Photograph of the employees of the Oriole Candy Company taken in April of 1918. Picture is labeled "Farewell to H. L. Brown by employees Oriole Candy Co." It is believed that the banquet was held to bid goodbye to Mr. Brown as he would depart for France to help the Y.M.C.A. as a volunteer. The Y.M.C.A. was one of several organizations that set up recreational "huts" overseas for soldiers. In 1907, Harry L. Brown, a budding confectioner and experimenter in sweet treats, opened his own retail candy shop on Broadway, known as Oriole Chocolates. By 1909, he had converted it into a wholesale operation. He made the acquaintance of an ambitious young salesman, currently employed by Schilling Spices, named Jonathan Clifford Haley. Haley offered to market Brown's sweet treats around the Northwest. By 1914, the pair were officially partnered as "Brown & Haley" with Haley as president and chief salesman and Brown as general manager, candy formulator and head of manufacturing. The company's Oriole Chocolates were made by hand and satisfied the sweet tooth of the soldiers stationed at Fort Lewis during WWI. Brown & Haley is now the oldest, largest candy company in the Tacoma area and one of the oldest in the U.S. G33.1-128; TPL-1027, TPL-9553
Progress photograph of the construction of the Hotel Winthrop. Work continues on the building of the eleven story hotel by Pratt & Watson contractors in July of 1924. It appears that construction has reached the fourth floor. A notice has already been posted that the stores in the hotel will be under the management of the W.H. Opie & Co. (photograph has been stained)
Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma)--Construction; Building construction--Tacoma--1920-1930; Signs (Notices); Progress photographs;
Unidentified men and machinery at the Olympic Ice Co., 612-14 E. 25th, on July 8, 1924. The plant had undergone expansion the previous summer. G34.1-149
Harry's Billiard Parlor. Two employees stand ready to assist customers at the refreshment bar located within Harry's Billiard Parlor, in the 700 block of Pacific Avenue, on July 11, 1924. Vases filled with flowers are placed on the wood countertop. The open doorway invites entry into the establishment. Harry's Billiard Parlor was celebrating its grand opening in the Donnelly Hotel. Harry Winesburg was the proprietor. TPL-7183; G53.1-095
Western Union employees enjoyed a picnic and ball game in Centralia in July of 1924. Several young men have a prime view of all activities as they have scrambled atop a nearby roof. A batter waits patiently for his chance to belt one into the distance. G78.1-090
Western Union Telegraph Co.--Employees; Baseball players--Centralia;
Construction - Winthrop Hotel. This steel column has been labeled #5 and would be used in the building of the Winthrop Hotel at 9th & Broadway in 1924. The column is believed to have been manufactured by the Star Iron & Steel Co. of Tacoma.
Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma)--Construction; Building construction--Tacoma--1920-1930;
Pioneer pharmacists Ole B. Lien and Harry B. Selvig became partners in 1901 and opened a drug store at 1102 Tacoma Avenue South (later the address of the Tacoma Public Library) . In 1923, they moved across the street to the Charles Geiger Building, shown here. Behind the drugstore on South "G" was the Romanesque Pierce County Courthouse. Above the drugstore were the Palace Apartments where housekeeping and single rooms were available. Alongside the Lien & Selvig store on South 11th was the Florio True-Fit Tailor establishment. Lien, who had served Tacoma Avenue customers since 1894, died in 1933. Selvig died in 1944. New owners retained the Lien & Selvig name until the store closed in 1952 to make way for the County City Building facility. G56.2-062, BU-11463, TPL-6264
Employees of the Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Co. crowd onto the small boat, "Lathea," on August 4, 1924, while others in back wait aboard the "Fossberg." G50.1-063
Located ten miles south of Tacoma on Pacific Highway SW , Mammy's Cabin offered 1/2 Fried Spring Chicken on toast for a mere 50 cents. Their chicken and steak dinners were worth a drive on the "Camp Lewis Highway." Dozens of wooden tables and benches were available for dining alfresco under the grove of pine trees behind the small wood-framed restaurant. A huge log fire, seen smoking, continuously burned so patrons could gather around and converse. A phonograph with plenty of records was available on the porch so diners could select their own music. Mammy's Cabin, owned and operated by Mr. and Mrs. Edward C. Carrier, was open late each evening for those with fried chicken appetites. (scan from negative, no print on file) TPL-10530 (TNT 08-07-1924, B3)
Members of the Olympic Club, who were employees of the Olympic Ice Cream Co. and Velvet Ice Cream Co., celebrated their annual picnic at the Oaks on August 20, 1924. All, including the small children in attendance, had hats worn jauntily. The "Oaks" referred to on the banner above may have actually been the "Oakes," located on Lake Steilacoom. G34.1-148
Exterior view of the Tacoma Gas & Fuel plant. It is unclear whether this is the old Tacoma Gas & Fuel plant or perhaps the new plant located on 4 1/2 acres on South River Road. The company had begun construction of the new $250,000 plant in late 1923 which would include a 250,000 cubic feet gas tank. TPL-259; G35.1-048
Tacoma Gas & Fuel Co. (Tacoma); Fuel tanks; Storage tanks--Tacoma;
Inexperienced safecrackers failed to blow open the massive safe at Bye Thompson Motor Sales, 3320 South G Street, on early Friday morning, December 5, 1924. The thieves abandoned their efforts when the explosives they used broke the windows in front of the safe and threw the office into disarray, but only succeeded in blowing off the combination dial on the safe's door, not in releasing the bars holding the door in place. This was the second time in less than a year that Bye Thompson Motors had been robbed; on December 18, 1923, thieves somehow carried away the company's 1000 pound safe and blew it open several blocks away. That robbery netted the thieves $362. This photograph was taken at the scene of the crime on December 5, 1924. G24.1-056 (TNT 12-5-24, p. 1)
Safes; Robberies--Tacoma; Bye Thompson Motor Sales Co. (Tacoma);
Interior view of Hirsch Cycle Co. shop. Hirsch Cycle, managed by Clarence Potter, was the local Harley-Davidson motorcycle and Columbia bicycle dealership. On February 6, 1925, five Harleys were parked on the stained concrete floor of the firm's repair department. Four men, probably employees, are also in the room. Hirsch Cycle was located at 1010-12 Tacoma Avenue South. G66.1-145
Walker Cut Stone located at 2403 Center Street employed a large number of skilled stonecutters at their plant in Tacoma. They were photographed in March of 1925, hand carving the hard surfaced stone. The sandstone, quarried in Wilkeson, was used by the tons in such edifices as the Temple of Justice in Olympia, Bank of California, and the Walker Apartments. G33.1-115; TPL-3182
Walker Cut Stone Co. (Tacoma); Building materials industry--Tacoma--1920-1930;
This is what the intersection of South 33rd and "G" Sts. looked like the evening of March 18, 1925, at 6:13 p.m. The street in the foreground is "G" St. with several cars and a streetcar in the distance. Tacoma Steam Laundry is the large building to the left on South 33rd and Waddy's Battery Hospital and the Bye Thompson Motors (Ford dealership) across the street facing "G." Photograph ordered by Tacoma Rail & Power. G60.12-040; TPL-2417
Winthrop Hotel. The 2 million dollar+ Winthrop Hotel was nearing completion by the end of March, 1925. Exterior work was finished in January of 1925 and hotel furnishings under way. It would have its much anticipated grand opening celebration in May.
Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma); Hotels--Tacoma--1920-1930;
In the summer of 1919 the building at 218-220 St. Helens Avenue was the home of Sam J. Kenyon's Marmon Service Station and Bartons Auto Laundry. Mr. Kenyon specialized in servicing and repairing luxury automobiles known for their speed and power. The Marmon was manufactured from 1903 - 1933. Signage on the glass window indicates that the Kenyon shop also serviced "Locomobiles." The Locomobile was also manufactured in the US, from 1899 (steam version) and 1902 for the gas engine version, until 1928. Both car companies also produced race cars. To provide maximum service to its customers, Barton's, in the same building, was open "day and night" according to their sign. BU-13095
Marmon Service Station (Tacoma); Barton's Auto Laundry (Tacoma); Automobile service stations--Tacoma--1910-1920; Vehicle maintenance & repair--Tacoma--1910-1920;
Tommy's Produce Stand. Tommy's stall , located for several years in the Sanitary Public Market, 1108-14 Market St., sold fresh produce and plants grown locally. Employees of Tommy's posed next to the vegetable-laden tables in April of 1925. G39.1-140; TPL-5698,
Produce stands--Tacoma; Tommy's Produce Stand (Tacoma); Japanese American families--Tacoma; Japanese Americans--Tacoma;
Pacific Tel & Tel Co. at 1101 Fawcett Ave., interior. A long row of women are seated before their switchboards in this June of 1925 photograph while the women standing behind them are perhaps giving instruction. Telephone operators for decades were primarily women. (scan from negative, no print on file) TPL-10529
On June 22, 1925, Hazel Green, right, and Arline Abel posed boldly in front of the Rialto Theater, clutching pipes in their mouths. They were demonstrating the newest fad, how young ladies were discarding their cigarettes in favor of pipes. The women were performers in the Ziegfeld Follies "Phantograph" advertised on the sign boards. The Follies novelty act preceded the movie and starred six beautiful bathing beauties, a comedian and a German police dog in a live action skit. Each audience member was given an early form of 3-D glasses that brought them up close and personal with the action. Viewers ducked falling ladders and water from the garden hose, screaming and laughing. The act was followed by the feature film "If I Marry Again." (TNT 6/24/1925, pg. 6- picture; TDL 6/21/1925, pg. H-3) g65.1-086 BU-11,224 (filed)
The John Ford western, "The Iron Horse." was showing at the Rialto Theatre in August of 1925. To help promote the movie, which took four years to make, the theater arranged for this Union Pacific "locomotive" to appear in Tacoma with 84-year-old famed Indian scout and interpreter Col. Alfred L. Chapman and his Chippewa wife, Princess Naggousaqua. Col. Chapman was present when the last spike was driven connecting the Central Pacific and Union Pacific lines. He also was instrumental in securing the services of some 800 Native Americans for the film and aided in the direction of an important movie scene. The "Iron Horse" dealt with the trials and tribulations of construction of the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railways to the west. It starred George O'Brien and Madge Bellamy and could be seen for a mere 50 cents for adults and a dime for children. (T.Times 8-17-25, p. 1)
Rialto Theatre (Tacoma); Publicity photographs; Chapman, Alfred L.; Princess Naggousaqua;
Rustic Naches Tavern. The Naches Tavern appears to be composed of a two-story log cabin-designed building with deep porch and a log archway a few yards away. It is surrounded by tall trees. It is located at the foot of the Naches Pass. A Captain Craine was the tavern's proprietor. TPL-5815; G75.1-001 (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 4-4-26, G-1-article on Naches Pass highway and surroundings)
Elevated view of Associated Oil plant and extensive docks along the City Waterway (now Thea Foss Waterway), across from Commercial Dock #1. In June of 1926, the recently built Associated Oil Co. office and plant was located on the north end of East "D" in Tacoma's industrial Tideflats. F.E. McClaren was agent in charge. The oil storage and distributing plant for the Southwest Washington region had large tanks for holding fuel oil and gasoline plus a huge concrete warehouse for storing oil in steel drums. TPL-6485; G9.1-002 (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 1-3-26, 8-E-article)
An addition to the industrial facilities located in Tacoma's Tideflats was the Associated Oil Co. plant and offices, built in 1925 for $500,000, under the direction of E.F. Fitzgerald, superintendent of construction. They were located on the waterfront overlooking the City (now Thea Foss) Waterway. View of East "D" St. with smoke billowing from several mills; boat passing by Associated Oil plant. TPL-1348; G9.1-048
Located at 7th & Broadway was the big Wilkeson Garage. The 120-feet by 131-feet concrete building was the largest of its kind on the Pacific Coast. The service station added a top level for parking in April of 1924, a few months after work was completed on the rest of the structure. Wilkeson Garage carried Goodyear Tires, General Gasoline, Watson Stabilators, Wold-Wilkeson Motor Oil. G59.1-026
Wilkeson Garage & Service Station (Tacoma); Automobile service stations--Tacoma--1920-1930;
This July, 1926, view of the Associated Oil Co.'s Tideflats facilities was taken from Stadium Way. The large $500,000 plant was located at 250 East D Street overlooking the City (now Thea Foss) Waterway. Associated Oil distributed fuel and diesel oil and gasoline to all parts of southwest Washington. Barrels from Associated Oil's Avon refinery near Oakland were shipped by boat and unloaded at the company's extensive docks. The large tank on the left was capable of holding 80,000 barrels of fuel oil. The slightly smaller tank on the right had a 55,000 barrel capacity for gasoline. TPL-6704; G35.1-051 (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 1-3-26, 8-E-article; TNT 2-19-26, p. 12-article)
The local Washington Furniture Manufacturing Co. took part in the fifth annual Northwest Furniture Manufacturing Exposition in late July of 1926. 2000 furniture dealers were invited to the private showing of 50 northwest manufacturers primarily from Tacoma, Seattle and Portland who displayed their products. The Balfour-Guthrie dock, with its immense floor, was able to hold all exhibits. The display floor is packed with samples of the Washington Furniture Mfg. Co.'s furniture, including many large upholstered sofas and comfortable chairs. Rugs, tapestries and a variety of lamps helped to accentuate the furniture. G35.1-010 (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 7-25-26, 4-A-article)
Washington Furniture Manufacturing Co. (Tacoma); Merchandise displays--Tacoma--1920-1930; Sofas; Chairs; Exhibitions--Tacoma--1920-1930;
The C.E. MacDonald Co. of Tacoma had a large display of overstuffed davenports and chairs at the fifth annual Northwest Furniture Manufacturing Exposition held from July 26-31, 1926. Sofas in a wide variety of materials and prints were spread out over the exhibition floor. In many cases, the chairs and sofas were upholstered in the same colors and material. The company, manufacturers and wholesalers of upholstered furniture, was located at 2121 South Tacoma Way in a "furniture row" next to Northwest Chair and Gregory Furniture plants. They were one of the 50 furniture manufacturers from Portland to Seattle who displayed their lines of furniture for the benefit of 2000 furniture dealers. The exhibition, held at the Balfour-Guthrie dock, had the advantage of locating all exhibits on a single floor. It was not open to the public. G35.1-011 (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 7-25-26, 4-A-article)
Exterior view of Pinky Young's gas station in August of 1926. According to photographer Marvin Boland's notes, the business was located at South 72nd and Park Avenue. They guaranteed their repair work, sold tires and tubes, provided air and water and even had a supplemental business in soft drinks, groceries, cigars and school supplies. Jersey Milk products were also available.
Automobile service stations--Tacoma--1920-1930; Pinky Young's Station (Tacoma);
Exterior view of large Carstens Packing Co. plant taken in mid-August of 1926. The meat packing firm was located at 1623 East "J" St. in the Tideflats, now the site of the Northwest Detention Center. Carstens relocated to Tacoma in 1903 and would later be known as the largest meat packing company on the West Coast with plants in Tacoma, Spokane and Seattle. In 1926 Carstens put forth plans to build a new four-story unit to hold the sausage factory, sausage coolers, lard refinery and smoke houses, beef coolers and beef sales coolers. The company sought to replace annually older, outdated buildings with permanent reinforced concrete construction. The gradual replacement meant that no sections of the plant would be out of commission before their replacements were erected. Fires in 1914, 1916 and shortly after caused the company to incur $750,000 in losses. The replacement of wooden buildings by concrete structures would make the plant more modernized as well as fireproof. (TDL 3-27-26, p. 10-article; TNT 3-31-27, p.6-article)
