J.F. Shank's Shell station at South 38th and Thompson Avenue is shown with a separate building for automobile repairs. Gasoline pumps stand in front of the sales booth where tires have been hung in the windows. A very small, square-backed vehicle is parked by the sales booth. Ordered by Shell Oil Company, Mr. Holms.

Automobile service stations--Tacoma--1940-1950; J.F. Shank's Shell Station (Tacoma); Automobiles--Tacoma--1950-1960; Gasoline pumps--Tacoma--1940-1950; Vehicle maintenance & repair--Tacoma--1940-1950;

A view of the lobby of the National Bank of Washington with a tulip display from the mezzanine. More bouquets of tulips stand along the shelf at the top of the tellers' cages. Pilasters along two walls lead to arches at the ceiling that cover the wide lobby. Customers are seen at the teller windows and the two counters at the middle of the room. Ordered by Mrs. Lindquist.

Banks--Tacoma; Banking--Tacoma--1940-1950; National Bank of Washington (Tacoma); Lobbies--Tacoma--1940-1950;

The Dixie Ball was the Spinster Club's annual spring event, this year with a "Gone with the Wind" theme. The Ball was held at the New Yorker Cafe's Rainbow Room. A spotlight focused on life-sized mammy and pappy dolls and miniature mammy dolls decorated the tables. Patrons and patronesses were Mr. and Mrs. G.R. Waiss, Mrs. Anna Ryan and Michael Harris. Two couples smile from across one of the tables. A brown paper bag is seen on the table along with bowls of ice, glasses and ash trays. Ordered by Tribune, Barbara Dana. (TNT, 4/24/1950, p.5; 4/30/1950, p.D-6)

New Yorker Cafe (Tacoma); Parties--Tacoma; Single women; Women--Clubs--Tacoma--1940-1950; Spinster Club (Tacoma);

An interior view of the showroom at B.F. Goodrich Company's Tacoma store. They feature a wide variety of home appliances, bicycles, tricycles, wagons, and lawn mowers in addition to automobile tires, batteries and accessories. Banners span the ceiling and a sign in the back announces their "Grand Opening".

B.F. Goodrich Co. (Tacoma); Automobile equipment & supplies stores--Tacoma; Appliance stores--Tacoma;

The interior view of the drive-thru tire service area at B.F. Goodrich Company's Tacoma store. A large Buick is parked to the left. Tires fill bins and are stacked along both sides of the drive way. A vending machine on the left is stamped "Canteen" along the top.

B.F. Goodrich Co. (Tacoma); Automobile equipment & supplies stores--Tacoma; Tires; Automobiles--Tacoma--1950-1960; Buick automobile;

Puget Sound Furniture window featuring mattresses. The store joined in celebrating National Sleep Show Week April 19-26, 1950. Ordered by American Weekly, Hearst Building, San Francisco.

Puget Sound Furniture Co. (Tacoma); Furniture stores--Tacoma--1950-1960; Window displays--Tacoma--1950-1960; Merchandise displays--Tacoma--1950-1960; Home furnishings stores--Tacoma--1950-1960;

The Tacoma Chamber of Commerce entertained the armed forces at the Top of the Ocean on Friday night of Armed Forces Week in Tacoma. Henry O. and Agnes Foss are seen on the left. C. Val and Linda M. Fawcett are on the right. Other entertainment for visiting armed forces personnel included theater tickets and the facilities of the Council of Churches Youth Center, the Armed Service Recreation Center and the Christian Service Man'c Center. The crew from the Canadian destroyer "Athabaskan" and the USN fleet oiler "Platt" were in Tacoma for the week. Ordered by the Tribune, Barbara Dana. (TNT, 5/14/1950, p.D-9; 5/24/1950, p.11)

Top of the Ocean (Tacoma); Balls (Parties)--Tacoma--1950-1960; Military uniforms; Ball dresses; Foss, Henry O., 1891-1986; Foss, Agnes S.; Fawcett, Clarence Valdo, 1900-1965--Family; Fawcett, Linda;

Fifteen men line two tables in a class taught in one of the conference rooms at Mueller-Harkins Motor Company. They are working with small parts. Two men who are teaching the class stand at the back of the room with a flip chart open to diagrams of an automobile engine's working parts. Ordered by Mr. Mueller.

Automobile dealerships--Tacoma; Vocational education--Tacoma--1950-1960; Mueller-Harkins Motor Co. (Tacoma)--Employees; Automobile equipment & supplies;

Capital Coil & Equipment Company's refrigerator case, model NVG - 9U, with fluorescent lights and solid stainless steel bottom, 109 1/2" x 52" x 32". The company manufactured store fixtures.

Capital Coil & Equipment Co. (Tacoma); Refrigerator industry--Tacoma;

Capital Coil & Equipment Company's refrigerator case, model D5 - K5 - W2, 129" long, 26 1/4" deep, and 41" high; exterior 18-8 stainless steel. This model has two pressurized spigots for serving beverages. Ordered by Capital Coil & Equipment.

Capital Coil & Equipment Co. (Tacoma); Refrigerator industry--Tacoma;

A school bus for Bethel School District No. 403 is parked outside Tacoma White Truck Company. The White Trucking neon sign is seen over the bus. Ordered by Mrs. Frank Buchanan. The bus in the photograph is a 1950 model Gillig bus built by the Gillig Brothers bus manufacturing company in Hayward, California.

Tacoma White Trucks, Inc. (Tacoma); School buses--Tacoma; Truck industry--Tacoma; Electric signs--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Two gentlemen who were present at the Chicago-Milwaukee Railroads board of directors luncheon on July 13, 1950, at the Hotel Winthrop, gaze at an enlarged photograph of the newly completed Tacoma Narrows Bridge. The first Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapsed during high winds on November 7, 1940. The man seated at left is C.H. Buford, president of the Milwaukee Road.

Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma); Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad Co. (Tacoma); Railroad companies--Tacoma--1950-1960; Buford, C.H.; Tacoma Narrows Bridge (Tacoma);

Employees and guests of the Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Company enjoy a retirement dinner at the Top of the Ocean on August 8, 1950. Pacific Telephone & Telegraph was located at 757 Fawcett Avenue.

Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Co. (Tacoma)--Employees; Top of the Ocean (Tacoma); Telephone companies--Tacoma; Celebrations--Tacoma--1950-1960;

A young employee, pencil behind his ear, carefully inserts loaves of bread into cardboard boxes at the Jordan Baking Company. A Slice Master machine stands ready to slice the freshly baked bread while additional loaves are waiting on nearby racks. According to the 1951 City Directory, the wholesale bakery was located at 5233 South Washington and owned by Arthur K. Jordan. Photograph commissioned by Container Corporation of Seattle.

Jordan Baking Co. (Tacoma); Bread--Tacoma; Bakeries--Tacoma--1950-1960; Business enterprises--Tacoma;

In September of 1950, an unidentified young officer questions a small boy in front of the Roxy Theater. The boy, who seems to have made a lunch of chocolate at a matinee and retains most of it on his face and hands, may be looking for his mother. Ordered by the Tribune city desk. TPL-7116

Roxy Theatre (Tacoma); Motion picture theaters--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Construction forms are being placed as work continues on the new Tacoma Transit building at 1235 South Sprague Avenue in September, 1950. One wooden form is being hauled up as a man on the roof supervises and other workers assist. Warter Construction is in charge. Tacoma Transit is replacing both administrative offices located at S. 13th and A Streets and a garage that was heavily damaged by fire. Buildings are being built on 8.6 acres owned by the company. Total approximate costs are $195,000. (TNT 7-20-50, p. 33; TNT 8-13-50, p. A-9) TPL-8266

Tacoma Transit Co. (Tacoma); Progress photographs; Building construction--Tacoma--1950-1960;

The Dandy Cafe was located at 917 Tacoma Avenue South; it was owned and operated by Fred and Louise Fries. Photographs for license purposes were commissioned by Mrs. Fries of both the exterior and interior of the cafe in September, 1950. The Dandy Cafe had a long counter with stools for quick and casual dining and a back area with upholstered seats and tables for more private occasions. A large jukebox was placed against the wall near a coat/hat rack.

Dandy Cafe (Tacoma); Cafes--Tacoma--1950-1960; Jukeboxes; Fries, Fred; Fries, Louise;

Shoppers at the self-serve meat department of Park-N-Shop pause to examine the wide variety of meats, fish, and fowl available in August, 1950. Instead of giving an order to a butcher and waiting in line for the order to be filled, the customer could save time by simply selecting from pre-packaged meats. Park-N-Shop was a grocery store located at 9662 Pacific Avenue in Parkland.

Park-N-Shop, Inc. (Parkland); Meat; Grocery stores--Parkland--1950-1960;

The new 1951 Chevrolets were available at South Tacoma Motor Company. The new models featured fresh styling. Design improvements accentuated a longer, lower appearance. Radiator grills had been simplified, the decorative body moulding lowered and the rear fender crowns raised. Soldiers are checking out the interior while a young couple tries to make a decision near the trunk. (TNT, 12/9/1950, p.13)

Automobile dealerships--Tacoma--1940-1950; South Tacoma Motor Co. (Tacoma); Chevrolet automobile;

South Tacoma Motor Company. View of dealership in rain. 1951 Chevrolets in showroom, neon sign at corner, banner promoting "America's Largest and Finest Low-Priced Car" on transom, painted footprints bearing word "Chevrolet" on sidewalk, man on bicycle.

Automobile dealerships--Tacoma--1940-1950; South Tacoma Motor Co. (Tacoma); Chevrolet automobile;

The interior of the Silver Dollar Tavern is being remodeled. The tavern was located at 1554-56 Jefferson Avenue in the Carlton Hotel. A tile floor with set-in designs and a border is shown. A large arched doorway leads to the exterior of the building. A counter with beer taps is standing on the floor in the right, center. Light fixtures hang from the tall ceiling. Ordered by Dorothy Harradine, owner of the new tavern and cafe.

Silver Dollar Cafe (Tacoma); Remodeling--Tacoma--1950-1960; Carlton Hotel (Tacoma);

Grand opening of the Shell Oil station at Center and Union, Earl Moon's Shell Service, 3520 Center St. Three employees service a car in the right foreground, checking under the hood and cleaning windows. Another employee gases up a car at the pumps. The Shell oil delivery truck can be seen beside the station. A paneled station wagon is at the other side of the station. The skyline of residential Tacoma can be seen in the background. Owner Earl J. Moon ran an ad in the January 25, 1951 News Tribune the grand opening of his Shell Service Station. The ad promoted Goodyear tires and batteries, Shell gas and "Shellubrication." Free balloons and candy would be available for the kids and one prize of four free tires for adults. (TNT 1-25-1951, p. 28-advertisement)

Automobile service stations--Tacoma--1950-1960; Gasoline pumps--Tacoma--1950-1960; Automobiles--Tacoma--1950-1960; Trucks--Tacoma--1950-1960; Earl Moon's Shell Service (Tacoma);

In December of 1950, Arthur K. Jordan (left) and an unidentified baker proudly watched another gentleman taste their freshly toasted bread. In 1950, the Jordan Baking Company won the "First Prize for Quality" in the Better Bread contest staged by the Quality Bakers of America. The competition featured bread baked by over 100 bakeries nationwide. Mr. Jordan began his bakery in 1937 when he purchased the Bert Nichols plant in Old Tacoma and opened it under the Jordan name with six employees and one delivery truck. The bakery quickly outgrew this location and in 1939 moved to 5233 S. Washington St., formerly home to the DuLac Auto Body Co. By 1950, the company employed 131 people in Tacoma with a payroll of a half million a year. In 1952, they introduced their most famous product, Sunbeam Bread, with its mascot, the blond cherub Little Miss Sunbeam. Ordered by Jordan Baking Company.

Jordan Baking Co. (Tacoma); Bakeries--Tacoma--1940-1950; Bread--Tacoma; Jordan, Arthur K.;

Five men stand around a new model Packard Bell television at the Top of the Ocean exhibit. A portrait of founder H.A. Bell smiles down from the wall. The festivities were hosted by Packard Bell to celebrate their 25th year in business. In attendance from the Los Angeles home office were Vice President Joe E. Spain, General Sales Manager Kenneth R. Johnson and Glen C. Tillack, chief field engineer. N. Earl Davisson, PB distributer, was host. The highlight of the evening was the preview of Packard Bell's 1951 "Masterpiece Founders Series." (TNT 2/8/1951, pg. B-6)

Top of the Ocean (Tacoma); Televisions--1950-1960; Packard Bell Co. (Tacoma);

An executive suite of furniture is displayed by the Harold E. Dahl Company. The suite includes a large wooden desk, credenza, desk chair and several side chairs and a book case. Even the waste basket sitting next to the desk is beautifully detailed wood. The boldly patterned draperies hang next to a wall covered with woven reeds. "Out" and "In" boxes stand at the ready for the lucky organization executive who will use this suite.

Harold E. Dahl Co. (Tacoma); Office furniture; Desks; Chairs;

This is how the interior of South Tacoma Motor Company shop and service department appeared in February of 1951 when Chevrolets were being serviced throughout the warehouse. The Union Street Livery operated at this location in the late 1800s, but with the growing popularity of automobiles in the 1900s the owners combined the livery business with a garage. Pete Wallerich acquired the company in 1919. In 1924, South Tacoma Motors began selling Chevrolets at this location, making it the oldest Chevrolet dealer in the US owned continuously by the same family. Three generations of the Wallerich family sold Chevys until 1988, when the dealership became Gilchrist Chevrolet. ("South on the Sound" Murray and Rosa Morgan) TPL-9160

Automobile dealerships--Tacoma--1950-1960; Automobile equipment & supplies stores--Tacoma--1950-1960; South Tacoma Motor Co. (Tacoma); Chevrolet automobile;

Interior of Hogan's 8th grocery store, at 98th & Pacific Ave., for its Grand Opening March 9-11, 1951. All of the Hogan Grocery Stores were owned by Walter Hogan, who also owned Western Grocery Co., a wholesale grocery outlet for retailers. This store offered Southeast Tacoma and the surrounding rural areas a complete assortment of groceries, meats, produce and dairy. The store had 5600 sq. ft. of merchandising floor space and a color scheme of chartreuse green and wine. The flooring was wine, red and brown. Mirrored produce cases reflected the jewel tones of the fruits and vegetables. The highlight of the opening was the giving away of four barrels of groceries. (TNT 3/8/1951, pg. C-4)

Grocery stores--Tacoma--1950-1960; Hogan's Fine Foods (Tacoma); Farm produce--Tacoma;

The Ladies' Musical Club sponsored a concert by Hildegarde, a New York supper club singer who was on a concert tour across the continent, at Temple Theater. She would perform a 2 1/2 hour concert with her 12-piece orchestra. Her program included not the classics but favorites such as, "The Last Time I Saw Paris". She traveled with 35 evening costumes packed in specially built 6-foot trunks but would only be wearing two for her Tacoma appearance. She is seen here looking from the window of her room at the Hotel Winthrop. Tacoma's City Hall can be seen through the window. (TNT, 4/18/1951, p.12)

Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma); Hildegarde; Singers;

The Relle Scatter-Pin Ring, a new innovation in the world of jewelry, was introduced to Tacomans at Fisher's Department Store in November 1949. It was a ring-pin combination; the wearer could choose to add a scatter pin to the ring, twisting securely to make a dinner ring. The creator, Norman Carr, designed brilliant stone-studded scatter pins which could be worn alone, or used in the creation of stuning dinner rings. (photo taken for Marian Wood, Fisher's Jewelry Dept.) (TNT, 11/27/1949, p.A-15)

Department Stores--Tacoma--1940-1950; Fisher's Department Store (Tacoma); Merchandise displays--Tacoma--1940-1950; Jewelry; Rings;

Informal square dancing at Tacoma Athletic Commission, Metcalf. Several couples are enjoying being on the dance floor learning square dancing steps. Several others are lined up in the back for refreshments.

Top of the Ocean (Tacoma); Tacoma Athletic Commission (Tacoma); Square dancing--Tacoma--1940-1950; Couples--Tacoma--1940-1950;