This view of the downtown business district, with Mount Tacoma (Rainier) looming in the distance, was taken from the Winthrop Hotel on November 27, 1925. Standing in the photograph's center is the 17-story newly completed Washington Building. A large electric sign, 90-feet long and 30-feet high, advertised the presence of the new Brotherhood Cooperative National Bank which occupied the ground floor on the 11th St. side. Further down Pacific Avenue is the Puget Sound National Bank (1117-19) with its familiar spire. Across from the Washington Building is the Rust Building, built only five years before. (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 5-31-25, E-8-article on the Washington Building; Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 6-28-25, B1-3-article on Brotherhood Bank) G8.1-080
Rainier, Mount (Wash.); Business districts--Tacoma--1920-1930; Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Washington Building (Tacoma); Brotherhood Cooperative National Bank (Tacoma); Electric signs--Tacoma--1920-1930; Puget Sound National Bank (Tacoma);
This is believed to be part of the "Immigrant Trail" through the Naches Pass that wandered into Mount Tacoma (now Rainier) in 1926. Mount Tacoma is visible in the background. G76.1-082
A large group of children enjoy the refreshing coolness of the circular Lincoln Park wading pool in late July of 1926. Both swimming suits and regular play clothes are in evidence. Several trees provide shade on these hot summer days and the flower gardens in the background present both beauty and scent for the enjoyment of all. G41.1-011
Wading--Tacoma; Pools--Tacoma; Lincoln Park (Tacoma);
On February 7, 1927, snow-capped Mount Tacoma (Rainier) is in stark contrast with the blackened fire damaged terrain below. This unidentified section of forest has been ravaged by flames leaving leafless branches and spindly reminders of trees. Photograph ordered by Cascade Lumber Co. G76.1-110
Scene in an unidentified cemetery. Two graves are especially covered in blossoms on this September, 1927, day. These may have been recent interments as no headstones are visible. G21.1-142
Jeff, a tiny ringtailed monkey, tips the scales at three pounds as he is being weighed in late November of 1927 at the Point Defiance Zoo. His keeper and "chef," Oscar M. Olson, stated that "Jeff" had gained three ounces over Thanksgiving so needed to go on a diet. Mr. Olson's unusual job as "chef" to the zoo's 17 monkeys and assorted inhabitants landed him on the front page of the November 26th News Tribune as #11 in "Tacoma's Strangest Jobs." The carefully monitored diet of his clientele included hothouse lettuce, tomatoes, raisin bread, Gig Harbor and Wenatchee apples, Yakima and Tacoma potatoes. Besides the monkeys, Mr. Olson also was in charge of the diets of the zoo's bears, deer, elk and buffalo. G68.1-169 (TNT 11-26-27, p. 1)
Olson, Oscar M.; Monkeys; Scales; Point Defiance Zoo (Tacoma);
With the Puget Sound as a backdrop, opening ceremonies for Camp Standby were held at Dash Point on June 20, 1919. Camp Standby was established for the girls of various War Camp Community Service Clubs to let them experience the great outdoors. The WCCS was formed in 1917 to organize recreational and social activities where servicemen and women could spend off duty time together. Major General W.H. Johnston delivered an address at the opening, praising the women of the WCCS for helping sustain morale during the Great War. Camp Standby could be accessed by dirt road or boat, the Chickawanna, enabling girls to live there during the summer and yet commute to work in the City. The tents, which could accommodate 50 girls, were divided into two company streets. They all faced the water. Activities offered included boating, swimming, dancing, tennis, baseball and volleyball. (TDL 6/19/1919, pg. 3; TNT 6-21-19, p. 7-article) G71.1-189
Camp Standby (Dash Point); Tents; Camping; War Camp Community Service (Tacoma);
Undated photograph of Mount Tacoma (Rainier); copy made by Boland Studios on December 16, 1928. Traces of snow still cling to the mountainside. G76.1-070
This is Mount Tacoma (Rainier) during the springtime in 1929. It was still called Mount "Tacoma" by local residents and Tacoma newspapers during that period of time. G76.1-077
Mount Rainier (then called Mount Tacoma by locals) looms starkly in the background as it overlooks this small community of houses apparently on the Orting-Sumner highway. This photograph was believed to have been taken in May of 1929. G76.1-109 (Corrected identification provided by a reader)
Mount Rainier (then called Mount Tacoma by locals) from the viewpoint of Tipsoe Lake. This photograph was taken in late August of 1929 but the mountain still has a cap of snow. G76.1-090
Framed by two towering firs, Mount Rainier (called Mount Tacoma by locals) still wears a cap of snow although it is August of 1929. This photograph was taken from the viewpoint of Tipsoe Lake, at the summit of Chinook Pass. G76.1-091 (see Boland , B21291, for another view of the mountain from Tipsoe Lake)
Boland Studios took a series of photographs on August 25, 1929, of Mount Rainier (then called Mount Tacoma by locals) from the viewpoint of Tipsoe Lake. This particular view shows trees thickly massed and craggy peaks. G76.1-118
Concert at Wright Park. View of the many spectators watching children's concert; large flag hanging on line before the children. The first public children's "sing" was held on August 5, 1919, in Wright Park. It was enjoyed by about 2000 people who packed the north end of the park. The program was arranged and directed by Mrs. Zoe Pearl Park who had rehearsed the children for three months. Edward Benedict's "Tacoma, We're Proud of You" and "Keep the Home Fires Burning" were two popular numbers performed that evening. The large crowd pictured above also joined in singing the chorus of some of the songs. (TNT 8-6-19, p. 15) G41.1-127B, TPL-1463
Wright Park (Tacoma); Audiences--Tacoma--1910-1920; Concerts--Tacoma--1910-1920;
Members of the community gathered on August 5, 1919, at the north end of Wright Park to listen to the first public children's "sing." 200 children had practiced for three months under the direction of Mrs. Zoe Pearl Park. Among the 2000 people in attendance were members of the military and undoubtedly proud parents and grandparents of the chorus. They would happily join in singing with the children some of the day's popular tunes. (TNT 8-6-19, p. 15; TDL 8-6-19, p. 1-article) G41.1-127A; TPL-939
Wright Park (Tacoma); Audiences--Tacoma--1910-1920; Concerts--Tacoma--1910-1920;
Mt. Rainier (then called Mt. Tacoma by locals) presents a wintery face upon Tacoma's downtown business district in February of 1930. The image of the mountain appears to have been altered to increase its grandeur. Major buildings before it were the Rust Building (950 Pacific Ave.) and the imposing 17-story Washington Building with the Brotherhood Bank neon rooftop sign (1019 Pacific Ave.). TPL-6713; G8.1-020
Rainier, Mount (Wash.); Cityscapes; Rust Building (Tacoma); Washington Building (Tacoma); Business districts--Tacoma--1930-1940;
Mount Rainier (then called Mt. Tacoma by locals) has been superimposed in this February, 1930, photograph which featured the Science Hall located on the College of Puget Sound campus. The original picture had been taken on December 27, 1929, minus the mountain. (see Boland B21867) TPL-9311; G67.1-024 (Ad- TDL 4-29-30, Section 3, p. 4)
Rainier, Mount (Wash.); College of Puget Sound (Tacoma)--1930-1940; College of Puget Sound (Tacoma)--Buildings; Universities & colleges--Tacoma--1930-1940;
This is the newly decorated Point Defiance Pavilion dining room, empty at the moment, but ready to greet Easter throngs in April of 1930. The park had formally opened for the summer season on April 20th. Besides the refurbishment of the Pavilion dining room, early spring blooms and spruced-up picnic grounds helped convey the brightness of a new season. (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 4-20-30, 4C)
This unidentified family of three is camped under the shade of tall trees at Manitou Park in South Tacoma in mid-June of 1921. A canvas tent is rigged over an automobile and folding chairs provided for relaxing. Two bottles of milk rest on top of a small table built onto the car's running board. Visitors to the park praised it for its beauty and cleanliness and it was a favorite stopping point for thousands of out-of-state tourists. The 10-acre Manitou Park was divided into three sections with three acres set aside for free camping for tourists only. Locals were invited to use a three-acre section for picnics or enjoy four acres of green lawns and shade trees. TPL-5859; G41.1-013 (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 6-19-21, E-7; TNT 7-18-21, p. 3-article)
Camping--Tacoma--1920-1930; Manitou Park (Tacoma);
Dining al fresco in heavily wooded Manitou Park on June 16, 1921 are two out-of-state tourists. Travelers came equipped with canvas tents, cooking supplies and even comfortable folding chairs all stuffed into their automobiles. Most visitors only stayed one night at the free campgrounds before moving on. 1921 was a busy summer camping season for Manitou Park: it was estimated that about 11,000 tourists visited the park in roughly 2,770 cars. It was a large increase from the previous year's totals of 3,600 visitors and 900 cars as word-of-mouth spread about the beauty of the Northwest and the welcome accommodations . (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 6-19-21, E-7; TNT 7-18-21, p. 3-article; TNT 9-21-21, p. 8-article )
Camping--Tacoma--1920-1930; Manitou Park (Tacoma);
Kitchen and dining room - Manitou Park, a ten-acre park located on the outskirts of South Tacoma. Three acres were set aside only for tourists for camping purposes. The Metropolitan Park board had erected a dining hall with ten tables, four stoves, piped-in water and made the ground level for tents. Surrounded by towering trees, the open-air kitchen featured a large fireplace while the adjacent dining room was framed on all sides. Although many visitors brought their own small portable stoves, they were welcome to use the camp's dining facilities, especially when it rained. G77.1-011 (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 6-19-21, E-7; TNT 7-18-21, p. 3-article)
Camping--Tacoma--1920-1930; Manitou Park (Tacoma);
Even in summer, Mount Rainier (then called Mount Tacoma by locals) had a sprinkling of snow on its cap. This is an image taken in July of 1921 by photographer Marvin Boland. The roofline of an unidentified building blends neatly in the wooded background. This may be part of Paradise Inn. G76.1-065
For over 60 years the Narcissa Whitman Fountain graced Wright Park. Erected in 1899 at a cost of $400, partially donated by the school children of Tacoma, the fountain was made of handsome bronzed iron with two gourd-like drinking cups within easy reach of the children for whom the fountain was intended. Atop the fountain stood the statue of a woman in Greek robes bearing a water vessel. The fountain was dedicated to Narcissa Whitman, a pioneer teacher and Christian missionary who was killed by the Cayuse Indians. The statue disappeared from the top of the fountain in the 1960s, and Metro Parks removed the fountain some years later. The Parks Department still has the fountain in storage. (Chechopoulos: History of Wright Park, p. 7-8) G41.1-125; TPL-486
Wright Park (Tacoma); Sculpture--Tacoma--1920-1930;
ca. 1900. This photograph of Wright Park, taken around 1900, accompanied an article entitled "Do You Remember" in a 1922 News Tribune. The newspaper had been running a nostalgic series of pictures of events and places of times past. In this view of Wright Park, taken from the east side of the park looking westward, the park appears a little sparse with many of the trees little more then saplings. Several people are using the rustic bridge to cross Bird Lake. The houses beyond the park are on South I Street between Division and 3rd. Most were already gone by 1922; the bridge was still there but had been reconstructed. The Tacoma-Pierce County Blood Bank now stands where several of these houses once stood. G41.1-123; TPL-987 (TNT 3-9-22, p. 11)
This is a view of Mt. Rainier taken from what is believed to be Paradise in September of 1922. Winding pathways lead off-road through the stands of timber. At that time, local residents and the city's newspapers still insisted that the mountain be called "Mt. Tacoma" per explorer Theodore Winthrop's book written 60 years before. Attempts were made, none successful, to change the peak's name officially from Rainier to Tacoma. G76.1-135
This may be the Nisqually Glacier as photographed by Marvin Boland on September 20, 1922. It is one of the larger glaciers on the southern side of Mt. Rainier (then called Mt. Tacoma by locals). G76.1-086 (print has been clipped on left corner)
1923 view of the Point Defiance Pagoda, then a streetcar depot. Its ornate, Japanese-styled roof, brick exterior, and view windows made the building a pleasant stopping point for park visitors. The convenience of streetcars to Point Defiance Park gave people the option of leaving their cars at home and enjoying the scenic route without the problems of driving. TPL-2360
