ca. 1937. In 1937, Charles H. Manley (left) and Benjamin J. Weeks posed in front of Manley's Cigar Store at the corner of 9th & Pacific with Mr. Manley's famous wooden cigar store "Indian," "Chief Skookum." Mr. Manley operated his cigar store downtown for over 50 years. His friend, Benjamin Weeks, was a native of Exeter, New Hampshire. He had come to Tacoma in 1901 to become the manager of the Tacoma street car line, a position he held before becoming involved in the insurance business. Mr. Weeks was said to be the oldest stamp collector in the country and had sold many collections in his time. He had collected stamps for over 70 years. Mr. Weeks passed away in November of 1942 at age 86 while Mr. Manley died in 1947 at age 90. (TNT 11-12-42, p. 23-Mr. Weeks' obituary)

Manley, Charles H.; Weeks, Benjamin J.; Charles H. Manley Tobacconist/Cigar Store (Tacoma); Cigar store Indians--Tacoma;

ca. 1905. Peoples department store had been featuring the latest fashions since its opening in 1888. By 1905 it was located at 1101-07 Pacific Avenue and provided an elegant atmosphere for discriminating shoppers. The abundance of flowers shown above, including sprays of lilies, probably denoted the coming of the annual spring white sales. (TNT 10-1-1963,B-4-photographs of old Peoples Store)

Peoples (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma--1900-1910; Women--Clothing & dress--Tacoma--1900-1910;

ca. 1905. Several saleswomen, dressed in black and white, prepare for large crowds expected at one of Peoples sales. This one was probably the annual spring white sale held circa 1905. Signs indicating item prices are prominently displayed in the clothes bins atop sturdy wood tables. Peoples department store opened in Tacoma in 1888 before moving to its longtime location at 11th & Pacific. They closed their doors in 1983.

Peoples (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma--1900-1910;

ca. 1890. Gross Brothers store at 901 Broadway. The large staff of the Gross Brothers store lined up on the sidewalk in front of the main entrance and also on the second floor balcony to promote its "Anual" (sic) Clearance Sale circa the winter of 1890. The holiday season was over and it was time to clear the store for the influx of new merchandise. Every item in the huge department store, at one time the city's largest, would be reduced and customers were urged to take advantage of lower prices until February 1st. Built in 1889, the magnificent property was later known as the Jones Block and was demolished in 1916 to make way for the Pantages Theater. This particular photograph was selected for a daily feature of long-ago pictures displayed in the News Tribune on May 24, 1934. Bi-Centennial Project # 75346-55 BU-12722 G56.1-015 (TNT 5-24-31, p. 11 -"In Tacoma's Family Album")

Gross Bros. Store (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma--1890-1900; Banners; Facades--Tacoma--1890-1900;

A window display at the Peoples Store in Tacoma with a sign advertising Wil Wite swimming suits and sweaters. The sign also states that Mickey Mouse will be appearing "in person" at the Fox Broadway Theater.

Peoples (Tacoma); Department Stores--Tacoma--1930-1940; Mickey Mouse; Bathing suits;

A person in a Mickey Mouse costume entertains a group of children at the Peoples Store in Tacoma. Three of the children are wearing bathing suits.

Mickey Mouse; Bathing suits; Department stores--Tacoma--1930-1940; Peoples (Tacoma); Children--Tacoma

ca. 1925. Hanson's Jewelry Store, located in the Fidelity Building at 11th & Broadway, was a downtown landmark in the 1920s and 1930s. Arriving in Tacoma from the Midwest in 1909 after an apprenticeship as a watchmaker, Herbert O. Hanson opened his own jewelry store in 1921. Herbert operated the shop until retirement in 1939, when Clarence Magnussen took over operation of the popular Hanson's. Judging by this photograph taken about 1925, "Happy Hanson" also specialized in shirts. Merry Christmas and a Happy Hanson New Year to All!

jewelry stores

ca. 1905. George Davis capitalized on the budding growth of Bismarck by opening a neighborhood grocery store. The Tacoma Eastern Railroad Shops brought jobs to this Tacoma community, centered around McKinley Avenue and East 64th Street. As a consequence of the First World War, the area named for German chancellor Otto Von Bismarck was changed to Hillsdale. The Davis family included George, wife Minnie, and children Robert and Earl, most likely the people on the grocery store deck in this 1905 photograph. Bicentennial project #75346-39.

Grocery stores--Tacoma--1900-1910; George D. Davis Grocery Store (Tacoma);

ca. 1915. An eye-catching pig and his master, made of Washington lard, occupied one of the display windows of the Queen City Market, 1115 Broadway, circa 1915. The lard appears to have come from the Carstens Packing Co., local meat packers. The Queen City Market had opened in March of 1914 in the lower level of a three story building next door to the Horgan-Parker department store. They offered for sale a wide variety of fresh fish, poultry, butter, eggs, and assorted groceries. (TDL 3-1-1914, p. 3-article on store opening)

Queen City Market (Tacoma); Grocery stores--Tacoma--1910-1920; Window displays--Tacoma--1910-1920; Swine;

ca. 1936. Rhodes Brothers Department Store Annex, circa 1936. In 1920, the Rhodes Brothers, in need of more floor space, purchased the Judson Block at 947-49 Broadway. They connected it, by means of a skybridge across the alley, to the main store at 950 Broadway and named it the Annex. (Photograph donated by the Rhodes Reunion Committee)

Rhodes Brothers Department Store Annex (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma;

Main floor at Rhodes Brothers Store, Christmas season 1937. Christmas display of bags, gifts and jewelry. This photograph was taken by noted photographer J.R. Eyerman from the front of the store, looking toward the rear, and before the escalator was installed. Neon signs around the room, above the fine wood cabinets, denote the goods available- cosmetics, jewelry, toilet sets, hankies, novelties, finer bags and gift bags, to name a few. High arching decorations reach over the clear aisles. A large sign on the back wall gives "Gift Ideas" available by floor. (photograph donated by the Rhodes Reunion Committee)

Department stores--Tacoma; Merchandise displays--Tacoma; Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma);

ca. 1917. Rhodes Brothers Store, circa 1917; Dining room at the store. The dining room was located on the top floor at Rhodes. It could seat 300 people. The tables were covered with white linen tablecloths and napkins and crystal vases held fresh flowers. Lunch was served everyday with dinner served 1-2 nights a week. Favorites on the menu were broiled crab, mulligawney soup, clam chowder and Rhodes' cheesecake. (photograph donated by the Rhodes Reunion Committee)

Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma;

ca. 1914. The Roof Garden at Rhodes Brothers department store, circa 1914. The Roof Garden was located just off the Sixth Floor Tea Room. The house photographer took this photograph just after the new awning was completed and the tables were set for luncheon. A similar photo was used in an ad in the July 3, 1914 Tacoma Daily Ledger. Lunch was served daily from 11:30 til 2p.m., afternoon tea daily from 2pm to 5:15 p.m. and evening dinner was served on Saturdays from 5:30-7p.m. (Photograph donated by the Rhodes Reunion Committee)

Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma;

ca. 1910. Rhodes Brothers male employees, circa 1910. The men were posed outside, possibly at a store outing. All of the men, even the delivery boys posed in the front, are dressed in suits, ties and hats for the outing. The women who can be seen in outline back right are dressed in floor length dresses and wide brimmed hats. (Photograph donated by the Rhodes Reunion Committee)

Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma;

ca. 1908. Employees of the Rhodes Brothers delivery department, circa 1908. The men and boys were dressed in uniforms, including 1907 style "puttee" leggings. (Names written on the back of the photograph appear to be: Back row, left to right, "Butch" Smith, Bill Sinding, Ed Lasson, Art Nedevold, Roy Andesson and Carl Johnson. Center row: Ernie Smith, "Babe" Knutson, Art Lasson, Herb Johnson and Paul Day. Front row: Al Swanson, Kenny McKeen and Al James- two unidentified) When Rhodes Brothers opened in 1903, they employed four delivery wagons. Rhodes Brothers was painted in bold letters on the horse drawn wagons. A "special delivery" boy road with the driver and carried the packages to the houses. The boys would also deliver packages by streetcar. In 1912, the wagons were replaced by gas powered delivery trucks. (Photograph donated by the Rhodes Reunion Committee) (TDL 11/8/1903, pg. 17; "A History of Pierce County Washington", Vol. 3, pg 73-77)

Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma)--Employees; Department stores--Tacoma; Delivery boys;

This is a March of 1929 street scene looking down 11th street toward the Eleventh Street (now Murray Morgan) Bridge. Buildings on left side of the photograph are the Rust Building (950 Pacific Ave.) and the Washington Building (1019 Pacific Ave.). On the right is a sign for Manning's Market and another sign for Merrick & Race Jewelers.

Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Rust Building (Tacoma); Washington Building (Tacoma); 11th Street Bridge (Tacoma);

1929 street scene view looking down 9th street (toward the east) taken for the Tacoma Chamber of Commerce. The marquee for the Broadway Theater (902-14 Broadway) is to the right. The Hotel Winthrop (773 Broadway) is on the left. The Tacoma Theater closed down for a remodel and reopened in 1927 as the Broadway Theater. In 1933, under new management, it became the Music Box. It was destroyed by fire in April of 1963.

Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma); Theaters--Tacoma; Broadway Theater (Tacoma);

On November 3, 1932, eighteen year old Marjorie Yonk was having her heart examined by Dr. F. J. Hansen to see if it was strong enough to view the 1932 horror classic "White Zombie." The Blue Mouse Theater had offered $10 to any woman who could sit through a midnight preview of the creepy Bela Lugosi film, alone and without screaming. Spunky Marjorie took them up on the bet. "White Zombie" was the first horror film featuring voodoo and its power over the undead. It was a low budget film, hoping to cash in on Lugosi's recent triumph as Dracula, and it was produced by the Halperin Brothers. (TNT 11/4/1932; pg. 7)

Blue Mouse Movie Theatre (Tacoma); Yonk, Marjorie; Hansen, F.J.;

ca. 1924. Pierce County pioneer William P. Bonney, and 21 other original subscribers, were honored in 1924 by Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Company as part of its 40th anniversary celebration. Bonney had installed one of the first telephones in his Pacific Avenue drugstore when Washington Territory's second telephone exchange opened in Tacoma in 1884.

Copy of photograph of the Tacoma Little Theatre taken during the run of "The Philadelphia Story", January 31-February 24, 1945. Photograph appears in the book "The History of the Tacoma Little Theatre, 1940 - 1950" by Erna Spannagel Tilley, Tacoma, WA, 1967.

Theaters--Tacoma--1940-1950; Tacoma Little Theatre (Tacoma)

W. S. Perutz, resident manager for West Coast Theaters, and Sam Allen, president of the Allen Lubricating Co., are shown outside the Rialto Theater following a downtown parade with General Gasoline trucks and cars owned by General Service Station owners. Signs on the vehicles and the letters on the marquee indicate that the Rialto is playing the 1927 smash hit "Wings," starring Clara Bow. Four model aluminum airplanes, similar to those in the motion picture, were being given away by the Daily Ledger and Sam Allen for the best 50 word essays on the motion picture. "Wings" was the first winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture, and the only silent film to ever do so. In addition to Bow, it starred Charles (Buddy) Rogers and Richard Arlen doing their own stunt flying. A young Gary Cooper also appeared in a small role. The film was a drama about two WW I aviators, with Bow thrown in as a love interest, that showed the tragedies of war. It is still considered one of the finest silent films ever made. Screenwriter John Monk Saunders was a graduate of the University of Washington. The Broadway Theater can be seen in the background, playing the "Cardboard Lover" and the "Violin Idea." TPL-647; BU-11240 (Tacoma Daily Ledger 10/29/1928, pg. 3)

Motion picture theaters--Tacoma--1930-1940; Motion pictures; Rialto Theatre (Tacoma);

On March 10th, 1931, at around 6:30p.m., the sheet iron canopy at the Broadway Theater, 902-14 Broadway, came crashing down from the marquee to the pavement. The metal canopy over the theater entrance at So. 9th and Court C was in the process of having new electric lights installed. The weight of the lights and the workmen was just too much for the metal canopy. Luckily no one was hurt. (TNT 3/11/1931, pg. 1; TDL 3/11/1931 p.1)

Broadway Theater (Tacoma); Motion Picture Theaters--Tacoma--1930-1940; Building failures;

ca. 1920s. Buses of the Sumner Tacoma Stage Co. parked in front of the bus depot on Main St. and Ryan Ave. in Sumner, Washington in the 1920's. The bus company was owned by Peter "P.O." Conlon and his brother John W. Conlon. The people who can be identified in this picture are (l to r) Pete Gratzer, Frank Conlon, Peter Conlon, John W.Conlon, Charley Marquardt, and Mac Wilson. The small buses at the far right in the picture were tourist buses that were used to take riders to Wilkeson and Carbonado, Washington. (Photograph courtesy of the Jack Conlon collection)

Buses--Sumner; Bus drivers--Sumner; Sumner Tacoma Stage Co. (Sumner); Gratzer, Pete; Conlon, Frank; Conlon, Peter; Conlon, John W.; Marquardt, Charley; Wilson, Mac;

ca. 1921. The steamship "Indianapolis," one of two ships used in the Seattle to Tacoma steamship passenger service, docked at the Municipal Dock. The dock was located on the City Waterway (now the Thea Foss Waterway.) The ships would dock with their bows headed up the channel. The services of a tug would be required to turn the bow of the ships around to head back to Seattle. The Foss #12 and its captain William T. Case were assigned this duty. The "Indianapolis" was launched on May 5, 1904 as a Great Lakes steamship. Her inability to serve the large holiday crowds prompted her sale to the Puget Sound Navigation Co. in October of 1905. The vessel travelled around the Cape and began her new run in April of 1906. She served as a passenger transport from 1906-1938. She was converted in 1933 to a car ferry and scrapped in 1939. (photograph courtesy of the William T. Case collection) ("Ferryboats" by M.S. Kline and G.A. Bayless; "Puget Sound Ferries" Carolyn Neal & Thomas Kilday Janus)

Steamboats--Tacoma--1920-1930; Puget Sound Navigation Co. (Tacoma); Ferries--Tacoma--1920-1930; Marine terminals--Tacoma;

In early July 1917, the Tacoma Rail & Power Company (TR&P) fired seven employees that they accused of union organizing. Within days the Amalgamated Association of Street & Electric Railway Employees of America signed up the remaining workers; and when the company refused to re-hire the fired workers, the newly organized workers shut down the TR&P streetcars. Although there were some acts of sabotage, as shown in this photograph, the strike was generally peaceful - and supported by most Tacomans. Although the company hired replacement workers, they could not break the strike. On August 2 an agreement was reached between the company and the union. The fired employees were reinstated, the strikebreakers were deported, grievance procedures were established, and the questions of wages and working conditions were submitted to arbitration. (Tacoma Tribune 7/16/1917-8/2/1917, pg. 1) TPL-9555

Mass transit--Tacoma--1910-1920; Electric railroads--1910-1920; Street railroad strikes--Tacoma--1910-1920;

Governor Dan Evans spoke to an attentive crowd including labor and civic leaders at the dedication of the new Labor Center, 950 Fawcett Avenue, on March 10, 1972. He told the several hundreds gathered that the new center is "headquarters for a dynamic and thoughtful labor community." Among those in attendance in the front row are Catherine Egan and Joe Stortini. Seated at the table is L.H. Pedersen, Secretary/Treasurer of the Central Labor Council who was presented with a portrait of himself in recognition of his efforts in bringing the three-story new structure into existence. (TNT 3-11-72, p. 1)

Evans, Daniel J., 1925-; Governors; Public speaking--Tacoma--1970-1980; Pedersen, L.H.; Stortini, Joe; Egan, Catherine; Building dedications--Tacoma--1970-1980;

On February 8, 1927 heavyweight champion James J. "Gene" Tunney reached down from the "gunner's seat" of a military biplane to shake the hand of Washington Governor Roland H. Hartley when his plane landed at Camp Lewis. Mr. Tunney, who was traveling from Seattle to Olympia, flew to the army base before continuing on to the capital by car to speak before the state legislature about a proposed boxing commission bill. His pilot was Maj. Jack Fancher (standing in plane) of Spokane, commander of the 116th Observation Squadron, Washington National Guard. Mr. Tunney had flown once before, just before his title fight with Jack Dempsey, and had sworn never to fly again because of air sickness. He relented in order to speak in Olympia. He pronounced the flight to Tacoma "fine" and returned to Seattle the same way. (TNT 2/8/1927 p.1) BGN 614

Tunney, Gene, 1898-1978; Boxers (Sports)--1920-1930; Hartley, Roland H.; Governors--Washington (State); Fancher, Jack; Airplanes--1920-1930;

ca. 1967. Actor Darren McGavin accepts the key to the City of Tacoma from Mayor Harold Tollefson circa 1967. As a teenager, Mr. McGavin resided for several years at the Jessie Dyslin Boys Ranch. He paid a special visit to Tacoma in 1967 for the opening of the Value Village thrift store in South Tacoma; clothing would be collected and sold to the store for the benefit of the Dyslin Ranch. Mr. McGavin flew in several items belonging to movie star friends to aid in the store's opening.

McGavin, Darren; Actors; Mayors--Tacoma--1960-1970; Tollefson, Harold M., 1908-1985;