Stock photographs of Mt. Rainier, Narada Falls, Tatoosh Range, Studio, Bob & Carroll. A man and a woman with photographic gear are standing on a sloping hillside beside a tree. A waterfall plunges downwards behind them.

Rainier, Mount (Wash.); Waterfalls;

In February of 1949, this group of high school students was working hard to improve their rifle shooting skills. Like many others, they were practicing at the new Civic Rifle Range in the Point Defiance Pavilion. All of the teens were members of Tacoma's sharpshooter team, the Mount Rainier Rifle League. They attended high school at Clover Park, Bellarmine, Stadium and Lincoln, where most were also on their school's rifle squad. Photograph ordered by Mr. Metcalf at the Times. (T.Times, 2/28/1949, p.8)

Point Defiance Pavilion (Tacoma); Civic Rifle Range (Tacoma); Mount Rainier Rifle League (Tacoma); Students--Tacoma--1940-1950;

ca. 1953. Logging companies brought donkey engines out to the locations where timber was being felled. View of logging operation on Mount Rainier in 1953 shows downed timber already cut into smaller sections. There are steel cables attached to the wooden spar so that the downed timber can be pulled to the landing for loading onto trucks or railroad cars for transfer to a log dump or mill. Later these spar trees would be replaced by portable steel spars. TPL-3240

Rainier, Mount (Wash.); Lumber industry--1950-1960; Donkey engines; Logs;

Cyclone fencing around the lions' grotto at Point Defiance Zoo. The money for modern zoo habitats was raised by the citizens of Tacoma during public fund raisers to replace antiquated housing. When it was suggested that Tacoma's poorly cared for and ailing lions be moved to Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo, a "Save Our Lions" fund drive commenced. The citizens of Tacoma donated $12,000, including change from school children and funds from civic and social clubs. The $104,000 Pt. Defiance Animal House opened in November of 1953, helped along by a special levy. A plaque read "This zoo made possible by the goodwill of the citizens of Tacoma." Point Defiance Zoo had three lions. The best known was Norma, a 300 pound good natured cat best remembered for riding in an open convertible with former Mayor John Anderson during a parade. The other two were Norma's mother Alice and Sammy, a male recently purchased from the Clyde Beatty circus. (TNT 8/14/1955, Pacific Parade magazine, TNT 11/22/1953)

Point Defiance Zoo (Tacoma); Point Defiance Park (Tacoma); Lions; Cages--Tacoma; Zoos--Tacoma--1950-1960; Zoo animals;

ca. 1979. Fireman's Park at 9th & A St. On the left is Tacoma Savings & Loan at 101 So. 9th St. Almost out of the picture on the right is the Bowes building at 100 So. 9th St. The photograph is taken from 9th St. facing east.

Fireman's Park (Tacoma); Parks--Tacoma--1970-1980; Tacoma Savings & Loan Association (Tacoma);

ca. 1915. Created from the stump of a massive cedar tree, this bandstand stood in 27-acre Wright Park and was the scene of many civic and formal occasions and celebrations. Two unidentified men are pictured on the bandstand in this circa 1915 photograph. Fire destroyed the bandstand in 1930. (copy of original) Bi-Centennial Project # 75346-11 (www.metroparkstacoma.org-short article)

Wright Park (Tacoma); Parks--Tacoma--1910-1920; Tree stumps--Tacoma; Bandstands--Tacoma;

ca. 1908. Families enjoy a sunny day at McKinley Park circa 1908. The 22-acre park was a gift to the City of Tacoma by the Tacoma Land & Improvement Co. in 1901. It was named after President William McKinley who had died that year. The park was covered with trees, shrubs and grass and it took a few years to develop it for the public. Usage of the park diminished after the freeway was constructed along its northern border in 1962 but rebounded with the addition of new playground equipment, new restroom and improved pathways. (metroparkstacoma.org)

McKinley Park (Tacoma); Parks--Tacoma--1900-1910;

ca. 1918. Photograph by Albert Henry Barnes of the Mazama party making its way on horseback across Paradise Park, Mount Rainier National Park, circa 1918. Mazama is a Spanish word for "mountain goat" and also the name of the climbing club of Portland, Oregon. The Mazama climbing club was organized on the summit of Mount Hood on July 19, 1894. It was the second climbing club to be organized on the Pacific Rim, the first being the Sierra Club which was founded by John Muir in 1892.The Mazamas had many outings on Mount Rainier beginning in 1897. (ORIGIN OF GEOGRAPHIC NAMES OF TACOMA/PIERCE COUNTY WASHINGTON by Gary Fuller Reese; www.mazamas.org)

Mount Rainier National Park (Wash.); Packtrains--Mount Rainier; Pack animals--Mount Rainier; Horses; Mazama Climbing Club (Mount Rainier);

Scenery at Chambers Creek and Lake Steilacoom, taken in June of 1931. Bowen # 310-231

Framed by two towering firs, Mount Rainier (called Mount Tacoma by locals) still wears a cap of snow although it is August of 1929. This photograph was taken from the viewpoint of Tipsoe Lake, at the summit of Chinook Pass. G76.1-091 (see Boland , B21291, for another view of the mountain from Tipsoe Lake)

Rainier, Mount (Wash.);

Mount Rainier (then called Mount Tacoma by locals) looms starkly in the background as it overlooks this small community of houses apparently on the Orting-Sumner highway. This photograph was believed to have been taken in May of 1929. G76.1-109 (Corrected identification provided by a reader)

Rainier, Mount (Wash.);

View of imposing Mount Rainier (called Mt. Tacoma at the time by locals) and serene American Lake in February of 1930. G76.1-081

Rainier, Mount (Wash.); American Lake (Wash.);

This is a view of Mt. Rainier taken from what is believed to be Paradise in September of 1922. Winding pathways lead off-road through the stands of timber. At that time, local residents and the city's newspapers still insisted that the mountain be called "Mt. Tacoma" per explorer Theodore Winthrop's book written 60 years before. Attempts were made, none successful, to change the peak's name officially from Rainier to Tacoma. G76.1-135

Rainier, Mount (Wash.);

Photographer Marvin Boland took a trip through the outlying towns and Mt. Tacoma (now Rainier) on July 3, 1925. He stopped at this unidentified small community which was on a railroad line. This view of the town shows Mt. Tacoma glimmering among dark clouds and the rural setting beneath nestled among tall trees. G72.1-072

Rainier, Mount (Wash.); Cities & towns--Washington;

This view of the downtown business district, with Mount Tacoma (Rainier) looming in the distance, was taken from the Winthrop Hotel on November 27, 1925. Standing in the photograph's center is the 17-story newly completed Washington Building. A large electric sign, 90-feet long and 30-feet high, advertised the presence of the new Brotherhood Cooperative National Bank which occupied the ground floor on the 11th St. side. Further down Pacific Avenue is the Puget Sound National Bank (1117-19) with its familiar spire. Across from the Washington Building is the Rust Building, built only five years before. (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 5-31-25, E-8-article on the Washington Building; Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 6-28-25, B1-3-article on Brotherhood Bank) G8.1-080

Rainier, Mount (Wash.); Business districts--Tacoma--1920-1930; Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Washington Building (Tacoma); Brotherhood Cooperative National Bank (Tacoma); Electric signs--Tacoma--1920-1930; Puget Sound National Bank (Tacoma);

This is believed to be part of the "Immigrant Trail" through the Naches Pass that wandered into Mount Tacoma (now Rainier) in 1926. Mount Tacoma is visible in the background. G76.1-082

Rainier, Mount (Wash.); Mountain roads;

This unidentified family of three is camped under the shade of tall trees at Manitou Park in South Tacoma in mid-June of 1921. A canvas tent is rigged over an automobile and folding chairs provided for relaxing. Two bottles of milk rest on top of a small table built onto the car's running board. Visitors to the park praised it for its beauty and cleanliness and it was a favorite stopping point for thousands of out-of-state tourists. The 10-acre Manitou Park was divided into three sections with three acres set aside for free camping for tourists only. Locals were invited to use a three-acre section for picnics or enjoy four acres of green lawns and shade trees. TPL-5859; G41.1-013 (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 6-19-21, E-7; TNT 7-18-21, p. 3-article)

Camping--Tacoma--1920-1930; Manitou Park (Tacoma);

Kitchen and dining room - Manitou Park, a ten-acre park located on the outskirts of South Tacoma. Three acres were set aside only for tourists for camping purposes. The Metropolitan Park board had erected a dining hall with ten tables, four stoves, piped-in water and made the ground level for tents. Surrounded by towering trees, the open-air kitchen featured a large fireplace while the adjacent dining room was framed on all sides. Although many visitors brought their own small portable stoves, they were welcome to use the camp's dining facilities, especially when it rained. G77.1-011 (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 6-19-21, E-7; TNT 7-18-21, p. 3-article)

Camping--Tacoma--1920-1930; Manitou Park (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

Rainier, Mount (Wash.);

ca. 1909. Photograph taken on an excursion to Mount Rainier in 1909 near Longmire Springs. The woman second from the left, holding an unidentified child, is Helen Shaver. The man to the right, with his left hand on his hip, is Albert Henry Barnes. From the collection of Don Cooper.

Mount Rainier National Park (Wash.); Camping--Pierce County--1900-1910; Shaver, Helen; Barnes, Albert Henry;

ca. 1900. A man hand feeds a deer as a number of deer crowd around him. The deer are in a fenced in area at Point Defiance Park. A large wooden building stands at the far left in the photograph. From the collection of Don Cooper.

Deer; Point Defiance Park (Tacoma); Parks--Tacoma--1900-1910

ca. 1900. A young nanny pushes a baby in an ornate pram through Wright Park in Tacoma. They have stopped by one of the ponds in the park. A white swan is at the edge of the pond. The tower of the Pierce County Court House just makes it into the photograph at the far left. From the collection of Don Cooper.

Wright Park (Tacoma); Parks--Tacoma--1900-1910; Governesses;Baby carriages