Piles of logs are scattered around a logging camp at the foothills of a forest near North Bend. Moving and lifting equipment are motionless in this August 12, 1957, photograph. The tall pole with intricate wiring spraying from its top is used to lift and maneuver logs. Photograph ordered by Malcolm McGhie.

Logs; Lumber industry--North Bend; Hoisting machinery;

Exterior--Mary Bridge Children's Hospital. The Mary Bridge Children's Hospital has served the area's ill children since March, 1955. Built of reinforced concrete faced with architectural concrete, it was designed by John W. Maloney & Lea, Pearson & Richards, architects. The hospital was named in honor of the mother of physician Albert W. Bridge. View of exterior of hospital; in 1957, only two floors of the three-story building were in use. The third was enclosed but not finished nor furnished. Plans were made to expand the hospital to finish the third floor but it would not be completed until 1964. Photograph ordered by Tacoma Orthopedic Association.

Mary Bridge Children's Hospital (Tacoma); Hospitals--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Technician is possibly conducting product testing in Vancouver, British Columbia, on June 12, 1957. It appears that white fibered material, possibly pulp, is being examined. This may have involved the Canadian paper industry. Photograph ordered by Malcolm McGhie.

Testing--Canada; Product inspection--Canada; Laboratories--Canada;

The massive Villa Plaza sign welcomed shoppers to the newest shopping center in Lakewood in the summer of 1957. Surrounded by small shrubs and constructed within a brick planter, the large neon letters beckoned customers to stop by and visit the center's numerous businesses. A well-lit parking lot with space available for 4000 cars meant that there was plenty of room for parking. Mode O' Day, Woolworth's, Fashion Shoes, Weisfield's and Thriftway supermarket can be seen in the background. Photograph ordered by Norman Iverson & Associates. TPL-8316

Villa Plaza Shopping Center (Lakewood); Shopping centers--Lakewood--1950-1960; Electric signs--Lakewood;

Thriftway supermarket in the new Villa Plaza Shopping Center. Several Del Monte products on sale including six bottles of ketchup for $1.00, seven cans of canned corn for $1.00 and tomato sauce at 13 cans for $1.00. Thriftway advertised "Where Every Customer Is Important!" The Villa Thriftway, managed by Kenneth Gies, was a member of Associated Grocers. It had its own bakery and seafood market in addition to regular departments. Villa Plaza officials had planned a one-stop shopping designation for their Lakewood shopping center to include grocery, pharmacy, clothing, banking and automotive needs to attract the growing number of suburbanites. 50 acres of free parking proved a powerful lure for thousands of shoppers. (TNT 8-7-57, B8,9-alt. photograph)

Villa Thriftway Food Stores (Lakewood); Grocery stores--Lakewood--1950-1960; Signs (Notices); Villa Plaza Shopping Center (Lakewood); Shopping centers--Lakewood--1950-1960;

The W.T. Grant Co. department store opened for business in the Villa Plaza Shopping Center in the summer of 1957. It joined a number of well-known stores to make shopping easier for suburbanites: J.C. Penney, Rhodes Brothers, Weisfield's Jewelry, and F.W. Woolworth. While the aforementioned stores maintained their main stores in downtown Tacoma, the trend was growing to attract new customers who lived outside Tacoma's city limits by opening suburban branches. The 22,000 square foot store was the fifth W.T. Grant store in Washington. Manager Charles W. West indicated that the Villa Plaza Shopping Center was selected because of the accessibility for families of this area. The vast parking facilities and excellent grouping of shops and supermarkets made it ideal for a family one-stop shopping destination. Photograph ordered by Norman Iverson & Associates. (TNT 7-31-57. A-9)

W.T. Grant Co. (Lakewood); Department stores--Lakewood--1950-1960; Villa Plaza Shopping Center (Lakewood); Shopping centers--Lakewood--1950-1960;

Exterior - Wible Radio Supply, Inc. Wible Radio Supply, Inc., distributors of electronic equipment, was located at 2360 Fawcett Avenue, former home to Coca-Cola Bottling. Wible had two other locations besides Tacoma: Kennewick and Bremerton. According to the 1957 City Directory, Charles F. Wible was listed as president of the company with George E. Clark, vice-president and Mrs. Virginia L. Anderson, secretary-treasurer. View of Wible Radio Supply storefront; signs indicate that Delco radio parts, Ward auto aerials, and RCA parts and service were available. Photograph ordered by Wible Radio Supply, Inc.

Wible Radio Supply, Inc. (Tacoma); Appliance stores--Tacoma--1950-1960; Signs (Notices);

ca. 1957. Copy of customer print. A worker in hard hat peers into a bin which may disperse food to the pen's occupants; he appears to be stirring the contents. The wooden barn is separated into several pigpens framed with plywood. The pigs would be under cover, protected from the elements, while receiving fresh air from the open, unglassed windows. There is a possibility that this piggery may have belonged to the Carstens Packing Co. Photograph ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association from 35 mm slides. The date of the original print is unknown; copy was made on September 18, 1957.

Pig houses; Swine; Plywood; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma);

ca. 1957. Copy of customer print. A litter of pigs squeeze under plywood partitions to get to their mother who is encased in a coffin-sized box . Another animal, possibly another pig, is stationed close by in another long, plywood container. Whether these narrow boxes were used only for feeding purposes is unknown. There are no lids for the containers; however, space would be severely limited and the pigs would have difficulty in turning around. Photograph ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association from 35 mm slides. The date of the original picture is not given; copy of print was made on September 18, 1957.

Swine; Pig houses; Plywood; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma);

In October of 1957 the Rainbow Contractors company, owned by Howard M. Bryan, Jr., moved Chapel no. 16 through the streets of Parkland to its new home at 12223 A Street. The old Army chapel became the Parkland United Methodist Church. Since its move, an education wing has been added to the building. A similar chapel was moved ten years earlier; that chapel became the Parkland Evangelical Lutheran Memorial Church at 12301 Pacific Avenue. (Photograph ordered by Rainbow Contractors.) (Additional information provided by a reader) TPL-9967

Chapels--Tacoma; Moving of structures--Tacoma; Moving & storage trade--Tacoma--1950-1960; Rainbow Contractors (Tacoma); Parkland United Methodist Church (Parkland);

Three women are elegantly dressed in varying styles of fur garments on September 20, 1957. Mrs. Valen Honeywell is wearing a mid-length fur while Mrs. James Petersen and Mrs. Harry Berry are draped with a fur wrap and unusual fur collar. In addition, all have small hats, jewelry, and gloves. The trio would be participating in a style show of furs for the Tacoma Orthopedic Association Guild Council coffee hour. A business meeting would follow in the Wedgewood Room at the Winthrop Hotel. (TNT 9-29-57, D-5)

Fur garments; Fur coats; Women--Clothing & dress--1950-1960;

The Dupont wharf, shown here in September of 1957, was bult so that railroad cars from the E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., which manufactured explosives, could be loaded and unloaded directly onto waiting ships. When it was originally built about 1911, the wharf was 36 feet wide and 300 feet long. By 1959, the Dupont Company's 50th anniversary, over one billion pounds of explosives had been produced at the company's plant; explosives that had helped to build roads, drive tunnels, open mineral deposits, and excavate the great dams of the Pacific Northwest.

Loading docks; Shipping; Railroad tracks; E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. (Dupont);

A heavy duty Rainbow Contractor truck hauls a large building, Chapel #16, down a suburban street on October 3, 1957. A man on the very top of the roof is stationed there to watch for entangling power lines. Rainbow Contractors was very experienced in moving of large structures, both on land and on water. They were located at 3601 South Lawrence and owned by Howard M. Bryan, Jr.

Moving of structures; Moving & storage trade--Tacoma--1950-1960; Rainbow Contractors (Tacoma);

The S.H. Kress store had been a presence on Broadway since its opening on October 16, 1925. 32 years later, the store underwent extensive remodeling under the supervision of contractor G. Kirkebo & Sons, following the designs of architect Lyle Swedberg. View of dirt piled on one side of the Kress building, open beams, and probably sheets of black tarp covering one end of building. Kress celebrated its grand reopening in August, 1958. Air conditioning and a lunch counter were additions to the store. The store was to eventually close in 1972; later, the building was to become the home of the Children's Museum of Tacoma. Photograph ordered by S.H. Kress & Co. (TNT 11-24-57, C-16) TPL-9207

S.H. Kress & Co. (Tacoma); Variety stores--Tacoma--1950-1960; Building construction--Tacoma--1950-1960;

The Lerner Shops can be glimpsed through the space next to the S.H. Kress store across the street as the variety store underwent extensive remodeling in the fall of 1957. Mounds of rubble including pieces of wood, hoses, rubber, and shattered concrete are clearly visible. It was apparently time for the Kress store to update itself; it was built originally in 1925 as part of the nationwide chain of variety stores. The new Kress store would celebrate a grand reopening in August, 1958. Fourteen years later, in 1972, the store would end its presence in downtown Tacoma. The Children's Museum of Tacoma would remodel and occupy the building in the late 1990's. Photograph ordered by S.H. Kress & Co.

S.H. Kress & Co. (Tacoma); Variety stores--Tacoma--1950-1960; Building construction--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Bob Gleason was master of ceremonies for the "Pantry Playhouse" on KTNT-TV, channel 11 at 3 p.m. weekdays. On September 23, 1957 a young woman named Diane, who was an employee of Van de Kamp Bakeries presented a cake to Mr. Gleason with his name on it written in frosting. The TV program featured "late TV releases from major Hollywood studios". Mr. Gleason was also co-host of the "Home Show", a popular Tacoma based talk show. Photograph ordered by Martin Gardner & Tuttle.

Television broadcasting; KTNT TV (Tacoma); Cakes--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Interior of Calvary Baptist Church. Standing behind the pulpit is believed to be the Rev. Robert S. Hess, pastor of the Calvary Baptist Church. There is an abundance of wood in this church, from the long rows of pews to the arched and beamed ceilings. Rilco Laminated Products, Inc., may have supplied some of the wood products used in the sanctuary. Calvary Baptist Church has had a long history in Tacoma; it celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1999. In June, 1997, a rare twister damaged the church buildings; it was subsequently rededicated in September, 1997. Photograph ordered by Calvary Baptist Church.

Calvary Baptist Church (Tacoma); Baptist churches--Tacoma; Protestant churches--Tacoma;

ca. 1957. Interior of Ghilarducci's Villa Plaza Florists. Ghilarducci's maintained their longtime flagship store in downtown Tacoma but chose to expand to the suburbs as that area grew in population. They offered the latest in refrigerated storage, ready to serve floral needs. One of the early occupants of the Villa Plaza Shopping Center, Ghilarducci's enlarged their shop there by October of 1957 to add a gift shop where assorted ceramic, brass and wood items and glassware could be purchased. (TNT Ad 6-2-57, D-7-alt. photograph; TNT Ad 10-13-57, D-4-alt. photograph)

Ghilarducci's Villa Plaza Florists (Lakewood); Florist shops--Lakewood; Villa Plaza Shopping Center (Lakewood); Shopping centers--Lakewood--1950-1960;

Hopper-Kelly Co. of Tacoma specialized in pianos and organs but also sold other musical instruments, televisions and appliances. By 1957, they had been in Tacoma for 40 years. View of interior of store shows a display of Westinghouse televisions in the foreground, pianos and organs to the rear, and guitars, brass instruments, cases, and accessories on nearby counters. The store was located next door to the Bank of California on Pacific Avenue.

Hopper Kelly Co. (Tacoma); Music stores--Tacoma; Televisions--1950-1960;

View of Hunt & Mottet Co. building. Designed by the architectural firm of Bullard & Hill and constructed by Joseph Wells, the eight-story brick Hunt & Mottet Building was completed in 1907. Later, a smaller four-story unit was constructed to its left. The company were wholesalers of hardware and also sporting goods. Signs on the ground floor windows indicate that Hunt & Mottet also occupied space in the original Love-Johnson Co./Tacoma Grocery Co. building next door. Photograph ordered by Hunt & Mottet Co. TPL-4792

Hunt & Mottet Co. (Tacoma); Facades--Tacoma--1950-1960; Hardware stores--Tacoma;

Hunt & Mottet Co. Building and parking lot shot from the side angle at S. 22nd and Pacific Avenue on October 21, 1957. A small parking lot is available for customers of the Hunt & Mottet Co., wholesale hardware and sporting goods dealer, in downtown Tacoma. The small four-story building adjacent to the parking lot was a later addition to the original 1907 eight-story unit. The company made sure that their name was highly visible for many blocks by the use of extremely large lettering on the side of the main building. TPL-4794

Hunt & Mottet Co. (Tacoma); Signs (Notices); Parking lots--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Storage tanks at Kaiser Aluminum are massive in nature; they dwarf the Canadian National Railroad boxcars that are motionless in front of them. Olin Corporation Aluminum Plant was the first occupant of the 3400 Taylor Way site; it was sold to Kaiser Aluminum in late 1946. Kaiser spent nearly three million dollars in 1952 to expand its plant, thereby increasing aluminum production accordingly. Easy access to rail transportation made delivery of its product fast and efficient. Photograph ordered by Kaiser Aluminum.

Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corp. (Tacoma); Aluminum industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Storage tanks--Tacoma; Railroad freight cars--Canada;

Kitchen - First Congregational Church. The kitchen in the First Congregational Church was well equipped to handle hundreds of parishioners' dietary needs for church teas, luncheons, suppers, and receptions. The section of the kitchen shown in this September 17, 1957, photograph indicates that dishwashing would be fast and efficient. The Blakeslee Kitchen Machine may have been an industrial dishwasher. Photograph ordered by the Patrick Co., dealer in restaurant supplies.

Kitchens--Tacoma--1950-1960; First Congregational Church (Tacoma);

Interior of Richards Camera Store and Portrait Studio, Villa Plaza. A look through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows showed the immense array of photographic equipment and supplies offered by the new Richards Camera and Portrait Studio located in the new Villa Plaza Shopping Center. This store would open on November 15, 1957, and was the second owned by the Paul Richards family. The first store was located in the 700 block of Pacific Avenue. Richards Studios were noted for their high quality services and supplied the Tacoma-area with major lines including Eastman, Leica and Bolex. (TNT 11-14-57, A-13-alt. photograph)

Richards Cameras, Inc. (Lakewood); Photographic studios--Lakewood; Photography stores--Lakewood; Cameras; Villa Plaza Shopping Center (Lakewood); Shopping centers--Lakewood--1950-1960;

Exterior of school. Rilco Laminated Products, Inc., may have supplied some of their wood products in the construction of a school in California in 1957. View of Poplar School located in Fontana, California, shows a modern one-story brick and concrete school with multiple buildings connected by covered walkways. Newly planted trees would eventually grow large enough to provide additional shade. Rilco Laminated was located in the Tacoma Bldg. at 1015 A St. It was managed by Roland A. Glaze. Photograph ordered by Rilco Laminated Products, Inc.

Rilco Laminated Products, Inc. (Tacoma); Public schools--California--Fontana; Poplar School (Fontana, Calif.);

Copy of customer print. Sparlux Sales, Inc., was located at 10105 South Tacoma Way between the Cheerio and Three Point Motels. They were in the business of selling auto trailers, primarily the Spartan brand. The office building appeared to be a typical modern squarish structure with flat roof and multiple picture windows. Bright neon signs were posted in the large parking lot. Trailers for sale were lined up next to the building. It may have rained the date of the picture as the parking lot is wet. Date of original picture was not given; copy was made on September 25, 1957.

Sparlux Sales, Inc. (Tacoma); Trailers--Tacoma--1950-1960; Electric signs--Tacoma--1950-1960;

ca. 1957. Copy of customer print. A Northern Pacific Railway refrigerator car is stationary on tracks in a 1957 photograph requested by the Pacific Car & Foundry Co. All vital information regarding the boxcar is listed on its side, including weight, dimensions and capacity limits. Apparently this was a newly engaged car as of September, 1957. TPL-5838

Railroad refrigerator cars; Signs (Notices); Northern Pacific Railway Co. (Tacoma);

Toy pistol in hand, the son of James and Ann Cullum is ready for action in a home portrait taken on December 3, 1957. It looks like the little cowboy has already rounded up a herd of (stuffed) animals. The Cullum family resided at 1002 Tacoma Ave. No. Mr. and Mrs. Cullum were president and secretary-treasurer of Tacoma Screw Products. Sepia photograph ordered by Ann Cullum.

Cullum, James--Family; Children playing--Tacoma;

A nurse carefully feeds a bottle of formula to a tiny infant in an incubator in this December, 1957, photograph. For the protection of the baby, only her hands are allowed in the incubator. It is possible that this infant was born prematurely or perhaps was very ill. Mary Bridge Children's Hospital provided excellent newborn and pediatric services using the most up-to-date equipment and supplies. Photograph ordered by Tacoma Orthopedic Association.

Nurses--Tacoma--1950-1960; Infants--Tacoma--1950-1960; Bottle feeding--Tacoma; Incubators; Tacoma Orthopedic Association (Tacoma);

Exterior of Holy Cross Catholic Church. The exterior of the new Holy Cross Catholic Church was photographed near Thanksgiving, 1957. The large church appears to be nearly completed, including tower with cross and arched windows, although the landscaping is yet to be done. Several piles of bricks are undercover, protected from the rain, as they might be necessary to extend the brick border in front of the pillars. Mill & Associates were the architects involved in the project; the contractors were the Jardeen Brothers. The new $250,000 church would be dedicated by the Archbishop of Seattle, the Most Rev. Thomas A. Connolly on December 2, 1957. The Sacrament would be carried in a procession by clergy and laymen from the old Holy Cross Church at No. 43rd and Shirley around the corner to the new church building after the final Mass in the old location. Photograph ordered by Catholic Northwest Progress. (TNT 12-1-57, C-12)

Catholic churches--Tacoma; Holy Cross Catholic Church (Tacoma);