The foreman and crew of "erectors" for the Scandinavian-American Bank being built at 1019 Pacific Avenue were photographed during a pause in work in November of 1920. The erectors were responsible for raising the 32-ton beams and 60-foot steel columns into position. The 12 men were handpicked for their steady nerves, even tempers and ability to work as team players. The first two floors alone contained over 1,000 tons of steel. The planned 16 story building rose beam by beam until January of 1921 when the bank failed and construction was shut down. The building was eventually completed in 1925 for the Washington-California Co. and named the Washington Building. (TDL 11/14/1920, pg. B-7) BU-10760, Boland B 3244, TPL-9548

Scandinavian-American Bank (Tacoma); Building construction--Tacoma--1920-1930; Construction industry--Tacoma--1920-1930;

One of the "erectors" dangles high in the air in this November 1920 photograph, attaching chains and wires that will pull the 60 foot column into position at the Scandinavian-American Bank (now the Washington Building) construction site. The skeleton of the building was put together by the erectors, who were followed by the riveters. As designed, the building would ascend to 16 stories. Over 1,000 tons of steel were used in the first 2 floors alone. (TDL 11/14/1920, pg. B-7) BU 10, 756, Boland B 3212

Scandinavian-American Bank (Tacoma); Building construction--Tacoma--1920-1930; Construction industry--Tacoma--1920-1930;

This photograph from November 1920 shows one of the huge 32 ton beams of the framework for the Scandinavian -American Bank nearing its resting place. The erectors stand on top of the beam, ready to secure it in position. The design for the bank called for 16 stories with 22 rooms per floor with 5,000 feet of rentable space. The 11th Street entrance would open on a 26 foot wide court with a huge colored glass dome forming the ceiling for the massive banking room below. The bank failed in January of 1921 and construction was halted. The building, after a re-design, was completed in 1925 and was renamed the Washington Building. (TDL 11/14/1920, pg. B-7) BU 10, 759, Boland B 3235

Scandinavian-American Bank (Tacoma); Building construction--Tacoma--1920-1930; Construction industry--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Automobile dealers of the 1920s built palaces of prestige to showcase their latest models. Architect C.F. W. Lundberg designed the Mutual Motors Building for pioneer Tacoma automobile dealer Edward P. Leonard. The Lincoln dealership opened in June 1925. Later, a giant milk bottle was installed on the building's roof to identify it as the Olympic Dairy Products plant. As of 2000, Washington Tent & Awning, Inc. occupies this building on Martin Luther King Way. B12455, BU-10023, TPL-5683

Automobile dealerships--Tacoma; Mutual Motors (Tacoma); Building construction;

By March 1st, 1924, Tacoma's old Chamber of Commerce Building at 773 Broadway had been demolished and work had begun on the foundation of the future Hotel Winthrop. The eleven story hotel, built by the Citizen's Hotel Corporation, was dedicated in May of 1925. With the chamber building gone, and the new hotel not yet built, this photograph provides an excellent view of the Bostwick Block, 755-71 Saint Helens, as it looked in March of 1924. At that time it was undergoing extensive remodeling; in July the exterior was covered with Duralite.

Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma)--Construction; Hotels--Tacoma--1920-1930;

In June of 1925, Mike Marush posed in front of his store, the Marush Fish Co., with the King Salmon believed to be the largest ever caught in local waters on hook and line. The huge fish, weighing in at 47 lbs. dressed, was caught by G.C. Crawford of Gig Harbor at a point known as the "mouth of Gig Harbor," not far from the Narrows. The salmon fought for an hour, almost capsizing the boat. TNT 6/23/1925, pg. 16 (BU12230, Boland #B12818)

Marush, Mike; Marush Fish & Oyster Co. (Tacoma); Salmon; Seafood stores--Tacoma;

Sumner E. Orr and E.J. Gauthier, proprietors of Tacoma's all-night garage Gauthier & Orr, were photographed receiving leases for six Union Oil stations from company officials E.C. Wilson, Tacoma agent, and N.W. Watson, special agent, on July 17, 1928 (order of men in photo unknown). They exchanged the documents at Station #119 located at 601 No. 1st St. The new owners planned for Tacoma motorists to receive the best service possible. They intended to install lifts for grease work and to modernize the equipment at each station. The six stations leased by the pair were located at 58th & S. Union, 25th & Jefferson Ave., N. 1st & Tacoma Ave. (pictured), 21st & Pacific Ave., East 11th & St. Paul Ave. and 302 Puyallup. (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 7-22-28, p. G-5) BU-13106, TPL-9637

Automobile service stations--Tacoma--1920-1930; Union Oil Co. of California (Tacoma); Orr, Sumner E.; Gauthier, E.J.; Wilson, E.C.; Watson, N.W.;

On a hot summer evening in August of 1919, a visitor to Tacoma could stand at the intersection of Pacific Avenue and 9th, looking north, and see the names of two of the city's hotels and a theater light up the sky in electric signs suspended over the street. On the left is the Hotel Donnelly, 742-50 Pacific Ave. The hotel was built in 1887 and leased to John Donnelly, who gave it his name, ten years later. It was demolished in 1925 to make way for the Motoramp Garage. On the right is the Hippodrome Theater at 821-23 Pacific Ave., an office building at 819 Pacific and the Olympus Hotel at 815-17 Pacific. In 1978, the Olympus was converted to apartments. Pedestrians who became weary from walking could hire a taxi at the corner stand or catch a ride the Pacific Avenue streetcar. TPL-4446, BU-13429, Boland-B2166

Hotel Donnelly (Tacoma); Hotels--Tacoma--1910-1920; Street railroads--Tacoma--1910-1920; Streets--Tacoma--1910-1920; City & town life--Tacoma--1910-1920; Hippodrome Building (Tacoma); Olympus Hotel (Tacoma);

In September of 1924 the Sprague Building and its extension took up the whole block between South 15th Street and South 17th on the east side of Pacific Avenue. Built in 1888, the original Sprague Building was home to the Hotel Savoy in the 1920s when this photograph was taken. Later it was home to many businesses including the Croft Hotel in the 1930s, the Lutheran Welfare Mission & Service Club in the 1940s and the Full Gospel Tabernacle in the 1960s. It was torn down in the late 1960s. The Sprague Building Annex, now simply known as the Sprague Building, still stands at the corner of South 15th and Pacific. It is listed on both the city and national registers of historic buildings. Boland B10931, BU-10735;

Hotel Savoy (Tacoma); Hotels--Tacoma--1920-1930;

On April 4, 1924, the Bell System Telephone company celebrated the 40th anniversary of telephone service in Tacoma by holding a luncheon for the surviving original subscribers to Tacoma's first telephone exchange. Five female employees, dressed in the manner of 1884, welcomed the guests. They are, left to right, Icle McDowell, Lucille Croxall, Eva Mollett, Mrs. Signe Hultgrew and Mrs. Mildred Sinclair. Their guests are, left to right, A.E. Dean, R.F. Radebaugh, I.W. Anderson, Major C.O.Bates, E.W. Melse, Judge John Arthur, Arthur Patrick, John Schlarb, W.P. Bonney, W.G. Rowland, Walter J. Ball, J.M. Ashton, W.J. Thompson, Henry Drum and Stuart Rice. The first telephone company office was located in Rebard's Cigar Store, and the owner acted as "central", dropping his work at the cigar counter to work the switchboard. The group is standing outside the Bell Telephone building at 1101 Fawcett Ave. Built in 1901 by J.E. Bonnell, it was added to the National and Tacoma historic registries in 1985. Boland B9815, BU-13,178

Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Co. (Tacoma); Telephone companies--Tacoma;

J.R. McKinnell opened the new Rose Theater at 514-16 South 11th Street in late December of 1920. The original Rose Theater was located at 905 South Tacoma Avenue (now Tacoma Avenue South) in the Lucerne Building. On the 28th of December the feature at the new Rose was "Ruth of the Rockies" starring Ruth Roland, one of the Queens of the early silent serials; she specialized in westerns and comedies. "Ruth of the Rockies" was one of her later films. The new movie house had been built by Tacoma contractors Wick and Johnson at an estimated price tag of $8,000 for a California client. It was constructed of reinforced concrete and was 22 feet high with a 35 x 65 foot footprint. The building was demolished July of 1996. (TDL 1/2/1921, pg. B6- photo, 12/12/20, pg. B-5 article) Boland B3470, BU-13,339, TPL-2394

Rose Theater (Tacoma); Motion picture theaters--Tacoma--1920-1930;

The usherettes at the Colonial Theater, 916-18 Broadway, wore gingham dresses for the opening on February 28,1920 of the silent version of "Pollyanna" starring Mary Pickford. A slightly different version of this photograph appeared in the March 3rd News Tribune; the girls are believed to be (l to r) Edna Fitzmaurice, Fern Chantler (the theater cashier), Nellie Mason, Rosa Fair, Lillian Buth, Stella Church, and Ruth Harkness. Mary Pickford was 27 when she played the film's 12 year old title character; the picture grossed one million dollars for United Artists, the film company owned by D.W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford and her husband Douglas Fairbanks. The Colonial Theater was designed by Roland Borhek, architect, and opened in 1914. It was demolished in 1988. (TNT 3/3/1920 p.9) TPL-5877, BU-10014, Boland-B2760

Colonial Theater (Tacoma); Motion picture theaters--Tacoma--1920-1930; Ushers--Tacoma--1920-1930; Motion picture industry--1920-1930;

ca. 1926. On July 24, 1926, Reginald Denny's newest comedy "Rolling Home" opened at the Colonial Theater, 916-18 Broadway. A crowd of young people gathered around the theater for the Reginald Denny Day festivities. Mr. Denny (1891-1967) was an actor who made 200 films between 1898 and 1966, but he was also a pioneer in the field of radio-controlled pilotless aviation. At the left foreground of the theater was a couple of barrels covered with cloths that sported a sign for Royal Ice Cream and its slogan "It's the Cream." Royal Ice Cream Co. was located in Tacoma on Pacific Avenue at 25th. It was a wholesale ice cream, milk and cream company. Boland B15392, BU-11146

Colonial Theater (Tacoma); Motion picture theaters--Tacoma--1920-1930; Motion picture industry--1920-1930;

On June 13, 1924, five usherettes, all with the latest in bobbed hair, posed in their new summer uniforms, blousy top and slacks in combinations of black and orange, in front of the Colonial Theater, 916-18 Broadway. The women were identified by the News Tribune as, left to right, Evelyn Durrin (head usher,) Mary Marko, Isobelle Pallis (assistant head usher,) Mildred Barnes and one unidentified usherette. The marquee advertised "The Last Hour" with Milton Sills, Carmel Myers, Walter Long and Pat O'Malley, which opened June 14, 1924 and ran at the Colonial for one week. "The Last Hour" was issued in 1923 by Mastadon Films. The Colonial Theater was designed by Roland Borhek and built in 1914. In the thirties, it became the Beverly Theater and in the 40's the Telenews Theater. It has since been demolished. Boland B10313, BU 11,145 (TNT 6/19/24, pg. 8)

Colonial Theater (Tacoma); Motion picture theaters--Tacoma--1920-1930; Ushers--Tacoma--1920-1930; Motion picture industry--1920-1930;

Seven usherettes in bat capes and bat ears line up outside the Rialto Theatre where the silent film version of "The Bat," the world's greatest mystery play, was showing in 1926. L-R: Rose Travaglio, Mary Marko, Lillian Hansen, Ann Brower, Irene Carnahan, Helen Morley (chief usherette) and Florence Lloyd. They received many favorable comments on their costumes from patrons of the theater. Based on Mary Roberts Rinehart's 1920 play which ran an impressive 867 performances at the Morosco Theatre on Broadway, "The Bat" was produced and directed by Roland West. It features a mysterious masked master criminal called The Bat whose identity is unveiled only in the last moments of the movie. Cartoonist Bob Kane was so impressed with the film when he saw it as a young boy that his memories of its images formed the basis for his cartoon character Batman. The film opened in Tacoma to rave reviews and could be seen at the matinee for 35 cents or in the evenings for 50 cents, 10 cents for kiddies. (TNT 8-17-26, p. 8) Boland B15500, TPL-2038

Rialto Theatre (Tacoma); Motion picture theaters--Tacoma--1920-1930; Ushers--Tacoma--1920-1930; Motion picture industry--1920-1930; Morley, Helen; Travaglio, Rose; Marko, Mary; Hansen, Lillian; Brower, Ann; Carnahan, Irene; Lloyd, Florence;

In July of 1919, the Ideal Tea Co. at 927-29 Tacoma Ave. So. made its deliveries with a horse drawn wagon. Milton H. Hoch, who had moved to Tacoma from Omaha around 1915, was manager of the tea and coffee shop. These buildings on Tacoma Avenue South were later demolished to make way for modern office buildings across from the County City Building. BU 12,939; Boland # B1998

Ideal Tea Co. (Tacoma);

Gig Harbor's Empress Theater, with its unusual "Moorish" architectural style, opened April 12, 1925, with the silent film "Miss Bluebeard" starring Bebe Daniels and Raymond Griffith. Contractor, and later architect, Gaston Lance designed the building which had a capacity of 450. Renamed the Blue Eagle, the theater closed in 1955, and was demolished a few years later. B12219, BU-10013, TPL-3843

Motion picture theaters--Gig Harbor; Empress Theatre (Gig Harbor);

ca. 1918. The Puget Hotel Annex, circa 1918, in Port Gamble, Wa. Port Gamble, located in Kitsap County about 35 miles from Seattle, is one of the few surviving examples of a company town. It was founded in 1853 by partners Josiah Keller, William Talbot, Andrew Pope and Charles Foster who formed the Puget Mill Co. In 1907, the company built a luxury hotel called the Puget Hotel for visitors, but this did not solve the housing problems of transient workers; the loggers, sailors and longshoremen who did not work for the company and qualify for company housing but could at times make up 1/3 of the town's population. The Puget Annex was built to provide low cost rooms for these boarders. ("The Coast" magazine, Jan. 1909, Vol 17 No. 1, pg. 92; online Historylink.org Port Gamble cybertour) Boland #25

Puget Hotel (Port Gamble); Lumber industry--Port Gamble; Puget Mill Co. (Port Gamble);

ca. 1918. The rear and side view of the Puget Hotel, circa 1918, in Port Gamble. The hotel was constructed in 1907 by the Puget Mill Co., which owned the entire town of Port Gamble. It included a luxurious hotel, a restaurant, a tavern, stables for horses and carriages and an annex for longer term budget boarders. The structure was designed by Seattle architects Charles Bebb and Louis Mendel and it was operated as a concession. The hotel was closed December 22, 1962 and later demolished. In 1966, the entire town of Port Gamble was made a National Historic site in recognition of its being one of the last remaining lumber towns in the nation. ("The Coast" magazine, January 1909, Vol. 17, No. 1, pg. 92) Boland #20

Puget Hotel (Port Gamble); Lumber industry--Port Gamble; Puget Mill Co. (Port Gamble);

ca. 1918. The Puget Hotel was constructed in 1907 by the Puget Mill Co. in their company owned and run town Port Gamble. It was designed by Seattle's most prominent architecture firm, Bebb & Mendel. It was a luxury hotel for visitors and company officials, later furnished with massive antique pieces of furniture made in Dresden, Germany and brought to the Puget Sound by sailing ship for the home of Cyrus Walker, first manager of the Puget Mill. Although part of the town, it was run as a concession. So although the town was dry, drinking and gambling were available at the hotel. It also housed the town's only restaurant. The hotel was damaged in the 1962 Columbus Day wind storm and was closed on December 22, 1962, a victim of that damage and declining use. It was later demolished. (Seattle Times 12/23/1962) Boland #10

Puget Hotel (Port Gamble); Lumber industry--Port Gamble; Puget Mill Co. (Port Gamble);

ca. 1918. The livery stable attached to the Puget Hotel in Port Gamble, circa 1918. The stable was also designed by the Seattle firm of Bebb & Mendel and constructed in 1907. It housed the horses and carriages used by the guests at the hotel. By 1920, the hotel was no longer boarding horses. The building was used successively as a garage, maintenance shop and a fire station. It is still standing. (Historylink.org) Boland #36

Puget Hotel (Port Gamble); Lumber industry--Port Gamble; Puget Mill Co. (Port Gamble); Stables;

ca. 1918. A view of the Puget Hotel (left), circa 1918, built in 1907 on a bluff above the Puget Mill. The Puget Mill, identified by the smoke in the background, was established in 1853 and closed in 1995, making it the longest continuously operating mill in the nation, clocking in at 142 years. The entire town of Port Gamble was owned by the mill company, including the hotel. In the center of the photograph is a band stand where concerts were played on Sunday afternoons. Boland #26

Puget Hotel (Port Gamble); Lumber industry--Port Gamble; Puget Mill Co. (Port Gamble);

ca. 1921. Ole B. Lien, pioneer pharmacist on Tacoma Avenue since 1894, and partner Harry B. Selvig opened this drug store in 1901 in the 1888 Greer Building. The Queen Anne-style structure was designed by architects Farrell & Darmer and built by contractor H. M. Matheson. It was torn down in 1951 to make way for a modern addition to the Tacoma Public Library. B8252.

Drugstores; Pharmacists; Lien & Selvig (Tacoma);

The Tacoma Field Inn at Tacoma Field (Pierce County Municipal Airport) in Lakewood. The inn served "Notter's Chicken Dinners" and Medosweet ice cream. TPL-7089

Restaurants--Lakewood--1930-1940; Tacoma Field Inn (Lakewood); Tacoma Field (Lakewood);

Kennedy's Tavern and Union Garage, Union, Mason county, Washington. Tavern was operated by Mack Kennedy. TPL-7062

Taverns (Inns)--Washington--Union--1920-1930; Kennedy's Tavern (Union); Garages--Washington--Union--1920-1930; Union Garage (Union);

Kennedy's Tavern, Union, Mason County, Washington. Sign on building at left for Union Garage. TPL-7063

Taverns (Inns)--Washington--Union--1920-1930; Kennedy's Tavern (Union);

This aerial view of Tacoma is what the photographer Marvin Boland saw from the top of the 11th Street (Murray Morgan) Bridge in May of 1924. The elegant Tacoma Hotel at 913 A Street is positioned right-center. A covered walkway winds its way down the bluff that separates the Tacoma Hotel from the waterfront. To the left side is the Hotel Lawrence at 1011 1/2 A Street and the Washington Hardware Company warehouse. The Tacoma Municipal Dock is in the foreground. BU-11,931

Tacoma Hotel (Tacoma); Hotel Lawrence (Tacoma); Warehouses--Tacoma--1920-1930; Tacoma Municipal Dock (Tacoma); Aerial views; Aerial photographs;

First aid teams from various Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Co. departments are pictured on May 19, 1924, at the Odd Fellows Hall. Maintenance from Aberdeen, outside repairmen, cable splicers, construction, installers and central office repairmen were represented. G64.1-005

Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Co. (Tacoma)--Employees;

Construction of the Winthrop Hotel. This photograph has been labeled "seat of col. #27." By May of 1924, the hotel's foundation had been poured and other exterior work begun. The hotel would be dedicated in May of 1925.

Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma)--Construction; Hotels--Tacoma--1920-1930; Building construction--Tacoma--1920-1930;

This column has been labeled #38 to be used in the construction of the Winthrop Hotel, Tacoma's new showcase. Built on the site of the old Chamber of Commerce Building, the eleven story hotel had been funded by 2300 citizens, making it truly the "citizen's hotel." It would open in May of 1925.

Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma)--Construction; Hotels--Tacoma--1920-1930; Building construction--Tacoma--1920-1930;