co. The H.D. Baker Co. window is filled with materials promoting the new $100 price for the Victor adding and listing machine. Noting that this was the "biggest value $100 ever bought," a free trial and easy payments were promised. The Victor had a capacity of $1,000,000. The H.D. Baker Co., established in 1905, was located downtown on A Street. In addition to the Victor, the firm also sold typewriters. G56.2-171
C.S. Barlow & Sons, Inc. exhibit at Puyallup Fair. The C.S. Barlow & Sons, Inc., company had an exhibition booth at the 1923 Western Washington Fair which included samples of household finishes, sheetrock, tools and promotional materials. Originally known as the Tacoma Trading Co., it was renamed C.S. Barlow & Sons in 1917. The building materials firm was located at 1715 Dock St. G33.1-109
C.S. Barlow & Sons, Inc. (Tacoma); Western Washington Fair (Puyallup); Fairs--Puyallup--1920-1930; Exhibit booths--Puyallup; Building materials;
Tacoma Savings & Loan Association operations. The office staff of the Tacoma Savings & Loan Association, 100 So. 9th St. in downtown Tacoma, is pictured on September 12, 1923, conducting daily operations. An unidentified woman is making an entry on a ledger while her co-worker, seated at a large adding machine, observes. The Tacoma Savings & Loan Association, with assets (then) of over 3 1/2 million, was located in the white marbled Bowes Building. It was established in 1899 and was one of the city's oldest financial institutions. G13.1-009
Tacoma Savings & Loan Association (Tacoma); Banks--Tacoma; Office workers--Tacoma--1920-1930;
Walker Cut Stone Co. Parked outside the new Walker Cut Stone Co. plant on Center St. in August of 1923 is a Pierce-Arrow heavy duty commercial truck displaying two pieces of stone work. The man standing near the truck's hood is believed to be company owner, Robert Walker. The two other men in the photograph have not been identified. TPL-963; G75.1-185; G33.1-121
Walker Cut Stone Co. (Tacoma); Building materials industry--Tacoma--1920-1930; Pierce-Arrow trucks;
Walker Cut Stone Co. Employees of the Walker Cut Stone Co. stand outside their new plant located at 2403 Center St. on August 21, 1923, with samples of their stone work mounted on a Pierce-Arrow commercial truck. The durable sandstone was brought in from the company's quarry near Wilkeson and then cut and formed by workers in Tacoma. TPL-962; G75.1-184; G33.1-120
Walker Cut Stone Co. (Tacoma); Building materials industry--Tacoma--1920-1930; Pierce-Arrow trucks;
Walker Cut Stone Co. operations. Walker Cut Stone had just completed building a new plant located at 2403 Center St. in 1923. Workers are shown plying their trade on July 16, 1923. Walker Cut Stone supplied the tons of Wilkeson sandstone used in the construction of Olympia's Temple of Justice and its stone would be used in the Bank of California building and the Walker Apartments. The hard surfaced stone was brought in from the Company's quarry near Wilkeson, cut to size with a stone saw, milled into a shape and hand carved into finished shape with ornamentation. Prior to Robert Walker, no one had been able to utilize the hard stone. He designed special tools for cutting the stone. TPL-9101; G33.1-113
Walker Cut Stone Co. (Tacoma); Building materials industry--Tacoma--1920-1930;
Construction is well under way in June of 1923 at the Wilkeson Garage in downtown Tacoma's auto row. Built of concrete and measuring 120 feet by 131 feet, it was declared the "largest of its kind on the Pacific Coast." All units of the big service station were completed by November of 1923. Built by L.E.Wilkeson, the new structure was to reflect the "department store idea for the motor car." A parking lot on top with room for 100 cars was finished in April of 1924. G18.1-089; BU14,356 (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 4-29-23, C-1-article)
Wilkeson Garage & Service Station (Tacoma); Automobile service stations--Tacoma--1920-1930; Building construction--Tacoma--1920-1930;
Employees of the U.S. Bakery posed alongside their fleet of delivery trucks in April of 1923. The bakery had just signed a contract with Sutherland Co., Inc., to operate their trucks only on General Tires. They chose to limit tires only to the General brand despite the fact they had never used them before. Good reports by others on the tires prompted them to do so. The United States Bakery was located at So. I St. and Center St. from 1921 to 1930. Chris Manthou, with partners John Kokotos and John Efandis, operated the wholesale bakery. Manthou remained as president when the Tacoma Bread Company took over operations in 1931. The building was demolished during urban renewal, about 1967. G33.1-010; TPL-909 (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 5-6-23, C-7)
United States Bakery (Tacoma); Bakeries--Tacoma--1920-1930; Trucks--Tacoma--1920-1930; Tires;
S-T-U-D-E-B-A-K-E-R! Salesmen Tommy Burns, Tom Lea and Ben Johnson (l-r) are in fighting mode as they prepare to set Studebaker sales records for the month of March, 1923. The men were employed by the pioneer automobile dealership, B.H. Kennedy Company, located at 753 Broadway. Owned and operated by Burton "Bert" Kennedy, the firm had an up-to-date service department and competent Studebaker mechanics. The B.H. Kennedy Co. had sold $27,000 of Studebakers in February of 1923 and were confident of repeating their successful month. (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 3-11-23, C-1)
Display of furnaces and fans. The National Blower & Sheet Metal Co. (then called National Blower Pipe Co.), established in 1890, was located in the industrial Tideflats at 1127-31 Saint Paul Ave. The firm manufactured blower and ventilation systems and also did business in general sheet metal. The display pictured above in September of 1922 included venlitating, exhaust and blower fans which were electrically driven and a Superior Furnace. G35.1-068
National Blower & Sheet Metal Co. (Tacoma); Machinery industry--Tacoma--1920-1930; Fans (Machinery); Furnaces--Tacoma;
Tommy's Produce Stand, run by the Inouye family, was one of several businesses located in the Sanitary Public Market, 1108-14 Market St., in 1922. The Sanitary Public Market, designed by architects Heath & Gove, was constructed in 1917 for $20,000. There downtown residents could shop for fish, local produce, coffee, and baked goods. Tommy's Produce Stand had fresh corn, celery, cauliflower, home-grown tomatoes and melons on sale on this particular September day in 1922. TPL-1375; G39.1-138; BU-12209;
Tommy's Produce Stand (Tacoma); Sanitary Public Market (Tacoma); Japanese American families--Tacoma; Japanese Americans--Tacoma;
Blurred image of little girl standing next to the ivy-covered walls of the Tacoma Hotel. She is believed to be the same child as in Boland B6534 and B6533. This is the back porch and lawn of the famous Tacoma Hotel, the city's showpiece for many years. Photograph has been damaged on the right.
Tacoma Hotel (Tacoma); Hotels--Tacoma--1920-1930; Children--Tacoma--1920-1930;
A small child is photographed at a distance in August of 1922 while on the porch of the elegant Tacoma Hotel, 913 A Street. She can also been seen in Boland B6533 along with an older gentleman in the hotel gardens. Guests at the hotel were able to enjoy outdoor dining, weather permitting, on the extended porch of the Tacoma Hotel. This photograph was used in an advertisement promoting the Tacoma Hotel site as the site that should be selected for the new hotel built by the Citizens Hotel Corporation. The ad emphatically noted the beautiful view from the hotel site of the Mountain (Mount Tacoma) and of Commencement Bay. Even little children could appreciate the flowers, birds and sunshine abundantly available at this location. Although the Tacoma Hotel site was among the top two vote-getters, it was not ultimately chosen as the location of the new hotel. The Tacoma Hotel was destroyed by fire in October of 1935. (TDL 10-7-22, p. 5-ad)
Tacoma Hotel (Tacoma); Hotels--Tacoma--1920-1930; Children--Tacoma--1920-1930;
Built in 1914 at a cost of $10,000, this theater at 11th & Broadway was originally named the Apollo. Eight years later, it reopened as the Blue Mouse, operated by theater chain founder John Hamrick. The Blue Mouse was a favorite of Tacoma movie buffs until its demolition in 1960 to make way for a new street escalator. "A Connecticut Yankee" was the first movie shown at the Blue Mouse starting on April 15, 1922. In this April, 1922, photograph, a small boy in an usher's uniform stands outside the theater entrance while another uniformed man is next to the movie placard. The Blue Mouse was the first theater in Tacoma to show "talkies," running "The Jazz Singer" in January, 1928. Its sister theater, the Blue Mouse Junior, opened in the Proctor District in 1923. G64.1-027; TPL-6355 (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 4-2-22, E-5-article)
Blue Mouse Movie Theatre (Tacoma); Motion picture theaters--Tacoma--1920-1930; Marquees--Tacoma;
April, 1922, view of one end of a large boiler, manufactured by the Birchfield Boiler Co., 2503 E. 11th St. The company had opened at this Tideflats site in March of 1921 and was run by H.E. Warren, President, and E.E. Birchfield, Vice-President. They built steel heating boilers and performed welding and boiler repairs. Birchfield boilers were in heavy demand in 1922. The company had been receiving orders at the rate of one per day since May 1st and the plant was forced to put on a double shift to handle the demand. Later they would expand into building steel ships. G36.1-136 (TDL 6-26-22, p. 6-article)
Birchfield Boiler, Inc. (Tacoma); Boilers; Boiler industry--Tacoma;
Members of the Phantom Club enjoyed a banquet on April 1, 1922. The club, apparently consisting only of men, was made up of employees from the Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Co. G64.1-012
The packaging department at Brown & Haley in September of 1921. Young women garbed pristinely in white robes and nurses caps, inscribed with the name "Oriole," wrap the hand dipped chocolates in foil and place them in packages. Trays of chocolates sit in front of the woman at the right, while boxes sit beside the women to the left, showing the two operations being performed in this department. At this time, the chocolates were still marketed under the name "Oriole Chocolates." G33.1-125
Candy making at Brown and Haley in September of 1921. The female workers are dressed in spotless white dresses, some with matching hats, but no gloves. They are working with the candy with their bare hands. The women in the back are possibly either wrapping medium size tubes of a harder candy, such as toffee or caramel, or unwrapping them and slicing them into nougats. The woman in the front is dipping something into a stainless steel pot beside her. A fan on the left cools her work. The chocolate covered candies to the right are possibly the finished product. G33.1-133
Oriole Chocolates (Tacoma); Candy--Tacoma; Chocolate industry--Tacoma--1910-1920; Brown & Haley (Tacoma);
By 1919, Brown & Haley had moved its factory operation into a converted shoe factory at 108-16 E. 26th Street. The company was manufacturing a full line of chocolates, with the most famous being a chocolate and nut confection with a vanilla cream center marketed as "Mount Tacoma." In Seattle the candy bar was sold under the name of Mount Rainier, due to an old rivalry over the name of our landmark mountain. The same candy bar is still sold today under the name of "Mountain Bar" and it is one of the oldest candy bars still manufactured in the US. All of the chocolates and candies were still made by hand requiring a work force of skilled laborers, such as the one shown in the picture. He is possibly working with the cocoa beans, which are processed into chocolate liquor. G33.1-122
Chocolate manufacturing at the Brown & Haley factory in September of 1921. At this time, most of the candy was made and packaged by hand. Automation was of the simple gear and pulley type shown here. Pulleys drive the machinery used to mix the chocolate. To the right are possibly the vats where the more solid chocolate is melted into a liquid, or large mixers where the liquid is mixed with the other ingredients for candy. The primary ingredients of chocolate candy are the liquid chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, sugar and milk. G33.1-126
A September, 1921, peek inside the salesroom of candy wholesalers Brown and Haley and a display of the many fine candies made by their company Oriole Chocolates. The walls are covered by the boxes of the various candies made by the company. The candies are boxed in ornate boxes, many with portraits of young women on the covers. One of the candies featured is their new line of "Kiss Me Quick." With their lovely packages, the products appear to be luxury items or gifts. G33.1-130
Oriole Chocolates (Tacoma); Candy--Tacoma; Chocolate industry--Tacoma--1910-1920; Brown & Haley (Tacoma);
Candy manufacturing in 1921 at Brown & Haley. At this time, their candy was still marketed under the name of Oriole Candies. A number of workers pose in the factory. The women are dressed in pristine white dresses and matching hats, the men wear clean white aprons, but none of the workers wear gloves. The front group is gathered around an early assembly line. The candy comes down the belt where it is loaded by hand into trays. A woman with a dolly takes the trays away. It is unclear what the group in the back is doing, although the man on the right stands behind some kind of a vat. All Orioles candies at this time were made by hand. G33.1-140
Oriole Chocolates (Tacoma); Candy--Tacoma; Chocolate industry--Tacoma--1910-1920; Brown & Haley (Tacoma);
The packing department at Brown and Haley, also known as Oriole Chocolates, in September of 1921. Eight women, garbed in sanitary white; some with hats reading "Oriole." The women are surrounded by large boxes of the foil wrapped delicacies and the smaller boxes into which they will be packaged for consumers. The lone man in the back of the picture appears to be sampling the product. G33.1-127
The shipping department at Brown and Haley in September of 1921. In their pre-Almond Roca days, before 1923, the company manufactured a wide range of chocolates, taffy, mints and hard candies. Many of the chocolates were still marketed under the company's original moniker "Oriole Chocolates." Here workers in a long, narrow room sort candy packages of many shapes and sizes for delivery. A large sign in the background admonishes "No Smoking." G33.1-123
