ca. 1927. Legislative Building. A glimpse of the Legislative (Capitol) Building is partially obscured by towering firs in this ca. 1927 photograph. The Corinthian columns on the building's two porticoes are visible as well as the majestic dome. Care was taken to plan landscaping of the governmental complex to include great areas of lawn and placement of trees and other shrubs.

ca. 1927. Legislative Building. The final years of the Legislative Building project, which had begun with the laying of the building's cornerstone in 1922, primarily were concerned with interior work. As this view of the rotunda indicates, marble was extensively used within the Legislative Building as befitting its rich atmosphere. A contract for $850,000 was awarded the Vermont Marble Co. whose Tacoma plant was responsible for the cutting and polishing. A national search for marble setters had to be conducted since this specialized skill was not found locally. The Great Seal of the State of Washington, cast in bronze, was set into the marble stair landing directly under the dome. Until the late 1930's, the Great Seal remained unenclosed and thousands unintentionally trod upon the visage of George Washington, their feet wearing off his nose. Besides the light gray Alaska marble, bronzework was found throughout the rotunda with the railings of the fourth floor balcony (believed to be shown above) incorporating replicas of the state seal. Replicas of Roman firepots used for indirect lighting, also cast in bronze, were located at each corner of the rotunda. (Johnston: Washington's Audacious State Capitol and Its Builders)

ca. 1927. State Reception Room. Imported marble was used in the columns found in the State Reception Room of the Legislative Building. A decision was made by the project's co-architect, Walter Wilder, that the State Reception Room was to be the most ornate in the building. He chose Bresche Violet marble from Italy which had a creamy background interspersed with red, lavender and green veins. The floor was finished with teak and covered with a specially woven seamless rug. Adding to the ceremonial tone of the room, heavily lined velvet drapes with matching valences and silk cable tasseled ties were appropriate window coverings. A 7-foot round table was placed in the middle of the room surrounded by elaborately patterned chairs. High back chairs of the same pattern were lined up against the marble columns. The legislature had authorized a budget of some $600,000 for furnishings and opened the bidding to the nation. The New York City firm of W. and J. Sloane was chosen, with the cost of the enormous 7-foot table coming in at (then) an astonishing $1000. (Johnston: Washington's Audacious State Capitol and Its Builders)

ca. 1927. Portico on Legislative Building. This is believed to be at the south entrance. Most of the ornamental carvings on stonework was done after the stone was in place. The columns were positioned first in a raw state prior to stone carvers shaping them into elaborate designs. Stone carving was such a specialized profession that crews were assembled drawn from all parts of the nation, including many Scotsmen. A combination of hand tools and sandblasting equipment was used by the craftsmen who had to carve the capitals from high scaffolding. (Johnston: Washington's Audacious State Capitol and Its Builders)

On the morning of June 7, 1926, Tacoma saw a change in city government from "business as usual." The March 1926 election had brought defeat to all City Council incumbents up for re-election. Photographer Chapin Bowen captured the moment as the old Council stepped out and the new took their seats for their first meeting. Pictured around the table, left to right, are Jesse W. Silver- Public Works, newly elected A.S. Walters - Finance, newly elected Mayor Melvin G. Tennent, Ira Davisson- Light & Water and newly elected H. Dyer Dyment- Public Safety. Seated to the right is City Clerk Genevieve Martin. (TNT 6-7-26, p. 1-photograph is flipped in newspaper) Bowen 26375, TPL-9549

On March 9, 1926, Tacomans voted a new "tennent" into the Mayor's office when M.G. Tennent defeated four time Mayor Angelo G. Fawcett by a wide margin of 5,235 votes. At that time, the election had the heaviest vote ever cast in Tacoma with Tennent elected by the largest vote ever given a candidate for the office of Tacoma Mayor. The newly elected Mayor Tennent was photographed on the front steps of his home with his dog. Elderly Mayor Fawcett could not compete with the younger, more progressive Tennent. Mayor Tennent would serve two consecutive terms before being defeated himself by Harry P. Cain. TPL-1493 (TNT 3/10/1926, PG. 1)

Four-time Tacoma mayor Angelo Vance Fawcett, right, turns over the reins of city government to new mayor Melvin G. Tennent on June 7, 1926. A. V. "Fighting" Fawcett was defeated by M. G. "Smilin'" Tennent in the election of March, 1926. By June, there was a new "Tennent" in City Hall. Fawcett was preparing to retire to his home at Greene Park after over 30 years of nearly continuous service and activity in city and county politics, including terms as Mayor 1896-97, 1910-11, 1914-19 and 1922-26. He introduced Tennent at the first meeting of the new city council by stating that he hoped and believed that Tennent would make a good mayor. Tennent, in response, extolled the retiring mayor and said that he would always be welcome to come back to the city council and give his advice. (TNT 6-7-26, p. 1) Bowen 26376 TPL-6320,

Early in January of 1926, Tacoma voters were flooding into the Registrar's office on the third floor of City Hall to qualify to vote in the upcoming city primary and general elections. The throng included three new voters, pictured center of the counter. The trio was composed of Ingeborg Ekberg, Alice Raymond and Vera Landers, all students at the College of Puget Sound and all having just turned 21. According to city clerk Genevieve Martin almost 9,000 voters had registered in the first five days for the elections, which included another run for the Mayor's office by four time incumbent Angelo Vance Fawcett. TPL-3209 (TNT 1/11/1926, pg. 17- cropped picture, TNT 1/9/26, pg. 14-article on registration)