This section of Broadway near South 7th Street was "Auto Row" in September of 1925 with several automobile dealerships located side-by-side. L-R were: Griffith Motor Company selling Dodge Brothers motor cars; Mueller-Harkins Motor Company, a Buick dealer; Arthur Bryan Motor Company, a Chevrolet dealership and Richardson Motor Company, the Cleveland & Chandler dealership. Most, if not all, also had used car departments. TPL-1731; G59.1-025
Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Griffith Motor Co. (Tacoma); Mueller-Harkins Motor Co. (Tacoma); Arthur Bryan Motor Co. (Tacoma); Richardson Motor Co. (Tacoma); Automobile dealerships--Tacoma--1920-1930;
Its grass grown tall on the front lawn, this Colonial/American Foursquare styled home located at 2121 North Fife St. was being offered as a forced sale at a price of $3,700 in 1925. The two-story home had a second-story balcony, dormer and four bedrooms and bath. The ground floor had a large front room, dining room, library and kitchen. A full basement contained a fireplace for the billiard room. It had been built around 1911 for Marvel Watson. Interested buyers could contact Hellar, Lyon & Co. G29.1-022; BU10,296 (TDL 8-20-25, p. 9-ad)
Construction of the Allen C. Mason Intermediate School was well under way in September of 1925. The 600-pupil school was designed by the architecture firm of Hill & Mock and named in honor of pioneer Tacoma promoter and real estate developer Allen C. Mason. Its name would be changed to the Allen C. Mason Junior High School in 1928. The school was one of three intermediate schools opened for use in 1926. In all, six intermediate schools opened 1925-26 as the Tacoma school district moved toward a 6-3-3 grade model. Funds to build and/or remodel Tacoma schools were provided by a $2,400,000 bond issue authorized by voters in a special election held in October of 1923. (WSHS) (TNT 9/3/1925, pg. 17)
Building construction--Tacoma--1920-1930; Public schools--Tacoma--1920-1930; Mason Junior High School (Tacoma);
North end apartments were available for rent in this elegant three-story turreted building in December of 1925. Built originally in 1889 and known as the "New York," it had been remodeled into a modern 18-suite apartment house in 1915. It was now known as the J.O. Hilliard Apartments. BU-10,523
ca. 1925. A large two-story house with a balcony along its entirety, with a climbing vine growing up each column. A veranda leads out into the landscaped grounds. Location of the home was not provided. (WSHS)
ca. 1925. Same broken down truck parked by a street sign as A-1419. Now the residential intersection can be seen as well as houses alongside the inclined roadway. Another automobile progresses up the incline. (WSHS)
ca. 1925. The Washington Building under construction. Construction on the modern American skyscraper in downtown Tacoma began in 1919 for the Scandinavian American bank, but halted a couple of years later when the bank closed. The steel structure sat deserted until it was completed in 1925 for the Washington-California Co. and dedicated on June 29, 1925. At 17 stories, it was the second tallest building in the Northwest. (WSHS)
Washington Building (Tacoma); Office buildings--Tacoma--1920-1930; Business districts--Tacoma--1920-1930;
ca. 1925. Washington Building at 1019 Pacific Ave. and on the left, the Rust building at 950 Pacific Ave.The Washington Building was finished in 1925. At 17 stories, it was the second tallest building in the Northwest. The Rust building measures in at 12 stories. It is named after its builder William R. Rust. (WSHS-negative A695-0)
Washington Building (Tacoma); Rust Building (Tacoma);
ca. 1925. The new Washington Building had its Grand Opening in June of 1925. Construction of the building was begun in 1919 for the Scandinavian American Bank and halted in 1921 when the bank failed. It was completed in 1925 and was, at that time, the second tallest building in the Northwest. The main tenant at its opening was the Brotherhood Cooperative National Bank. The Cooperative Bank was the first of its kind in any Northwest City. Although it was part of the Brotherhood group of banks, strong in the eastern part of the country, the local bank had local supporters, management and share holders, many of them working men. It was approved by both the Federated Improvement Clubs of Tacoma and the labor unions. (TNT 6/30/1925, pg. 14)(WSHS)
Washington Building (Tacoma); Brotherhood Cooperative National Bank (Tacoma); Banks--Tacoma--1920-1930;
ca. 1925. Construction on the Washington Building started in 1919 for the Scandinavian- American Bank, but halted when the bank went bankrupt. The steel framework sat deserted until it was purchased by the Washington-California Co. In 1925, the building was completed. The steel framework was clothed in white terra cotta, which was glazed. It was fireproof. It had 1925 technologically superior Otis elevators, which could take visitors from the bottom to the top in 16 seconds. The building was completed with an investment of 1 1/2 million dollars. (TNT 6/30/1925, pg.1) (WSHS)
Washington Building (Tacoma); Office buildings--Tacoma--1920-1930; Business districts--Tacoma--1920-1930;
ca. 1925. View of front of two story house at 4302 So. Bell. The house was built in 1925 by builder William T. Post. In November of 1926, the Tacoma Daily Ledger called Mr. Post the "champion builder of the state." In the previous eight years, he had constructed 300 houses and three apartment buildings. His specialty was housing developments, rather than single homes. He built 60 houses on Pacific Ave. between 43rd & 48th and was consulted by the School Board and city regarding the site for Stewart Middle School. (WSHS) (TDL 11/7/1926, PG. 11-E article on Wm. T. Post)
ca. 1925. Side view of the home of John J. Hewitt. The English cottage style home was designed by Delano & Aldrich, with local architects Sutton, Whitney & Dugan serving as associate architects. Mr. Hewitt was the president of the Hewitt Land Co. and the secretary-treasurer of Hewitt-Lea-Funck Co. (WSHS- negative A652-0)
Houses--Tacoma--1920-1930; Hewitt, John J.--Homes & haunts; Estates--Tacoma;
ca. 1925. Side view of the home of John J. Hewitt. The English cottage style home was designed by Delano & Aldrich, with local architects Sutton, Whitney & Dugan serving as associate architects. Mr. Hewitt was the president of the Hewitt Land Co. and the secretary-treasurer of Hewitt-Lea-Funck Co. (WSHS- negative A653-0)
Houses--Tacoma--1920-1930; Hewitt, John J.--Homes & haunts; Estates--Tacoma;
ca. 1925. View of the home of John J. Hewitt. The English cottage style home was designed by Delano & Aldrich, with local architects Sutton, Whitney & Dugan serving as associate architects. Mr. Hewitt was the president of the Hewitt Land Co. and the secretary-treasurer of Hewitt-Lea-Funck Co. (WSHS- negative A654-0)
Houses--Tacoma--1920-1930; Hewitt, John J.--Homes & haunts; Estates--Tacoma;
ca. 1925. In 1922, John E. McGuire, an architect with Sutton, Whitney & Dugan, had this English country cottage constructed for his family from his own design. The home is at 4109 No. 33rd and is built from whitewashed brick. (WSHS)
Houses--Tacoma--1920-1930; McGuire, John E.--Homes & haunts;
ca. 1925. View from front of unidentified house. Drying laundry flaps on the line at the rear of the house. This home was most likely located on the south or east end of Tacoma. (WSHS)
ca. 1925. Looking east on South 11th Street in Downtown Tacoma. Fisher's Department Store on right. Buildings on left, left to right: Rhodes Department Store, Fidelity Building, Washington Building and Tacoma Building. 11th Street Bridge (identified on photo as Lincoln Bridge) in distance. When the bridge was built in 1913, it was christened the Lincoln Bridge in a "name the bridge" contest but the name never stuck. Tacomans just preferred to call it the Eleventh Street Bridge. (filed with Argentum)
Business districts--Tacoma--1920-1930; Fishers Department Store (Tacoma); Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Washington Building (Tacoma); Tacoma Building (Tacoma);
ca. 1925. Looking east on South 11th Street in Downtown Tacoma. Fisher's Department Store on right. Buildings on left, left to right: Rhodes Department Store, Fidelity Building, Washington Building and Tacoma Building. 11th Street Bridge in distance. (filed under Argentum)
Business districts--Tacoma--1920-1930; Fishers Department Store (Tacoma); Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Washington Building (Tacoma); Tacoma Building (Tacoma);
ca. 1925. This home at 2714 No. Junett St. was built in 1921 for Vernetta & Irvin C. Rowland. Mr. Rowland was a partner in Hansen & Rowland. The company handled insurance, loans and surety bonds. The architect of the home was A.J. Russell. The home was built of tapestry brick and Wilkeson sandstone with a terra cotta tile roof. The construction cost was around $10,000. (WSHS)
ca. 1925. The Lorenz Building, 1552-56 Market St. The Lorenz Building was constructed in 1889 and was designed by architect R. L. Robertson. From 1899- 1914, it was home to the Astor House, also known as the Hiroshimaya Hotel, the first major Japanese Hotel in Tacoma. In the mid 1920's, the building housed the Columbus Hotel and the Tacoma Ju Jitsu School.
Lorenz Building (Tacoma); Columbus Hotel (Tacoma); Tacoma Ju Jitsu School (Tacoma);
ca. 1925. The 17 story Washington Building near completion. The building was officially opened at the end of June, 1925. The ground floor was occupied by the Brotherhood Cooperative Bank, Theodore Knutson's cigar store, Henrietta McNerthney's Purity Pharmacy and the "Orange Bower," the first orange mill in Tacoma. The orange mill's specialty was fresh squeezed orange juice, that you could watch being processed by a machine. (TNT 6/30/1925, pg. 13)(WSHS)
ca. 1925. Washington Building as completed. Started 1919 by the Scandinavian-American Bank, unfinished when bank failed. The steel framework was completed by a group established for that purpose, the Washington-California Co. Frederick Webber, Original Architect; Doyle and Merriam, Architects for completion. The Washington Building opened at the end of June in 1925. (WSHS & Argentum)
ca. 1925. The Washington Building, 1019 Pacific Ave., under construction. This modern structure was originally designed by Frederick Webber in the style of the Chicago School for the Scandinavian American Bank. Construction began in 1919 and halted when the bank failed. It was completed in 1925 when the Washington-California Co. purchased the steel skeleton and completed the building. At 17 stories, it was the second tallest building in the Northwest. When it opened, it contained 350 office suites, including its main occupant, the Brotherhood Co-Operative National Bank. (WSHS) (TDL 6/28/1925, pg. 2B)
Washington Building (Tacoma); Business districts--Tacoma--1920-1930;
This is 11th & Broadway looking south in early 1926. Cars are parked on both sides of the street while streetcars and a small 6th Ave. bus share the road. On the left side of the street is one of the McMillan Bros. drugstores. Besides being a pharmacy, the McMillan Bros. also sold Brunswick and Victor phonographs and Wurlitzer pianos. Among the establishments on the right side of the photograph is the Feist & Bachrach department store (1114-20 Broadway); the site would later become the J.C. Penney Co. department store. Photograph ordered by Foster & Kleiser. TPL-1582; G59.1-033
Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Business districts--Tacoma--1920-1930; Street railroads--Tacoma--1920-1930; Street railroad tracks--Tacoma--1920-1930; McMillan Brothers (Tacoma); Feist & Bachrach (Tacoma);
This was busy, bustling Pacific Avenue near South 9th St. in January of 1926. Although there were stately office buildings on Pacific such as the 17-story newly completed Washington Building (center at 1019) and Puget Sound National Bank (1117-19), there were also many smaller establishments packed in as well. The Carlyle Cafeteria (ground floor of the Provident Building), the Thomas Billiard Parlor, Tabell's featuring chili and tamales, the Argonaut Hotel and Western Union were on the left side of Pacific with Dundee Woolen Mills Tailors, Bennett Typewriter Co., Samuelson & Berg's and Washington Hardware among others on the right. It was possible then to book a room, play pool, dine at a variety of restaurants, get a suit tailored, complete banking transactions, pickup tools for the home, and buy a pair of shoes all within a block or two. Streetcars were available for easy transport as an alternative to driving. G61.1-040
Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Business districts--Tacoma--1920-1930; Washington Building (Tacoma); Puget Sound National Bank (Tacoma); Carlyle Cafeteria (Tacoma); Provident Building (Tacoma); Argonaut Hotel (Tacoma);
This view is of part of the growing 6th Avenue business district at the intersection of Oakes looking east in January of 1926. Streetcar tracks run down the middle of 6th and the 6th Avenue car is in sight. Businesses on the left include the 6th Ave. Furniture Co. in the Masonic Lodge (2609) and the Pollyanna Cafe. On the right are the Piggly Wiggly, Foultz Variety Store, Frederick Dean Drug Co., Prospect Market and the new Sixth Avenue Baptist Church. TPL-1798; G57.1-065 (TNT 1-21-26, p. 15)
Streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Business districts--Tacoma--1920-1930; Street railroad tracks--Tacoma--1920-1930; Sixth Avenue Baptist Church (Tacoma); 6th Ave. Furniture Co. (Tacoma); Pollyanna Cafe (Tacoma); Piggly Wiggly (Tacoma);
