ca. 1916. A combination of delivery trucks and horse drawn wagons are shown here with 25 of the brewery's employees. The truck on the right advertises Alt Heidelberg. The man standing by the opening to that truck with the dark beard is Emile Kliese, president, owner and brewmaster of the brewery from its founding in 1900 until 1916. The two wagons have canopies over the drivers seats. Both wagons are loaded with barrels. Copies of old prints ordered by Columbia Breweries in 1951. Format 2" x 9 1/2"
Brewing industry--Tacoma--1910-1920; Columbia Brewing Co. (Tacoma); Columbia Brewing Co. (Tacoma)--People; Kliese, Emile;
ca. 1916. Multnomah Falls, Columbia River Highway, Oregon, circa 1916 as photographed by Portland photographers Arthur B. Cross and Edward L. Dimmitt. The men teamed up to form the firm of "Cross & Dimmitt" in 1916. They sold real photo post cards of Portland, Columbia River Gorge and Mt. Hood off the running boards of their Model T at Crown Point as the Columbia River Highway was under construction. This view of the cascading 611-foot tall Multnomah Falls was one of theirs. Multnomah Falls, about a 30 minute drive east of Portland, remains a spectacular sight year round as it does not dry up during the late summer months. (www.pdxhistory.com/html/post_card_history-article; www.oregon.com/attractions-article)
ca. 1916. J.E. "Ed" Hahn and Bill Gray (behind steering wheel), foreman and sales manager, respectively, of the Gerlinger Motor Car Co., are seated on a Gersix truck ca. 1916 while a band plays in the rear. The Gerlinger Motor Car Company, 3011 South Fife Street, manufactured 6-cylinder, structural steel trucks in Tacoma beginning in 1915. This particular truck may have been the third truck manufactured by the Tacoma Company. Gerlinger Motor Car Co. eventually became the Kenworth Motor Truck Co., a leading producer of custom trucks. A Kenworth dealership opened in Tacoma in 1929 and both Bill Gray and Ed Hahn worked there for many years. Mr. Gray left in 1940; Mr. Hahn stayed until 1950. Photograph provided by Robert (Bob) Hahn, Ed Hahn's son.
Hahn, J.E.; Gray, Bill; Trucks--Tacoma--1910-1920; Gerlinger Motor Car Co. (Tacoma);
ca. 1916. Around 1916, the exhibition prison ship "Success," from Melbourne, Australia, was docked at the Tacoma Municipal Dock Landing and open for tours. Between 1895 and 1942, the ship was seen by millions on three continents. She was also considered a bit of a hoax, since she was exhibited as a convict ship, when in fact she had been used not to transport convicts but as a floating prison. Built in 1840, she was sold to a London company in 1842 and was used to carry emigrants from England to Australia. After being abandoned by her crew in 1852 during the Australian gold rush, she was purchased by the Victorian government to serve as a floating prison. Ordered to be destroyed in 1885, the "Success" escaped this fate, and was purchased by Alexander Phillips who saw her potential as a money making floating museum. She toured Australia, the British Isles (1895-1912) and the U.S. (1912-1943.) After 106 years, she burned to the waterline on Lake Erie on July 4, 1946. (http://home.gci.net; www.nla.gov.au) Ships-071, TPL-1787
ca. 1916. In 1916, Steilacoom School District #1 built a new brick school for $15,000. In the winter of 1916-17, three teachers including the principal Miss Beatrice Blair, and grades 1-8 moved into the new school. The school was built directly in front of the old wooden two-story school originally built in 1892 on land purchased from school board member, E.R. Rogers, on Nisqually Street. The above photograph shows both schools; the old school was sold to a Mr. Gamble for $25. It was torn down in 1917. (History of Pierce County, Washington, Vol. II, p. 39; Town on the Sound, p. 101-105)
Steilacoom School (Steilacoom); Public schools--Steilacoom;
ca. 1916. Employees of the Washington Parlor Furniture Company, 402 East 11th Street, posed outside the plant in this circa 1916 photograph. Alfred J. "A.J." McKee has been identified as the man leaning against the telephone pole. The company manufactured medium and high grade furniture for parlors. The factory was built in 1909 in Tacoma's Tideflats and added a big dry kiln in 1918. It would go out of business in 1933 during the Depression.
Washington Parlor Furniture Co. (Tacoma); Washington Parlor Furniture Co.--Employees; Furniture industry--Tacoma--1910-1920; McKee, Alfred J.;
ca. 1916. Gersix truck manufacturing plant at 3011 South Fife in Tacoma. View of 6-cyclinder, structural steel framed trucks. The Gerlinger Motor Car Co. was the manufacturer of Gersix trucks; the firm was managed by Edward E. Gerlinger. The company was later sold to Edgar Worthington and Cpt. Frederick Kent who renamed it the Gersix Motor Co. After reincorporation in 1923, Ken-Worth (named after the two principal shareholders, Worthington and Frederick Kent's son, Harry) was created. Kenworth Motor Truck Co. established its headquarters in Seattle and became known for their custom trucks. Photograph provided by Robert (Bob) Hahn, whose father, J.E. (Ed) Hahn, worked for many years at Gerlinger Motor Car Co. and later Kenworth. (www.kenworth.com/7100_ken.asp)
Gerlinger Motor Car Co. (Tacoma); Trucks--Tacoma--1910-1920;
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;
ca. 1917. Rhodes Brothers Store, circa 1917; Fabric department. Several tables loaded with bolts of fabric dot the room. It appears that the track and pulley system is still in operation, indicating that each department does not have its own cash register. (photograph donated by the Rhodes Reunion Committee)
Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma;
1 map; 38 x 65 cm. "Supplement to Pacific Builder & Engineer, December 21, 1917". "Latest map of Camp Lewis, Tacoma, Wash." December 8, 1917. Inset vicinity map.
ca. 1917. A print of a photograph of the Columbia Brewing Company as it appeared in 1917 has been outlined, the date added and measurements written on the left and bottom margins, possibly for use in an advertisement. Stamps have been affixed to the back of the mock-up for Sterling Engraving Company at 1417 Fourth Avenue Building and How. J. Ryan & Son, R Advertising in the Joseph Vance Building, Seattle, Wash. Copies of old prints ordered by Heidelberg Brewing Company in December 1954.
Brewing industry--Tacoma--1910-1920; Columbia Brewing Co. (Tacoma);
ca. 1917. Copy of customer's old photograph. One of these uniformed soldiers in 1917 has been identified as Puget Sound National Bank's future Chairman of the Board, Reno Odlin. He is believed to be second from the left in the front row. Standing in front of a D&RG railroad car, each soldier appears to be holding a bedroll and rifle and wears a broadbrimmed hat which shades his face. They may have been part of the Second Washington Infantry, which Odlin had joined in 1916, that was searching for Pancho Villa. Following the United States entry into WW1 in 1917, Odlin would join the 28th Division in France and be commissioned as a second lieutenant at age 21. Photograph was ordered on September 25, 1964, by Puget Sound National Bank. (Provose: Banking on Independence, p. 86)
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. 1917. Although many stations still used horses, this American LaFrance 1000 gpm pumper was motorized. It was parked, driver on board, at Station No. 2. The age of the horse was nearly over for the Tacoma Fire Department; by 1919, the department was completely motorized. (100 Years of Firefighting in the City of Destiny Tacoma, Washingtonp. 56-57, 59)
Tacoma Fire Department (Tacoma); Fire engines & equipment--Tacoma;
The name Columbia Brewing Company is seen on the side of the building. A fence has been added along the sidewalk on the right. The building is at least five stories high and has a flat roof. A small pediment adorns the cornice. The name of the brewery was changed in 1933 to Columbia Breweries, Inc., when it was purchased by Elmer Hemrich. Copies of old prints ordered by Columbia Breweries in 1951.
Brewing industry--Tacoma--1910-1920; Columbia Brewing Co. (Tacoma);
ca. 1917. Engine Co. No. 2 with new fire truck. Engine Co. No. 2 received American LaFrance's 1000 gpm pumper which was that year's only new apparatus purchase. According to the wording on the photograph, this was the first fire truck in the Northwest which had been equipped with pneumatics. The truck with full equipment weighed 13,000 pounds. It was decided by the fire department that General Cord tires were the best tires available; 40x8's were on the rear and 38x7's on the front. The fire truck is parked outside the station at 2701 Tacoma Avenue South; St. Paul's Lutheran Church is next door. L-R in the photograph are Bob Van Bevers, Fred Strege, Harry Pentland, Arthur Tuel, Wilbur Tope, Frank Leo and Dallas Sater. (100 Years of Firefighting in the City of Destiny Tacoma, Washington, p. 56)
Tacoma Fire Department (Tacoma); Fire stations--Tacoma--1910-1920; Fire engines & equipment--Tacoma; Fire fighters--Tacoma--1910-1920;
ca. 1917. In 1917, the American Smelting & Refining Company (ASARCO) built a new, giant chimney (right) at their copper smelting plant in Ruston. At 571 feet, it dwarfed their old chimney (left) which at 307 1/2 feet had been the tallest concrete chimney in the world. Smelting on Commencement Bay dated to 1887 when Dennis Ryan built a lead smelting plant along the shore just southeast of what is now Point Defiance Park. The smelter was sold to William Rust in 1889, who converted the plant to copper smelting, and it became known as the Tacoma Smelting and Refining Company. In 1905, the operation was sold to ASARCO. The plant closed in 1985 and the giant chimney was imploded in 1993. (Copy made from glass plate on October 3, 1958, Richards Studio.) (TDL 5/4/1905, pg. 3; 6/29/1905; 12/9/1917)
ca. 1917. In 1917, the United States was balancing on the brink of entering the European War and was looking for a Northwest location for an army staging camp. H. B. Blitz devised a publicity stunt to influence people to vote for the proposal to sell 2 million in bonds to buy 70,000 acres as a military site.The land would then be given to Uncle Sam as a gift, with the understanding that the fort would bring increased revenue to the area. Mr. Blitz hired a man to drive a burro and two-wheeled cart around town a week before the Camp Lewis election. Sign: "Frisco Presidio, Greater Frisco. Pierce County Army Post, Greater Tacoma. All loyal residents will vote for Army Post." The proposal carried 6 to 1 and Fort Lewis was born. (T. Times 1/12/1938, p.14).
Advertising--Tacoma--1910-1920; Publicity; Fort Lewis (Wash.);
ca. 1917. Seated in his Stutz race car #5 is driver Earl Cooper and his mechanic Reeves Dutton. Both men have uniforms with the Stutz brand in front. Earl Cooper won national championships in 1913, 1915 and 1917. A favorite of crowds at the Tacoma Speedway, Mr. Cooper won the 250-mile Montamarathon in both 1913 and 1914 but was thwarted in his attempt to retain the trophy for a third year when he finished second to Grover Ruckstell in 1915. TPL-8827. (Photograph donated by John & Pat Reisinger)
Cooper, Earl; Dutton, Reeves; Automobile racing drivers; Racing automobiles--1910-1920; Stutz automobile;
ca. 1917. Rhodes Brothers Store, circa 1917; Window display of luggage and travel. Rhodes Brothers Department Store opened their grand establishment at 950 Broadway in 1903. Its windows offered a glimpse of the interests and fashions of the time period. Around 1920, there was a sharp increase in tourism nationally. Travelers began to switch from more leisurely horse powered trips to travel by automobile, train and later planes. This Rhodes window display from 1917 displayed the "correct" luggage and accessories for travelers, including one "must have" that is no longer popular- the travelers' trunk. (photograph donated by the Rhodes Reunion Committee)
Department stores--Tacoma; Merchandise displays--Tacoma; Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma);
The Automobile Club of Western Washington, now part of American Automobile Association or AAA, has been aiding motorists since 1904. Sanford E. Brokaw was managing the office when this photograph was taken. The office was located in the Uhlman Block on A Street. Reisinger, #R013.
Photograph of the employees of the Oriole Candy Company taken in April of 1918. Picture is labeled "Farewell to H. L. Brown by employees Oriole Candy Co." It is believed that the banquet was held to bid goodbye to Mr. Brown as he would depart for France to help the Y.M.C.A. as a volunteer. The Y.M.C.A. was one of several organizations that set up recreational "huts" overseas for soldiers. In 1907, Harry L. Brown, a budding confectioner and experimenter in sweet treats, opened his own retail candy shop on Broadway, known as Oriole Chocolates. By 1909, he had converted it into a wholesale operation. He made the acquaintance of an ambitious young salesman, currently employed by Schilling Spices, named Jonathan Clifford Haley. Haley offered to market Brown's sweet treats around the Northwest. By 1914, the pair were officially partnered as "Brown & Haley" with Haley as president and chief salesman and Brown as general manager, candy formulator and head of manufacturing. The company's Oriole Chocolates were made by hand and satisfied the sweet tooth of the soldiers stationed at Fort Lewis during WWI. Brown & Haley is now the oldest, largest candy company in the Tacoma area and one of the oldest in the U.S. G33.1-128; TPL-1027, TPL-9553
Foundation Co., Yard #4, located on the Tacoma Tideflats - Rigger Storage and Water Tank, May 10, 1918. The Riggers Store House measured 32' x 27'6", 14' high, 880 sq. feet and built at a cost of $250. The water tank cost $1241 to build and consisted of a 25' diameter tank 16' high and a 26 x26 platform, 18' high. Due to the fact that most of the machinery was steam driven, an abundance of water was very important.
In May of 1918, World War I soldiers in two trucks with "War Camp Community Service" banners pulled up in front of the Soldiers and Sailors Clubhouse. The Clubhouse was located in the Kaufmann-Wolff Building at 714-16 Pacific Ave. The building was designed by Farrell and Darmer, Architects, and also included 713-15 Commerce St. It was formally opened April 5, 1918 by the War Camp Community Service. The opening ceremony included speeches and a dance, but this was the last time the club was open to women or officers. It was strictly for the use of enlisted men. The address was later home to the Rhodes Post of the American Legion and the World War II USO Club for Servicemen of Color. The War Camp was created in 1917 to provide social activities in areas where servicemen spent their off duty time. BU 13,189, G68.1-108 (TDN 4/6/1918, pg.2) TPL-1675
Soldiers & Sailors Clubhouse (Tacoma); War Camp Community Service (Tacoma);
The Red Cross Salvage Department headquarters at 1123 A Street was built in one day on April 7, 1918, with materials donated by local businesses and labor donated by local unions. Over 75 union carpenters worked from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. to erect the structure, with the finishers, electricians and plumbers to report later in the week. The Salvage Department was an auxiliary of the Red Cross and this building served as its warehouse and office. The community was asked to donate to the Department any waste items of value that could be salvaged for cash. The money raised went to the Red Cross for their work at the front overseas. The motto of the Department was "Ask for no money, Pay no money." TPL-742, BU 13188, Boland #B1151. (TDN 4/5/1918, pg. 1; 4/8/1918, pg. 14)
American Red Cross Pierce County Chapter (Tacoma); Salvage; World War, 1914-1918--Scrap drives--Tacoma;
Andrews Pool Hall/Greene Park Photograph of large, empty pool hall taken in June of 1918. There are at least two rows of pool tables set up and ready for players. Cue sticks are mounted on pillars. Room is well-lit. Greene Park, a recreation center created during the Great War, was located across Pacific Highway from Camp Lewis. It was designed to keep troops from off-limit attractions and included an ice cream parlor, theatres, restaurants, tailors, a bank and this billiard hall. The recreation center was named after Camp Lewis commander Major General Henry A. Greene. The only surviving feature of Greene Park in the 21st century is the Red Shield Inn, opened in 1919, to house relatives visiting soldiers. It is now the Fort Lewis Museum. G53.1-094 (www.historylink.org/essays/output.cfm?file_id=8455--article on Fort Lewis) TPL-10305
Identified in photographer Marvin Boland's notes only as "Mr. Peterson's residence," this classic two story wood framed home was photographed on June 8, 1918. The man standing on the steps leading to the home is presumably the owner, Mr. Peterson. Tall wildflowers and at least four trees form the landscape of the front yard.
