ca. 1927. In lieu of Santa's sleigh, employees of Tacoma's Tillicum Toys trudge through an early snow in 1927 to load up a jalopy with boxes and crates of their durable toys made of Northwest wood. The toy manufacturer flourished in the late 1920's and early 1930's, becoming the largest toy plant on the Pacific Coast. They made 18 different designs, all of wood, guaranteed to survive even the most careless playmate, while keeping the child safe. Unfortunately, most of their supply for the 1927 holiday season was destroyed when the factory at 2928 So. Sprague Ave. burned in a November 18, 1927 fire. In 1930, the factory relocated to a fairy tale castle built specifically for their company at 2515 South Tacoma Way. The toy manufacturer closed its doors in 1932 and the castle was sold to the Tacoma Milk Shippers. (TNT 5/11/1980 Time Machine- story only)

Tillicum Toys (Tacoma); Toy industry--Tacoma; Toys;

ca. 1927. Legislative Building. The most complex structural element was the building's dome. Possibly the fourth highest dome in the world, the dome was one of the last great self-supporting masonry domes built. New York City architects Walter Wilder and Harry White envisioned the creation of three domes, blending them into a structure 176 feet above a base 102 feet above the ground. The overall height of the dome would be 278 feet, resting on a 130-foot monolith foundation of concrete and steel which supported four massive corner piers. Topping-out ceremonies, in which the final stone was set into place on the lantern, occurred on October 13, 1926. (Johnston: Washington's Audacious State Capitol and Its Builders)

Legislative Building (Olympia);

ca. 1927. Interior of rotunda - Legislative Building. This view of the rotunda's interior was believed to have been taken shortly after its completion. The rotunda was located directly beneath the Legislative Building's dome. After much discussion, it was decided not to use all marble in the interior of the rotunda but to use plaster as the interior finish. Besides the cost, it was felt that the presence of too much marble would make it too austere. The marble that was used in the rotunda was from Alaska with its light gray tones; the same was used in entrances, staircases and corridors. Richer, more expensive imported marble would be utilized in the legislative chambers and in the state reception room. (Johnston: Washington's Audacious State Capitol and Its Builders)

Legislative Building (Olympia); Rotundas--Olympia;

ca. 1927. Portico on Legislative Building. This is believed to be at the south entrance. Most of the ornamental carvings on stonework was done after the stone was in place. The columns were positioned first in a raw state prior to stone carvers shaping them into elaborate designs. Stone carving was such a specialized profession that crews were assembled drawn from all parts of the nation, including many Scotsmen. A combination of hand tools and sandblasting equipment was used by the craftsmen who had to carve the capitals from high scaffolding. (Johnston: Washington's Audacious State Capitol and Its Builders)

ca. 1927. This handtinted photograph of the Tacoma Hotel was taken circa 1927. Built in 1884, and considered by many Tacoma's showcase, the elegant hotel had welcomed many distinguished guests over the decades including Presidents of the United States, actors and sports idols. Magnificent views of The Mountain, Commencement Bay and the City Waterway greeted these visitors. The massive modified Tudor structure occupied an entire block in downtown Tacoma. It was destroyed by fire on October 17, 1935 and not rebuilt. The Tacoma Hotel Annex at 904-06 A St. was remodeled after the fire to serve as the new Tacoma Hotel but never reached the acclaim of the original.

ca. 1927. General view of unidentified poultry farm circa 1927. In addition to the chickens meandering about, the farm also produced crops. G6.1-081

Poultry industry; Poultry; Poultry houses;

The cargo ship "Tacoma" takes on lumber at the Defiance Mills dock in January of 1927

N Yakima Avenue at N Carr Street, looking west up the small hill, taken on January 16, 1927. Grassy strip on the right with small bare trees and lamppost. Paved street at center turns up an incline; houses on both sides.

Employees of the Skansie Shipbuilding Company, in Gig Harbor, posed around a Fairbanks Morse engine intended for the "Defiance," the Pt. Defiance to Gig Harbor ferry which had been launched on January 16, 1927. By the mid 1920's, ferries were being designed to carry automobiles. The Skansie Brothers yard in Gig Harbor was one of the first to build the auto ferries. The "Defiance" had an 70-car capacity. Mitchell Skansie pioneered the use of diesel engines in ferries and the "Defiance" had a 360 hp engine which could travel with a speed of 10 knots. (Neal & Janus "Puget Sound Ferries") G66.1-091 (TNT 1-15-27, p. 14-article; TNT 1-17-27, p. 15-article)

Ferries--1920-1930; Skansies Shipbuilding Co. (Gig Harbor); Boat engines;

Rex McCargar and his Orchestra at the Hotel Winthrop. The tuxedoed musicians have their instruments on display in this January 20, 1927, photograph. The singers and entertainers, advertised as the "most popular orchestra in the city," went on to appear at the Hotel Tacoma the following week. The Hotel Tacoma provided dancing every Friday night with a 50 cent cover charge. (TNT 1-31-27, p. 8-ad) G40.1-034

McCargar, Rex; Musicians--Tacoma--1920-1930; Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma);

Scene of an automobile wreck on the Mountain Hwy. in the Loveland area. This photograph was taken in January of 1927. The accident apparently occurred at the railroad crossing. There are three buildings in the immediate area, two of which sold gas, and Loveland Park is in the distant background. G77.1-142

Neighborhoods--Loveland; Railroad crossings; Roads--Washington;

Members of the Western Retail Lumbermens' Association pose in February of 1927 in front of a little bungalow erected on the roof of the Winthrop Hotel in honor of the group's annual convention. The bungalow was made entirely of local wood and demonstrated its use in construction. When the 24th annual convention concluded February 26, 1927, new leaders had been elected for the coming year. Pictured leaders are, back row, left to right: George A. Heilman (Wyo.), H.J. Sawtelle (Mt.), W.B. Hussman (Idaho), I.G. Kjosness (Idaho), and R.O. Bushong (Ore.) Front row, left to right, F.C. Kendall (Spokane), J.W. Burt (Mt.), Robt M. Graham (Mt.), R.M. Cross (Utah) and E.J. Ostrander (Idaho.) (TDL 2/27/1927, pg. A-5; TNT 2/23/1927, pg. 7) (WSHS- negative A893-0)

Washington Lumber Dealers Association (Tacoma); Business people--Tacoma--1920-1930; Lumber industry--Tacoma--1920-1930; Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma);

This print from a damaged glass plate negative shows an aerial view of South Tacoma taken in February of 1927. The massive South Tacoma Shops, owned by the Northern Pacific Railway, are located in the center. The plant repaired all Northern Pacific railroad locomotives and cars west of the Mississippi. The shops were composed of 36 separate brick buildings spread out over 15 acres. The grounds were over 1 1/2 miles long, and the work force of 1,250 employees from 20 expert crafts commanded a payroll of $1,500,000 per year. Established in 1890 as Edison Car Shops, the shops closed in 1974. The body of water in the foreground just west of the "shops" was a wetlands area affectionately known to residents of the area as the "South Tacoma Swamp." The road at the right, near the south end of the swamp, is 56th Street. (TNT 02/18/1927, pg. 2)

L.C. Smith & Co. banquet held at the Olympic Hotel, Seattle. February 1927. (WSHS)

Banquets--Seattle--1920-1930; L.C. Smith & Co. (Seattle); Hotels--Seattle;

On display at the Union depot, 1717 Pacific Avenue, in early February of 1927 was the giant Great Northern electric locomotive #5007. It had made its way from East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Washington State, a distance of 2600 miles. This unidentified group of men, some of the hundreds in attendance, took the opportunity to have their photograph taken with the latest "Iron Horse" before it left town. #5007 weighed in at 715,000 pounds and had an overall length of 94'4". G44.1-097; G44.1-069 (TNT 2-3-27, p. 14-article)

Railroad locomotives--Tacoma--1920-1930; Union Station (Tacoma);

Mayor Melvin G. Tennent and several Tacoma commissioners joined the hordes of Tacomans on February 2, 1927, in viewing the giant Great Northern electric locomotive #5007 on display at the Union depot. The latest and greatest "Iron Horse" had an overall length of 94'4" and a total weight of 715,000 pounds. It was built jointly by Baldwin Locomotive and Westinghouse Electric. A banner on the locomotive proclaimed it to be the "most powerful motor-generator electric locomotive ever built." It had traveled from East Pittsburgh, Pennyslvania to Skykomish, Washington, a distance of 2600 miles, hitched to the end of a through freight. After stops in Portland and Everett, it would be put into service. From L-R above are: Mayor Tennent (on steps), Commissioners Jesse Silver & Dyer Dyment, Commissioner Ira S. Davisson, and Llewellyn Evans, superintendent of City Light. The two men standing on the ground were not identified. (TDL 2-3-27, p. 12; TNT 2-3-27, p.14-article) G44.1-069; TPL-675; TPL-5813

Railroad locomotives--Tacoma--1920-1930; Mayors--Tacoma--1920-1930; Tennent, Melvin Green; Silver, Jesse; Dyment, Dyer; Davisson, Ira; Evans, Llewellyn; Municipal officials--Tacoma--1920-1930; Banners--Tacoma; Union Station (Tacoma);

On February 3, 1927, T.F. McGettigan, left, test engineer, and his helper E.R. "Red" Randolph, in doorway, pose with the great electric locomotive #5007 that they accompanied from Pittsburgh to Tacoma. The locomotive was constructed for the Great Northern Railroad by Baldwin Locomotive Works and Westinghouse Electric Co. working together. On completion, it was hitched to a through freight train, destination Everett, Wa. Although the engine was not working, it still needed care during the trip and McGettigan and Randolph were assigned that task. Freight trains make few stops and do not usually carry passengers, so the pair packed a ham and 13 dozen eggs and set up a small stove on the engine. They slept on planks suspended over the machinery and endured temperatures of 40 degrees below zero when crossing the Rockies. The behemoth locomotive was on display in Tacoma on February 2 (see G44.1-069) and then proceeded on to Portland, then Everett, where it was placed into service. (TNT 2/3/1927 p.14)

This is how the corner of South 9th & Broadway appeared in February of 1927. The Broadway Theater, 902-14 Broadway, was preparing for its grand opening on February 4th. It had previously been well known as the Tacoma Theater before being purchased for $450,000 in December of 1925, at that time the largest single realty transaction in the city's history. Extensive remodeling, including the loss of the familiar red exterior, cost the new owners another $150,000. There was a huge new sign, 40 feet high, with 3,000 bulbs that was visible for three miles. The theater would retain the "Broadway" name until 1933 when it became the Music Box Theater. Another of Tacoma's landmarks is clearly visible at right rear, the unusually shaped Bostwick Building with the Smith Flower Shop on the lower level. TPL-1602; G59.1-002 (TDL 12-19-25, p. 1-article on sale of theater; TDL 12-1-26, p. 1-article on remodeling; TNT 2-2-27, p. 9-article on signage)

Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Broadway Theater (Tacoma); Tacoma Theater (Tacoma);

H.C. Weaver Productions electrical apparatus at the opening of the Broadway Theater on February 4, 1927. Staff from the film studio were pictured along with their portable generator at 7 p.m. All of the studio's lights were on loan to light up the night for the Grand Opening of the Broadway Theater and the street party to follow. The theater had been built in 1889 as a grand opera house; it was reopened as the Broadway from 1927-33. The remodel included a new neon marquee. The theater changed names again in 1933 to the Music Box and remained the Music Box for 30 years until destroyed by fire in April, 1963. H.C. Weaver Productions made three movies in their studio on Titlow Beach in Tacoma between 1924 and 1928. G36.1-213 (TDL 2/5/1927, pg. 1- picture, 2/4/27, pg. 1 & 1/30/1927, pg. H5- story only)

Broadway Theater (Tacoma); H.C. Weaver Productions, Inc. (Tacoma); Electrical apparatus;

On the same night as the grand opening of the nearby Broadway Theater (formerly the Tacoma Theater), the Pantages decided to also draw a large crowd with the appearance of a Bell Line Stages' railroad car. The Pantages was currently showing "Dancing Mothers" staring Clara Bow and Alice Joyce but the railroad car was promoting an upcoming dance contest and a free all expense round trip to Hollywood. Adults, small children and even a curious dog surrounded the exhibit.

Pantages Theater (Tacoma); Crowds--Tacoma--1920-1930; Railroad cars--Tacoma--1920-1930; Signs (Notices);