The Jensen Fuel Company was housed in a concrete block structure with glass block curved windows in addition to a large plate glass window. The business had its name in large neon letters on a ledge above the doorway. A hanging sign inside the store indicated that Quaker heaters, oil burners and furnace stokers could be purchased there. A 24 hour self-service unit was attached to the main building; a customer could stop by when the business was closed and still buy sacks of coal and prest-o-logs. Owned by Everett R. Jensen, Jensen Fuel was located at 6238 South Tacoma Way. Photograph ordered by F.D. Dickinson.

Jensen Fuel Co. (Tacoma); Fuel supply; Signs (Notices); Electric signs--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Ernie's Lakewood Center Service, a Union 76 gas station. Man servicing automobile at left. The Lakewood Center Service was located at 9404 Gravelly Lake Dr. S.W. and was operated by Ernie Eichler.

Lakewood Center Service Co. (Lakewood); Automobile service stations--Lakewood--1950-1960;

The Pacific Oerlikon Co. were electric equipment manufacturers. According to the 1951 City Directory, they were located at 3001 No. Starr and Lloyd Morgan was listed as manager. View of machinery manufactured by Pacific Oerlikon in photograph taken on September 18, 1951. It possibly could be a type of drill. Photograph ordered by Pacific Oerlikon.

Pacific Oerlikon Co. (Tacoma); Machinery;

Scene from the Grand Opening of the Gay Nineties Room at Steve's Cafe (later commonly known as Steve's Gay '90s.) Employees pose in Nineties costumes, with frilly garters on their sleeves. Steve's was owned and operated by local restaurateur John Stanley and Steve Pease, the "unofficial mayor of South Tacoma." They merged Stanley's coffee shop and Pease's tavern in 1949 when, with the passage of liquor by the drink, Pease found he needed a restaurant in order to retain his liquor license. Providing new and unique environments and entertainments during the next twenty years, such as the Cable car room and the Opera House with its can can dancers, the Gay '90s remained a popular tourist attraction throughout the fifties and sixties. They closed in 1977. (TNT 4/4/1951, pg B6-B7)

Steve's Gay '90s (Tacoma); Restaurants--Tacoma--1950-1960; Clothing & dress--Tacoma--1890-1900;

Progress photograph of Puget Sound Bank's new parking lot, formerly the Tacoma Transit garages. A steam shovel and trucks are being used for excavation and hauling away of the debris.The bricks from the Transit building demolition were used to fill in the warrens left below ground from the street car days. The ground has now been leveled and the site looks more like the parking lot it will become. The parking lot will measure 320 ft by 144 ft and will have a capacity of 126 automobiles. Bank customers will be able to enjoy a half hour of free parking in which to attend to their banking needs. The lot will also employ an attendant during hours of operation, 8:30-5 weekdays. Schoenfelds Furniture, at 1423 Pacific Ave., can be seen in the background of the picture. (TNT 5/24/1951, pg. 23)

Tacoma Transit Co. (Tacoma); Tacoma Transit Co. Garage (Tacoma); Puget Sound National Bank (Tacoma); Progress photographs--1950-1960; Steam shovels; Banks--Tacoma;

The receptionist counter at the Town and Country Beauty Salon, Inc., at 815 Pacific Ave. To the left of the padded counter is a display of honey oil shampoo. Other brand names include Copacabana, Contessa and Kurlash eyelash curlers.

Beauty shops--Tacoma--1950-1960; Town & Country Beauty Salon, Inc. (Tacoma);

Mohawk window display at Selden's Home Furnishings and Carpet store. A heavily brocaded sofa with a coffee table and end tables sits in front of a large patterned floral wallpaper in Selden's display window. S.C. Selden, a Parkland native and graduate of Lincoln High School, opened his own store in 1940 across from the Sears store on Broadway. He sold linoleum, window shades and carpeting. With the advent of World War II, carpet was not available but business was booming in blackout shades. Their shade assembly shop operated 16 hours a day, six days a week. After the war, the company scrambled to enter the post war housing era.

Furniture stores--Tacoma; Home furnishings stores--Tacoma; Selden's, Inc. (Tacoma);

The exterior of the reconditioned General Paint store. This nighttime view shows the illuminated neon sign in the shape of a toy soldier.

Stores & shops--Tacoma--1950-1960; Paints & varnishes; General Paint Corp. (Tacoma); Window displays--Tacoma--1950-1960; Electric signs--Tacoma--1950-1960;

The kitchen at the Viking Smorgasbord was furnished with the latest in modern equipment including odorless gas equipment. Well trained staff were selected by John E. Berglund and Maja Lisa Lindberg, both professionals in food catering. (TNT, 4/14/1951, p.C-5)

Viking Smorgasbord (Tacoma); Restaurants--Tacoma; Kitchens--Tacoma--1950-1960;

An elevated view of the large service area at the 72nd Street Serve & Save gasoline station. Attendants are busy with three automobiles at the two gasoline pump islands while many more automobiles and their drivers wait their turn. Ordered by Time Oil.

Automobile service stations--Tacoma--1940-1950; Gasoline pumps--Tacoma--1940-1950; Time Oil Co. (Tacoma); Seventy-Second Street Serve & Save (Tacoma); Automobiles--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Progress photograph of quonset hut construction in the K Street shopping area. Puget Sound National Bank was providing temporary quarters for their K Street Branch while a new building was constructed. Ordered by Condon Company.

Banks--Tacoma; Banking--Tacoma--1950-1960; Puget Sound National Bank (Tacoma); Progress photographs;

Felkins Fine Foods (A.G. Felkins No. 13) is located in a two story building built using concrete blocks. Posters in the front window offer rhubarb 2 pounds for 15 cents, butter for 69 cents per pound, and oranges 8 cents per pound. Ordered by the Holroyd Company.

Holroyd Co. (Tacoma); Building materials; Concrete--Tacoma; Concrete products industry--Tacoma; A.G. Felkins No. 13 (Tacoma); Grocery stores--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Repairs are being made to the boiler at Consumers Central Heating's heating plant.

Consumers Central Heating Co. (Tacoma); Heating & ventilation industry--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Close-up of pipes and interior of Consumers Central heating building, 1218 A St.

Consumers Central Heating Co. (Tacoma); Heating & ventilation industry--Tacoma--1940-1950;

The 1950s were cruising years for teenagers in everywhere USA. Carhops delivered burgers and cokes on trays that attached to rolled-down car windows. Cruising was car hopping--teenagers met friends and wannabe friends at these 1950s social gathering places. In Tacoma, Busch's Drive-In restaurant was the place to be on Saturday nights. Bill and Thelma Busch bought the former Triple XXX Barrel Restaurant in 1943 and it remains today as Busch's Restaurant along with the memories of "cruising". TPL-830

Drive-in restaurants--Tacoma; Automobiles--Tacoma--1950-1960; Night photographs; Electric signs--Tacoma--1950-1960; Buschs Drive In (Tacoma);

Exterior of house #7222, a one-story wood frame, two large windows on frount and door with three steps. Ordered by H.C. Little Burner Co., 95 Connecticut St., Seattle, WA.

H.C. Little Burner Co. (Seattle); Houses--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Holroyd's booth at the 1951 home show at the College of Puget Sound Fieldhouse. The display features photographs of homes using products from Holroyd Company and built by Modern Construction. Several of the photographs featured in the display were taken by the Richards Photography Studio. Ordered by the Holroyd Company.

Holroyd Co. (Tacoma); Concrete products industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Concrete; Exhibitions--Tacoma--1950-1960; Exhibit booths--Tacoma; Greater Tacoma Home Show (Tacoma);

A one-story, single-family residence with a one-car garage is covered with clapboards painted a light color. New homes in the Lakeview district on Bridgeport Way would be open for viewing. They were built by Lakeview Builders. C.J. Peterson was president of Lakeview Builders and B.E. Coffman was vice president. Charles L. West was sales representative. Each lot averaged 60 feet by 110 feet. Two-bedroom homes had 768 square feet of floor space and 288 square feet of garage space. Three-bedroom homes had 974 square feet plus garage. Ordered by Lakeview Builders, Inc., Mr. Coffman. (TNT, 6/24/1951, p.A-3)

Lakeview Builders, Inc. (Lakewood); Houses--Lakewood--1950-1960;

The front of one of the new Trendmaker Homes at Skyline Drive and Heatherwood built by Miller Construction Co., Inc. shows the long lines of the ranch-style home that became popular in the 1950's. A one-car garage has been included at the far end of the home. Ordered by Wollander Trendmaker Homes, Joe Heatley. (TNT, 9/9/1951, p.B-3)

Miller Construction Co., Inc. (Tacoma); Housing developments--Tacoma; Construction industry--Tacoma; Houses--Tacoma--1950-1960; Wollander Trendmaker Homes (Tacoma);

Closet doors have been left open to show the storage capacity in one of the bedrooms in a new Trendmaker Homes at Skyline Drive and Heatherwood built by Miller Construction Co., Inc. Ordered by Wollander Trendmaker Homes, Joe Heatley.

Miller Construction Co., Inc. (Tacoma); Housing developments--Tacoma; Construction industry--Tacoma; Houses--Tacoma--1950-1960; Wollander Trendmaker Homes (Tacoma); Bedrooms--Tacoma--1950-1960; Closets--Tacoma;

The Shell Oil service station at Airport Road and Pacific. Ordered by Cliff Olson.

Shell Oil Co., Inc. (Tacoma); Automobile service stations--Tacoma--1950-1960; Gasoline pumps--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Puget Sound National Bank opened temporary quarters on L Street between 11th and 12th Streets June 25, 1951 in two quonset huts. Although architectural plans had already been drawn up for a permanent bulding, construction was delayed due to national defense building restrictions. Rene Odin, the bank's president, determined that a temporary building should be built to fill the demand for local services from K Street merchants and residents. The permanent building was eventually built at 1120 So. 11th Street. Odlin. Ordered by Condon Company, Roscoe Smith. (TNT, 6/20/1951, p.3)

Banks--Tacoma; Banking--Tacoma--1950-1960; Puget Sound National Bank (Tacoma); Progress photographs;

Dairy cases at Big Bear Store. Medosweet Dairy has been spelled out in neon around the clock above the case and Blue Bonnet Margarine has a large sign above stacks of their margarine. A sign suggests, "Entertain the California Way, with Wine and Cheese". Dairy Gold Butter and Velveeta Cheese have large displays. Hunks of cheese and milk in cartons are also included. Ordered by Paramount Products, Seattle.

Big Bear Stores (Tacoma); Grocery stores--Tacoma--1950-1960; Dairy products; Merchandise displays--Tacoma--1950-1960; Electric signs--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Unidentified speaker addressing large crowd at the June, 1951, opening ceremonies for three-tier parking lot at Sears, Roebuck and Co. downtown store. The new Sears building occupied nearly three acres and contained direct openings on each level to the street(s). The new concrete parking garage could hold 500 cars. Mayor John Anderson participated in the formal opening of the garage. (TNT 6-6-51, B-2, B-6 articles)

Sears, Roebuck & Co. (Tacoma); Parking garages--Tacoma--1950-1960; Building dedications--Tacoma--1950-1960;

The vegetable case at Ed Greiner A-G Food Store No. 6 is filled with fresh produce. Mirrors have been placed at the back of the cases to enhance the displays of lettuce, carrots, cabage, cauliflower, celery and peppers. Two men stand on the right wearing long aprons. Ordered by Carl Rhodes Sales Company, Seattle.

A-G Food Store No. 6 (Tacoma); Grocery stores--Tacoma--1950-1960; Vegetables--Tacoma; Showcases; Merchandise displays--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Showroom at South Tacoma Motor Company. People viewing new Chevrolet, two-door sedan with rear skirts. Sign on wall: " America's Best Seller. Chevrolet. America's Best Buy."

Automobile dealerships--Tacoma--1950-1960; South Tacoma Motor Co. (Tacoma); Chevrolet automobile; Showrooms--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Central Bank held an open house for their new K Street branch at the corner of K Street and South 12th January 25, 1952. This view shows the staff at the new branch with seven women standing behind five men seated in the front. P.W. Bourgaize, president of Central Bank, is seated in the middle. Central Bank opened for business on March 9, 1925, at the corner of 6th Avenue and Pine Street. The growth of Central Bank, leading to the extension of its banking facilities to the K Street district, is shown by the consistent rise of its assets, from $654,156.43 at the end of 1939 to $4,996,978.81 at the close of 1951. (TNT, 1/24/1952, p.9)

Bankers--Tacoma; Banking--Tacoma--1950-1960; Banks--Tacoma; Central Bank (Tacoma)--People; Central Bank (Tacoma); Bourgaize, P.W.;

Fisher's is installing an escalator inside their department store. Plywood has been used to surface the outside of the opening where the escalator will be placed. Supporting columns and various pipes are seen outside the area enclosed by plywood. Counters are filled with children's hats and clothing. A sign points the way to infant's wear, girls wear, infants furniture and toyland. A sales area with a cash register is seen in the center by one of the columns.

Department stores--Tacoma; Fisher's Department Store (Tacoma); Escalators--Tacoma;

Tietz, Inc., is building more new homes in the Narrowmoor Addition. A concrete foundation has been poured and a cable grid has been laid where the main floor will be built for this H-shaped home. Another new home under construction can be seen behind this one and lines of new homes on the streets above have already been completed. Tietz Construction Company was located at 3853 Steilacoom Boulevard SW in Lakewood. They advertised as building contractors and general contractors. The company was a member of the Tacoma Master Builders Association.

Tietz Construction Inc. (Lakewood); Houses--Tacoma--1950-1960; Housing developments--Tacoma; Real estate development--Tacoma;

The Golden Gloves Committee met at the Top of the Ocean. Amateur boxers from as far away as Vancouver, B.C. and Eugene, Oregon, were expected for the fourth annual Tacoma Golden Gloves tournament that was held at the College of Puget Sound fieldhouse. There were 48 entrants in the 1951 bout and 85 were expected this year. Shown are, L-R, seated: Carter Lee, Ken Purchase, Ples Irwin, George Sheridan, Ray Kelly, Henry Auge, and Charles Funk. Standing: Howie Welsh, John Rockway, Bob Martin, Jim Rondeau, Al Kemp, Vernie Reed, Clay Huntington, and Harry (Scotty) Weinstone. Ordered by Tacoma Athletic Commission. (TNT, 1/25/1952, p.C-9)

Top of the Ocean (Tacoma); Restaurants--Tacoma--1950-1960; Tacoma Athletic Commission (Tacoma); Boxing--Tacoma--1950-1960;