An open office area at Blake, Moffitt & Towne, Inc., shows employees at their desks with various clerical duties: filing, typing, completing ledgers. Men wearing suits are standing by the individual offices along the left side. Lyman V. Hall was vice president and manager of the Tacoma division at this time. The company celebrated its 95th anniversary in 1951. The Tacoma division opened in 1910. Blake, Moffitt and Towne took over the Tacoma Paper & Stationery Company in 1943. (Ledger, 1/7/1951; T.Times, 1/5/1943)
Blake, Moffitt & Towne, Inc. (Tacoma); Offices--Tacoma--1950-1960; Office workers--Tacoma--1950-1960; Paper industry--Tacoma;
Bar area of The Old Spaghetti Factory. Turn-of-the-century memorabilia was found in abundance within The Old Spaghetti Factory, located in the 1700 block of Jefferson Ave. The restaurant itself was located in a 1904-vintage building, former home to the Tacoma Biscuit & Candy Co. and the Blake, Moffitt, & Towne warehouse. Included among various antiques was the 24-foot oak bar and backbar from the Savoy Hotel, then 75 years old. in addition, booths and benches were made from old bed stands. The Old Spaghetti Factory, opened on July 19, 1971, had a floor space of 10,000 square feet and could seat 200 diners. Color photograph ordered by The Old Spaghetti Factory. (TNT 7-18-71, B-7 - article on opening of restaurant) TPL-6394
The Old Spaghetti Factory (Tacoma); Restaurants--Tacoma--1970-1980; Bars (Furniture)--Tacoma;
Interior view of The Old Spaghetti Factory. Vivid colors of red and yellow attract attention to the turn-of-the-century interior of The Old Spaghetti Factory as pictured on January 17, 1973. Hardwood floors, wood furniture, and even the utilization of iron headboards create a comfortable, "homey" feel while dining. A 30-foot, completely refurbished trolley car, parked in the middle of the restaurant and colorfully painted in the same yellow and red tones prevalent throughout the room, surprisingly does not seem out of place. Color photograph ordered by The Old Spaghetti Factory. (TBT 7-18-71, B-7 - article on opening of restaurant)
The Old Spaghetti Factory (Tacoma); Restaurants--Tacoma--1970-1980; Street railroads--Tacoma;
Exterior view of The Old Spaghetti Factory. The Jefferson Avenue building housing The Old Spaghetti Factory once held a cracker plant, the Blake, Moffitt & Towne warehouse and a storage facility before the popular restaurant opened in July of 1971. This exterior view, shot in January of 1973, shows the plain three-story structure with five striped awnings. It was owned by Ed & Edna Groman and Guss Dussin. Color photograph ordered by The Old Spaghetti Factory.
The Old Spaghetti Factory (Tacoma); Restaurants--Tacoma--1970-1980; Facades--Tacoma--1970-1980; Awnings--Tacoma;
The exterior of Blake, Moffitt & Towne, Inc., a local wholesale distributor of printing paper, wrapping paper and stationery. The company, established by Francis Blake, James Moffitt and James W. Towne in 1855, was headquartered in San Francisco. The company opened a division in Tacoma in 1910 serving customers of Southwestern Washington. Frank Jeffries was appointed manager. There were four employees at that time. Two delivery trucks are seen in front of the facilities. (Ledger, 2/5/1956)
Blake, Moffitt & Towne, Inc. (Tacoma); Trucks--Tacoma--1950-1960; Paper industry--Tacoma;
Exterior of Blake, Moffitt & Towne building. Blake, Moffitt & Towne were wholesle distributors of printing paper, wrapping paper and stationery; they were located at 1735 Jefferson Avenue. Union Pacific had requested some photographs be taken in February, 1953, of faults in the building. Whatever the outcome of the investigation, Blake, Moffitt & Towne had moved its operations to 1157 Thorne Rd. by 1954.
Storefronts--Tacoma--1950-1960; Blake, Moffitt & Towne, Inc. (Tacoma); Paper industry--Tacoma--1950-1960;
ca. 1943. Originally built for the Tacoma Biscuit & Candy Co. in 1904, this building at 17th & Jefferson Ave. was sold to the Union Pacific Railroad two years later. After stints as a spice factory and many years as the Tacoma Paper & Stationery Co., it was taken over by Blake, Moffitt & Towne, Inc. in January of 1943. The firm was a wholesale distributor of printing paper, wrapping paper and stationery and remained at the Jefferson address until 1954 when it moved out to the industrial Tideflats. Since 1971, The Old Spaghetti Factory restaurant has been the primary occupant.
Bar area of The Old Spaghetti Factory. Turn-of-the-century memorabilia was found in abundance within The Old Spaghetti Factory, located in the 1700 block of Jefferson Ave. The restaurant itself was located in a 1904-vintage building, former home to the Tacoma Biscuit & Candy Co. and the Blake, Moffitt, & Towne warehouse. Included among various antiques was the 24-foot oak bar and backbar from the Savoy Hotel, then 75 years old. in addition, booths and benches were made from old bed stands. The Old Spaghetti Factory, opened on July 19, 1971, had a floor space of 10,000 square feet and could seat 200 diners. Color photograph ordered by The Old Spaghetti Factory. (TNT 7-18-71, B-7 - article on opening of restaurant) TPL-6394
The Old Spaghetti Factory (Tacoma); Restaurants--Tacoma--1970-1980; Bars (Furniture)--Tacoma;
Interior view of The Old Spaghetti Factory, possibly lobby area. Diners at The Old Spaghetti Factory, 1731-37 Jefferson Ave., could relax on turn-of-the-century styled chairs and couches while waiting to be seated. A quaint white gazebo, pictured above in this January, 1973, photograph, appears to have contained a bar, with casks of beer. Color photograph ordered by The Old Spaghetti Factory.
The Old Spaghetti Factory (Tacoma); Restaurants--Tacoma--1970-1980; Street railroads--Tacoma;
A man is standing with his leg bent on a brick wall in this February, 1953, photograph. He may be positioned on the roof of the Blake, Moffitt & Towne, Inc., building on Jefferson Avenue. He appears to be examining a fault in the retaining wall on behalf of the Union Pacific.
