Street scene. Pedestrians cautiously cross at the intersection of Broadway and 9th in downtown Tacoma on this spring day in May of 1922. They have to keep a sharp eye out for oncoming streetcars and automobiles. The Pantages Theater is the regal structure on the left; the Tacoma Theater is on the right. TPL-3857; G59.1-003

Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Street railroads--Tacoma--1920-1930; Tacoma Theater (Tacoma); Pantages Theater (Tacoma); Pedestrians--Tacoma;

Both pedestrian and cars are blurred as this view of 17th & Pacific looking north was captured on May 8, 1922. This section of Pacific had at least two hotels visible with a third, the Japanese-owned Hotel Rector, on Broadway. The Savoy Hotel on the right was listed in the 1922 City Directory as being on 1535 1/2 Pacific Ave. and owned/operated by B. Bertleson. On the left side was the Hotel Lewis at 1522 Pacific Ave., owned by the Hotel Operating Co. of Seattle. There rooms advertised as "new and modern" could be had for as little as $1.00. The Hotel Rector, far left of the photograph, was listed at 1541 Broadway and owned by K. Nakatsukasa. Rooms were available for 50 cents and up. At the time, there were several other downtown hotels owned by Japanese, including the Madison Hotel, Central Hotel, Hotel Victoria, and the Hotel Dewey. TPL-5550

Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Hotels--Tacoma--1920-1930;

The corner of South 9th and Pacific was nearly free of traffic -both foot and motor- on this October day in 1922. A single couple was standing outside the Liberty Theater where the Charles Jones (later known as "Buck" Jones) picture "Trooper O'Neil" was playing while another man peers through a nearby doorway. Two people were window shopping at the McGinley-Garness hat store near 9th & Commerce. The brick building with recessed windows is the Wright Building (902-04 Pacific Ave.) which contained in 1922 the United Cigar Store and Imperial Billiards (and bowling alleys). G61.1-045

Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Liberty Theater (Tacoma); United Cigar Stores (Tacoma);

Unidentified home with neatly manicured lawn as pictured on March 17, 1923. House number is 3601 but street is not given. The home has a large porch with brick-like pillars and an awning in front. There appears to be a small dormer and the roof is apparently shingled.

Houses--1920-1930; Porches;

A wet, overcast day lends to this tranquil view of Sixth Avenue, looking west from Prospect Street, in February of 1923. The Sunset Theater, at left, was built in 1919 by Louis Perunko. It is now occupied by Speedy Auto Glass. The Red Cross Drug Store and F. C. Jonas Hardware occupied the building at the right. Several children on bicycles pause on the wet roadway while three men and a small boy huddle near the awning of the drugstore. G57.1-067; TPL-1797;

Sunset Theater (Tacoma); Red Cross Drug Store (Tacoma); F.C. Jonas Hardware (Tacoma); Bicycles & tricycles--Tacoma; Street railroad tracks--Tacoma;

This unidentified home was photographed by Marvin Boland in March of 1923, one of a series of homes taken on the same day throughout what was probably Tacoma. The large wood frame house had a second story balcony facing the front of the home and a lattice with climbing plants nearly covering one of the sides. The building was situated on a corner lot.

Houses--1920-1930; Trellises;

1923 downtown Tacoma street scene. This was Pacific Avenue near 12th St. in January of 1923. This view, looking north, shows the Delmonico Hotel on the right at 116 1/2 South 12th next to the familiar spire-topped Puget Sound Bank Bldg. (formerly National Realty Bldg.) Further in the background on the right is the uncompleted Scandinavian-American Bank Bldg. which would later become the Washington Building. Across the street on the left are numerous businesses including the Palace Hotel, Chicago Dentists, and the Dickson Bros. Co. G61.1-038

Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Business districts--Tacoma--1920-1930; Delmonico Hotel (Tacoma); Puget Sound National Bank (Tacoma);

View of Pacific Avenue looking south at 10th St. Streetcars and buses are blurred as they scud by along Pacific Avenue on a wintery day in 1923. Prominent among buildings is the unfinished Scandinavian-American Bank structure on the left; it would not be completed until 1925 for the Washington-California Co. and named the Washington Building. The spire-topped Puget Sound Bank Bldg. (formerly National Realty Bldg.) can be spotted beyond at 11th & Pacific. Among other businesses on the left are the Peerless Grill, Argonaut Hotel, Union Tailors, Parker E. R. System Dentists and Thomas Billiards. Across the street at 950 Pacific is the Rust Building. TPL-5837; G61.1-030 (photograph has been damaged on the left)

Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Business districts--Tacoma--1920-1930;

This California bungalow was built in 1920 by Anton Anderson. Albin Berg of the shoe firm of Samuelson & Berg purchased the home late the same year. The two-story home had a shingled roof, deep porch and stone or concrete chimney. It appears to have occupied most of its lot with neighbors close by. G29.1-020; BU10,291

Houses--Tacoma--1920-1930;

The R.L. Courtney Building, located at 1105 South 11th Street, was designed by architect George Trost and built for $37,000 by Peter Madsen in 1922. The Hill Top Confectionery occupied the corner level and Dr. Eugene Hallan (dentist) and a Dr. Lynch (physician & surgeon) had offices on the second floor. Businesses at the 11th & "K" St. location were easily accessible by private car or streetcars. In 1922 the businessmen of "K" St. (now Martin Luther King Jr. Way) saw a rapid growth of business in this section of Tacoma. Six new buildings replacing older units included the Dobson-Nelson Motor Co. at 12th & "K," Normanna Hall Association's new business block at 14th & "K," the Nasser Building, also on 12th & "K," occupied by the Piggly-Wiggly and a branch of the National Bank of Tacoma, the Langlow Building at Sixth & "K," the Woolen Cleaners Building adjoining the Dobson-Nelson structure and the Courtney Building. TPL-896; G19.1-071; BU-10,064 (TNT 12-29-22, p. 22)

R.L. Courtney Building (Tacoma); Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Business districts--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Bustling downtown street scene. This is 11th St. looking east near Broadway as it appeared in January of 1924. Pedestrians scurry across the road aided by the helpful policeman holding the "Stop" sign before the few cars. It apparently was a dry, sunny day with no umbrellas in sight. Some of the business district's notable buildings are in view: the Fidelity Building, the Rust Building, and the unfinished Scandinavian-American Bank building (later completed and named the Washington Building) on the left with the Stone-Fisher (name changed the following year to Fisher Co.) Department Store on the right foreground. The 11th St. Bridge (name changed later to honor Murray Morgan) is in the far background. G57.1-141

Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Business districts--Tacoma--1920-1930; Fidelity Building (Tacoma); Rust Building (Tacoma); Fishers Department Store (Tacoma); 11th Street Bridge (Tacoma);

Exterior view of the home of the late Dr. John F. Austin and his wife Melata, 2702 North Junett St., on January 15, 1924. The two-story plus basement house was built on a corner lot in 1913 in the Stout's Grandview section of north Tacoma. It had an extended covered porch where residents could sit and enjoy neighborhood views. This photograph was used in the News Tribune on February 11, 1924, to advertise the selling of the home. The elegant home, located on a paved street, had 3+ bedrooms, a beautiful fireplace, French doors separating the large dining room from the large living room, kitchen, breakfast room, and oak floors. It was listed at $10,000. The home would be sold in April, 1924, to lumberman William Woolley. Dr. Austin, a prominent dentist, had passed away on September 22, 1923, at the age of 47. He was the owner of Electro Dental Parlors and had been in Tacoma for 16 years. G29.1-025; BU10,284 (TNT 9-22-23, p.1,2-article on Dr. Austin; TNT advertisement 2-11-24, p. 17) TPL-10182

Houses--Tacoma--1920-1930; Austin, John F.--Homes & haunts;

11th Street street scene. This is a view of 11th St. looking east toward the 11th St. Bridge and the tideflats in January of 1924. Strolling up and down the steep street are several groups of people. On the photograph's left are the Rhodes Brothers Department Store, the Fidelity Building, the Rust Building, and the unfinished Scandinavian-American Bank building (later to be completed and called the Washington Building). On the right in the foreground at 11th & Broadway is the Stone-Fisher Department Store which would have its name changed to the Fisher Co. store in 1925 and later on, the Bon Marche. G57.1-140

Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Business districts--Tacoma--1920-1930; Fidelity Building (Tacoma); Rust Building (Tacoma); Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Fishers Department Store (Tacoma); 11th Street Bridge (Tacoma);

Lampposts on South "J" St. This is a view of South "J" St. , south of South 21st St., looking north, as seen on March 28, 1924. The quiet street has lampposts evenly spaced on both sides. Three cars are parked along the curbside and a few pedestrians can be spotted on the sidewalk in the distance. G60.1-041

Residential streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Lampposts--Tacoma;

House on South Ainsworth Avenue. This home was probably located in the Central Park addition of Tacoma and may have been built by the M.W.F. Wallace Co. It appears to be a simple, bungalow-style home with fireplace and located on a corner lot. There is a small building in the rear, either a one-car garage or storage unit. G29.1-055

Houses--Tacoma--1920-1930;

9th & Broadway business district -downtown Tacoma- as seen in March of 1925. On the left in the center is the Fidelity Building, 949-55 Broadway. Built in 1890 as a six-story structure, an additional six stories were added in 1909. On its left is a portion of the Rhodes Brothers Department Store; on its right is the smaller Rust Building and the Washington Building, still under construction. G57.1-135

Business districts--Tacoma--1920-1930; Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Fidelity Building (Tacoma); Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Rust Building (Tacoma); Washington Building (Tacoma); Office buildings--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Street scene. This is the east side of Pacific Avenue at 10th St. as seen on April 3, 1925. Businesses visible included the American Savings & Loan Assn. (1001 Pacific Ave.); Martz Clothes Shop; American Mortgage & Safe Deposit Co. /First Mutual Savings Bank of Tacoma and Western Union. G61.1-044

Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Business districts--Tacoma--1920-1930; American Savings & Loan Association (Tacoma); American Mortgage & Safe Deposit Co. (Tacoma); First Mutual Savings Bank of Tacoma (Tacoma);

A person standing across the street on April 14, 1925, would be able to see the following establishments on the west side of Pacific Avenue near South 10th St. in downtown Tacoma: (L-R) the Rust Building (950 Pacific), Charles F. Lewis Hatters (948), Scobey's Cigars (946) with Naubert & Manning Billiards upstairs, Davis Men's Shop (944), Peterson & Cooksie Billiards (942-44), Haugen & Loney Tailors (942), and in the San Francisco Block building, the Regal Shoe Co. (938-40) with several businesses upstairs including the Chinese Medicine Co. and attorney G.B. Aldrich. TPL-5475; G61.1-048

Business districts--Tacoma--1920-1930; Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Rust Building (Tacoma); Regal Shoe Co. (Tacoma);

City Center skyline. This photograph, taken on April 13, 1925 from the Puget Sound National Bank Bldg. at 1117-19 Pacific Avenue, gives the viewer a good look at the massive office buildings located in the downtown commercial district. The building on the right with scaffolding is the Washington Building whose much-delayed construction would finally be completed and the building opened in July of 1925. Next to the Washington Building is the Rust Building (950 Pacific) designed by architects Sutton, Whitney & Dugan. Its neighbor is the Fidelity Building (949-55 Broadway). The last building on the extreme left is the Rhodes Brothers Department Store at 950 Broadway. Directly across the street from the Rust Building is the Equitable Building (1102-04 Pacific) which housed at that time the Pacific Savings & Loan Assoc. with Crown Drug Co. at one corner.

Business districts--Tacoma--1920-1930; Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Washington Building (Tacoma); Rust Building (Tacoma); Fidelity Building (Tacoma); Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Puget Sound National Bank (Tacoma);

This is South 11th St., looking east, from Broadway in April of 1925. The 11th St. Bridge (now called the Murray Morgan Bridge) is visible in the distance. On the left are the Fidelity Building, Rust Building, and nearly completed Washington Building. Across the street from the Washington Building is the Peoples Department Store and closer to the bridge, the Perkins Building at 11th & "A." G57.1-143

Business districts--Tacoma--1920-1930; Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; 11th Street Bridge (Tacoma); Fidelity Building (Tacoma); Rust Building (Tacoma); Washington Building (Tacoma); Peoples (Tacoma); Office buildings--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Photographer Marvin Boland peered out of one of the top floors of the Puget Sound Bank Building (1117-19 Pacific Avenue) on April 13, 1925, to capture the view of several massive buildings nearby in the midst of the downtown business district. The Rust Building, 950 Pacific, is the lighter-colored building across from the smaller Equitable Bldg. (1102-04 Pacific). Next to the Rust is the taller Fidelity Building with an actual address of 949-55 Broadway. On the far left in the photograph is the Rhodes Brothers Department Store. TPL-1907; G8.1-010

Business districts--Tacoma--1920-1930; Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Puget Sound National Bank (Tacoma); Rust Building (Tacoma); Fidelity Building (Tacoma); Office buildings--Tacoma--1920-1930;

This two-story Colonial with basement, located at 1315 North 5th St., was on the market in May of 1925 with a reduced price of $7,750, including $1500 cash and $75 a month payments. The home apparently had alley access and garage. An ad placed in the Tacoma Sunday Ledger's May 3, 1925 edition listed the home as having a 20+-foot long living room, oak flooring, unique fireplace and French doors leading to the dining room. Three bedrooms were located on the second floor along with a bath. Interested buyers were asked to contact Gilmour Nicholls, realtor. G28.1-130; BU-10,145 (Tacoma Sunday Ledger Ad, 5-3-25, p. 7E)

Houses--Tacoma--1920-1930;

View looking up Saint Helens Ave. This photograph was taken from the top of the Winthrop Hotel, 773 Broadway, on May 15, 1925, the day before its grand opening. The view is of Saint Helens Avenue, just beyond the Bostwick Block (755-71 Saint Helens), the triangular shaped building next to the Winthrop. Visible businesses included the Montelius Music House (736 Saint Helens), the Gilliam & Steven Motor Co. (735 Saint Helens -street renamed Court C), and the Caswell Optical Co.(752-66 Saint Helens), on the far left edge. In the distance at the far left is Central School. G8.1-013

Business districts--Tacoma--1920-1930; Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Central School (Tacoma); Montelius Music House (Tacoma); Gilliam & Steven Motor Co. (Tacoma); Caswell Optical Co. (Tacoma);

This view of South 9th Street looking west from the corner of Broadway and Saint Helens was taken on May 15, 1925 from the top of the Winthrop Hotel. At the bottom left is a part of the old Tacoma Theater. The ornate white building on the same side of 9th is the Rialto Theater, 310 So. 9th. Up the street is the First Baptist Church at 902 Market Street with its bell tower still under construction. On the north side of 9th is the Caswell Optical building, 752-66 St. Helens, in the foreground, followed by the white Exley Apartments at 309 So. 9th, originally the oldest existing house in Tacoma and later converted into apartments. The taller Rhodes Apartments, 311 So. 9th (now the Rialto Apartments), are next. Rising in the background are the Gothic towers of the Pierce County Courthouse, left, and the Central School building, right. G57.1-101

Business districts--Tacoma--1920-1940; Tacoma Theatre (Tacoma); Rialto Theatre (Tacoma); First Baptist Church (Tacoma); Caswell Optical Co. (Tacoma); Exley Apartments (Tacoma); Rhodes Apartments (Tacoma); Rialto Apartments (Tacoma);

Traveling on the Tacoma-Seattle Highway, photographer Marvin Boland captured views of rural communities such as the one pictured above on August 2, 1925. His notes indicate it was called "Woodmot," but this may have actually been the Woodmont Beach area located in South King County. Here a rustic bridge leads to several wood framed houses. G28.1-062

Houses--1920-1930; Pedestrian bridges;

This is a view of tree-lined North "I" St. at 9th looking south in August of 1925. There are only two parked cars and one far away in the distance. One woman is waiting at the corner further down the block, perhaps for a streetcar to come as the streetcar tracks are clearly visible. Part of the apartment house soon to be known as the Biltmore Apartments can be seen on the left with its distinctive turret. G60.1-051

Residential streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Street railroad tracks--Tacoma--1920-1930; Apartment houses--Tacoma--1920-1930;

This home at 802 North Yakima Ave. was described by its architect, Kirtland Cutter, as a "quaint cottage in the German style of architecture" and not a design commonly seen in the Pacific Northwest. It was built originally for David K. Stevens in 1891. By 1925, it was the residence of civic leader and prominent businessman, Henry G. Shaw who had purchased the home from another pioneer businessman, John H. Scott. The house had been nominated as one of the most beautiful in the city in 1920. The apartment house in the background at 801-07 North "I" St. would be renamed the Biltmore Apartments in 1926. G28.1-129; BU10, 175

Houses--Tacoma--1920-1930; Apartment houses--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Large three-story plus daylight basement apartment house at the corner of 8th & North "I" St. This Queen Anne-styled building with turrets was to be renamed the Biltmore Apartments in 1926. It may have been called the Sound View Terrace Apartments prior to its renaming. The apartment house was built in 1889 with J.D. Warren as contractor and George A. Sumner as builder. Frederick A. Sexton was the architect. BU-10,522

Apartment houses--Tacoma--1920-1930;

This stucco Spanish-style bungalow with detached garage was located in then rural E. 72nd St. in 1925. The small one-story home had a landscaped front yard but the area surrounding the lot appears wooded and rough. A notice about its availability for purchase would be listed in the Tacoma Daily Ledger's September 27, 1925, edition. G28.1-056; BU-10,031 (TDL 9-27-25, p. E-6)

Houses--Tacoma--1920-1930;

View of two homes on an unidentified street in the Regents Park community taken during late summer in 1925. The house in the center with unusual porch belonged to Dr. and Mrs. J.A. Caswell, owners of Caswell Optical Co. Regents Park would become the Town of Fircrest in September of 1925. It had been developed by investors including Major Edward J. Bowes as a planned community back in 1907 whereby streets, sidewalks, roads and sewer systems were improved and installed. Regents Park was small in acreage and mostly residential. Homes like these two Colonial-style houses were substantial and well-maintained. G72.1-113

Houses--Fircrest--1920-1930; Caswell, J.A.--Homes & haunts; Regents Park (Fircrest);