ca. 1958. Mount Rainier can barely be seen in the distance on an overcast day, to the right of the new County-City Building under construction. The smaller unit is the new law enforcement wing which will eventually become four stories tall. The steel frame work is now up; structural steel used in fabricating the framework was probably provided by Bethlehem Pacific Coast Steel's Seattle plant. The large dirt area to the foreground will become parking. Photograph ordered by Bethlehem Pacific Coast Steel Corporation.
Progress photographs; County-City Building (Tacoma); Building construction--Tacoma--1950-1960;
ca. 1958. Exterior - Mode O' Day. Mode O' Day, a ladies clothing store, opened a branch in the new Lakewood Villa Plaza Shopping Center in 1957. They had their main store in downtown Tacoma as part of the large Mode O' Day national chain. View of Lakewood's Mode O' Day with storefront windows full of summer fashions and inexpensive nylons. The Mode O' Day was owned by Mrs. Edna Gregg and Mrs. Florence Burns. Photograph ordered by Villa Plaza Development.
Mode O' Day (Lakewood); Clothing stores--Lakewood--1950-1960; Window displays--Lakewood--1950-1960; Facades--Lakewood--1950-1960;
ca. 1958. The Prudential Insurance Co. of America at the Villa Plaza Shopping Center. It was located next door to 24 Flavors Ice Cream and close to the National Bank of Washington. The newly established "Tacoma South District Agency" was led by manager William D. Malone who had supervision of 27 employees here and a staff of 18 at two branch offices in Olympia and Aberdeen. It was the third Prudential agency in the Tacoma area and celebrated its official grand opening on Friday, April 25, 1958. The Villa Plaza building had 3,415 square feet of office space. By mid-1958 there were about 35 retail stores and services at the Villa Plaza in Lakewood. (TNT Ad 4-24-58, A-6-text only; A-15-article)
The Prudential Insurance Co. of America (Lakewood); Insurance companies--Lakewood; Villa Plaza Shopping Center (Lakewood); Shopping centers--Lakewood--1950-1960;
ca. 1958. Crowded interior of Thrifty Drugs at Lakewood's Villa Plaza Shopping Center.
Thrifty Drugs (Lakewood); Drugstores--Lakewood; Merchandise displays--Lakewood--1950-1960; Villa Plaza Shopping Center (Lakewood); Shopping centers--Lakewood--1950-1960;
ca. 1958. Exterior of Wutzke's Barber & Beauty Shops at the Villa Plaza Shopping Center. It was next door to the Plaza Cleaners and the National Bank of Washington. Wutzke's opened on July 1, 1957, and was extremely busy from the beginning. Owner Gerry (Jerry) Wutzke operated a combined beauty parlor and barbershop with separate sections for each. The waiting room was a joint waiting room with receptionist Marge Grimm on hand. At the time of opening Dan Peck was the barbershop manager and Fern Luther the beauty parlor manager. Wutzke's also advertised they had the only shoeshine operation in Lakewood. (TNT 8-7-57, B-6-alt. photographs; TNT ad-only 5-8-58, B-2)
Wutzke's Barber & Beauty Shops (Lakewood); Beauty shops--Lakewood--1950-1960; Barbershops--Lakewood--1950-1960; Electric signs--Lakewood; Plaza Cleaners (Lakewood); Villa Plaza Shopping Center (Lakewood); Shopping centers--Lakewood--1950-1960;
ca. 1958. Exterior view of a newly constructed Pacific 1st Federal Savings building located in the Villa Plaza Shopping Center. A large outdoor clock would be later mounted above the lower roof extension. The financial institution opened their Villa Plaza branch on January 2, 1958. The 2000+ sq. foot structure had an exterior of pre-cast marble Mosaic and large roof-to-ground windows. It was designed by Tacoma architects Lea, Pearson & Richards. Pacific 1st Federal was the largest savings & loan in the Pacific Northwest with offices in Washington and Oregon. It served more than 57,000 families. Rudolph J. Tollefson of the well-known Tacoma family of Tollefsons was the first branch manager at the Villa Plaza location. He had been with Pacific 1st Federal since 1935. (TNT 1-2-58, A-6-text only)
Pacific First Federal Savings & Loan Association (Lakewood); Banks--Lakewood; Villa Plaza Shopping Center (Lakewood); Shopping centers--Lakewood--1950-1960;
ca. 1958. Photograph taken in 1958 at the corner of Pacific Ave. and 10th, looking north on Pacific. The six story Security Building, 917 Pacific Ave., is clearly marked on the side of the building. It was built in 1903 from a design by George Bullard, architect, and named the "Provident Building." It was renamed in 1952. To the right is a smaller building, originally built in 1885 for the Tacoma National Bank and added on to in 1888 (921-23 Pacific Ave.) It has since been demolished. The tenants in 1958 were the Smoke Shop Tavern at 921, the Travel Center of Tacoma at 923 and Archie's Coffee Cup at 925 Pacific Ave. Around the corner was the Lutheran Service Center for service men and Ward-Smith, Inc. The Montgomery Ward catalog center is located at 919 Pacific Ave.
Security Building (Tacoma); Provident Building (Tacoma); Facades--Tacoma--1950-1960; Archie's Coffee Cup (Tacoma); Smoke Shop Tavern (Tacoma); Travel Center of Tacoma (Tacoma);
Exterior - State Savings & Loan Assn. Curtains are open in the State Savings & Loan Assn. building showing empty modern foyer and lobby area. The Assn.'s offices were now located at 911 Pacific Avenue in the heart of the downtown business and financial district. They were formerly at 913 Pacific before buying and remodeling the adjoining Floral Building. A large sign and clock illuminate the outer darkness; the Richards photographer ventured out at 12:55 a.m. to take this shot. The State Savings & Loan Assn. celebrated the opening of its new home office with an open house for the public from January 5-9, 1959. The association was founded in 1912 and was one of the oldest in the area. It was headed since 1922 by Calvin W. Stewart. State Savings & Loan also had two branches in Puyallup and Gig Harbor at this time. Photograph ordered by Robert Danhauser, State Savings & Loan Assn. (TNT 1-4-59, B-5)
State Savings & Loan Association (Tacoma); Banks--Tacoma; Electric signs--Tacoma--1950-1960; Clocks & watches;
Dick Walker, assistant cashier of National Bank of Washington, puts the final touches on the plywood Christmas figures in front of the N.B.W. billboard at Union and South Tacoma Way. The enormous sign was 56 feet above street level and over 60 feet wide. Even the plywood figures are doubled the size of Mr. Walker. The billboard extends the bank's wishes for a happy new year to all their customers. Photograph ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association.
Plywood; Christmas decorations; Electric signs--Tacoma--1950-1960; National Bank of Washington (Tacoma); Signs (Notices); Walker, Dick;
Over thirty students - only one a girl - were crowded into Clare Sherwood's science lab at Wilson High School in December of 1958 for a presentation that centered on what appears to be the wiring harness of a pinball machine. Mr. Sherwood was the head of the science department at Tacoma's newest high school. Woodrow Wilson High School opened its doors in September, 1958, the first new Tacoma high school in four decades. It was designed by architects Lea, Pearson & Richards as a modified campus-type arrangement on a 40-acre site purchased in 1953 by the school board as tax title land. The total cost was approximately $2.84 million with a cost per square foot of $13.96. (Photograph ordered by Citizens Committee for School Support.) (TNT 7-14-57, B-8) TPL-9296
Woodrow Wilson High School (Tacoma); Public schools--Tacoma--1950-1960; Classrooms--Tacoma--1950-1960; Sherwood, Clare; Teachers--Tacoma--1950-1960;
Chemistry students at the brand new Woodrow Wilson High School in Tacoma's west end focus intently on their lab experiments just prior to the Christmas holidays in 1958. The high school, with an enrollment of 1,350 students, had just opened in September of that year. Woodrow Wilson High School was the first new Tacoma high school to be built in forty-four years. About half of the students transferred from Stadium High School, and a few came from the University Place area. Maynard Ponko was Wilson's first principal. Photograph ordered by the Citizens Committee for School Support. (TNT 9-3-58, A-1) TPL-9297
Woodrow Wilson High School (Tacoma); Public schools--Tacoma--1950-1960; Classrooms--Tacoma--1950-1960;
Window display, Rhodes Bros. Department Store, ordered by Rhodes Bros. Just prior to Christmas Day, a window display at the downtown Rhodes Bros. Department Store highlights a fine selection of glassware and delicate evening wear. A small banner suggests thoughtful ideas for the last-minute shopper could be found in the Gift Department, fourth floor. Rhodes had been in business in Tacoma since 1892 and at their 9th & Broadway location since 1903. Their famous slogan was "All Roads Lead to Rhodes." Sixteen years after this photograph was taken, Rhodes closed the downtown store. It was spared the wrecking ball to become the University of Puget Sound Law School and later purchased by the State of Washington for office space. Photograph ordered by Rhodes Bros.
Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma--1950-1960; Window displays--Tacoma--1950-1960; Mannequins;
Two mannequins are delicately posed in the storefront windows of Rhodes Bros. Department Store three days before Christmas, 1958. They are dressed in pink nylon gown sets whose prices apparently ranged from $14.95 to $19.95. To accessorize the gowns, soft slippers, creams, makeup and jewelry are displayed nearby. Christmas lights and gift boxes flank the window and help to illuminate the recessed display. Photograph ordered by Rhodes Bros. Department Store.
Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma--1950-1960; Window displays--Tacoma--1950-1960; Mannequins;
Aerials of the downtown area around Saint Helens, Tacoma Ave. So., and Division were taken by Richards Studio on December 22, 1958, for a sample book. Saint Helens Ave. and Tacoma Ave. So. meet at a "V" at Division. First Presbyterian Church can clearly be seen to the right. The new County-City Bldg. and Central Schools are on Tacoma Ave. on the right side of the photograph. The Medical Arts Bldg. is toward the top center on Saint Helens in a smaller "v". The street to the left of Saint Helens is Broadway. The last street to the left is no longer there; Schuster Parkway has taken its place. Further to the top left corner of the photograph, Puget Sound National Bank and Schoenfeld's furniture store are located. TPL-9298
Aerial photographs; Commercial streets--Tacoma--1950-1960; First Presbyterian Church (Tacoma); County-City Building (Tacoma); Medical Arts Building (Tacoma);
Interior of Rhodes. Christmas time at Rhodes Bros. Department Store meant plenty of festive decorations including trees and fresh garlands to provide a merry atmosphere for its customers. View of interior featuring ladies' fine sweaters, cosmetics and assorted leather handbags taken on December 22, 1958. There was still time for the last-minute shopper to choose from a wide array of gift items. Photograph ordered by Rhodes Bros. Department Store.
Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma--1950-1960; Merchandise displays--Tacoma--1950-1960; Christmas decorations;
Robert Hall, Kenneth Johnson, and C. M. Wienker present gifts on behalf of the Young Men's Business Club to young children at the Tacoma Indian Hospital. The Y.M.B.C. was a civics organization that performed many charitable works including supporting the Jessie Dyslin Boys Ranch. Just prior to Christmas, 1958, they traveled to the Tacoma Indian Hospital with gifts for the young patients. Many of the children came to Tacoma from out-of-state and would not be able to return home for the holidays, including Keith Pocatilla of Fort Hall, Idaho, and Thelma Jones of Poplar, Montana. Photograph ordered by the Young Men's Business Club. (TNT 12-23-58, p. 11)
Young Mens Business Club (Tacoma); Clubs--Tacoma--1950-1960; Community service--Tacoma--1950-1960; Hall, Robert; Johnson, Kenneth; Wienker, C. M.; Pocatilla, Keith; Jones, Thelma;
Aerial photographs of the 111st St. and Bridgeport Way S.W. neighborhood were taken by Richards on December 22, 1958. They were photographing various city neighborhoods by air that day for inclusion in sample books. This area was also known as Lakeview. Belcher Realty's large signage on Bridgeport can be clearly seen from the air; it was owned and operated by Lyle V. Belcher, broker. The realty firm handled homes, farms, acreage and insurance in the Lakes area. Next to Belcher's was Bridgeport Service, a gas station owned by Wesley Baker and James Bohannon. The Bell Fuel Co. had their suburban facility on 111st St. It was a Mobilheat dealer and sold stove and diesel oil. It is possible that across the street from Bell Fuel was the A.A. Meat Co.
Aerial photographs; Neighborhoods--Lakewood--1950-1960; Belcher Realty (Lakewood); Bell Fuel Co. (Lakewood);
It appears that new construction is going up in the vicinity of E. 40th & Portland Ave. in late December, 1958. The smaller unit closer to the intersection is a gas station. The identity of the larger rectangular building is not certain; it may have been a grocery store. The carefully spaced houses across the street from the gas station are part of the Salishan housing project, which was originally built as housing for war workers and military families. The first family moved into Salishan in 1943; the neighborhood consisted of one-story units, single family, duplexes, and four-family units. Aerial photographs were taken on December 22, 1958, by the Richards Studio for a sample book.
Aerial photographs of the E. 40th & Portland Avenue neighborhood were taken on December 22, 1958, by the Richards Studio for inclusion in a sample book. A church and Dairy Queen stand side-by-side across the street from the neatly aligned homes of the Salishan housing development. Each unit in Salishan had a fairly large grass yard; clothes can be spotted hanging to dry in the backyards. New construction is taking place in the upper left hand corner as a gas station and another large building, a new Piggly Wiggly supermarket, are being built. The Piggly Wiggly would open on March 18, 1959. (Additional information provided by a reader)
Aerial photographs; Neighborhoods--Tacoma--1950-1960; Building construction--Tacoma--1950-1960;
Stadium District aerials were taken by Richards Studio on December 22, 1958, for inclusion in a sample book. To the far left corner is a glimpse of Stadium Bowl. The high school is not visible in this picture. Division and Tacoma Ave. are toward the upper left with the heavily wooded area Wright Park. First Presbyterian Church is on Tacoma Ave. So.; the large white building next to it is the Scottish Rite Cathedral at 5 S G St.
Aerial photographs; Neighborhoods--Tacoma--1950-1960; First Presbyterian Church (Tacoma);
This aerial photographs of the area around South 80th & South Tacoma Way, close to Tacoma's city limits, was taken in December of 1958. Before I-5 was built, South Tacoma Way was part of highway 99. It was a major thoroughfare and businesses located along it had excellent exposure to traffic. South Tacoma Way was known for its many car lots and for such attractions as the B & I shopping center and the Star-Lite Drive-In, both pictured above. The Star-Lite, built in 1948, was one of the world's largest outdoor theaters. It was built with a 39 by 54 foot screen with over three acres of parking. The B&I was originally built in 1946 and as it grew over time it became known as the "biggest little store in the world." Owner E.L. Irwin advertised heavily and was instrumental in bringing celebrities such as Duncan Renaldo ("The Cisco Kid") and boxers Max Baer and Joe Louis to town.
Aerial photographs; Neighborhoods--Tacoma--1950-1960; Star-Lite Park In Theatre (Tacoma); B&I Circus Store (Tacoma);
Mary Bridge-Tacoma General Hospital off Division. Aerial photographs of the So. "K" (now Martin Luther King, Jr. Way) and So. "L" Streets were taken just prior to Christmas, 1958. Division Avenue is the street to the extreme left. Tacoma General Hospital, located in the 300 block of So. "K", is the multi-storied white building with dark roof and smokestack. First Christian Church in the 500 block of So. "K" is to the right of the picture. Mary Bridge Children's Hospital is directly in front of Tacoma General in the 300 block of So. "L;" it was dedicated in March, 1955. Wright Park is the wooded area to the top of the photograph.
Aerial photographs; Wright Park (Tacoma); Mary Bridge Childrens Hospital (Tacoma); Tacoma General Hospital (Tacoma);
A patient appears to be presenting a pamplet, "Voice for Health," to the receptionist at Dr. A.A. Adams' office on December 16, 1958. Dr. Adams offered chiropractic services at his South 52nd and Pacific Avenue office. Photograph ordered by Dr. A.A. Adams.
Dr. Alan A. Adams makes steady eye contact with an unidentified patient in his Pacific Avenue offices on December 16, 1958. Dr. Adams offered chiropractic services and adjustments. Pen in hand, he appears ready to make note of the patient's concerns. Photograph ordered by Dr. A. A. Adams.
Adams, Alan A.; Medical offices--Tacoma--1950-1960; Physicians--Tacoma--1950-1960;
Ellen Abbott was crowned honored queen at a Job's Daughters ceremony on December 13, 1958. She, along with the other women in the group, were dressed in ceremonial regalia. Ellen Abbott, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Abbott, is seated in the center of the five women. The letters of her name and title were hanging on the curtains behind the group. "Charity," the theme of the public installation ceremony of Bethel 8, International Order of Job's Daughters, took place in the Gothic Room on the third floor of the Masonic Temple. A dance and informal reception followed. A list of officers installed was mentioned in a News Tribune article dated December 12, 1958. Photograph ordered by Ellen Abbott. (TNT 12-12-58, p. 14)
International Order of Job's Daughters (Washington); Rites & ceremonies--Tacoma--1950-1960; Abbott, Ellen;
Job's Daughters installation, ordered by Ellen Abbott. Family and friends look on as Queen Ellen Abbott, kneeling with flowers before her, participates in Job's Daughters ceremonies held at the Masonic Temple. She, along with an attendant, make up the foot of a living cross. Other young women, dressed in white ceremonial robes, clapse their hands in prayer. Sepia photograph was taken on December 13, 1958.
International Order of Job's Daughters (Washington); Rites & ceremonies--Tacoma--1950-1960; Abbott, Ellen;
Delighted Pacific Lutheran College co-eds applaud the selection of freshman Nadine Bruins of Arnegard, North Dakota, as the Lucia Bride on December 12, 1958. She has her eyes closed as the traditional red sash is wound around her waist. Tammara Oman (L) and Solveig Leraas (R) were selected as her attendants. The Festival of Santa Lucia is a very old Swedish custom, generally held the 13th of December, which features the eldest daughter of each household approaching her sleeping parents dressed in a long white gown with a red sash and wearing a crown of lingonberry leaves in which are set seven lighted candles. She supposedly represents the white-clad maiden, wearing a crown of burning candles, who brought food to starving Swedish villagers. Pacific Lutheran, like many other schools with large Scandinavian populations, celebrated this festival annually with the selection of a lovely Lucia Bride. (1959 Saga yearbook, p. 190-191, TNT 12-13-1958, p. 3)
View of downtown streets. This December 9, 1958, photograph was taken looking toward South 12th and Pacific from South 12th & A Streets in downtown Tacoma. National Bank of Washington's main branch, constructed of Wilkeson sandstone, is on the right side; across the street is the newer annex which housed the installment credit department. An underground, and well lit, tunnel was built to connect the two bank buildings. The main branch was to later become the home of the Tacoma Art Museum. Photograph ordered by National Bank of Washington.
National Bank of Washington (Tacoma); Banks--Tacoma;
Washington Cooperative Farmers Association's Feed Mill. The Co-op spent a million dollars in the late 1940's to construct the modern feed mill pictured above. The feed mill would utilize the most modern techniques to blend and weigh its grains. In addition, a bulk feed unit was constructed where the feed could be funneled directly into waiting delivery trucks or rail cars. The Washington Co-op had been serving the Tacoma area since 1920. Its feed mill manufactured much of the formula feeds used by Western Washington members. As the Co-op continued to grow, new additions were made to improve efficiency including eight huge tanks added to the bulk feed loading-out line to increase storage by 50%. A completely new overhead conveying system was added to speed the handling from the mill to the truck. It made it possible to convey two different products simultaneously and increased the loading capacity from 40 to 100 tons per hour. (TNT 9-1-58, C-2)
Washington Cooperative Farmers Association (Tacoma); Food storage buildings--Tacoma; Shipping--Tacoma--1950-1960; Trucks--Tacoma--1950-1960;
