Sears Roebuck and Company's shoe department includes a display of oxfords for $5.99 and moccasins for $2.49 on the right with childrens' and waterproof shoes on the left. The rest of the large department continues in the rear.

Sears, Roebuck & Co. (Tacoma); Merchandise displays--Tacoma; Shoes;

Progress picture of sewage disposal unit, for Hoagland- Findlay Engineering Co. The completed plant would have 8 different buildings on the site housing chlorine and heating equipment, grit removal equipment, sludge pumps, a 14,000,000 gallon sedimentation tank, filters, conveyors, digestion tanks and other equipment. It had a total pump capacity of 45,000,000 gallons per day. The site also included enough space for the plant to expand in the future. (Civil Service Bulletin by Jack Roberts, 1/25/1952)

Progress photographs; Building construction--Tacoma--1950-1960; Sewerage--Tacoma; Waste disposal facilities--Tacoma; Hoagland-Findlay Engineering Co. (Seattle);

Progress picture of sewage disposal unit, for Hoagland- Findlay Engineering Co. The plant was designed so that it would take two hours for sewage to reach the lower end of the hundred- yard long series of tanks in which 90 per cent of the solid matter would settle to the bottom. The liquid, or effluent, was treated with chlorine and released into the Puyallup River. The solid matter flowed to digesting tanks where anaerobic bacteria decomposed the the sludge and produced a gas. The plant utilized the gas to heat the sludge to 95 degrees, aiding decomposition, and to heat the buildings. The sludge then went through filters, was peeled on in cakes and sold as an ingredient in commercial fertilizer. (TNT 12/12/1951)

Progress photographs; Building construction--Tacoma--1950-1960; Sewerage--Tacoma; Waste disposal facilities--Tacoma; Hoagland-Findlay Engineering Co. (Seattle);

John Stanley poses in a publicity photo for opening of Gay Nineties Room of Steve's (Gay '90s) Cafe at 5238 South Tacoma Way. Steve's was owned by John J. Stanley and Stephen O. Pease. The mural on the wall depicts area businesses such as Jordan Bakery and Pantex Cleaners in the "Gay Nineties." Steve Pease began his business around 1941 partnered by Mrs. John Martinolich, of the shipbuilding family, in "Steve's Tavern." After two years, he bought out her interest in the building. When liquor-by-the-drink legislation came along in 1949, he needed a restaurant in order to have a liquor license. He formed a partnership with John Stanley who owned a coffee shop next door to the south. Stanley ran the restaurant and Pease ran the lounge. Much of the area surrounding the original restaurant was bought and remodeled to become part of Steve's. The spot became a tourist attraction and popular hangout of the fifties and sixties. It closed around 1977 and in 2001 is again opening after being converted to retail and restaurant space. (TNT 4/4/1951, pg. B6-B7)

Steve's Gay '90s (Tacoma); Restaurants--Tacoma--1950-1960; Buffets (Cookery)--Tacoma--1950-1960; Stanley, John;

Alice Wilson was installed as worthy adviser of the Tacoma assembly of Rainbow Girls in April of 1951. She is seen seated third from the left. The Gothic Room of the Masonic Temple was decorated with sea horses and fish. Margaret Ruff was the retiring worthy adviser. Other installing officers were Joyce Anderson, Ruth Brown, Ann Cox, Donna Moore, JoAnne Neff, Nadean Taylor, Carol Wallace and Joan Wilson. Other elected officers were: Carolyn Wahlberg, Ann Friberg, Jane Mueller, Donna Bradley, Carol Munro, and Joan Bennett. Ordered by Mrs. W.E. Wilson. (TNT, 5/26/1951, p.16)

Teenagers--Tacoma--1950-1960; Wilson, Alice; Rainbow Girls (Tacoma); Fraternal organizations--Tacoma--1950-1960; Evening gowns;

Miss Bo Parker looks in a mirror as she tries on a wedding veil. Miss Parker and Bruce Hunt, both from Puyallup, were to be married in June in Puyallup First Methodist Church. (TNT, 5/9/1951, p.C-3)

Veils--Tacoma; Weddings--Tacoma--1950-1960; Journalism--Tacoma--1950-1960; Parker, Bo;

Microsoft mogul Bill Gates' parents' wedding. William Henry Gates Jr. and Mary Maxwell married May 11, 1951 in Seattle. The photo shows the couple in an automobile leaving after the ceremony and reception. Both of Gates' parents can trace their Northwest roots back to the late 1800's. Bill Jr. grew up in Bremerton, the son of a prosperous local merchant, served as a Second Lieutenant in WW II and returned after the war to complete his undergraduate work at the University of Washington and enter law school. There he met Mary Maxwell, an energetic and high spirited athlete and sorority girl nicknamed "Giggles" by her friends. ("Bill Gates" by Adam Woog, "Bill Gates, Billionaire Computer Genius" by Joan D. Dickinson and "Smart Money, The Story of Bill Gates" by Aaron Boyd)

Weddings--Seattle--1950-1960; Brides--1950-1960; Grooms (Weddings)--1950-1960; Maxwell, Mary; Gates, William Henry; Wedding costume--1950-1960;

The wedding of Shirley Claire Fields and Jack Schneidermann in the Wedgewood Room at the Winthrop Hotel. A single ring ceremony was performed by Rabbi Bernard Roseberg under a canopy of white stock and greens flanked by candelabra. The bride, the daughter of Mrs. and Mrs. Hyman S. Fields, wore an ivory satin gown with a yoke of net and venice lace with a long train and an illusion veil. She carried a bouquet of orchids and stephanotis. The groom was from Coos Bay, Oregon and was the son of Mrs. David Schneidermann. The matron of honor was the recently married Mrs. Alvin L. Fields, sister-in-law of the bride, who wore the same bridal gown at her wedding. The Junior Bridesmaid was Dorothy Fields and the Bridesmaids were Helen Gold, Mona Kleiner and Nancy Brown. The Best Man was Harold Schneidermann. The bride was a graduate of Stadium High School and received her degree in Sociology from the University of California at Berkeley and the University of Washington. She was a member of Alpha Epsilon Phi. The groom was a Business Administration graduate from the University of Oregon and a member of Sigma Alpha Mu. The Schneidermanns honeymooned in Los Angeles and Palm Springs, Ca. (TNT 4/22/1951, pg. D-4)

Weddings--Tacoma--1950-1960; Brides--1950-1960; Grooms (Weddings)--1950-1960; Wedding costume--1950-1960; Fields, Shirley Claire; Schneidermann, Jack; Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma);

The flower girl and ring bearer impishly grin for the camera at the wedding of Helen Bruhn and Harley Lee Brown, Jr. The couple was married April 20, 1951 at Bethesda Baptist Church, with the ceremony followed by a reception in the Church's parlors. Miss Bruhn was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. K.R. Bruhn of Enumclaw. The groom was the son of the H.L. Browns of Tacoma. The Browns honeymooned in California and then made their first home in Tacoma. (wedding picture of couple TNT 4/29/1951, pg D-6)

Weddings--Tacoma--1950-1960; Children--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Joan Kohl is looking for just the right going away shoes for her upcoming wedding. These spectator pumps may be nothing new under ordinary circumstances but they take on priceless glamour as part of her trousseau. Joan and Lt. Clifford O. Johnson planned a home wedding to take place in 1951. (TNT, 5/9/1951, p.C-14)

Weddings--Tacoma--1950-1960; Journalism--Tacoma--1950-1960; Kohl, Joan; Shoes; Shopping--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Helen Greco is taking advantage of Penney's Towel Event to choose towels for her new home as she prepares for her upcoming wedding. A saleswoman helps by showing her several designs. Helen and Alfred McKechnie were to be married July 22, 1951. (TNT, 5/9/1951, p.C-11)

Weddings--Tacoma--1950-1960; Journalism--Tacoma--1950-1960; Shopping--Tacoma--1950-1960; Greco, Helen; Towels; J.C. Penney Co. (Tacoma); Sales personnel--Tacoma--1950-1960;

June Marie Johnson and Albert Herman Kosmin were married April 28, 1951, in the Little Church on the Prairie. The bride and groom stand at the altar with Donna and Doyle Nelson, twins, who were their flower girl and ring bearer. June Marie Johnson was the daughter of Harold G.and Ester A. Johnson. The bride attended Lincoln High School and the College of Puget Sound. Albert Herman Kosmin was the son of Mr. and Mrs. B.B. Kosmin of Philadelphia and he attended school in Germantown, Pennsylvania. (TNT, 5/6/1951, p.D-8)

Weddings--Tacoma--1950-1960; Wedding costume--1950-1960; Brides--1950-1960; Grooms (Weddings)--1950-1960; Altars--Tacoma; Johnson, June--Marriage; Kosmin, Albert Herman; Nelson, Donna; Nelson, Doyle; Little Church on the Prairie (Lakewood);

Doreen Magnuson is picking her silverware pattern as she prepares for her wedding. Doreen and Sanford Shaub planned to be married June 16, 1951, in Immanuel Presbyterian Church. (TNT, 5/9/1951, p.D-5)

Weddings--Tacoma--1950-1960;Journalism--Tacoma--1950-1960; Shopping--Tacoma--1950-1960; Magnuson, Doreen; Silverware;

Annual banquet held at 8408 Pacific Ave., "Success Club's" award & group exposure. Watkins Products. 8408 Pacific Ave. was the location for James H. Slater, manufacturers agent.

Banquets--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Interior shot of the Town and Country Beauty Salon, Inc., located at 815 Pacific Ave. To the right of the picture is the receptionist's counter backed by product displays. The customer waiting area was probably in front of the left hand product displays. The stylists' booths are on the left hand side behind the product display. Light fixtures hang from the exposed beams in the ceiling and the room is painted white or light pastel. The floor is a dark tile.

Beauty shops--Tacoma--1950-1960; Town & Country Beauty Salon, Inc. (Tacoma);

A commercial building that would have been called a strip-mall in the 1980's has been built of brick and concrete block. This view shows three store fronts. The tall brick pillar holds a sign advertising a restaurant with, "Good Food Always". Ordered by the Holroyd Company.

Concrete products industry--Tacoma; Holroyd Co. (Tacoma); Building materials;

A retail facility built with concrete block at the rear and brick along the front houses Aron's In & Out Restaurant and Kraus & Swanson's Business Investments. Aron's lists tacos, tamales, hot dogs, hamburgers and pop corn to go. Ordered by Holroyd Company.

Concrete products industry--Tacoma; Holroyd Co. (Tacoma); Building materials; Concrete--Tacoma--1950-1960; Aron's In & Out (Tacoma);

A retail facility has been built using concrete block. The roof slants from the front to the back of the building and the display window at the front slopes outwards from the floor level. An FTD emblem is affixed to the front door. An awning projects from the far wall protecting small plants. Ordered by Holroyd Company.

Concrete products industry--Tacoma; Holroyd Co. (Tacoma); Building materials; Concrete--Tacoma--1950-1960; Florist shops--Tacoma;

A view of the front of Gene's Food Center owned by Gene W. Marsh. The one-story building has been built of concrete blocks. Ordered by the Holroyd Company.

Concrete products industry--Tacoma; Holroyd Co. (Tacoma); Building materials; Gene's Food Center (Tacoma); Grocery stores--Tacoma--1950-1960;

A one-story, single-family residence with a day-light basement has been built with concrete blocks below and bricks in decorative patterns above. Poured concrete steps lead to the front entrance at the middle of the home and on the left side. A garage, possibly for two cars, can be seen on the right. Ordered by the Holroyd Company.

Concrete products industry--Tacoma; Holroyd Co. (Tacoma); Building materials; Houses--Tacoma--1950-1960;

This new house has been built using concrete blocks and shows the versatility of the product in design. The roof of the two longer sides of the building slope inward rather than downward from an elevated hip. The windows on the shorter sides slant at the top in the same configuration as the roof. Ordered by the Holroyd Company.

Concrete products industry--Tacoma; Holroyd Co. (Tacoma); Building materials; Houses--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Hallway outside of the main chapel at the First Presbyterian Church, Division and Tacoma Ave So., on Easter Sunday, 1951. Arched doorways and tiled floors figure importantly in the building's design. The building is heated by radiators, as can be seen on the right hand side of the picture.

First Presbyterian Church (Tacoma); Presbyterian churches--Tacoma;

Exterior shot of Poole's Seed and Nursery at 3518-20 Sixth Ave. Poole's was owned by Arthur L. Poole.The nursery carried a variety of seeds, plants and gardening tools. Lawn mowers are lined up along the sidewalk at the front of the store. Poole's also sold houseplants and floral arrangements inside this brick building. A gaily striped awning hangs from the roof line of the front of the Nursery.

Gardening equipment & supplies; Seed trade--Tacoma; Nurseries (Horticulture)--Tacoma; Poole's Seed & Nursery Garden Supplies (Tacoma);

Engine room of Bright Star. Ordered by Dravis Engineering & Machine Works, Mr. Thomas. The Dravis Company was owned by Frederick and Virginia Dravis; they were located at 1101-07 Dock Street.

Machinery industry--Tacoma; Machinery; Dravis Engineering & Machine Works (Tacoma); Engine rooms--Tacoma;

The interior of one of the offices at Plywood Tacoma, Inc. J.W. McKay was president of the manufacturers representatives firm. John Emery served as vice president and treasurer and E.N. Eisenhower was secretary.

Plywood Tacoma, Inc. (Tacoma); Offices--Tacoma--1950-1960; Office furniture;

The exterior of the Poodle Dog after the 1949 rebuild. Regarded as one of Tacoma's major tourist attractions, the restaurant had huge photo-murals that encircled both private dining rooms and a portion of the lobby. The photos by the Richards studio displayed both scenic wonders of the area and local industries and businesses. The internal design was a model of labor saving devices including automatic dishwashing and a circular seating counter that surrounded the waitress stations. The chefs worked at stainless steel counters just beyond the service area, allowing counter diners to watch their food being prepared. Parking surrounded the building. TPL-553

Poodle Dog (Fife); Restaurants--Fife--1950-1960;

Interior of Harkness Rug and Furniture Company on South Tacoma Way. The company was owned by Margaret M. Harkness and sold a complete line of home furnishings, carpets and rugs. They also custom built upholstery and re-upholstered. The store also carried appliances. The family owned business opened in 1921. In this photo, new sofas are lined up from wall to wall with narrow walkways and signs indicate a sale. This photo was used in advertising copy to illustrate their claim of a "spacious floor display dedicated to divans, divan and chair sets, swing rockers and occasional living room furniture." The ad promoted Harkness's new and expanded facilities and "common sense prices." (TNT 4/1/1951, pg. A-11)

Sofas; Lamps; Furniture stores--Tacoma--1950-1960; Home furnishings stores--Tacoma; Harkness Rug & Furniture Co. (Tacoma);

Publicity photo for the opening of the Gay Nineties Room of Steve's (Gay '90s) Cafe at 5238 South Tacoma Way. Steve's was owned by John J. Stanley and Stephen O. Pease.The stage was entirely surrounded by a hand painted display of signs, handlettered by South Tacoma artist Bill Knabel. Mr. Knabel did the lettering work for the Pantages and Grand theatres when curtain advertising was the only venue available. The signs for local South Tacoma businesses surround the stage where Jane Power and Arnold Leverenz performed nightly on the Hammond organ. Old fashioned lanterns hang from a wagon wheel chandelier. Bold checked tablecloths welcome diners and invite them to enjoy good food in an homely and friendly atmosphere. Another part of the restaurant's decor was old photographs of South Tacoma and old style shadow boxes, created by Mrs. George Kelly of Seattle. (TNT 4/4/1951, pg. B6-B7)

Steve's Gay '90s (Tacoma); Restaurants--Tacoma--1950-1960;

This photograph shows the exterior of Steve's Cafe, 5238-40 South Tacoma Way, (later commonly known as Steve's Gay '90s.) as it appeared in April of 1951. Huge neon signs points the way to South Tacoma's newest dining hot spot. Owned & operated by Steve Pease and John Stanley, Steve's offered a smorgasbord every day (at $1 for lunch) and entertainment in the evening. As the restaurant grew in popularity, it swallowed up all the surrounding real estate becoming the huge conglomeration that became Steve's Gay '90s. Steve's closed in 1977. TPL-8691

Steve's Gay '90s (Tacoma); Restaurants--Tacoma--1950-1960;

The interior of the reconditioned General Paint store. Cans of paint, buckets and other supplies are displayed on racks. A table with sample books of wallpapers is provided in the rear.

Stores & shops--Tacoma--1950-1960; Paints & varnishes; General Paint Corp. (Tacoma); Merchandise displays--Tacoma--1950-1960;