Blocks used for sidewalks on Consumer's Central Heating System at Pierce County Court House, Holroyd Company, Jim Holroyd. A workman is backfilling the trench for the Consumer's Central Heating Company pipe that had been lined with concrete blocks to provide easy access to the pipe. The area where the pipe ran is covered with a sturdy material.

Holroyd Co. (Tacoma); Consumer's Central Heating Co. (Tacoma); Building materials--Tacoma; Concrete products industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Heating & ventilation industry--Tacoma--1940-1950;

A view of the exterior of the Pierce County Courthouse built in 1891-1893 of brick and sandstone. The tower was damaged by the April 13, 1949, earthquake and controversy had begun over whether it should be dismantled. It served as the courthouse for 70 years until it was abandoned and torn down following the construction of the present County-City Building along Tacoma Avenue. Constructed at a cost of $743,000, the cathedral-type building was an almost duplicate of architect Henry Hobson Richardson's courthouse in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The central tower clock was 230 feet high. (TNT, 7/24/1949) TPL-154

Pierce County Courthouse (Tacoma); Courthouses--Tacoma; Historic buildings--Tacoma;

The Pierce County Courthouse was built in 1892 and served for 70 years until it was abandoned and demolished following the construction of the current County-City Building on Tacoma Ave. Constructed at a cost of $743,000, the Romanesque building of Wilkeson and Pittsburgh grey freestone finished with Tenino bluestone was almost an exact duplicate of architect Henry Hobson Richardson's courthouse in Pittsburgh, Pa. The building was three stories and the central tower was 230 feet tall. The tower's clock, added in 1907, was four feet in diameter and faced on all four sides. The plans for the building included secret stairways, hideouts and a hanging room, reportedly used to hang two prisoners. The cathedral type building was demolished in 1959. (TNT'S "Tacoma Landmarks by Thompson" reprints from the TNT Calendars and Sunday Magazine")

Pierce County Courthouse (Tacoma); Historic buildings--Tacoma;

Claude R. "Shorty" Doran (at right, holding a microphone), the Pierce County Agricultural Agent, and an unidentified man were photographed using a reel-to-reel tape recorder in Mr. Doran's office at the old County Court House, 1012 South G Street, on June 15, 1950. They were probably recording a program to be broadcast on KMO radio during the Farm Show which was on the air Monday through Friday at 12:45 p.m. "Shorty" Doran became the agricultural agent in 1949. He had been active in promoting dairy practices in Pierce County for several years, and as superintendent of the Dairy department of the Western Washington Fair had successfully developed an outstanding 4-H dairy program. ( Ordered by Llewelyn Advertising Agency.)

Pierce County Courthouse (Tacoma); Sound recordings; Communication devices;

Printed on front: Pierce County C.H. (Courthouse), Tacoma, Wash.

Printed on front: Pierce County Court House, Tacoma

Current location of Tacoma Public Library's Main Branch. Printed on front: Public Library and Court House, Tacoma, Washington.

Interior of First Presbyterian Church, circa 1913.

Printed on front: The State Armory and Court House, Tacoma, U.S.A.

Printed on front: No. 6 State Armory, Tacoma, Washington

ca. 1892. This is an image of the Pierce County Court House under construction circa 1892. Stone masons are posed in front of the incomplete building with large heaps of stone in the foreground. It would eventually become a three-story structure with a 230-ft. tower. Wilkeson and Pittsburg grey freestone, finished with Tenino bluestone, would be used on the exterior. The massive Romanesque edifice would serve as the county's courthouse for over sixty years until its demolition in 1959. (Copy of original) Bi-Centennial Project # 75346-53; BU-10704

Pierce County Courthouse (Tacoma); Progress photographs; Building construction--Tacoma--1890-1900; Stone cutting--Tacoma;

Pierce County Sheriff Tom Desmond stands next to the what is left of a $12,000 still at the County Courthouse on October 23, 1930. Somehow thieves managed to spirit away part of the still, a seven-foot contraption with twelve compartments and twelve faucets. The grain alcohol still, capable of producing 250 gallons of grain alcohol a day, was seized in a raid at Point Fosdick on October 18, 1930. It was put in a corridor of the courthouse near the entrance of the jail. The seven-foot part went missing on the night of the 20th. Consequently, two deputy sheriffs were fired for "gross carelessness." (TNT 10-23-30, p. 1)

On August 4, 1925, John B. "Kelly" Carlton was photographed outside the Pierce County Courthouse while enjoying a refreshing Orange Kist soda. "Kelly" was the "keeper of the key to the county cooler" as he was the county jailer. Orange Kist, a new soda manufactured in Tacoma by the Columbia Brewing Company, was introduced to consumers in August, 1925, with a barrage of advertising and promotional stunts, including a free giveaway of thousands of cases of the soda. Prohibition had driven Tacoma's breweries out of beer and into other product lines. On August 3rd a big truck with 3,000 bottles of the new soda for free distribution had backed up to the Courthouse and unloaded its cargo right into Kelly's waiting, and thirsty, arms. G33.1-065; TPL-6208 (TNT 8/4/1925, pg. 7)

Carbonated beverages; Eating & drinking--Tacoma--1920-1930; Carlton, John B.; Columbia Brewing Co.--Associated objects; Pierce County Courthouse (Tacoma);

Prohibition came to Washington State early, with its passage taking effect at 12:01a.m. on January 1, 1916. By 1920, local entrepreneurs were very savvy at brewing "moonshine" in homemade distilleries, or "stills." This pile was only the most recent installment of confiscated stills in Pierce County. (TDL 8/15/1920, pg B-5) G24.1-072

Prohibition--Tacoma; Stills (Distilleries);

As the caption on this photograph indicates, this was the Criminal Force of the Pierce County Sheriff's Dept. in 1938. John C. Bjorklund (not pictured), the County Sheriff, was in his second term. When re-elected in 1938, he received the largest majority ever given a candidate for any office in the history of Pierce County up to that time. TPL-2512

Uniforms; Sheriffs--Pierce County--1930-1940; Pierce County Sheriffs (Tacoma);

Maefair Apartments fire hearing. Witnesses were called and evidence was provided to a jury, who was to decide whether criminal negligence had occurred at the February 17, 1945, Maefair Apartments fire that killed 19 people. Coroner Paul Mellinger questioned a wide array of witnesses, and provided jurors with a clear picture of the unfortunate circumstances. Seated in the jury box were: (l-r) Mrs. Alfarnia E. Allen, Mrs. C.R. McColl and Mrs. Robert C. McCune. In the back row were: (l-r) H.W. Kramer, future Tacoma mayor John H. Anderson and Erling O. Johnson. (T. Times, 3/2/45, p. 1; TNT 3-2-45, p. 1-alternate photograph & article).

Courtrooms--Tacoma; Judicial proceedings--Tacoma; Juries--Tacoma; Kramer, H.W.; Anderson, John H.; Johnson, Erling O.; Allen, Alfarnia; McColl, C.R.--Family; McCune, Robert C.--Family;

Maefair Apartment fire hearing. After an extensive investigation it was concluded that the fire was started in the basement, then continued upwards, until it was out of control. Coroner Paul Mellinger, center, questioned several witnesses, including victims, Robbie Larson, Fire Inspector and John D. Hamilton, owner of Hamilton's Candy Co. (T. Times, 3/2/45, p. 1).

Courtrooms--Tacoma; Judicial proceedings--Tacoma; Mellinger, Paul;

Tacoma-Pierce County Blood Bank was located on 726-28 Saint Helens Avenue in downtown Tacoma. The center opened in July 1946, in 1947 they were receiving blood donations for industrial plants throughout Tacoma. View of prisoner donating blood at Pierce County Jail, the jail was located on the first floor of the building; nurse from Tacoma-Pierce County Blood Bank is helping the patient with the donation.

Prisoners--Tacoma; Prisons--Tacoma; Blood donations--Tacoma; Medical equipment & supplies; Blood; Nurses--Tacoma; Pierce County Jail (Tacoma); Tacoma-Pierce County Blood Bank (Tacoma);

A long line of motorists formed outside Pierce County Auditor Jack Sonntag's office October 25, 1948, to purchase special 1949 license plates. Clare Radek, cashier, is showing Mr. Sonntag license plate B 1 which had been reserved for many years for S.A. Perkins, a prominent Tacoma businessman. "Sam" Perkins had received the first license plate issued by Washington State, plate no.1, in 1905. (photo ordered for the Times by Angeloff) (T.Times, 10/25/1948, p.18)

Pierce County Courthouse (Tacoma); Sonntag, Jack W.; Radek, Clare; License plates--Washington (State)--1940-1950; Government officials--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Long lines of Pierce County residents filled the second floor hallway of the old Pierce County Courthouse on January 2, 1948 outside the Auditor's office. Motorists had until January 10th to register their vehicles, or a $3 penalty would be attached to their registration fees. Anyone choosing to drive without a 1948 license sticker could be arrested and heavily fined.(T. Times, 1/3/48, p. 7).

Licenses--Tacoma--1940-1950; Recording & registration--Tacoma--1940-1950; License plates--Washington (State)--1940-1950; Vehicles--Tacoma--1940-1950; Queues--Tacoma; Crowds--Tacoma--1940-1950; Pierce County Courthouse (Tacoma);

Three women switchboard operators at the switchboard at the Court House. The two women who are seated wear head sets with ear phones and microphones together. They are busy with the cords connecting and disconnecting phone calls. A 1950 calendar from Great Northern Railway hangs on the wall behind them. Ordered by Llewelyn Advertising Agency.

Pierce County Courthouse (Tacoma); Telephone switchboards--Tacoma; Telephone operators--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Judge Wilford A. Richmond, Superior Court judge, and his colleagues posed for a portrait at the Pierce County Court House on February 28, 1957. Photograph ordered by Washington Tuberculosis Association.

Richmond, W.A.; Judges--Tacoma; Washington Tuberculosis Association (Tacoma);

In July of 1959 the stately old County Courthouse at 1012 South G Street, adorned with large signs on its southeast tower declaring "This building is coming down" and "Salvage for sale", was in the process of being demolished. Lige Dickson and Co., the subcontractor for the demolition, had gutted much of the interior and the north wing was already gone. Built in 1892, its familiar Romanesque spires and cupolas made it a Tacoma landmark. By 1959 the beauty of the building's stone work hid deteriorating interior walls and sagging floors. A "Save the Courthouse" movement failed after generating only 20 letters. The final hold up to demolition was that Pierce County Sheriff Frank Stojack refused to move his department to the new County-City building until he received increased funding for a larger staff to man the new facility. After demolition was completed, the area formerly occupied by the Courthouse served as a parking lot for the County-City building. (TNT 4/22/1959, pg. 1, 4/30/1959, pg. 1, 6/20/1959, pg. 1) TPL-6567

Pierce County Courthouse (Tacoma); Courthouses--Tacoma; County-City Building (Tacoma); State Armory (Tacoma);

By July of 1959, demolition of the aging Gothic-styled Piece County Courthouse, 1012 South G Street, was well underway. Lige Dickson & Co. began tearing down the old courthouse in June with cranes and wrecking balls bringing it down piece by piece over the next several weeks. In July explosive charges were set and the remainder of the courthouse came tumbling down. A parking lot for the new County City Building, shown at right, was built on the site. BU 12845; TPL-6561

Pierce County Courthouse (Tacoma); Courthouses--Tacoma; Historic buildings--Tacoma; Hoisting machinery; Demolition--Tacoma--1950-1960;

• Built in 1892, and made out of Wilkeson and Pittsburg grey freestone, finished with Tenino bluestone--this was demolished in 1959 after the County-City Building was constructed.
• Printed on front: Pierce Co. Court House, located at Tacoma.

Printed on front: Pierce County Court House, Tacoma, Washington