The beautiful Miss Washington and Miss Wisconsin were visiting Tacoma's Big Bear Stores, they were promoting apples and cheese week. Everyone was invited to participate in the fun, free samples would be available. View of Miss Washington, Libby Aldrich (right) of Kelso, Washington and Miss Wisconsin, Marveen Fischer (left) with an unidentified man at Union Station; Wisconsin cheese barrel in background (T.N.T., 10/14/49, p. B-3).

Beauty contestants--Tacoma--1940-1950; Events--Tacoma--1940-1950; Big Bear Stores (Tacoma); Union Station (Tacoma); Fischer, Marveen; Aldrich, Libby;

Charlotte Doud (at left) and Catharine Strong leaving for trip to California. Boarding train at Union Depot on January 8, 1940 with group of well-wishers or others waiting to board the railroad car. The women were going there to attend the Beverly Hills wedding of Mary Roberts and Alexander Baillie Ripley, former Tacomans, and Miss Strong would be the maid-of-honor. After the wedding Miss Strong and Miss Doud would take an apartment in San Francisco for the season. (T.Times 1-13-1940, p. 5-alt. photo)

Doug, Charlotte; Strong, Catharine; Union Station (Tacoma); Travel--Tacoma--1940-1950;

On May 17, 1942, 418 Tacoma citizens of Japanese ancestry gather at Union Station prior to being shipped to the Pinedale "Assembly Center," an internment camp near Fresno California. Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066 allowing the military to shortcut civil liberties and remove anyone they considered potentially dangerous from any area considered to be at risk. On March 2, 1942, the Western Defense Command unveiled its plan to banish all people of Japanese ancestry from the entire West Coast and incarcerate them in internment camps. (T. Times 5/18/1942, pg. 1; TNT 5/18/2003, pg. B8+ by Stan Flewelling)

World War, 1939-1945--Relocation camps; Japanese Americans--Evacuation & relocation, 1942-1945; Union Station (Tacoma);

Japanese American families wait to board a train at Union Station. The 418 Tacoma residents are being sent to the Pinedale "Assembly Center" near Fresno California, for "the Duration," until the war is over. In all, 859 people of Japanese descent left Tacoma May 17-18, 1942 for incarceration in the internment camp. (T. Times 5/18/1942, pg. 1)

World War, 1939-1945--Relocation camps; Japanese Americans--Evacuation & relocation, 1942-1945; Union Station (Tacoma);

Friends bid farewell to the 418 Japanese American Tacoma residents departing by train from Union Station for the Pinedale "Assembly Center" in California. The following day, another 441 will join their friends on their way to the internment camp. The Tacoma residents are being evacuated under the veil of "national security." (T. Times 5/18/1942, pg. 1+)

World War, 1939-1945--Relocation camps; Japanese Americans--Evacuation & relocation, 1942-1945; Union Station (Tacoma);

The Olympia Centennial Queen Royal and her court, dressed in pioneer garb, appear in the 1950 Daffodil Parade to advertise their upcoming celebration May 1-7th. In the background spectators view the parade from the front of Union Station. The two hour parade was led by the U.S. Marine color guard, followed by the Governor's car, with the cars bearing the mayors and officials of the sponsoring cities of Tacoma, Puyallup and Sumner immediately behind.

Celebrations--Tacoma; Festivals--Tacoma; Parades & Processions--Tacoma--1950-1960; Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1950 : Tacoma); Automobiles--Tacoma--1950-1960; Union Station (Tacoma);

A crowd listens to a speaker before touring General Electric's "More Power to America Special" on the tracks of Tacoma's Union Station. The ten car silver streamliner was on a 30,000 mile tour of America, stopping in 150 industrial centers in 44 states for tours by invited guests. Approximately 1500 industrial, utility and civic leaders were invited in Tacoma. The train carried exhibits of new ways electrical power could be produced and then put to work. Over 2000 exhibits highlighted atomic power, weather research, city power and lighting fixtures, railroad equipment and industrial innovations. Since the train carried no consumer products, it was not open to the general public. Behind the tracks can be seen the business industrial area beginning with Dock St. (TNT 4/15/1951, pg. A-5, 4/16/1951, pg. 28 & 4/18/1951, pg. 23)

General Electric Co.; Railroad locomotives--Tacoma--1950-1960; Railroad cars--Tacoma--1950-1960; Korean War, 1950-1953--Exhibitions; Korean War, 1950-1953--Economic & industrial aspects--Tacoma; Union Station (Tacoma);

Five members of the Tacoma Quota Club are packed and ready to go to their 10th annual conference in Eugene, Oregon in October of 1950. They stand by the Union Station ticket counter reviewing schedules while the agent, Ivan Bond, waits to help them. Styles in clothing and hats have changed as well as eyeglasses and the use of makeup. These women are wearing the smaller hats and using more cosmetics that were part of the change in fashion. They are, L-R, Rose (Mrs. Arthur) Hertz, Mary Ann Wilson, Ethel Barnes, Minnie H. (Mrs. Gordon) Chase (seated) and Elda B. Conly. Ordered by the Tacoma Quota Club. (TNT, 10/19/1950, p.25)

Women--Tacoma--1950-1960; Women--Clothing & dress--Tacoma--1950-1960; Hats--1950-1960; Luggage; Railroad travel--Tacoma--1950-1960; Bond, Ivan; Tacoma Quota Club (Tacoma); Hertz, Rose; Wilson, Mary Ann; Barnes, Ethel; Chase, Minnie H.; Conly, Elda B.;

Circa 1917.

Tacoma greets movie stars at the Union Depot. A hearty greeting from the City of Tacoma was offered to the actresses and actors appearing in the H.C. Weaver Productions studio film, "Totem Pole Beggar," on March 5, 1926. Shaking hands with star Wanda Hawley, wearing a voluminous fur coat, is believed to be A.D. Bjornstad. Mr. Bjornstad had attended school with Miss Hawley ten years previously and was currently employed as auditor at the Weaver Studios. The couple is flanked by two city policemen on motorcycles; the police officers are dressed for the cold weather with leather boots, gauntlets with long gloves and thick coats. "Totem Pole Beggar," whose title would later be changed to "Eyes of the Totem," would be the second film produced by the H.C. Weaver Productions studio. It would begin filming on March 8, 1926, and open at the Broadway Theatre on June 10, 1927. (TDL 3-6-26, p. 1)

Union Pacific engine #3222 as viewed on June 13, 1924. The powerful locomotive was on the tracks at the Union Depot. TPL-66; G45.1-004

Railroad locomotives--Tacoma; Union Pacific Railroad Co. (Tacoma);

ca. 1975. 1975 Richards color stock footage. Shadows are creeping up on the venerable Union Station, 1717 Pacific Ave., in this 1975 aerial view. By 1975, the magnificent structure was showing its age. A proposed $14,000,000 shopping center/transportation complex sought to restore the station to its former splendor. "Depot Galleria" hoped to add two large buildings to the north and south of the station which would house department stores or perhaps include a major hotel. The Union Station interior would have had a remodeled "Gay '90s" look with the glass dome skylight admitting light to central atrium gardens. Three parking levels would provide parking for 1500 cars. The station would continue to serve as an Amtrak passenger terminal. These ambitious plans by Malls North and BNL Development Corporation (subsidiary of Burlington Northern) would not be realized. (TNT 2-23-75, A-1 article)

Aerial views; Aerial photographs; Union Station (Tacoma); Railroad stations--Tacoma--1970-1980;

Tacoma Mayor George Smitley with President Roosevelt on his train at Union Depot. Posed on the platform with the President were, left to right, Senator Homer T. Bone, Tacoman Harold Allen, granddaughter Anna Eleanor (called Sistie) Dall (at the railing), Roosevelt's son James, the President's bodyguard (wearing hat) on his left side, and Tacoma Mayor George Smitley. The President's next stop was the Grand Coulee Dam project. (T. Times, 10/2/1937, p. 9). ALBUM 1.

Presidents; Roosevelt, Franklin Delano, 1882-1945; Mayors--Tacoma--1930-1940; Smitley, George A., 1872-1956; Visits of state--Tacoma--Roosevelt, Franklin Delano, 1882-1945; Roosevelt, James; Dall, Anna Eleanor;

This photograph of six year old Yukie Suekawa and Pvt. Howard L. Loudermilk at Union Station was chosen to grace the front page of the May 17, 1942 Tacoma Times with the caption "Goodbye for the Duration." As Pvt. Loudermilk adjusts the bonnet on the head of the little girl's doll, they are surrounded by a group of smiling Japanese adults. The smiles were considered the proper face to put on the hard facts that 859 Tacoma residents of Japanese ancestry were being removed from their homes and shipped by train to the Pinedale Assembly Center near Fresno California, despite the fact that many of them were US citizens. (T. Times 5/18/1942, pg. 1; TNT 5/18/2003, pg B8+, by Stan Flewelling)

World War, 1939-1945--Relocation camps; Japanese Americans--Evacuation & relocation, 1942-1945; Union Station (Tacoma); Suekawa, Yukie; Loudermilk, Howard;

Bing Crosby arrived at Tacoma's Union Station in August of 1942 to help out with WWII bond sales in the town of his birth. Harry Lillis Crosby was born in Tacoma in May of 1903 when his family lived at 1112 North J Street. While in town with a USO troupe to entertain the soldiers at Fort Lewis, he graciously agreed to headline a show on August 6th at 12 noon at the Liberty Center in an effort to promote bond sales. The Paramount Studios star sang a number of popular songs. Also appearing were Hollywood comedians Phil Silvers and Rags Ragland. The Tacoma local of the Boilermakers union were noted as buying $50,000 worth of war bonds. (T. Times 8-5-42, p. 1; T. Times 8-6-42, p. 1-article)

Crosby, Bing; Singers; Entertainers; Celebrities--Tacoma; War bonds & funds--Tacoma--1940-1950; World War, 1939-1945--Economic & industrial aspects--Tacoma;

Two police officers stand by Patrol Car Number 12 along curb of Pacific Avenue south of 19th Street, Union Depot in background. Ordered by United Pacific Insurance Company

Union Station (Tacoma); Police--Tacoma--1940-1950;

ca. 1979. Union Station, circa 1979.

Union Station (Tacoma); Railroad stations--Tacoma--1970-1980;

ca. 1979. Back of Union Station, circa 1979.

Union Station (Tacoma); Railroad stations--Tacoma--1970-1980;

ca. 1979. Union Station, circa 1979. Station opened in 1911 and is on the City, State and National registry.

Union Station (Tacoma); Railroad stations--Tacoma--1970-1980;

ca. 1979. Union Station, circa 1979. Station opened in 1911 and is on the City, State and National registry.

Union Station (Tacoma); Railroad stations--Tacoma--1970-1980;

ca. 1979. Union Station, circa 1979. Station opened in 1911 and is on the City, State and National registry.

Union Station (Tacoma); Railroad stations--Tacoma--1970-1980;

ca. 1979. Union Station, circa 1979. Station opened in 1911 and is on the City, State and National registry.

Union Station (Tacoma); Railroad stations--Tacoma--1970-1980;

ca. 1979. Interior shot of Union Station, circa 1979.

Union Station (Tacoma); Railroad stations--Tacoma--1970-1980;

ca. 1979. Interior shot of Union Station, circa 1979.

Union Station (Tacoma); Railroad stations--Tacoma--1970-1980;

ca. 1979. Union Station, circa 1979. Station opened in 1911 and is on the City, State and National registry.

Union Station (Tacoma); Railroad stations--Tacoma--1970-1980;