Ordered by the Douglas Fir Plywood Association; plywood being used in the construction of a commercial "chicken house." Plywood is being attached to the exterior of the beams to form the curved roof of the chicken house. The entrance area and a ventilation window can be seen. This is the back of the house. This is possibly the Fife farm of the Guy Conine family. The family raised poultry in three chicken houses, one conventional and two of the quonset hut design. They raised Van Tress hybrid crosses, Washington Whites and Lancaster Whites. The laminated beam construction of the two quonset hut variety eliminated the need for posts for support. All feeding and watering was automatic. (TNT 10/28/1956, pg. B-6)

Plywood; Construction; Poultry houses; Poultry industry;

Twelve princesses for the 1956 Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival, dressed in Easter dresses and hats and holding baskets of flowers. Preparations were well underway for the 23rd annual Daffodil Festival to be held on April 9-15, 1956. Twelve candidates were vying for Queen. Seated left to right in row 1 are Dianne Divelbiss of Sumner and Judy Poolman of Sumner. 2nd row: Donna Kaelin of Sumner, Nancy Rosario of Sumner, Cheryl McDonald of Tacoma, Evelyn Strandley of Puyallup. 3rd row: Frances Delano of Puyallup, Connie Vandewall of Puyallup, Judy Nelson of Puyallup, Margaret Strachan of Tacoma. Top Row-Kathy Gustafson of Tacoma and Betty Zevenberger of Tacoma. Margaret Strachan was crowned Queen by Governor Arthur Langley April 9th in Spartan Hall in Sumner. The 18 year old Stadium High School senior was the first Tacoma girl ever elected Queen. Princesses were Diane Divelbiss, 17 year old Sumner senior, and Evelyn Strandley, 16 year old Puyallup junior. (TNT 4/1/1956, pg. D-1, TNT 4/10/1956, pg.1)

Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1956); Divelbiss, Dianne; Poolman, Judy; Kaelin, Donna; Rosario, Nancy; McDonald, Cheryl; Strandley, Evelyn; Delano, Frances; Vandewall, Connie; Nelson, Judy; Strachan, Margaret; Gustafson, Kathy; Zevenberger, Betty;

Tacoma Savings & Loan Association; drilling at site of the new savings and loan association. Raymond T. Winden, left, vice president of the association, inspects the drilling on a vacant lot at 9th and A St., the future site of the association's downtown headquarters. Built across the street from the bank's old headquarters, the new building would be modern in appearance and built of aluminum and glass with black granite trim. An exploratory hole is being drilled in hopes of finding enough water to operate the proposed air conditioning system. Called "reverse-cycle" air conditioning, the process pumps water up from far below ground to both heat and cool the building. The association building would be the first downtown to use this process, also used in the Public Utilities building. (TNT 4/5/1956, pg. A-13)

Tacoma Savings & Loan Association (Tacoma); Banks--Tacoma; Drilling--Tacoma; Construction--Tacoma--1950-1960; Drilling & boring machinery; Winden, Raymond T.;

Pacific Telephone and Telegraph, a group of 13 men sit around a table at the Winthrop Hotel with bound notebooks in front of them. Back row, third from left, is Reno Odlin, President of Puget Sound Bank. Odlin was a member of the eight man Regional Advisory Board of business leaders mapping out new projects for the company. They proposed a $400,000 construction project for Tacoma. The project included new equipment for the Market and Proctor offices, an expansion program for the Waverly office and alteration of the downtown long distance facilities. Similar projects were proposed for Seattle, Bremerton, Sumner and Shelton. Seated in the center at the head of the table is Mark Sullivan, president of PT&T and standing at the far right is George M. Dean, vice president and general manager of the Washington-Idaho district of PT &T.(TNT 3/22/1956, pg. A-10)

Telephone companies--Tacoma; Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Co. (Tacoma); Odlin, Reno, 1897-1979;

Store window display near South 9th and Commerce featuring host Arlene Francis of NBC-TV's "Home" show endorsing Douglas Fir Plywood in June, 1956. Free fir plywood do-it-yourself plans as shown on NBC's "Home" television program could be obtained at this particular store. Independent do-it-yourself projects were in vogue and interested parties could obtain ideas for built-ins, outdoor furniture and decorations. Promotional ads are being plastered over a portion of the display window with one man inside the window and others directing the placement. Ordered by the Douglas Fir Plywood Association. ALBUM 7.

Window displays--Tacoma--1950-1960; Advertising--Tacoma--1950-1960; Signs (Notices); Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma);

Mallon Motor Company, staff banquet held at the Tacoma Club celebrating the dealership's receipt of Ford Motor Company's "4 Letter Award" for the 1955 model year. The award was presented each year to the dealer that qualified in the following classifications: sound finances, management efficiency and completely modern facilities. The dinner was hosted by Robert Mallon who served as Master of Ceremonies. Tommy Mallon, the President of Mallon Motors, is seated to the far right of the picture; to his left is Abel Rigney, Mallon Sales Manger; to his left is J.C. Hogue, Ford's Field Manager; standing directly behind Mallon is C.J. Powell, Ford's District Sales Manager. The man standing third from the right in the back row has been identified as Harold Nutley. (TNT 3/11/1956, pg. A-6)

Automobile dealerships--Tacoma; Mallon Motors, Inc. (Tacoma); Mallon, Thomas; Rigney, Abel;

Designed by Silas A. Nelson, the modernistic Central Seventh Day Adventist Church at 615 North Sprague Avenue was built in 1952. It is triangular in shape, measuring 154 feet on the Sprague Avenue side, 142 feet on the Sixth Avenue approach and 89 feet on the side facing Grant Avenue. Much of the plywood framing work for the poured concrete walls was done by church members who donated their labor. The first service was held in the church in August of 1953, but it was not officially dedicated until February 1963, when the building was free of debt. In the background is the more traditional spanish gothic design First United Presbyterian Church at 1619 Sixth Ave, by 1958 known as Trinity United and shortened to Trinity in the 1990's.

Churches--Tacoma; Central Seventh Day Adventist Church (Tacoma);

Interiors of the Hunt & Mottet building. Hunt & Mottet were wholesalers of hardware. This appears to be the accounting office. The women on the right work at desks with thick upright books, possibly price lists. The women on the left work on adding machines with sheets of papers, possibly orders.

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

Kaiser Aluminum; Arc building, looking southeast. The Kaiser Aluminum plant was located about 5 miles north of downtown Tacoma. It had been obtained in 1947 by the huge Kaiser business conglomerate built by Henry J. Kaiser. It was purchased from the Defense Plant Corporation. Kaiser modernized the closed plant and began a series of expansions. In 1956, a $2,000,000 expansion was complete with the creation of 18 new "super size" reduction cells. The improvement also included the erection of a mill-type building to house the 420 ft. potline, office and laboratory buildings, an added electric substation and installation of aluminum bus bars and auxiliary electrical equipment. (Kaiser Aluminum News, August 1956)

Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corp. (Tacoma); Aluminum industry--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Kaiser Aluminum; new pot room; Interior view, Arc building. A man drives a modernistic piece of equipment, a mechanical arm with a tractor base. This new 420 foot potline at the Tacoma plant has 18 "super-size" reduction cells, increasing primary aluminum production by 15%. The Tacoma plant is a reduction plant, it uses power from hydro electric sources to reduce alumina to aluminum. In 1947, Kaiser bought the Tacoma plant from the Defense Plant Corporation which had operated it as a war emergency plant and closed it after VJ day. Its proximity to plentiful electric power, supplied by the Bonneville Power Administration, made it the perfect location for creating aluminum "pigs" by electrolysis. The plant on the Tideflats ran on a 24 hour, around the clock basis. (Kaiser Aluminum News, August 1956)

Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corp. (Tacoma); Aluminum industry--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Before Starbucks there was Manning's. In 1920 Edward Manning and his brother W.W. Manning opened Manning's Market at the corner of So. 11th & Commerce in a building, designed by Frederick Heath, that was built in 1905. Specializing in fresh roasted coffee, the market was one of the first locations for a chain of Manning's stores that grew to 65 locations from Bellingham, WA to San Diego, CA. Over the years the Tacoma Manning's grew until it contained a coffee shop, a cafe, a bakery, a meat market, and a beauty salon. The Tacoma Manning's Market closed in 1972, and the building was demolished. TPL-8569

Manning's Market (Tacoma);

Copies of a customer's prints, ordered by the Douglas Fir Plywood Association. Actual date of photographs is unknown. A man works inside the incomplete fuselage of the plane, riveting around the cabin window.

Plywood; Airplanes; Airplane industry;

Copies of a customer's prints, ordered by the Douglas Fir Plywood Association. Actual date of photographs is unknown. A plane is being constructed largely of plywood. A man operates a table saw, cutting the plywood to the correct shape for cabin windows. The unfinished plane body can be seen in the background.

Plywood; Airplanes; Airplane industry;

ca. 1956. Copy of a customer's print, ordered by Ed Karl. A woman is in the process of "showing" a championship dog. The man is presenting the canine with a ribbon that reads Winners, Portland Kennel Club, 1956.

Dog shows--Portland; Awards; Contests;

1956 May Day festivities, Annie Wright Seminary. Flag bearer Sophomore Barbara Staples leads in a group of petite and very young students dressed in full skirted white dresses with matching white anklets and white shoes and carrying flowers. The May Day court appears lined up in the background, ready to enter. (1956 issue of The Shield, Annie Wright yearbook, TNT 5/20/1956, pg. D-1))

Annie Wright Seminary (Tacoma)--1950-1960; Private schools--Tacoma--1950-1960; Festivals--Tacoma--1950-1960; Staples, Barbara; School children--Tacoma--1950-1960;

1956 May Day festivities, Annie Wright Seminary. Front row attendants, left to right: Marcia Jensen, Wendy Peterson, Sandy Cites, Janet Junkley, Gretchen Anderson, Debbie Kass, Hurlaine Johnson. Flag Bearers: Julia Mackay and Barbara Staples. Sceptre Bearer: Peggy Guyles. Crown Bearer: Mary McGoldrick. Second row, left to right: Mardi Camerer, Twyla Martin, Jane Fairbourn, Didi Camerer. Third row: Philinda Parry, Carol Somers, Joanne Ginn, Judy Spencer. Fourth row: Sandra Hagedorn, Becky Broughton (May Queen), Louanne Gibson (Maid of Honor), Wanita Townsend. Fifth row: Sondra Schafer, Nancy Lampson, Janet Haley, Nancy Steen. Sixth row: Sharon Reid, Sue Marie Lynn, Katie Bernhard, Jessie Nelson. Last row: Bobbie Allen, Helen Tompkins, Ann Wohleben, Kay Richards, Margot Hoffmeister, Sharon Ryder. Queen Rebecca Broughton was from Dayton, Wa. She was the Vice President of the Athletic Association and the yearbook noted that she was always cheerful, even on Monday mornings. (1956 issue of The Shield, Annie Wright yearbook, TNT 5/20/1956, pg. D-1)

Annie Wright Seminary (Tacoma)--1950-1960; Private schools--Tacoma; Festivals--Tacoma--1950-1960; Broughton, Rebecca;

ca. 1956. Aerial view of Blake, Moffitt & Towne. The company moved to this Tideflats location in 1954. They were wholesale distributors of printing and wrapping paper and stationary. This modern 1 story building was constructed for them of reinforced concrete. The vacant areas surrounding them had been sold to Star Iron & Steel and Rheem Manufacturing Co. for new construction.

Blake, Moffitt & Towne, Inc. (Tacoma); Paper industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Warehouses--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Tacoma Suburban Lines bus at Lakewood. The bus in this photograph is a Flxible Clipper motorcoach.

Buses--Lakewood;

Work is being done on the roof of the summer estate of Tacoma Lumberman Ben Cheney. The home lies in a heavily wooded area and the front has a view of a large body of water.

Cheney, Ben B., 1905-1971--Homes & haunts;

Ben Cheney relaxes in a rocking chair in front of the roaring fire in the huge fireplace of his summer estate.

Cheney, Ben B., 1905-1971--Homes & haunts; Cheney, Ben B., 1905-1971;

St. Lukes Memorial Church Antique Sale. The sixth annual antique sale, sponsored by the Women's Council of St. Lukes, would be held May 1-3, 1956. Being greeted by the rector the Rev. Canon Arthur Bell (left) are Brad Bannon, a vestryman, Grace (Mrs. William) Bysegger, president of the Women's Council, and Tahlea Sue Knisely, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J.D. Knisely. All three are dressed in period costumes. The wares of more than 20 licensed antique dealers would be offered for sale in the Bell Parish Hall. Included would be early American and European glass, silver, china, jewelry, brass, furniture and prints. Hostesses would be dressed in heirloom gowns. (TNT 4/15/1956, pg. D-2; 4/29/1956, pg D-6)

Costumes; Bell, Arthur; Bannon, Brad; Bysegger, Grace; Knisely, Tahlea Sue; St. Luke's Episcopal Church (Tacoma);

The busy mail room of the Douglas Fir Plywood Association. A large mailer is being prepared. Some women fold the materials to be mailed and others stuff the envelopes. One of the jobs of the association was the promotion of the plywood product and the industry itself. One of the association's main sources of self promotion was the U.S. mail and the company maintained a large mail room to meet its demands.

Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Offices--Tacoma--1950-1960; Office workers--Tacoma--1950-1960; Correspondence;

Cheney Lumber Co.; packages of two by four "Cheney Studs" being readied for shipment in the railroad cars behind. Ben Cheney got his start in the lumber business in 1936 during the depression. By the late 1930's, he was supplying railroad ties nationally and internationally. Cheney was wholesaling the production of 140 portable mills throughout the northwest, selling their ties on a commission basis. As timber became more difficult to obtain cheaply, he became concerned over the side-cut slab wastage, often 2/3 of the log. He came up with the idea of supplying the housing market with standard 8 foot studding, the same length as railroad ties were cut. He even obtained a lower transportation cost from the Interstate Commerce Commission, making production even more economical. Cheney renamed the "shorts," as these 8 foot pieces had been called, "Cheney Studs." Studs became the standard in the building trade and Cheney is credited with standardizing the roof height in US residential construction. ("The Sou'wester" Volume xxxv, Number 3, Fall 2000)

Lumber industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Lumberyards--Tacoma; Lumber--Tacoma; Building materials industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Cheney Lumber Co. (Tacoma); Shipping--Tacoma--1950-1960;

ca. 1956. Aerial view of Northwestern Drug Co. on the Tideflats, circa 1956. Northwestern, formerly known as Tacoma Drug Co., built this facility and moved in February of 1949. This location housed a warehouse, offices and a shipping facility. The Great Northern yards can be seen in the background on the right. The body of water lying beyond D Street is the City Waterway.

Northwestern Drug Co. (Tacoma); Pharmaceutical industry--Tacoma; Aerial views; Aerial photographs;

The characters from the famous L. Frank Baum childrens' book "The Wizard of Oz" populate this float in the Daffodil Parade. Waving to the audience are Dorothy, the Tinman, the Cowardly Lion, the Scarecrow and Princess Ozma of Oz. The Oz float was sponsored by the West Coast Grocery's Shop Rite Markets and won the Festival Award for 1956. The float had an 8 x 10 replica of the book and used 40,000 daffodils for coverage. (TNT 4/14/1956, pg. 1; 4/15/1956, pg. 1)

Parades & processions--Tacoma--1950-1960; Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1956 : Tacoma); Festivals--Tacoma; Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1950-1960;

The nursery rhyme "Mary Mary, quite contrary" is the theme of this float; Mary waves to the crowd as she waters streams of flowers on her garden of "pretty maids all in a row." This float was sponsored by the Sears and Roebuck Co. and won first place in the Retail division, division 8. The parade viewers are bundled up in coats and hats as the day was dull and overcast, but the pretty maids show off their stems in short skirts. (TNT 4/14/1956, pg. 1; 4/15/1956, pg. 1)

Parades & processions--Tacoma--1950-1960; Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1956 : Tacoma); Festivals--Tacoma; Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1950-1960; Sears, Roebuck & Co. (Tacoma);

The Tacoma Retail Trade Bureau seems to have transported this float directly from the Arabian Nights to the Daffodil Festival. Two harem girls in black two piece outfits adorn the front of the float, while the sultan sits cross legged in the rear. The two Nubian slaves appear to be floral mannequins. The flower bedecked float adheres to the 1956 theme of "Storytime in Daffodils" and won first place in Division 6, other clubs and organizations.

Parades & processions--Tacoma--1950-1960; Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1956 : Tacoma); Festivals--Tacoma; Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1950-1960; Tacoma Retail Trade Bureau (Tacoma);

A group of women hold what appear to be business cards or tickets. The woman in the center with the perky smile, is receiving two from the woman in the chair. Photograph ordered by St. Joseph's Nursing School. The women are members of the planning committee for the St. Joseph's School of Nursing Alumnae Association. They are planning a homecoming banquet and dance Saturday evening, May 24th, at the Top of the Ocean. They are, left to right, Ann O'Connor, Esther (Mrs. L.D.) Clabough, Mary (Mrs. Al) Robbecke, Helen (Mrs. Robert) Ettlin, Josephine (Mrs. Thomas) Strom, Helen (Mrs. A.W.) Opperman and Mary Williams. The banquet will be preceded by a happy hour and followed by a dance. (TNT 5/20/1956, pg. D-7)

St. Joseph's Hospital & School of Nursing Alumnae Association (Tacoma); O'Connor, Ann; Clabough, Esther; Robbecke, Mary; Ettlin, Helen; Strom, Josephine; Opperman, Helen; Williams, Mary;

Pacific Lutheran College's May Festival Queen Maudie Straub. Queen Maudie was a religion major from Vancouver, B.C. Queen Maudie transferred to PLC from the University of British Columbia. She was president of Tassels, the scholastic honor society for senior women, and also of the Parish Workers Guild. She had the unique honor of being the only female member of Kappa Rho Kappa (KRK) and served as its secretary- treasurer. KRK was an organization for students of the Greek language, most of whom were studying for the seminary. (The 1956 yearbook "Saga")

Straub, Maudie; Pacific Lutheran College (Parkland)--1950-1960; Universities & colleges--Parkland--1950-1960; Festivals--Parkland--1950-1960;

Tacoma distance swimmer Bert Thomas is embraced by his mother, Nadine (Mrs. Fred) Dimond of 1209 1/2 Pacific Ave., at the end of his swim from West Seattle to Old Tacoma in May, 1956. Thomas swam the 18.5 miles in 15 hours, 23 minutes. He was determined to complete the swim on his third try as a belated Mother's Day gift for his mom. He entered the frigid 46 degree water at 11:35 a.m. on May 14, 1956 and touched bottom for the first time at 3:05 a.m. on May 15th several hundred yards east of the Old Tacoma Dock. He swam close to the east shore using back eddies and battling the high winds and tides. Money was raised as he swam to finance future swims. He next planned to swim the English Channel in the fall. (TNT 5-15-1956, pg. 1) ALBUM 9.

Thomas, Bert; Dimond, Nadine; Swimmers--Tacoma--1950-1960; Firsts; World records--Tacoma;