Federal Old Line Life Insurance dinner at the Armory. People seated at three long tables. (filed with Argentum)

Federal Old Line Life Insurance Co. (Tacoma); State Armory (Tacoma);

ca. 1925. In the 1920's, the McKinley Hill neighborhood had its own small movie and vaudeville house. The Park Theater was purchased by Hans Torkelson in 1922 and overhauled into a small movie house. It had a seating capacity of 250 and played a daily variety of movies. (Address given in the Tacoma Daily Ledger is 3506 McKinley Ave.) (TDL 12/24/1922, pg. E4) (WSHS)

Park Theater (Tacoma); Theaters--Tacoma--1920-1930; Business districts--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Washington State Apple Advertising Commission display at Franklin Food Store. Apple crates stacked on a slope and on floor, signs hanging overhead and around boxes.

Franklin Food Stores (Tacoma); Advertisements--Tacoma; Advertising--Tacoma; Publicity; Apples;

ca. 1925. In 1925, the building at 3514-18 McKinley Ave. housed (left to right) Phipps Notions, a dry goods store at 3518 owned by Gertrude Phipps, Holly Meat Market at 3516 and Skaggs United grocery store at 3514 McKinley Ave. The building was built in 1924 by Peter Steiro. It was later demolished and in 1965, the National Bank of Washington built its McKinley Hill branch here. In 1925, the McKinley Ave district was a settlement of 8,000 people. Area businesses included the Northern Pacific Hospital, three grade schools, five churches, 15 grocery stores, six butcher shops, two hardware stores and a drugstore. (TNT 6/26/1925, pg. 9) (WSHS)

Skaggs United Stores (Tacoma); Phipps Notions (Tacoma); Business districts--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Munson-Smith Motors dedicated its 100,000 square foot motor center August 19-20, 1955. Its vast used car and truck lots can be seen on the left, with the new car show rooms, service garage and administrative offices on the right. Munson-Smith was a Dodge and Plymouth dealer located between downtown Tacoma and South Tacoma on Highway 99. They offered both sales and service. Company officers were Ed Munson, president; Don Munson, vice-pres. and Alberta Smith, secretary-treasurer. The company had 65 employees and an annual payroll of over $300,000. Gross sales were approximately 2 1/2 million per year. (TNT 8/18/1955, pg. 11)

Munson-Smith Motors (Tacoma); Automobile dealerships--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Masonic memorial at Mountain View Memorial Park. Masonic symbols adorn the memorial and it is inscribed with the virtues of brotherly love, relief, truth, fortitude and prudence. This is possibly a portion of the cemetary set aside for members of Masonic organizations to be buried.

Cemeteries--Lakewood; Mountain View Memorial Park (Lakewood); Monuments & memorials--Lakewood;

ca. 1925. The view in 1925 looking south down McKinley Ave. in the McKinley Hill neighborhood. The visible street is McKinley Ave. with the business district at the rear of the street and a streetcar running down the center of the Avenue. The foreground of the picture is residential with the street lined with trees. The most visible house in the foreground on the left of the street beyond the trees is 3301 McKinley Ave. The taller building further down and on the same side of the street is 3401-07 McKinley Ave (alternate address 802 E. 34th), the Post Apartments, built in 1921 by William T. Post. Mr. Post also built the building across the street, the garage at 3402 McKinley. In the 1920's, Mr. Post was a prolific builder, responsible for homes in many different areas of Tacoma. (WSHS)

Residential streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Neighborhoods--Tacoma--1920-1930;

ca. 1955. The Winthrop Hotel, circa 1955. The hotel, designed by W.L. Stoddard, architect, and Roland Borhek, associate architect, had its grand opening on 5/16/1925. The hotel was named in a Tacoma Ledger newspaper contest. The winning name was submitted by George L. Dickson. It was named after explorer and writer Theodore Winthrop, author of "The Canoe and the Saddle," which helped popularize the Northwest. The building was eleven stories and 110 feet high. In 1973, it was converted into apartments. In 1955, it was home to the Sabre Room and the Daffodil Room.

Hotels--Tacoma--1950-1960; Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma);

Singers at Mike Wayno's home, December 24, 1939. Eight singers in choir robes with six men in suits behind them by Christmas tree decorated and lighted in yard. Mr. Wayno lived at 3512 E. Roosevelt Ave. and was a patrolman with the State Patrol. (filed with Argentum)

Wayno, Mike--Homes & haunts; Choirs (Music)--1930-1940;

Exterior of mausoleum at Mountain View Memorial Park. J.C. Milne, contractor. With the construction of the new Garden Mausoleum at Mountain View, the burial park now offered all types of interment- including earth, crypt burial and cremation. It was a one stop funeral place with a funeral home, cemetary, crematory, mausoleum and chapel.

Cemeteries--Lakewood; Mountain View Memorial Park (Lakewood); Monuments & memorials--Lakewood;

Christmas portrait of Leonard Langlow, his wife Jennie and five children on December 25, 1939. Mr. Langlow was the editor of the Tacoma Times. The family lived at 1218 N. Alder. (filed with Argentum)

Langlow, Leonard; Langlow, Leonard--Family; Newspaper editors--Tacoma--1930-1940; Tacoma Times Publishing Co. (Tacoma)--Employees;

American Wholesale Grocers. Interiors of new IGA Foodtown store located at Park Ave. and Airport Way. A large self serve cooler offers chilled six-packs of Bireley's, Dad's, White Rock and Quench. The right hand side of the cooler offers single bottles of soft drinks and mixers. The new grocery store would have its Grand Opening for 4 days beginning August 17, 1955. (TNT 8/16/1955, pg. 7-10)

Carbonated beverages; IGA Foodtown (Parkland); Grocery stores--1950-1960; Supermarkets;

American Wholesale Grocers. Exterior of new IGA Foodtown store located at Park Ave. and Airport Way. A planter box, including two trees that extend through the roof line, and flagstone paving lead to the entrance of the store. The Van de Camps bakery windmill logo can be seen on the neon sign to the right. Parking fans out around the building. Fluorescent tube lighting illuminates the inside and outside of the store. The 20,000 square foot concrete block and Roman brick building has large plate glass windows across the north side. (TNT 8/16/1955, pg. 7-10)

IGA Foodtown (Parkland); Grocery stores--1950-1960; Supermarkets;

American Wholesale Grocers. Interiors of new IGA Foodtown store located at Park Ave. and Airport Way. The modern supermarket no longer just offered food, it also offered varieties- items to be used around the home. The Foodtown Varieties section has thread, yarn, sewing supplies, brooms, nylons, sunglasses, pictures, "bun baskets" and glassware. The variety portion was self service with shoppers using the same check out counters as the grocery store. (TNT 8/16/1955, pg. 7-10)

IGA Foodtown (Parkland); Grocery stores--1950-1960; Supermarkets;

American Wholesale Grocers. Nighttime view of exterior of new IGA Foodtown store located at Park Ave. and Airport Way. The supermarket shares the same strip mall with Devereaux Realty, Ruth's Cafe, a beauty and barber shop and a drycleaning plant. The entrance to the grocery store is to the right. The variety section may have had its own entrance to the left of the brick wall. Each IGA was independently owned and operated, but affiliated with IGA, the second largest retail food outlet in the country. (TNT 8/16/1955, pg. 7-10)

IGA Foodtown (Parkland); Grocery stores--1950-1960; Supermarkets;

This was how the new IGA Foodtown store located at Park Avenue and Airport Way in Parkland appeared on the evening of August 16, 1955. One of the earliest strip malls in Pierce County, the complex contained the supermarket, bakery, variety store, cafe, beauty and barber shops, real estate office and dry cleaning plant.The entrance to the grocery store is to the right. Checkout registers and baskets can be seen behind the glass entrance. The variety section may have had its own entrance to the left of the brick wall. The store had the new feature of automatic doors and ample self service; 66 feet of self service meat, self service Van de Kamps bakery and large self service variety store. The parking lot provided space for 150 cars. Photograph ordered by American Wholesale Grocers. (TNT 8/16/1955, pg. 7-10)

IGA Foodtown (Parkland); Grocery stores--1950-1960; Supermarkets;

American Wholesale Grocers. Interiors of new IGA Foodtown store located at Park Ave. and Airport Way. The end cap is a display of ABC fig bars. The cookies sell for $.49. The sign shows the "world's largest fig bar" and proclaims when better fig bars are made, ABC will make them. The Grand Opening of the store would begin August 17 and continue for 4 days. During that time, free coffee and cake would be served, every lady shopper would receive a free gift and an orchid and a Shetland pony with saddle and bridle would be one prize of many given away. (TNT 8/16/1955, pg. 7-10)

IGA Foodtown (Parkland); Grocery stores--1950-1960; Supermarkets;

American Wholesale Grocers. Exterior of new IGA Foodtown store located at Park Ave. and Airport Way. A planter box and flagstone paving lead to the entrance of the store. The 20,000 square foot building was built of concrete block and roman brick with large plate glass windows across the north side. A large modernistic marquee extended over the northwest corner and a raised planting area with flowering and evergreen shrubs included two oriental trees that extended through the roof. (TNT 8/16/1955, pg. 7-10)

IGA Foodtown (Parkland); Grocery stores--1950-1960; Supermarkets;

This June 1925 view looks north up McKinley Avenue which is decorated for the upcoming McKinley Hill Improvement Celebration. The McKinley Avenue Improvement Club held an outdoor evening celebration in June of 1925 which started with a concert and ended with a street dance held on McKinley between Division and Harrison, a summer tradition still honored by the McKinley Hill neighborhood. Both sides of the business district on McKinley are lined with small local businesses. A streetcar runs down the avenue, where banners for the celebration wave overhead; the track turns following a jog in the street. On the right can be seen signage for the Miles Neff Grocery Store (3517), and on the left Curran Drug Store (3512) and the Park Theater (3510). The area had 8,000 residents at the time. The thriving neighborhood contained the Northern Pacific Hospital, 3 grade schools, 5 churches, 15 grocery stores, 6 butcher shops, 2 hardware stores and a drugstore. (WSHS) (TNT 6/26/1925, pg. 9- picture; TDL 6/27/1925, pg. 2)

McKinley Ave. Improvement Club (Tacoma); Celebrations--Tacoma--1920-1930; Business districts--Tacoma--1920-1930;

ca. 1955. Three members of the nursing staff pose in front of the Laboure Nursing Home at 901 Tule Lake Rd. The Laboure Home was owned and operated by Grace M. Hoffman and Florence B. Moore. It was a rest home for the aged and convalescent. It had a licensed nursing staff and a house physician. It was a member of WALNH (Washington Association of Licensed Nursing Homes.)

Laboure Nursing Home (Parkland); Houses--Parkland--1950-1960;

ca. 1955. Outdoor seating area and wheelchair ramp at Laboure Nursing Home at 901 Tule Lake Rd. The Laboure Home was owned and operated by Grace M. Hoffman and Florence B. Moore. It was a rest home for the aged and convalescent. It had a licensed nursing staff and a house physician. It was a member of WALNH (Washington Association of Licensed Nursing Homes.)

Laboure Nursing Home (Parkland); Houses--Parkland--1950-1960;

Christmas decorations at Mountain View Memorial Park in Lakewood, taken shortly after Christmas 1939. Christmas tree in front of flagpole, evergreen trees on either side decorated with lights. (filed with Argentum)

Morgues & mortuaries--Lakewood; Monuments & memorials--Lakewood; Christmas--Lakewood; Christmas decorations; Mountain View Memorial Park (Lakewood);

Junior Orchestra sponsored by Rhodes Brothers, taken at College of Puget Sound. (T. Times) (filed with Argentum)

College of Puget Sound (Tacoma)--1940-1950; Youth orchestras--Tacoma; Children playing musical instruments--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Junior Orchestra sponsored by Rhodes Brothers, playing at College of Puget Sound. (T. Times) (filed with Argentum)

College of Puget Sound (Tacoma)--1940-1950; Youth orchestras--Tacoma; Children playing musical instruments--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Portrait of family reunion ordered by Mr. Waage (filed with Argentum)

Reunions; Homecomings;

Almond Roca promoted as the perfect addition to your Easter Basket in this 1940 ad for Brown & Haley Easter Deal #4008. Ad features stuffed bunnies, Almond Roca in gift boxes and cutouts of ducks, bunnies and girls' faces.

Brown & Haley (Tacoma); Candy--Tacoma; Merchandise displays--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Brown & Haley Easter Day display. This ad promotes Almond Roca as the perfect gift for Easter. Three bunnies, three types of boxes, paper cut-outs of animals, children's baskets, round tin center bottom of display.

Brown & Haley (Tacoma); Candy--Tacoma; Merchandise displays--Tacoma--1940-1950;

The new location for Dohrmann Hotel Supply Co. This new location for Dohrmann offered increased floor space. The company sold wholesale items used in hotels, commercial kitchens, restaurants and large clubs, such as the Elks.

Dohrmann Hotel Supply Co. (Tacoma); Stores & shops--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Cyclone fencing around the lions' grotto at Point Defiance Zoo. The money for modern zoo habitats was raised by the citizens of Tacoma during public fund raisers to replace antiquated housing. When it was suggested that Tacoma's poorly cared for and ailing lions be moved to Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo, a "Save Our Lions" fund drive commenced. The citizens of Tacoma donated $12,000, including change from school children and funds from civic and social clubs. The $104,000 Pt. Defiance Animal House opened in November of 1953, helped along by a special levy. A plaque read "This zoo made possible by the goodwill of the citizens of Tacoma." Point Defiance Zoo had three lions. The best known was Norma, a 300 pound good natured cat best remembered for riding in an open convertible with former Mayor John Anderson during a parade. The other two were Norma's mother Alice and Sammy, a male recently purchased from the Clyde Beatty circus. (TNT 8/14/1955, Pacific Parade magazine, TNT 11/22/1953)

Point Defiance Zoo (Tacoma); Point Defiance Park (Tacoma); Lions; Cages--Tacoma; Zoos--Tacoma--1950-1960; Zoo animals;

Cyclone fence surrounding the new Titlow Beach Pool. It appears that a diving class is in progress. The saltwater public pool opened in June of 1955. It was the first outdoor public pool to open in Tacoma and was extremely popular. Its usage far exceeded projections and there was an outcry from the public for another pool in the south or east end. The 165 by 75 foot pool had three diving boards; two 1 meter boards and one 2 meter board.

Swimming pools--Tacoma; Titlow Park (Tacoma);