ca. 1946. Motel Waltoma, 9200 South Tacoma Way, Lakewood. The motel was built in 1938 by Walt and Oma Kupfer, hence its unusual name. It was designed by Fred Michel and Fred Michel and Jos. Brewer were the contractors. The Waltoma consisted of six double cottages. Over 2500 persons attended its grand opening beginning July 31, 1938. The sign in front of the motel indicated that it was approved by Duncan Hines, in 1946, and the Automobile Club of Washington. Duncan Hines was a travelling salesman turned food and lodging critic who published a book called "Lodging for a Night" in 1938, extolling the best places to stay while on the road.

Motels--Tacoma; Motel Waltoma (Tacoma);

ca. 1931. The Schaub-Ellison Company building at 1902 Pacific Ave. while under construction. High angle photograph showing construction site and surrounding buildings.

Schaub-Ellison Company (Tacoma); Building construction--Tacoma--1930-1940

ca. 1938. Ben's Economy Groceteria and Mosier's Meat, 764 So. 56th St., Tacoma. The store was built around 1937. In 1951, it became Fagerholm's Associated Grocers (AG) Market.

Grocery stores--Tacoma--1930-1940; Ben's Economy Groceteria (Tacoma); Mosier's Meat Market (Tacoma);

ca. 1905. Peoples department store had been featuring the latest fashions since its opening in 1888. By 1905 it was located at 1101-07 Pacific Avenue and provided an elegant atmosphere for discriminating shoppers. The abundance of flowers shown above, including sprays of lilies, probably denoted the coming of the annual spring white sales. (TNT 10-1-1963,B-4-photographs of old Peoples Store)

Peoples (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma--1900-1910; Women--Clothing & dress--Tacoma--1900-1910;

ca. 1905. Several saleswomen, dressed in black and white, prepare for large crowds expected at one of Peoples sales. This one was probably the annual spring white sale held circa 1905. Signs indicating item prices are prominently displayed in the clothes bins atop sturdy wood tables. Peoples department store opened in Tacoma in 1888 before moving to its longtime location at 11th & Pacific. They closed their doors in 1983.

Peoples (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma--1900-1910;

ca. 1890. Gross Brothers store at 901 Broadway. The large staff of the Gross Brothers store lined up on the sidewalk in front of the main entrance and also on the second floor balcony to promote its "Anual" (sic) Clearance Sale circa the winter of 1890. The holiday season was over and it was time to clear the store for the influx of new merchandise. Every item in the huge department store, at one time the city's largest, would be reduced and customers were urged to take advantage of lower prices until February 1st. Built in 1889, the magnificent property was later known as the Jones Block and was demolished in 1916 to make way for the Pantages Theater. This particular photograph was selected for a daily feature of long-ago pictures displayed in the News Tribune on May 24, 1934. Bi-Centennial Project # 75346-55 BU-12722 G56.1-015 (TNT 5-24-31, p. 11 -"In Tacoma's Family Album")

Gross Bros. Store (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma--1890-1900; Banners; Facades--Tacoma--1890-1900;

A window display at the Peoples Store in Tacoma with a sign advertising Wil Wite swimming suits and sweaters. The sign also states that Mickey Mouse will be appearing "in person" at the Fox Broadway Theater.

Peoples (Tacoma); Department Stores--Tacoma--1930-1940; Mickey Mouse; Bathing suits;

ca. 1905. George Davis capitalized on the budding growth of Bismarck by opening a neighborhood grocery store. The Tacoma Eastern Railroad Shops brought jobs to this Tacoma community, centered around McKinley Avenue and East 64th Street. As a consequence of the First World War, the area named for German chancellor Otto Von Bismarck was changed to Hillsdale. The Davis family included George, wife Minnie, and children Robert and Earl, most likely the people on the grocery store deck in this 1905 photograph. Bicentennial project #75346-39.

Grocery stores--Tacoma--1900-1910; George D. Davis Grocery Store (Tacoma);

ca. 1915. An eye-catching pig and his master, made of Washington lard, occupied one of the display windows of the Queen City Market, 1115 Broadway, circa 1915. The lard appears to have come from the Carstens Packing Co., local meat packers. The Queen City Market had opened in March of 1914 in the lower level of a three story building next door to the Horgan-Parker department store. They offered for sale a wide variety of fresh fish, poultry, butter, eggs, and assorted groceries. (TDL 3-1-1914, p. 3-article on store opening)

Queen City Market (Tacoma); Grocery stores--Tacoma--1910-1920; Window displays--Tacoma--1910-1920; Swine;

ca. 1936. Rhodes Brothers Department Store Annex, circa 1936. In 1920, the Rhodes Brothers, in need of more floor space, purchased the Judson Block at 947-49 Broadway. They connected it, by means of a skybridge across the alley, to the main store at 950 Broadway and named it the Annex. (Photograph donated by the Rhodes Reunion Committee)

Rhodes Brothers Department Store Annex (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma;

Main floor at Rhodes Brothers Store, Christmas season 1937. Christmas display of bags, gifts and jewelry. This photograph was taken by noted photographer J.R. Eyerman from the front of the store, looking toward the rear, and before the escalator was installed. Neon signs around the room, above the fine wood cabinets, denote the goods available- cosmetics, jewelry, toilet sets, hankies, novelties, finer bags and gift bags, to name a few. High arching decorations reach over the clear aisles. A large sign on the back wall gives "Gift Ideas" available by floor. (photograph donated by the Rhodes Reunion Committee)

Department stores--Tacoma; Merchandise displays--Tacoma; Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma);

ca. 1917. Rhodes Brothers Store, circa 1917; Dining room at the store. The dining room was located on the top floor at Rhodes. It could seat 300 people. The tables were covered with white linen tablecloths and napkins and crystal vases held fresh flowers. Lunch was served everyday with dinner served 1-2 nights a week. Favorites on the menu were broiled crab, mulligawney soup, clam chowder and Rhodes' cheesecake. (photograph donated by the Rhodes Reunion Committee)

Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma;

ca. 1914. The Roof Garden at Rhodes Brothers department store, circa 1914. The Roof Garden was located just off the Sixth Floor Tea Room. The house photographer took this photograph just after the new awning was completed and the tables were set for luncheon. A similar photo was used in an ad in the July 3, 1914 Tacoma Daily Ledger. Lunch was served daily from 11:30 til 2p.m., afternoon tea daily from 2pm to 5:15 p.m. and evening dinner was served on Saturdays from 5:30-7p.m. (Photograph donated by the Rhodes Reunion Committee)

Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma;

ca. 1910. Rhodes Brothers male employees, circa 1910. The men were posed outside, possibly at a store outing. All of the men, even the delivery boys posed in the front, are dressed in suits, ties and hats for the outing. The women who can be seen in outline back right are dressed in floor length dresses and wide brimmed hats. (Photograph donated by the Rhodes Reunion Committee)

Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma;

ca. 1908. Employees of the Rhodes Brothers delivery department, circa 1908. The men and boys were dressed in uniforms, including 1907 style "puttee" leggings. (Names written on the back of the photograph appear to be: Back row, left to right, "Butch" Smith, Bill Sinding, Ed Lasson, Art Nedevold, Roy Andesson and Carl Johnson. Center row: Ernie Smith, "Babe" Knutson, Art Lasson, Herb Johnson and Paul Day. Front row: Al Swanson, Kenny McKeen and Al James- two unidentified) When Rhodes Brothers opened in 1903, they employed four delivery wagons. Rhodes Brothers was painted in bold letters on the horse drawn wagons. A "special delivery" boy road with the driver and carried the packages to the houses. The boys would also deliver packages by streetcar. In 1912, the wagons were replaced by gas powered delivery trucks. (Photograph donated by the Rhodes Reunion Committee) (TDL 11/8/1903, pg. 17; "A History of Pierce County Washington", Vol. 3, pg 73-77)

Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma)--Employees; Department stores--Tacoma; Delivery boys;

ca. 1888. This photograph from 1888 shows the Hotel Fife, 742-50 Pacific Ave., as it appeared shortly after it was built. It stood on the north west corner of 9th and Pacific. This photograph is looking up 9th street. There is a horse drawn wagon standing in front of the hotel. The hotel was demolished in 1925. TPL-9660

Hotels--Tacoma--1880-1890; Hotel Fife (Tacoma); Commercial streets--Tacoma--1880-1890

ca. 1910. Clarence R. Sharpe, Manager, (2nd from left) standing in front of the Longmire Springs Hotel in this circa 1910 photograph. From the collection of Beverly Knoll.

Longmire Springs Hotel; Mount Rainier National Park (Wash.); Sharpe, Clarence R.;

ca. 1930. Ox and cow pulling a hay filled wagon past an advertisement for Rhodes Brothers Store, circa 1930. The sign was the famous "All roads lead to Rhodes" version. When Henry A. Rhodes opened his modern emporium at 950 Broadway, he envisioned these signs bringing newcomers to Tacoma and his store. The signs were posted on all major roads around the Puget Sound, listing the distance from that point to the Rhodes store and stating "All roads lead to Rhodes." (photograph donated by the Rhodes Reunion Committee)

Department stores--Tacoma; Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma);

ca. 1892. Merchants National Bank building at the corner of South 11th Street and Pacific circa 1892. Cablecar tracks can be seen going up 11th. Built in the heart of the Tacoma financial district, the Merchants National Bank was considered a "modern bank" upon its completion in 1891. The bank had reorganized in 1884 and was led by Walter J. Thompson. He remained its president until May of 1893 when bank failures swept the nation. Although Nelson Bennett, a director of the bank, agreed to assume the presidency and attempted a last minute influx of money to save the bank, the bank failed to open its doors on June 1, 1893. ( Hunt: "The Bank Failures of 1893,"History of Tacoma, Vol. 2, p. 110-115-article)

Merchants National Bank (Tacoma); Banks--Tacoma; Commercial streets--Tacoma--1890-1900;

ca. 1887. This view of the Tacoma National Bank bldg. in the 900 block of Pacific Avenue was taken circa 1887. The building was constructed at 923 Pacific about 1885 and an addition at 921 Pacific built in 1888. The Tacoma National Bank occupied the first floor of the structure with Drs. Munson and Misner, homeopathic physicians and surgeons, above. Washington Fire Insurance Company may have had offices there as well. J.S. Howell & Son had their real estate office in the building next door, at left. The building on the right contained a U.S. Post Office (113 S. 10th) and what appears to be a photography studio. At the far right edge of the photograph is part of the elegant Tacoma Hotel, 913 A Street. Streets above were rough and unpaved although sidewalks had already been constructed in front of these commercial facilities. (copy of original) Bi-Centennial Project # 75346-48; BU-13076, TPL-3787

Tacoma National Bank (Tacoma); Banks--Tacoma; Commercial streets--Tacoma--1880-1890; Tacoma Hotel (Tacoma); Post offices--Tacoma;

ca. 1936. Steven Motor Co., 738 Broadway, Tacoma Chrysler-Plymouth distributor and Steven Marine Supply at 734 Broadway, circa 1936.

Steven Motor Co. (Tacoma); Automobile dealerships--Tacoma--1930-1940; Steven Marine Supply (Tacoma);

ca. 1910. Rhodes Brothers Store, circa 1910; Women's fall fashions in corner window. Henry A. Rhodes opened his grand mercantile establishment, Rhodes Brothers Department Store, at 950 Broadway in 1903. By 1910, business was booming as a result of appeal of current fashions, expert merchandising and advertising. Road signs led travelers to the store from miles around, promising them that "All roads lead to Rhodes." The store employed a professional window decorator and buyers made frequent trips back east to New York for the current fashions. In 1911, three more stories were added to the building, providing a needed expansion. (photograph donated by the Rhodes Reunion Committee)

Department stores--Tacoma; Merchandise displays--Tacoma; Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Women--Clothing & dress--1910-1920;

ca. 1909. Tobie J. Anderson in coat and hat, gloves in hand, selecting a cigar at the Miners Trading Co. general store in Wilkeson, WA. The shelves and display cases of the store are filled with merchandise, and there is a victrola sitting on the counter. From the collection of N. P. Anderson TPL-9750

Miners Trading Co. (Wilkeson); General stores--Wilkeson--1900-1910; Anderson, Tobie J.;

ca. 1929. Office and officers of the Pacific Match Co. Inc. in 1929. Seated at desk, Osee V. Snyder, president-general manager. Standing, 2nd from left, John O. Pasnick, bookkeeper; 6th from left, Tobi J. Anderson, bookkeeper; 5th from right, Fredrick J. Cronkhite, secretary-treasurer. From the collection of N.P. Anderson.

Match industry--Tacoma--1920-1930; Pacific Match Co. (Tacoma);

ca. 1935. Photograph taken of the ruined Tacoma Hotel after the disastrous fire on October 17, 1935. The hotel was totally destroyed by a fire that started out in the north end of the basement in the early morning hours. (photograph courtesy of the Tom Stenger collection)

Fires--Tacoma--1930-1940; Hotels--Tacoma; Tacoma Hotel (Tacoma);

ca. 1887. This street scene of Pacific Avenue looking north from the corner of 11th and Pacific was taken by an unknown photographer in 1887. The brick building at the far left is the Merchant's National Bank Building. Several doors down is the Kaufman & Berliner dry goods store, 948 Pacific. Across the street, at the far right, is Mrs. Mary Fowler's millinery store. The Northern Pacific Headquarters Building is under construction at the far end of the block. The Tacoma Old City Hall will not be built for another four years.

Commercial streets--Tacoma--1880-1890; Business districts--Tacoma--1880-1890; Merchant's National Bank (Tacoma); Fowler Millinery (Tacoma)

West Side Grocery (now the Tides Tavern), 2925 Harborview Dr., Gig Harbor . Docked beside it is the "Florence K," a passenger steamer built in Tacoma by Crawford & Reid in 1903. The "Florence K" would end her service career as a ferry called the "Beeline." Buildings to the right in this undated photograph are part of the Skansie Brothers shipyard. TPL-191, BU-12833 (Doecher Collection DOE- N001)

West Side Grocery (Gig Harbor); Grocery stores--Gig Harbor; Skansie's Shipbuilding Co. (Gig Harbor); Steamboats--Gig Harbor;

ca. 1885. Photograph of "The Tacoma" (Hotel) shortly after it was built - before any of the later additions were added. The massive hotel, focus of much civic pride, opened on August 8, 1884. It had cost more than $250,000 to build, an enormous sum at the time, and was the design of architect Stanford White in 1881 who, according to Murray Morgan's South on the Sound, had been commissioned by the Northern Pacific Railroad and Tacoma Land Co. In subsequent years, several additions and renovations were made to further extend the hotel's reputation as "the finest west of the Mississippi and north of San Francisco." The Tacoma Hotel even boasted of having for a time a tame bear named Jack who spent time in the hotel lobby and was a drinker of beer. The elegant hostelry attracted many prominent visitors who enjoyed breathtaking views and luxurious furnishings. It was destroyed by fire on October 17, 1935 and never rebuilt.

Tacoma Hotel (Tacoma); Hotels--Tacoma--1880-1890;

ca. 1884. The Tacoma Hotel, 913 A street, with its commanding view of the Tacoma tideflats, was one of the best hotels north of San Francisco. Designed by the famous architect Stanford White, it had its official opening in August of 1884. The scaffolding at the north end of the building suggests that it was still under construction when this photograph was taken. Note the Northern Pacific Railroad tracks crossing the almost completely barren tideflats; mills and manufacturing structures had yet to be fully built. The body of water at the left is the Puyallup River as it flows unfettered into Commencement Bay. The massive Tacoma Hotel was destroyed by fire on October 17, 1935, and was never rebuilt; its annex would be remodeled and called the "new" Tacoma Hotel in January, 1936.

Tacoma Hotel (Tacoma);

ca. 1890. The Arlington Hotel was an impressive sight on Pacific Avenue for forty years before its demolition in 1930. Built by Jim Dorsey with architectural plans by C. Langlois in 1889, the hotel was first listed as 2023 Pacific Avenue before its address was later changed to 1955 Pacific Avenue. The 3+ story structure was built primarily of wood and contained multiple windows. A sample room was installed for the benefit of traveling salesmen to show their wares. Imported and domestic wines, liquors and cigars were available for purchase. Some of the hotel's staff, including the bartender in long apron, and the hotel watchdog, posed at the front entrance in this circa 1890 photograph. (copy of original) Bi-Centennial Project # 75346-2; BU-11870

Arlington Hotel (Tacoma); Hotels--Tacoma--1890-1900;