This is a view of the Provident Block from March of 1919. It was located on Pacific Avenue between South 9th and South 10th Streets. The six-story Provident Building (later renamed Security Building before reverting back to the Provident name in 2006) is in the center of this slice of Tacoma's business district. It is surrounded by smaller establishments including several restaurants, Thomas Billiards, and Bloom & Alexander Money & Loan. The Olympus Hotel is one block up the street on the far left. Of special note is the entrance to a "Ladies Only" comfort station in the middle of 10th Street right outside of Washington Dye Works. The actual bathroom was located under the street; it was the only public restroom for women downtown at that time. TPL-2499 ; G61.1-012
Commercial streets--Tacoma--1910-1920; Business districts--Tacoma--1910-1920; Provident Building (Tacoma); Olympus Hotel (Tacoma); Billboards--Tacoma--1910-1920;
The corner of South 9th and Pacific was nearly free of traffic -both foot and motor- on this October day in 1922. A single couple was standing outside the Liberty Theater where the Charles Jones (later known as "Buck" Jones) picture "Trooper O'Neil" was playing while another man peers through a nearby doorway. Two people were window shopping at the McGinley-Garness hat store near 9th & Commerce. The brick building with recessed windows is the Wright Building (902-04 Pacific Ave.) which contained in 1922 the United Cigar Store and Imperial Billiards (and bowling alleys). G61.1-045
Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Liberty Theater (Tacoma); United Cigar Stores (Tacoma);
Unidentified home with neatly manicured lawn as pictured on March 17, 1923. House number is 3601 but street is not given. The home has a large porch with brick-like pillars and an awning in front. There appears to be a small dormer and the roof is apparently shingled.
Lampposts on South "J" St. This is a view of South "J" St. , south of South 21st St., looking north, as seen on March 28, 1924. The quiet street has lampposts evenly spaced on both sides. Three cars are parked along the curbside and a few pedestrians can be spotted on the sidewalk in the distance. G60.1-041
Street scene. This is the east side of Pacific Avenue at 10th St. as seen on April 3, 1925. Businesses visible included the American Savings & Loan Assn. (1001 Pacific Ave.); Martz Clothes Shop; American Mortgage & Safe Deposit Co. /First Mutual Savings Bank of Tacoma and Western Union. G61.1-044
Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Business districts--Tacoma--1920-1930; American Savings & Loan Association (Tacoma); American Mortgage & Safe Deposit Co. (Tacoma); First Mutual Savings Bank of Tacoma (Tacoma);
Traveling on the Tacoma-Seattle Highway, photographer Marvin Boland captured views of rural communities such as the one pictured above on August 2, 1925. His notes indicate it was called "Woodmot," but this may have actually been the Woodmont Beach area located in South King County. Here a rustic bridge leads to several wood framed houses. G28.1-062
This is a view of tree-lined North "I" St. at 9th looking south in August of 1925. There are only two parked cars and one far away in the distance. One woman is waiting at the corner further down the block, perhaps for a streetcar to come as the streetcar tracks are clearly visible. Part of the apartment house soon to be known as the Biltmore Apartments can be seen on the left with its distinctive turret. G60.1-051
Residential streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Street railroad tracks--Tacoma--1920-1930; Apartment houses--Tacoma--1920-1930;
This stucco Spanish-style bungalow with detached garage was located in then rural E. 72nd St. in 1925. The small one-story home had a landscaped front yard but the area surrounding the lot appears wooded and rough. A notice about its availability for purchase would be listed in the Tacoma Daily Ledger's September 27, 1925, edition. G28.1-056; BU-10,031 (TDL 9-27-25, p. E-6)
View of Saint Helens Avenue between 7th & 9th Sts. on March 4, 1926. Streetcar tracks are visible down Saint Helens. On the left are the Cleveland automobile dealership, Richardson's (734-36 Broadway), the Gilliam & Steven Motor Co. (at 735 Saint Helens, later street renamed Court C), Lindum Hotel (747-49 Saint Helens). Across the street are the Allyn Hotel (726-28 Saint Helens) and the Reliance Electric Fixture Co. (740 Saint Helens). G61.1-168
Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Street railroad tracks--Tacoma--1920-1930; Richardson Motor Co. (Tacoma); Gilliam & Steven Motor Co. (Tacoma); Lindum Hotel (Tacoma); Allyn Hotel (Tacoma); Reliance Electric Fixture Co. (Tacoma);
Bustling 11th Street street scene. This is a view from the Perkins Building (1101 A Street) on May 29, 1926. Buildings on the left (front to rear) are: the Federal Building (1102 A Street) and the Peoples department store (1101-07 Pacific Ave.) The 17-story, two-winged skyscraper on the right is the Washington Building (1019 Pacific). Looking uphill from the Washington Building are the Rust Building (950 Pacific) and the Fidelity Building (949-55 Broadway). In the distance can be seen the Romanesque Pierce County Courthouse (1012 So. "G"). G57.1-124
Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Business districts--Tacoma--1920-1930; Office buildings--Tacoma--1920-1930; Federal Building (Tacoma); Peoples (Tacoma); Washington Building (Tacoma); Rust Building (Tacoma); Fidelity Building (Tacoma);
Interior view of S.A. Andrews' residence. This may have been the sitting or living room filled with delicate and ornate furniture. Samuel and Valerie Andrews resided at 1008 North "I" St. in 1926. He owned a women's apparel firm at 9th & Broadway called the S.A. Andrews Co. The Andrews would move later to a two-story brick home on Lake Steilacoom that was designed by architect Silas E. Nelsen.
Andrews, Samuel A.--Homes & haunts; Houses--Tacoma--1920-1930; Chairs;
ca. 1924. This wood framed home with deep covered porch was photographed in Tacoma's south end in early summer of 1924. It was located on an elevated corner lot with landscaping yet to be completed. The home was built by the M.W.F. Wallace Co. who may have also been developing the lot next door. This was a modern 5-room bungalow, brand new and ready to be occupied. The home had hardwood floors in the living room, a separate dining room, fireplace, two bedrooms and a 3-piece bath. Neither the sales price nor the actual street location were listed in the advertisement which ran in the News Tribune's May 30, 1924, edition. G29.1-064 (TNT 5-30-24, p.23-ad)
This August 1924 view of South 10th and Pacific Avenue shows a part of Tacoma's major business district located in the downtown section of the city. A banner flies above the street pointing out the direction of the Tacoma Tourist Information Bureau at 115 South 10th Street. On the left is the Argonaut Hotel (1007 Pacific), the unfinished Scandinavian-American Bank at 1019 Pacific (later completed as the Washington Building in 1925) , Peoples Department Store (1101-07 Pacific) and Puget Sound National Bank (1117-19 Pacific). On the right is the 12-story Rust Building. The box-shaped structure in the middle of South 10th street (on the left) is the entrance to Tacoma's below-street-level Women Only comfort station. TPL-1418
Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Business districts--Tacoma--1920-1930; Banners; Argonaut Hotel (Tacoma); Washington Building (Tacoma); Peoples (Tacoma); Puget Sound National Bank (Tacoma); Rust Building (Tacoma);
At first glance, this 1921 photograph taken in downtown Tacoma appears to be of two separate streets; however, it is actually looking east down 11th Street toward the 11th Street (now Murray Morgan) Bridge. The composite picture shows the many pedestrians and occasional vehicles, including a streetcar. Prominent buildings to the left (and again on the right) are the Fidelity Building, Rust Building, and unfinished Scandinavian-American Bank Building (later completed and known as the Washington Building). The building in the center of the photograph is the Stone-Fisher Department Store, later to be known as the Bon Marche. TPL-6362; G57.1-137
Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Business districts--Tacoma--1920-1930; Fidelity Building (Tacoma); Rust Building (Tacoma); Washington Building (Tacoma); Scandinavian-American Bank (Tacoma); 11th Street Bridge (Tacoma);
This spacious, well-built North End home was the residence of the William Hewitt family in 1921. The home, built in 1904, had formerly belonged to William Hacker and then John S. Baker, prominent Tacoma banker and businessman. TPL-024; G28.1-111
Downtown Tacoma street scene. Foot traffic was heavy at 11th & Pacific in the downtown business district on April 1, 1922. Built originally for the Merchant National Bank in 1891, the large building occupying the center of the photograph was now the home of Pacific Savings & Loan Association. Its clock tower outside the structure was a familiar sight for pedestrians and motorists alike. G61.1-039
Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Business districts--Tacoma--1920-1930; Pacific Savings & Loan Association (Tacoma); Pedestrians--Tacoma; Clock towers--Tacoma;
Street scene. Pedestrians cautiously cross at the intersection of Broadway and 9th in downtown Tacoma on this spring day in May of 1922. They have to keep a sharp eye out for oncoming streetcars and automobiles. The Pantages Theater is the regal structure on the left; the Tacoma Theater is on the right. TPL-3857; G59.1-003
Judge and Mrs. O.S. Galbreath, on the occasion of their 60th wedding anniversary. The couple was photographed on the lawn of their home located at 4604 Yakima Avenue South. The Galbreaths were married on October 8, 1868, in Goodlettsville, Tennessee. O.S. Galbreath began the practice of law in Nashville in 1868 and remained there until 1882 when he and his family moved to Durango, Colorado, where he resumed his law practice. He and Mrs. Galbreath have been residents of Tacoma for sixteen years. Judge and Mrs. Galbreath have seven children (one deceased), 18 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. His six children and extended family gathered together to celebrate the couple's Diamond anniversary on October 8, 1928. The Galbreath's two daughters reside in Tacoma while his four sons are from Colorado and California. (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 10-14-28, 8-D-article & alternate photograph)
This is how Market St. near So. 9th looking south appeared in November of 1929. Goodwin's Garage, an unidentified building undergoing work, a smaller two-story unit and the Singer Sewing Co. warehouse are on the left; the Azure Pool at 748 Market St. is on the right. G60.1-140
Bustling Broadway looking south from 9th St. This was a segment of vibrant downtown Tacoma during the summer of 1927. Cars and pedestrians throng Broadway. The area around 9th & Broadway was a mixture of motion picture theaters (Colonial in center, Broadway, Pantages and Rialto not pictured), large department stores (McCormack Brothers, Rhodes Bros.), fraternal organizations (Pythian Temple), variety stores (Kress) and assorted shops. Drivers were still getting used to automatic traffic lights, recently installed in late March, in the downtown area. This may have been "movie season" as banners and flags advertised such luminaries as "Gish," "Chaney," and movies like "Barbed Wire," "Ben Hur," "Annie Laurie," and "Beau Geste." TPL-1880; G59.1-028
This is another view of Broadway looking south from 9th St. in late summer of 1927. The photo studio has added lines crossing the streetcar tracks to mark where cars were warned to stop to allow pedestrians to cross the street in safety. One of the city's first automated traffic signals is just beyond view in the foreground. The Pantages theater is on the left along with Lou Johnson's ladies clothing store and the Lewis Bros. men's clothing store. On the right are the Colonial theater, Pythian Temple, Kress store and the Rhodes Bros. department store. Broadway, like Pacific Avenue, had many stores and shops nesting cozily side-by-side. Shoppers could catch a convenient streetcar or just walk to the numerous establishments downtown. More and more people, however, were starting to own automobiles and as the above photograph shows, street parking was at a premium. TPL-10041; G59.1-029
This is the Dash Point home of Roy and Effie Allen as pictured in March of 1928. It was built with a commanding marine view. Mr. Allen was the president and manager of Star Iron & Steel Co., a major manufacturer of cranes. An article on Dash Point in the Tacoma Sunday Ledger's December 2, 1928, edition included a photograph of the Allen home with completed landscaping. (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 12-2-28, G-1)
On February 25, 1929, the Boland Studios were asked to take photographs of the intersection of Meridian and Valley Road near Puyallup to be used as court evidence. This view is just beyond the Charles Service Station. House on the left of the curving road; sign on the right indicates the presence of a "private road -use at your own risk." See Boland B20388 for additional view of intersection. G73.1-046
This March 22, 1929, photograph was taken 75-feet from the intersection of these two residential streets to be used as court evidence. The names of the streets were not listed. The visible houses appear to be modern for the time and the streets were wide, paved, with curbs and sidewalks. Several feet, planted with grass and shrubs, separated the sidewalks from the street. G57.1-015
In 1928 516 North "C" St. was occupied by Anne and Gerald deHaseth. This is one of the bedrooms found in the home built in 1892. It contained twin four-poster beds and other antiques resting on hardwood floors. Mr. deHaseth was a civil engineer with the Big Missouri Mining Co.
Streetcar tracks head toward the waterfront in this December 30, 1936, photograph. Information on the picture states that it is "144 ft. to intersection No. 41st & Cheyenne Sts." There is a store or restaurant at the left which advertised the Olympic brand of milk, cream and ice cream. Photograph ordered by Tacoma Railway & Power Co. G58.1-022
Residential streets--Tacoma--1930-1940; Streets--Tacoma--1930-1940; Street railroad tracks--Tacoma--1930-1940;
The R.L. Courtney Building, located at 1105 South 11th Street, was designed by architect George Trost and built for $37,000 by Peter Madsen in 1922. The Hill Top Confectionery occupied the corner level and Dr. Eugene Hallan (dentist) and a Dr. Lynch (physician & surgeon) had offices on the second floor. Businesses at the 11th & "K" St. location were easily accessible by private car or streetcars. In 1922 the businessmen of "K" St. (now Martin Luther King Jr. Way) saw a rapid growth of business in this section of Tacoma. Six new buildings replacing older units included the Dobson-Nelson Motor Co. at 12th & "K," Normanna Hall Association's new business block at 14th & "K," the Nasser Building, also on 12th & "K," occupied by the Piggly-Wiggly and a branch of the National Bank of Tacoma, the Langlow Building at Sixth & "K," the Woolen Cleaners Building adjoining the Dobson-Nelson structure and the Courtney Building. TPL-896; G19.1-071; BU-10,064 (TNT 12-29-22, p. 22)
R.L. Courtney Building (Tacoma); Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Business districts--Tacoma--1920-1930;
A person standing across the street on April 14, 1925, would be able to see the following establishments on the west side of Pacific Avenue near South 10th St. in downtown Tacoma: (L-R) the Rust Building (950 Pacific), Charles F. Lewis Hatters (948), Scobey's Cigars (946) with Naubert & Manning Billiards upstairs, Davis Men's Shop (944), Peterson & Cooksie Billiards (942-44), Haugen & Loney Tailors (942), and in the San Francisco Block building, the Regal Shoe Co. (938-40) with several businesses upstairs including the Chinese Medicine Co. and attorney G.B. Aldrich. TPL-5475; G61.1-048
Business districts--Tacoma--1920-1930; Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Rust Building (Tacoma); Regal Shoe Co. (Tacoma);
This two-story Colonial with basement, located at 1315 North 5th St., was on the market in May of 1925 with a reduced price of $7,750, including $1500 cash and $75 a month payments. The home apparently had alley access and garage. An ad placed in the Tacoma Sunday Ledger's May 3, 1925 edition listed the home as having a 20+-foot long living room, oak flooring, unique fireplace and French doors leading to the dining room. Three bedrooms were located on the second floor along with a bath. Interested buyers were asked to contact Gilmour Nicholls, realtor. G28.1-130; BU-10,145 (Tacoma Sunday Ledger Ad, 5-3-25, p. 7E)
