In this photograph from around 1946, eight volunteer Senior Hostesses posed around a refreshment table for an unidentified event held at the USO #2 located at 713-15 Commerce Street. Pictured left to right: Lila Brown, Ethel Butler, Helen Beck Stafford, Maude Leonard, unidentified, Louise Beck, unidentified and Minnie Harris. (brochure from Recognition Ceremony USO Number Two on 3/30/1947; photograph by F.L. Powell of Tacoma)

On Sunday February 3, 1946, USOs across the nation celebrated the fifth anniversary of USO (United Service Organization) operation by opening to the public. In Tacoma, all of the USO clubs had open houses but the main event was held at the USO #2, the club reserved for servicemen of color at 713-15 Commerce St. Guests of honor were Tacoma's Mayor Harry Cain (center back table) and Earl Marble, the chairman of the Tacoma USO Council. The anniversary program included performances by the Special Service Band from Fort Lewis, concert pianist Pvt. Glen Michaels and tenor Sgt. Soto Andrews. (TNT 2/3/1946, pg. A-7, 2/4/1946, pg. 1; photograph by F.L. Powell of Tacoma)

From September of 1942 until the end of March, 1947, 713-15 Commerce housed USO #2, a club reserved for the entertainment of servicemen and women of color. One of the unique activities in the club took place each year during "Be Kind to Animals" week. Servicemen assisted in the planning and production of a dog show with the pets of local children. Ribbons were presented to the best in each catagory. In this photograph dated September 16, 1945, unidentified children and servicemen pose with a variety of dogs at the club. (photograph by F.L. Powell of Tacoma)

ca. 1946. One of the purposes of the USO was to make the holidays more festive for servicemen stationed away from home and their families. This picture of a local pair, left, and four servicemen was taken around Christmas at the USO Club #2. All of the people in the picture are unidentified. The Club was reserved for servicemen of color; at this time, the military was still segregated. (Photograph by F.L. Powell, YMCA, Tacoma).

ca. 1946. A group of at a refreshment table at the USO #2, 713-15 Commerce St., around 1946. The border in the background is formed of a line of thumbtacked photographs of the USO Club. (photograph by F.L. Powell of Tacoma)

Volunteers of USO No. 2 shown in this undated World War II era photograph include community activist Helen Stafford, second from right. USO No. 2 opened at 713 Commerce Street in September 1942 to serve Tacoma's African American servicemen and closed in March 1947. This location also served servicemen during World War I as the Army-Navy Club. TPL-5977

ca. 1946. One of the functions of the United Service Organizations (USO) was to create a welcoming atmosphere for servicemen and women away from home, especially during the holidays. From the look of the guests' hats and leis, the social event in this undated photograph was held during the holidays in the main hall of the USO #2, 713-15 Commerce St. The military was still segregated during World War II, so USO #2 was provided for the entertainment of African American soldiers.

Undated photograph of the Matrons Club. The woman seated front left is Helen Beck Stafford, one of the founders of the group. Dr. Stafford moved to Tacoma in 1926 to marry Wendell P. Stafford on New Years Eve. Even though she had taught for a few years in Kansas schools, Tacoma school personnel directors refused to hire a black teacher. She stayed at home and cared for her husband and daughter. She and several other women who stayed home to rear their children would get together for a social outlet. In 1927, they formally organized the Matrons Club. The women who attended the meetings often brought their children along and the children would play together. (TNT 2/22/1982- NWR clipping file) (photograph by Liberal Engraving Co., 907 1/2 Commerce)

A large group of Japanese Americans are pictured on the steps of Jones Hall on the University of Puget Sound campus during the Pacific Northwest District Methodist and Youth Conference on November 27, 1960. Photograph ordered by the Japanese Methodist Church.

Japanese Americans--Tacoma; Religious meetings--Tacoma;

The Tacoma Buddhist Church at 1717 Fawcett Ave. held an O-bon Festival on Sunday, July 19, 1959. Dressed in kimonos with obis around their waists and zori sandals on their feet are (l to r) Carol Hayashi, Lynne Nakagawara, Laurie Tanabe, Kathy Tanabe, Atsuko Duchi and Joyce Nakagawara. The festival opened at 7 p.m. with a religious ceremonial dance. This was followed by a selection of colorful Japanese folk dances. Japanese paper lanterns were used as decoration, and Japanese flower arrangements by the women of the Buddhist Fujin-Kai were on display in the church basement. (TNT 7/17/1959, pg. 14) Picture ordered by the Tacoma Buddhist Church

Kimonos; Japanese Americans--Tacoma; Girls--Tacoma--1950-1960; Hayashi, Carol; Nakagawara, Lynne; Tanabe, Laurie; Tanabe, Kathy; Duchi, Atsuko; Nakagawara, Joyce;

Wedding of University of Washington graduates Luana Chizuru Uyeda and Dr. Keith Hiroshi Yoshino.

Family gathering before or after the wedding of University of Washington graduates Luana Chizuru Uyeda and Dr. Keith Hiroshi Yoshino.

Post-wedding photo of University of Washington graduates Luana Chizuru Uyeda and Dr. Keith Hiroshi Yoshino in a Ford Crown Victoria.

A Native American chief in headdress and buckskins gazes at the remainder of downed trees on November 27, 1954. He is standing on a trailer hitch of the large truck that will haul the giant peeler log through the streets of Bellingham as part of a parade. Georgia-Pacific Plywood Co. had arranged for several giant Douglas firs to be cut and transported for this special parade. Photograph ordered by Georgia-Pacific Plywood Co. TPL-8281

Indians of North America--Bellingham; Logs;

Indians and canoes Rutter G5.1-005

ca. 1886. Several long boats (Indian canoes) rest on the beach at about Fifth and Pacific in Tacoma in this photograph from the mid 1880s. Long boats could transport a whole family with supplies for a season of fishing. This group of boats is probably preparing to head upstream on the Puyallup River where members of the Puyallup tribe worked in the hop fields of the Puyallup Valley. The Puyallups are part of the Puget Sound Salish original peoples. They were hunters, gatherers and fishermen, although they inhabited permanent houses along the riverbanks and along the Sound. Salmon was their main food and figured strongly in their culture. Under the Treaty of Medicine Creek, the tribe ceded much of their territories but retained fishing rights. Rutter Collection TPL-564

Longboats--Tacoma--1890-1900; Indians of North America--Tacoma--1890-1900;

ca. 1890. "Chief Seattle's daughter" in Seattle.

These Native American girls were taking a sewing class at the Cushman Indian School on the Puyallup Reservation in June of 1918. The goal of Native American education from 1880-1920 was to assimilate the children into the dominant European culture, removing them from traditional Indian ways. One method was to remove them from their families and enroll them in government run boarding schools. By 1910, the Puyallup Indian School had become the Cushman Indian School, a large industrial boarding school, hosting over 350 students from the Northwest and Alaska. The school's focus was training the students for a place as a laborer in an industrialized America. During WWI the Red Cross entered into a partnership with schools to produce needed goods for the war torn countries. The girls in this photograph are probably sewing for the Red Cross. The boarding school closed in 1920. G39.1-163; TPL-2822

Cushman Indian School (Tacoma); Boarding schools--Puyallup Reservation; Sewing--1910-1920; Sewing machines--1910-1920;

A Japanese American wedding party with their many guests posed on December 6, 1925 outside the building at South 17th and Market Streets that housed the Tacoma Jujitsu School and the Columbus Hotel. The bride, groom and attendants, as well as guests, are all dressed in American attire. Rather then wear a traditional shiromuku wedding kimono, the bride appears to be completely and stylishly dressed in a contemporary white dress, including a long lace veil, and carries a large bouquet of flowers. No one, with the exception of the two youngsters on the far right, appears to be smiling. G39.1-184; TPL-1438.

Japanese Americans--Tacoma; Weddings--Tacoma--1920-1930; Wedding costume--1920-1930; Grooms (Weddings)--1920-1930; Brides--1920-1930;

Herbert Hoover, then Secretary of Commerce, signed the Indian "Pledge to the Mountain" to honor Mt. Rainier on the rooftop of the Hotel Winthrop on August 21, 1926. An unidentified Indian maiden helps to unroll the scroll. Mr. Hoover, who would later become the 31st President of the United States, was given the name Chief Coolee-Chuck ("Running Water"). The pledge was administered entirely in the Chinook language. In it, Mr. Hoover swore and promised by the Great Spirit of the Mountain to journey whenever possible to the "Mountain that was God" in order to breathe in the pure air, drink the sparkling waters, and gaze upon its wondrous beauties. He promised to acquaint himself with the lore of the red men and learn about the legends of the mountain's origins and sacredness. Should he violate this solemn obligation, he could foresee his wickiup burning, racehorses dying and coyotes devouring all his rabbits. Secretary Hoover was in Tacoma as a guest of the Tacoma Chamber of Commerce and addressed a large group of about 300 businessmen at the Hotel Winthrop on the "Future of Foreign Trade." This photograph was modified by the photographer: a clearer view of Mount Rainier was added, and the Brotherhood Bank's signage reversed and building itself extended upward. TPL-5447; G68.1-028 (TNT 8-21-26, p. 1)

Hoover, Herbert; Indians of North America--Tacoma--1920-1930; Document signings--Tacoma; Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma);

This young unidentified Japanese-American couple was married in a Buddhist ceremony on December 11, 1927, at the Hiroshimaya Hotel, 1355 Market Street. The bride appears to have had an attendant who is holding a large bouquet of flowers and four junior attendants. The Buddhist minister, in ornamental robes, is standing behind the newlyweds. The wedding party and guests, all dressed in Western attire, are posed beneath a canopy; each section of the canopy has a similar circular design. TPL-2838; G39.1-186

Japanese Americans--Tacoma; Weddings--1920-1930; Grooms (Weddings)--1920-1930; Brides--1920-1930; Wedding costume--1920-1930;

On January 18, 1928, two unidentified Native American women were photographed weaving baskets while seated outside a wood-framed building. They have their heads down as they concentrate on their work. TPL-1546; G4.1-048

Indigenous peoples; Basket making;

Japanese American children from Fife line up on the steps of the First Presbyterian Church on February 8, 1928, dressed in traditional kimonos and with open fans. The tall young lady in the center of the photograph is their teacher, Miss Jones, who wears a kimono with thick obi. The positioning of the young girls on the steps resembles a gently opened fan. That afternoon the First Presbyterian Church sponsored a "Tea of Nations" which attracted 400 guests. Many countries in which the church had missionary programs were featured in a pageant of nations; these young girls may have been invited as representatives of Japan. They would be led in song by Miss Jones. G39.1-188A (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 2-5-28, D-1-article on Tea of Nations)

Japanese Americans--Tacoma; Children--Clothing & dress--Tacoma--1920-1930; Kimonos; Fans (Accessories);

Tacoma Buddhist Shoso-kwai. The Shoso-kwai, which may have translated to "youth meeting," poses outdoors, sans coats, on February 19, 1928. The young girls belonged to the Tacoma Buddhist Church which met at the site of the Columbus Hotel on Market St. Two years later in 1930, the church would move to its present location on Fawcett Avenue. G39.1-189; TPL-2840.

Japanese Americans--Tacoma; Clubs--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Sepia photograph of Japanese American children in colorful kimonos and obis, carrying open fans. Posed against the peaceful setting of the First Presbyterian Church on February 8, 1928, these young Japanese American girls from Fife are dressed in traditional costume. The two children kneeling in front have musical instruments in their laps. At center is their teacher, Miss Jones, who is also dressed in a kimono. The First Presbyterian had a "Tea of Nations" that afternoon which was attended by 400 women. Countries where the Presbyterian Church had missions were featured; this class of young children would be singing at the event. G39.1-188B (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 2-5-28, D-1-article on Tea of Nations)

Japanese Americans--Tacoma; Children--Clothing & dress--Tacoma--1920-1930; Kimonos; Fans (Accessories); First Presbyterian Church (Tacoma);

In 1922, Marvin Boland photographed an unidentified Native American in headdress and tribal clothing who gazed pensively at a pond located at Wright Park. He had one foot on a rock at the edge of a pathway and the other on dry land. TPL-8838; G5.1-027

Indigenous peoples--Washington; Headdresses; Wright Park (Tacoma);

Undated photograph of an elderly Native American with tribal markings. Tepees and other Native Americans in background. Boland Studios made a copy of this photograph on September 11, 1925.

Tipis; Indigenous peoples;

ca. 1912. Portrait of Bahlkabuh, Skokomish "Puget Sound Type" Photograph by Edward Curtis. Scanned from Asahel Curtis lantern slide. Original photo appears in The North American Indian, v.9 Plate between pp. 26-27 (slide has crack through coverglass). The Skokomish were one band of a tribe that called itself the Twana. They controlled the entire Hood Canal area and that of its tributaries. The Skokomish were located at Annas Bay and the watershed of the Skokomish River. The other principal bands were the Tulalip, Soatlkobsh, Quilcene, and Slchoksbish. At the early part of the 19th century, they numbered 900. By the Treaty of Point No Point, 1855, that confined them to the Skokomish Reservation at the head of Hoods Canal, they totalled 300.

Indians of North America--Skokomish--1910-1920; Women--Indians of North America; Indians of North America--Portraits;

Image title: Quiet Waters. The North American Indian, v. 11, p. 84.

Indians of North America--Nootka--1910-1920; Women--Indians of North America; Indians of North America--Portraits;

Image title: Youth in holiday costume - Umatilla. The North American Indian, v. 8, p.80.

Indians of North America--Umaitlla--1910-1920; Men--Indians of North America; Indians of North America--Portraits; Indians of North America--Clothing and dress;