Salishan - Interiors and Exteriors. An office interior with a man behind a desk talking on the telephone and a woman at the end of the desk reviewing ledger cards. A map of site locations hangs on the right wall. 22,000 war workers have moved to Tacoma since Pearl Harbor needing housing. The 2,000 homes in Salishan (400 permanent and 1,600 with temporary construction) form a new city nearly the size of Puyallup with 465 acres. It includes a large community building, management and maintenance building and a shopping center. (TNT, 4/27/1943)
World War, 1939-1945--Economic & industrial aspects--Tacoma; Housing--Tacoma--1940-1950; Salishan Housing Project (Tacoma);
Lincoln Heights War Housing. A large, commercial size kitchen (a painted sign on the door also says "KITCHEN") in one of the buildings. A refrigerator, large sink, counters, a two-burner electric stove and a chair are all we see.
World War, 1939-1945--Economic & industrial aspects--Tacoma; Kitchens--Tacoma--1940-1950; Lincoln Heights Housing Project (Tacoma);
Lincoln Heights War Housing. The interior room of one of the buildings set up as a school for pre-school or kindergarten children. Several girls and boys sit around two large tables working. One child talks with the teacher at her desk. Paper chains decorate the windows.
World War, 1939-1945--Economic & industrial aspects--Tacoma; School children--Tacoma--1940-1950; Lincoln Heights Housing Project (Tacoma);
Eagles receive visit from National President. Four men stand on stage behind a large Honor Roll plaque listing names of many men. The plaque states, "A star by a name indicated missing in action". The Eagles' National President, Robert W. Hansen, reviews the names from below the stage. (T.Times, 1/10/1944, p.12; 1/18/1944, p.18)
These female employees of the Mount Rainier Ordnance Depot were placing a wooden body built in Tacoma by the Northwest Chair Company onto a U.S. Army truck in September of 1943. The woman on the left was operating a forklift to lift the body onto its place on the Army truck chassis under the direction of the woman at right center. Other women were waiting to set the bolts that completed the assembly of the truck and then send it on its way. These Army trucks were going to war as completely assembled units for the first time. Women made up 50-60% of the work force at the ordnance depot. All women employees were trained as mechanics and became experts in their line. (T. Times, 9/2/1943, p.1) TPL-10353;
World War, 1939-1945--Women--Tacoma; Trucks--Tacoma--1940-1950; Hoisting machinery; Mount Rainier Ordnance Depot (Tacoma);
Women bus drivers at Tacoma Transit. A man and two women bus drivers were photographed on September 7, 1943, at the transit yard. The man is unnamed. The women are, L-R, Octa L. Girard and Thelma Derrickson. (T.Times, 9/10/1943, p.1; 9/13/1943, p.5) TPL-3205, TPL-1381
World War, 1939-1945--Women--Tacoma; World War, 1939-1945--Economic & industrial aspects--Tacoma; Girard, Octa L.; Derrickson, Thelma; Bus drivers--Tacoma; Tacoma Transit Co. (Tacoma); Buses--Tacoma;
Army recruit, Dorothy Lowler. Dorothy H. Lowler takes the oath of enlistment given by Lt. Jean Holzhauer. Ms. Lowler is the first WAC to take the oath of enlistment in Tacoma. She will take basic training in Ft. Des Moines, Iowa, and afterwards will be assigned to an army air base either in the states or overseas. (T.Times, 1/24/1944, p.1)
World War, 1939-1945--Women--Tacoma; World War, 1939-1945--Recruiting & enlistment--Tacoma;
Started in the mid-1930s by Benjamin J. Schwartz, Bert's Mens Wear was located at the corner of 11th and Pacific for over 30 years. The building was demolished in the late 1960s and replaced with the Park Plaza South Parking Garage. For several years in the 1950s there was a second Bert's store at 938 Broadway. TPL-8679
ca. 1943. Sears window, Mr. Moor. Servistan Inlaid Linoleum is advertised at "$9.88 Covers average kitchen". Rolls of samples stand in the window. A sign indicates the store is open until 9 p.m. Monday nights to accomodate shoppers working in the war industry.
Hippodrome (Hippodrone) Building. A sign on the Pacific Avenue side of the building says, "The Fern Dancing! Entrance on 9th Street". On the upper corner is another sign indicating, "Tacoma Hotel" with an arrow pointing down 9th Street. Address also known as 115 So. 9th St.
Dance halls--Tacoma--1940-1950; Hippodrome Building (Tacoma);
Hippodrome (Hippodrone) Building. Interior showing much damage from the elements. The band's stage is seen on the back wall. A sign over the stage reads, "Fern Orchestra". Address also known as 115 So. 9th St.
Dance halls--Tacoma--1940-1950; Hippodrome Building (Tacoma);
Mill workers and management at Henry Mill & Timber Company, prefabricators of heavy timber structures. The company began in 1925 as a sawmill and started fabricating structures with caisson panels for the first Narrows Bridge. At the beginning of World War II, Henry Mill was filling Army and Navy contracts for cantonments, shipyards and storehouses. They designed and built cargo barges and prefabricated massive navy blimp hangars. The large cranes behind the group are used to unload timber and load finished products onto railroad cars and ship. Each piece of lumber is processed In assembly line precision--the lumber is cut, trimmed, bored and groved, then each finished piece is stenciled (labeled) to fit precisely together on the building site. TPL-6399
Group portraits--1940-1950; Henry Mill & Timber Co. (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Prefabricated buildings; Hoisting machinery;
Red Cross activities, Mrs. Strong. Two older women are seated while knitting sweaters. They are surrounded by baskets and shelves full of skeins of dark colored yarn. An enlisted man after being wounded wrote in a letter home, "Only God and the Red Cross can help me now".
Women--Tacoma--1940-1950; Aged persons--Tacoma--1940-1950; American Red Cross Pierce County Chapter (Tacoma); World War, 1939-1945--Social aspects--Tacoma; Knitting; Yarn;
Red Cross activities, Mrs. Strong. Women are standing at large tables working in the production room with fabric and clothing. Bolts of fabric lay on shelves at the back of the large work room and wrapped bundles are ready on the table at the front. Over four million Red Cross workers make surgical dressings, sew garments for hospitals and refugees, knit sweaters, drive ambulances, etc., to help during war time. (T.Times 2/29/1944, p.1), (TNT, 2/27/1944, p.1)
Women--Tacoma--1940-1950; American Red Cross Pierce County Chapter (Tacoma); World War, 1939-1945--Social aspects--Tacoma;
Red Cross activities, Mrs. Strong. Three women and two men sit around a table reviewing plans for the fund raising campaign that will begin March 1, 1944. March was proclaimed as Red Cross War Fund Month by the President of the United States. 90% of all money raised will go directly into services for the armed forces. (T.Times, 2/29/1944, p.1)
Women--Tacoma--1940-1950; American Red Cross Pierce County Chapter (Tacoma); World War, 1939-1945--Social aspects--Tacoma; Fund raising--Tacoma--1940-1950;
Eagles receive visit from National President in January of 1944. Large group portrait of men, those in front wearing uniforms, and several on stage behind and beside an Honor Roll plaque. Eagles' National President, Robert W. Hansen, is the man on the far right in the back row. (T.Times, 1/10/1944, P. 5; 1/18/1944, P.18)
World War, 1939-1945--Social aspects--Tacoma; Fraternal Order of Eagles (Tacoma); Fraternal organizations--Tacoma--1940-1950; Hansen, Robert W.;
Annie Wright Seminary Dance. Four unidentified couples at the annual Freshman and Sophomore Formal. Beautiful chiffon and taffeta dresses were worn by Seminary students (TNT, 2/20/44, p. B-3).
In June of 1944 Pauline Gunstrom, the telephone operator at the Bank of California, 1011 Pacific Avenue, was photographed holding a flask-type pint bottle that had been filled to the brim with dimes. The bottle was brought to the bank by an unidentified shipyard worker at the Todd Pacific Shipyards to purchase a war bond. Once emptied the bottle was found to contain 1,125 dimes, more than enough for a bond. (T. Times, 6/20/44, p. 3).
Banks--Tacoma; War bonds & funds; Bank of California National Association (Tacoma);
Although the Marvin Marine Repair Company primarily worked on repairing fishing boats, in 1944 they had a contract with the U.S. government to modify a number of barges for sea duty. Consisting of three properties under the management of George R. Marvin, Marvin Marine Repair's number one plant was at 5620 Marine View Drive.
By 1943, Seattle Tacoma Shipbuilding Corp. was building more carriers than any other U. S. shipyard. They also had the only shipyard instruction classes. The yard induction school was the first of its kind in the Northwest, and several Tacoma-area women were enrolled in the classes. View of seven unidentified women who were students at Seattle Tacoma Yard Induction School. TPL-9954
Armory picture of fighters for War Athletic Commission. Tacoma Athletic Commission hosted many tournaments at the Armory Ring. Eight unidentified boxers posing for picture at Armory Ring.
Wilkeson Products interior and exterior of mine. Interior view of Wilkeson Coal & Coke Co. mine with three coal miners, identified as Gene West, John Streepy and Jim "Corkie" Kelly (from left), all wearing their mining gear. According to an article by Bill Kombol, "When Coal Was King," the Wilkeson Products mine failed to accomplish its goal of substantially helping the war effort as the mine produced less than 1% of Washington coal production during the World War ll years. The mine had opened with funding from the U.S. government's Defense Plant Corporation but would permanently close eight months after this March, 1944 photograph. TPL-6619
Wilkeson Products interior and exterior of mine. Many mines in Wilkeson, Washington closed in 1938, but then reopened to assist in the production of coke needed for the war effort. Exterior view of Wilkeson Coal & Coke Co. mining plant. TPL-6617
Wilkeson Products interior and exterior of mine. In 1888 Wilkeson Coal & Coke Co. began producing the best grade of coke available in the West. Wilkeson Co. mine employed 200 employees, they lived with their families in Wilkeson, Washington, a small mining town in eastern Pierce County. View of buildings at Wilkeson. TPL-6393
