ca. 1893. Tacoma smelter. This photograph of the Tacoma Smelting & Refining Co. (previously named the Ryan Smelter) was taken for the New England Magazine and published in their February, 1893, issue. The smelter was owned by prominent businessman William R. Rust who had purchased it four years before. The smelter was originally built to produce lead but in a few short years, would become a major supplier of copper. A comparison of an earlier view of the smelter, taken circa 1888, now shows a completed pier on the right and an additional large building on the property. In 1905 the American Smelting & Refining Co. (ASARCO) bought the company and it remained an important part of Tacoma's economy until its closure in 1985. (New England Magazine - February, 1893 p.800) (See Rutter, image 01, for view of smelter circa 1888)

American Smelting & Refining Co. (Tacoma); Smelters--Tacoma; Industrial facilities--Tacoma;

Damaged negative showning view of American Smelting & Refining Co. (ASARCO) looking toward Tacoma.

Smelters--Tacoma; American Smelting & Refining Co. (Tacoma);

ca. 1896. A woman believed to be Grace R. Moore and accompanied by a large dog, was photographed while reading in the law offices of her husband, Henry K. Moore, circa 1896. Grace R. Moore and several acquaintances formed a reading circle to share their love of books. This led to the formation of the Mercantile Library, the Tacoma area's first circulating library, which was initially housed in the Moore's home where Mrs. Moore served as librarian. The growing membership made it necessary to relocate the library to a more central location. The new site was the outer room of the law office of Mrs. Moore's husband in the Washington Bldg. where his stenographer helped give out books. Eventually, the Mercantile Library's collection was donated to the City of Tacoma and it became a new organization known as the Tacoma Public Library. A branch library named in honor of Mrs. Moore opened in June, 1950, on So. 56th St. near Pacific Ave. G7.1-001 (Bonney: "History of the Tacoma Public Library," History of Pierce County)

Books; Libraries--Tacoma; Public libraries--Tacoma; Dogs--Tacoma--1890-1900; Law offices--Tacoma;

ca. 1915. View of pond near entrance to Point Defiance Park as taken circa 1915. "Old" Ruston School and first tall ASARO smokestack in background This stack was replaced with a tall stack in 1917. Ruston Elementary School, 5227 No. Winnifred St., opened as Ruston School in 1902, before the area incorporated as Ruston. Large building to the far right is unidentified.

Ruston School (Ruston); Smokestacks--Tacoma; Lakes & ponds--Tacoma;

ca. 1911. South Tacoma Branch Library, corner So. 56th and Puget Sound Ave. This was the first branch library in a building of its own in the Tacoma Public Library System. The idea grew from the Women's Christian Temperance Union's South Tacoma Reading Room, opened in 1905 as an alternative to South Tacoma's numerous saloons. This branch library building opened in 1911, the same year as Union Station. It was designed by George Gove, Architect and W. K. Steele served as contractor. Cost of construction was $3,620. In 1958, the building was judged to be unsafe and obsolete. It was demolished and replaced in 1959 with a modern $112,000 library and fire station. TPL-4269

Tacoma Public Library, South Tacoma Branch (Tacoma); Public libraries--Tacoma;

ca. 1904. The Tacoma Public Library, built with funds from industrialist Andrew Carnegie, was dedicated in 1903. The stacks area, where most of the Library's books were shelved (shown at the rear of the picture,) was "closed," meaning that the librarian retrieved books for the patron. The librarians worked behind the wooden, windowed structure at the rear center of the picture much like tellers in a bank. Pictured in the foreground is the top of the white Vermont marble staircase. Above can be seen the decorative stained glass dome. Graceful Ionic columns support the high ceilings. The original glass dome was damaged in the 1949 earthquake. In 1952, a new main library was built adjoining the Carnegie building and the older building was used for storage and meeting rooms. A 5.1 million dollar renovation in 1990 remodeled the newer building and restored the Carnegie Library. This room is now home to the Library's NW Room/ Special Collection Department.

Public Libraries--Tacoma; Tacoma Public Library (Tacoma);

ca. 1975. Librarian Bob Pankl at General Services Dept. desk, Main Branch, Tacoma Public Library.

Pankl, Robert; Librarians; Tacoma Public Library (Tacoma); Public libraries--Tacoma--1970-1980; Tacoma Public Library (Tacoma)--Employees;

ca. 1975. Carolyn Wesley in General Services Dept. Main Branch, Tacoma Public Library. Ms. Wesley is perusing an article on new chemical plants that has been clipped out of the local newspaper. She and fellow staff member Judy Wilkins (not pictured) had spent many hours clipping and filing items of interest to Tacoma readers.

Wesley, Carolyn; Tacoma Public Library (Tacoma); Public libraries--Tacoma--1970-1980; Tacoma Public Library (Tacoma)--Employees; Clippings;

ca. 1975. Judy Wilkins in General Services Dept., Main Branch, Tacoma Public Library. Staff member Judy Wilkins points out a location on a relief map in this circa 1975 color photograph. Mrs. Wilkins later joined the Quick Information telephone reference department. A documents specialist, she was still with the library 35 years later.

Wilkins, Judy; Tacoma Public Library (Tacoma); Public libraries--Tacoma--1970-1980; Tacoma Public Library (Tacoma)--Employees;

ca. 1975. Librarian Randy Rafferty in Business, Science & Technology Dept., Main Branch, Tacoma Public Library.

Rafferty, Randy; Librarians; Tacoma Public Library (Tacoma); Public libraries--Tacoma--1970-1980; Tacoma Public Library (Tacoma)--Employees;

ca. 1975. Librarians Jack Rasmussen and Karen (Goettling) Kelley in Lit. Dept., Main Branch, Tacoma Public Library. Mrs. Kelley was a former Daffodil Festival Queen.

Rasmussen, Jack; Kelley, Karen; Goettling, Karen Jane; Tacoma Public Library (Tacoma); Librarians; Public libraries--Tacoma--1970-1980; Tacoma Public Library (Tacoma)--Employees;

ca. 1873. "Tacoma, the terminus of the Northern Pacific Rail Road, Washington Territory" image on early stereopticon slide taken by Oliver Dennie of Portland, Oregon (slide from the collection of Dan Kerlee, Seattle, Washington). This photograph, and also KERLEE - 02, shows the area on top of the bluff in "New Tacoma" around what is now South 7th & Pacific Avenue. The unidentified man in the foreground is leaning against a tree stump close to where the Northern Pacific Railroad headquarters building would be constructed in 1887. Once the Board of Directors of the Northern Pacific Railroad formally approved locating the terminus, hundreds began swarming to the area. Tents were set up on vacant lots for which $1 per front foot was paid per month and houses quickly sprang up for waiting occupants. Financial woes would shortly grip the nation, subsequently slowing down the rush of people to Tacoma. (Prosch: McCarver and Tacoma, p. 179-80-article)

Cities & towns--Tacoma;

ca. 1873. "Water front and wharf at Tacoma, W.T." Early stereopticon slide by Oliver Dennie, Portland, Oregon. Pioneering men and women pose by the waterfront next to a downed tree circa 1873. The town was becoming civilized with picket fences, two-storied buildings and even washing hung on a line. In the background at left is the Hanson, Ackerson & Co. lumber mill, store and wharf. The Steele Hotel, Tacoma's first hotel, is the large two-story building at right. (From the collection of Dan Kerlee, Seattle, Washington). (Prosch: McCarver and Tacoma, p. 181)

Waterfronts--Tacoma; Piers & wharves--Tacoma--1870-1880; Pioneers--Tacoma; Hanson, Ackerson & Co. (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1870-1880; Mills--Tacoma; Steele Hotel (Tacoma); Hotels--Tacoma--1870-1880;

ca. 1873. "Old Town of Tacoma, W.T." Early stereopticon slide by Oliver Dennie, Portland, Oregon (From the collection of Dan Kerlee, Seattle, Washington). The building with darker roof in the distance at center-left is believed to be the Steele Hotel at 2105 No. 30th St. It was built in 1868 and was the first frame building and first hotel built in Tacoma. Also on the left near the foreground is a sign indicating "carpenter shop," possibly referring to the Ball & Bonney carpenter shop which opened between 1870 and 1872. On the right side of the photograph in the distance are reportedly a saloon and a dance hall. (dark roof, light exterior). This photograph was taken circa 1873 at the foot of the present No. 30th St. looking south. It was then called Second Street. (Prosch: McCarver and Tacoma, p. 179)

Cities & towns--Tacoma; Houses--Tacoma--1870-1880; Streets--Tacoma--1870-1880;

Passage to Secoma (Tugboat Annie). Saturday Evening Post 3/12/1932 p.18. Anton Otto Fischer, artist.

A young boy lounges on the grass in front of a bandstand placed on an enormous cedar tree stump in Wright Park in this circa 1915 photograph. One man is leaning against an open doorway cut into the stump and apparently conversing with another man in businessmen's attire. A large sign advertises "The Auditorium Orthophonic Victrola." TPL-487

Wright Park (Tacoma); Parks--Tacoma; Signs (Notices); Tree stumps--Tacoma;

ca. 1900. A bicycle leans against a young sapling at the north entrance to Wright Park in this photograph from around 1900. The road curving through the park is Yakima Avenue, which was closed to traffic by the Metropolitan Park Board in 1922. The two "dancing maidens" that stand at either side of the entrance were purchased by Clinton P. Ferry, the "Duke of Tacoma", in Brussels and presented to the city in 1891. Somewhat worse for wear after over 100 years, they still stand at the north end of the park. The tower at the far left is the tower on the old Pierce County Court House which stood at 1012 South G Street. (This image appears on the reverse of BU-10705)

Parks--Tacoma--1900-1910; Wright Park (Tacoma); Sculpture--Tacoma;

The Tacoma Safety Council and the Tacoma Police Department teamed up to promote traffic safety in the spring and summer of 1957. Volunteers, including the Fort Lewis servicemen pictured here, hoped to inspect every vehicle in Pierce County. This free community safety-check was held at the Starlite Drive-in, at South 83rd Street and South Tacoma Way. TAC 211.

Automobile inspections--Tacoma; Safety; Star-Lite Park In Theatre (Tacoma);

Traffic safety became a major concern in the growing community of Lakewood in the 1950s. The Traffic Safety Committee of the Lakes District Improvement Council and other agencies enlisted the help of area high school students in studying solutions to the problem. In this photograph from Spring, 1956 a joint task force of students from both Clover Park and Franklin Pierce High Schools visited the state capitol to further their research and provide input on traffic safety issues. Governor Arthur B. Langlie is seen standing at rear center.

Students--Lakewood--1950-1960; Students--Parkland--1950-1960; Langlie, Arthur B., 1900-1966; Governors;

ca. 1900. Hood St. Reservoir during its construction circa 1900. Teams of horses were used to drag materials or debris at the site. The reservoir was located at South 32nd and Yakima Ave. South. TPL-1551

Hood Street Reservoir (Tacoma); Reservoirs--Tacoma--1900-1910; Horses--Tacoma--1900-1910;

ca. 1873. Frederick Law Olmsted plat map for City of Tacoma (New Tacoma), Washington Territory. Created for the Northern Pacific Railroad, and the Tacoma Land Company

Maps; Olmsted, Frederick Law, 1822-1903; Tacoma Land Co. (Tacoma); Northern Pacific Railway Co. (Tacoma);

The faculty of University School posed in a classroom on May 20, 1892. University School, on I St. at the corner of 21st, occupied the massive building from 1891 to 1924. It had previously been the location of Puget Sound University (later the University of Puget Sound, College of Puget Sound). James S. Lewis, Lincoln High School principal, was University School's first principal. The school opened in the fall of 1891 with eleven teachers for grades one through eight. As the above photograph was taken in May of 1892, this is presumed to be the first faculty of the new school including principal Lewis. Per the 1892 Polk Directory, teachers named were: Mattie A. Smythe (6th, 7th, 8th grades), Nettie E. Clarke, Asst. (6th, 7th, 8th), Mary Gilliam (5th, 6th grades), Alice Thornberry (4th grade), Hattie Messinger (A 3rd grade); Edith J. White (B 3rd grade), Clara Heilig (2nd grade), Jennie McGinnis (A 1st grade), Ella Osborne (A 1st grade), Lillian Hargear (B 1st grade), Mary A. Bovelle (C 1st grade) and John W. Clark, janitor. The name of the school was changed in 1896 to Logan School to honor Civil War Union Army Gen. John A. Logan, who helped to found the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) veterans' organization. Logan School closed in 1924 and the building was demolished the following year to make way for McCarver (Intermediate) School. (Olsen: For the Record, p. 71-72, various photographs; 1892 Polk Directory, p. 64-list of faculty)

University School (Tacoma); Logan School (Tacoma); Public schools--Tacoma--1890-1900; Teachers--Tacoma--1890-1900; School principals--Tacoma; Lewis, James S.; Classrooms--Tacoma--1890-1900;

Three story school house, built 1888, demolished 1925 to make room for new brick building

Tacoma--Schools; Fern Hill;

McKinley School, 2nd grade class photo. These smiling children posed for their class picture near the end of the 1951 school year. Among them was Dorothy Mika, second row to the left, second seat back. Dorothy (later Dorothy Stewart) grew up to become a longtime staff member of the Tacoma Public Library.

McKinley School (Tacoma); Public schools--Tacoma--1950-1960; School children--Tacoma--1950-1960; Classrooms--Tacoma--1950-1960; Mika, Dorothy; Stewart, Dorothy;

ca. 1885. When this circa 1885 photograph was taken Annie Wright Seminary (now School) was so new that there were still tree stumps in the front yard at the photo's left. There was no staircase to the sidewalk built yet. Annie Wright opened on September 3, 1884, and was named in honor of the school's benefactor, railroad magnate Charles B. Wright. It was located near Wright Park at 611 Division Ave. The school's purpose was to educate the daughters of pioneers so that they could contribute to the "righteous upbringing of this great country." $350 a year was the school's first tuition and that included "board, furnished room, tuition in English branches and Latin, and laundry service." In 1924 the school moved to a new campus at 827 Tacoma Ave. No. which provided more space for growth. The old building, with foundation of Wilkeson stone, was razed. The only remaining building, the gymnasium, was leased to the Tacoma Drama League in 1925. (www.ag.org/about/history)

Annie Wright Seminary (Tacoma); Private schools--Tacoma--1880-1890;

ca. 1891. The faculty and pupils of Washington College pose on the wide steps of their secondary school, located on Tacoma Avenue South at the present site of Central School, ca. 1891. Washington College opened as a boys school on September 2, 1886, with a $50,000 endowment by Charles B. Wright. It started with 65 pupils, half of them day students. According to a letter from John Kirtland, a former teacher at the school, the college was headed by a Mr. Pulford at the time of this photograph. Mr. Kirtland was not in this particular picture but he indicated the presence of other faculty: Mr. Dudley, Mr. Ayrault, and Mr. Reed. The school closed in 1892 as the Great Depression of 1892 caused many of the pupils to leave school to find work. Its endowment was then transferred to Annie Wright Seminary.

Washington College (Tacoma); Private schools--Tacoma;

ca. 1939. Paul Satko's Ark, a homemade 40 footer, attracts many curious onlookers prior to its launch on November 6, 1939, into the city waterway. Two men in a rowboat, men balancing on floating logs, and others on a small tug all survey the 15 ton vessel. 4000-5000 rain-soaked Tacomans would be cheering as the much talked about Ark built by Virginian Paul Satko, a welder, completed a successful launching. The fact that the boat got stuck half way down the ways and had to pulled out by the Foss tug Diamond B, did not dampen the spirits of either the Satko family or spectators. The story of the family man who sought new frontiers in Alaska and decided to travel there by means of a homebuilt boat drew the attention of newspapers across the country. Mr. Satko built the frame in Richmond, VA, and mounted it on a truck. It took him three months and many scrapes with the highway patrol to get to his launching point, Tacoma. TPL-1794.

Boats--Tacoma--1930-1940; Satko, Paul--Associated objects; Logs; Rowboats--Tacoma;

ca. 1939. Even on a foggy day in 1939, Paul Satko's Ark draws curious onlookers as they stare at the 40 foot, 8 feet wide home-built vessel. National attention has been drawn to the family of nine who had hauled the boat's frame all the way from Virginia to Tacoma in a $10 truck with the firm intentions of voyaging to Cook Inlet, Alaska. The Ark's unorthodox design also drew much comment, often caustic, amidst doubts that the vessel would even float when launched. Powered by the engine of the $10 truck, the Ark was successfully launched in November, 1939. Mr. Satko, wife, and crew of seven children would be feted with a celebration in April, 1940, at the Point Defiance Dock where 15,000 Tacomans would wish them "Bon Voyage." TPL-5670.

Satko, Paul--Associated objects; Boats--Tacoma--1930-1940;