In June of 1925, Mike Marush posed in front of his store, the Marush Fish Co., with the King Salmon believed to be the largest ever caught in local waters on hook and line. The huge fish, weighing in at 47 lbs. dressed, was caught by G.C. Crawford of Gig Harbor at a point known as the "mouth of Gig Harbor," not far from the Narrows. The salmon fought for an hour, almost capsizing the boat. TNT 6/23/1925, pg. 16 (BU12230, Boland #B12818)
Additional view of the Water Power Furniture Co. on Steilacoom Lake circa August of 1919. A wooden ladder dangles from the fifth floor of the plant to possibly serve as a fire escape in lieu of actual stairs. Edward C. Hill was listed as the president of the firm in the 1920 City Directory. See Boland B2187 for alternate view of company site including additional building. G21.1-159
Water Power Furniture Co. (Lakewood); Furniture industry--Lakewood;
Long shot of the Puget Hotel and its landscaped grounds, circa August of 1919, in Port Gamble. The hotel was designed by Seattle architects Bebb & Mendel. Port Gamble is located in Kitsap County on a bay of the same name, about 35 miles from Seattle. The town rises on a bluff above the Puget Mill, later the Port Gamble mill of Pope & Talbot, Inc. The entire town was owned by the mill, including the hotel and the church. It is one of the only surviving examples of a 19th century company town. In 1966, the entire town was designated as a National Historic site. G73.1-041
Andrews Women's Apparel. Owned and operated by Samuel A. Andrews, the store focused on dresses, suits and hats for discerning shoppers. It was located at 923 Broadway and had undergone extensive remodeling just two years before. TPL-5477; G56.1-098; BU-13732
This angled view of the Twin Gates restaurant was taken from across the street in January of 1936. The large restaurant was located next to a Richfield service station a short distance south of Tenino in Thurston County. By the 1970's, it was a secondhand store. The building has since been destroyed by fire. (Additional information provided by a reader) G77.1-078, TPL-10521
Twin Gates (Tenino); Restaurants--Tenino; Automobile service stations--Tenino;
Peterman logging operations on top of Peterman Hill south of Morton. View of Peterman Manufacturing Co.'s truck road trestle. A section of forest has been partially cleared in this June, 1936, photograph. Tree stumps remaining seem to indicate that the trees were mostly young trees and not old growth timber although the short log in the foreground was Douglas Fir old growth. Peterman's Tacoma door and veneer plants utilized the Douglas Fir for its products. According to one reader, this area is now called the "beaver pond." There was no pond there at the time of this photograph but over time the beavers took advantage of the pilings of the trestle and built a large dam around them. The trestle is no longer there. G75.1.052
Interior of Peterman Manufacturing Co.'s Morton large truck shop with dirt floor. This open-beamed garage was photographed on June 5, 1936, as part of a series of daily operations for the company. An exterior view of the building is located at Boland B25884. Mr. Al Peterman had purchaed a fleet of fifteen old White trucks from the Shell Oil Co. and completely rebuilt them in his Tacoma shop. They were converted into 6 wheelers with air brakes and bigger engines. The Morton shop then made more modifications as they were put through the hauling operations. Mr. Peterman maintained a staff of skilled mechanics in the Morton shop to work on these trucks. G48.1-018 (Additional information provided by a reader)
June, 1936, view of exterior of large wood framed building which was the Peterman Manufacturing Co.'s Morton truck shop. The interior of the shop is shown in Boland B25883. According to a reader, the building was located in old town Morton in what is now Backstrom Park. This ground was later given to the town of Morton to be used as a city park by Gust Backstrom who was Al Peterman's old logging foreman. The site was that of the Peterman company's railhead where logs were unloaded from trucks and reloaded onto Milwaukee railcars to be transported to Tacoma. Part of Peterman Hill is shown in the background to the south of the shop building. Mr. Peterman logged over 7000 acres in the Morton area in the period of six years, from 1934-1940, to supply his Tacoma operations. G48.1-016 (Additional information provided by a reader)
Two trucks appear to have already been filled with crushed rock and a third one awaits as this June, 1936, photograph for Peterman Logging (Manufacturing) Co. was taken on top of Peterman Hill south of Morton. The bunker(s) and crusher site was not far up the hill on Peterman's main haul road. Mr. Peterman contracted out the crushing and the bunkers were later moved farther back to the east end of the operation. Al Peterman was farsighted enough to realize that a well maintained, smooth truck road would be easier on his trucks and they would be able to travel faster down from his logging operations to the reload area. This was at a time when the majority of logging roads were rough with just planks or mere mud. Mr. Peterman even employed a full time roadgrader operator. G75.1-048 (Additional information provided by a reader)
Daily logging operations of the Peterman Logging (Manufacturing) Co. as seen through a series of photographs taken on June 5, 1936, at or near Morton. A spar tree, rigged with guy lines and blocks, leans precariously while yarding logs. According to a reader, this is a view of Peterman Manufacturing Co.'s railhead reload in old town Morton. The truck is being prepared to be unloaded by the Tacoma Iron Works 9 x 10 yarder ("donkey") to the right in the photograph. The "donkey" was used to also load the Milwaukee railcars standing on the siding running from the right side of the photograph's foreground to the left rear. The main spar tree is barely visible on the extreme left with the "tail" tree to the right just on the far side of the siding. The "tail" tree is bent over so that the spreader bar will be over the center of the railcar as the loading is done. This will make it easier to center the logs on the car. Included in the photograph's background is a bark conveyor. The Model T at extreme right belonged to the "donkey's" operator. G75.1-058 (Information provided by a reader)
Peterman Manufacturing Co. (Tacoma); Lumber industry--1930-1940; Logs; Ford automobile;
The "erectors" get one of the massive 32 ton steel beams into position at the construction site of the Scandinavian-American Bank (later the Washington Building) in this November 1920 photograph. The beams were lifted into place by a pulley system and then rivetted. Because the main banking room, when completed, would be the largest open space on the Pacific Coast without a supporting pillar or post, the massive cross beams required specially designed lifting equipment. When completed, the room was to measure 60 feet frontage, 100 feet deep and 30 feet from floor to ceiling. However, construction was halted when the bank failed in 1921. The building was resold, redesigned and completed in 1925 as the Washington Building. (TDL 11/14/1920, pg. B-7) BU 10, 758, G17.1-122 TPL-9944
Scandinavian-American Bank (Tacoma); Building construction--Tacoma--1920-1930; Construction industry--Tacoma--1920-1930;
For many, 1920 was the beginning of a "New Era," one of prosperity. For others, such as these three unidentified boys pictured in front of Burnett Brothers Jewelers, 934 Broadway, times were not so good. All three boys wear clothing that is torn and patched. This photograph was taken in December of 1920 in conjunction with a Red Cross Drive. Following the conclusion of World War I, the Red Cross expanded its health and welfare services, offering assistance locally to those in need. While the well publicized Hoover European Relief fund focused on the starving overseas, the Red Cross quietly helped those at home. G2.1-107; TPL-937
Burnett Brothers Jewelry (Tacoma); American Red Cross Pierce County Chapter (Tacoma); Boys--1920-1930;
In the early 1900's,Tacoma boasted 40 farriers; by 1920 when this photograph was taken, with the advances of the automobile, there were only three left within the Tacoma city limits. The Pioneer Blacksmith Shop, located at 107-09 So. 24th St., was owned by M. Komp and W.C. Dittman. They specialized in horse shoeing. Automobiles were also repaired on occasion, but only in an adjoining structure. Two men pose in the doorway of the structure built around 1890 as a blacksmith's shop. It has since been demolished. (TDL 10/3/1920 p.B-4) BU-14101, G66.1-121 TPL-9821
A small child is photographed at a distance in August of 1922 while on the porch of the elegant Tacoma Hotel, 913 A Street. She can also been seen in Boland B6533 along with an older gentleman in the hotel gardens. Guests at the hotel were able to enjoy outdoor dining, weather permitting, on the extended porch of the Tacoma Hotel. This photograph was used in an advertisement promoting the Tacoma Hotel site as the site that should be selected for the new hotel built by the Citizens Hotel Corporation. The ad emphatically noted the beautiful view from the hotel site of the Mountain (Mount Tacoma) and of Commencement Bay. Even little children could appreciate the flowers, birds and sunshine abundantly available at this location. Although the Tacoma Hotel site was among the top two vote-getters, it was not ultimately chosen as the location of the new hotel. The Tacoma Hotel was destroyed by fire in October of 1935. (TDL 10-7-22, p. 5-ad)
Tacoma Hotel (Tacoma); Hotels--Tacoma--1920-1930; Children--Tacoma--1920-1930;
Blurred image of little girl standing next to the ivy-covered walls of the Tacoma Hotel. She is believed to be the same child as in Boland B6534 and B6533. This is the back porch and lawn of the famous Tacoma Hotel, the city's showpiece for many years. Photograph has been damaged on the right.
Tacoma Hotel (Tacoma); Hotels--Tacoma--1920-1930; Children--Tacoma--1920-1930;
Walker Cut Stone Co. Parked outside the new Walker Cut Stone Co. plant on Center St. in August of 1923 is a Pierce-Arrow heavy duty commercial truck displaying two pieces of stone work. The man standing near the truck's hood is believed to be company owner, Robert Walker. The two other men in the photograph have not been identified. TPL-963; G75.1-185; G33.1-121
Walker Cut Stone Co. (Tacoma); Building materials industry--Tacoma--1920-1930; Pierce-Arrow trucks;
Tacoma Savings & Loan Association operations. The office staff of the Tacoma Savings & Loan Association, 100 So. 9th St. in downtown Tacoma, is pictured on September 12, 1923, conducting daily operations. An unidentified woman is making an entry on a ledger while her co-worker, seated at a large adding machine, observes. The Tacoma Savings & Loan Association, with assets (then) of over 3 1/2 million, was located in the white marbled Bowes Building. It was established in 1899 and was one of the city's oldest financial institutions. G13.1-009
Tacoma Savings & Loan Association (Tacoma); Banks--Tacoma; Office workers--Tacoma--1920-1930;
C.S. Barlow & Sons, Inc. exhibit at Puyallup Fair. The C.S. Barlow & Sons, Inc., company had an exhibition booth at the 1923 Western Washington Fair which included samples of household finishes, sheetrock, tools and promotional materials. Originally known as the Tacoma Trading Co., it was renamed C.S. Barlow & Sons in 1917. The building materials firm was located at 1715 Dock St. G33.1-109
C.S. Barlow & Sons, Inc. (Tacoma); Western Washington Fair (Puyallup); Fairs--Puyallup--1920-1930; Exhibit booths--Puyallup; Building materials;
Acme Transfer & Storage delivery truck as viewed on March 29, 1924. The moving company was located at 901 Tacoma Avenue South with telephone number Main 722. Its delivery trucks were decorated with advertising that stated plainly the types of jobs accepted and their competitive rates. Acme Transfer & Storage was operated by Fred Sheldon. Photograph ordered by Heilig Advertising. G66.2-111
This is what the intersection of South 33rd and "G" Sts. looked like the evening of March 18, 1925, at 6:13 p.m. The street in the foreground is "G" St. with several cars and a streetcar in the distance. Tacoma Steam Laundry is the large building to the left on South 33rd and Waddy's Battery Hospital and the Bye Thompson Motors (Ford dealership) across the street facing "G." Photograph ordered by Tacoma Rail & Power. G60.12-040; TPL-2417
Pacific Tel & Tel Co. at 1101 Fawcett Ave., interior. A long row of women are seated before their switchboards in this June of 1925 photograph while the women standing behind them are perhaps giving instruction. Telephone operators for decades were primarily women. (scan from negative, no print on file) TPL-10529
The John Ford western, "The Iron Horse." was showing at the Rialto Theatre in August of 1925. To help promote the movie, which took four years to make, the theater arranged for this Union Pacific "locomotive" to appear in Tacoma with 84-year-old famed Indian scout and interpreter Col. Alfred L. Chapman and his Chippewa wife, Princess Naggousaqua. Col. Chapman was present when the last spike was driven connecting the Central Pacific and Union Pacific lines. He also was instrumental in securing the services of some 800 Native Americans for the film and aided in the direction of an important movie scene. The "Iron Horse" dealt with the trials and tribulations of construction of the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railways to the west. It starred George O'Brien and Madge Bellamy and could be seen for a mere 50 cents for adults and a dime for children. (T.Times 8-17-25, p. 1)
Rialto Theatre (Tacoma); Publicity photographs; Chapman, Alfred L.; Princess Naggousaqua;
Elevated view of Associated Oil plant and extensive docks along the City Waterway (now Thea Foss Waterway), across from Commercial Dock #1. In June of 1926, the recently built Associated Oil Co. office and plant was located on the north end of East "D" in Tacoma's industrial Tideflats. F.E. McClaren was agent in charge. The oil storage and distributing plant for the Southwest Washington region had large tanks for holding fuel oil and gasoline plus a huge concrete warehouse for storing oil in steel drums. TPL-6485; G9.1-002 (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 1-3-26, 8-E-article)
This July, 1926, view of the Associated Oil Co.'s Tideflats facilities was taken from Stadium Way. The large $500,000 plant was located at 250 East D Street overlooking the City (now Thea Foss) Waterway. Associated Oil distributed fuel and diesel oil and gasoline to all parts of southwest Washington. Barrels from Associated Oil's Avon refinery near Oakland were shipped by boat and unloaded at the company's extensive docks. The large tank on the left was capable of holding 80,000 barrels of fuel oil. The slightly smaller tank on the right had a 55,000 barrel capacity for gasoline. TPL-6704; G35.1-051 (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 1-3-26, 8-E-article; TNT 2-19-26, p. 12-article)
The local Washington Furniture Manufacturing Co. took part in the fifth annual Northwest Furniture Manufacturing Exposition in late July of 1926. 2000 furniture dealers were invited to the private showing of 50 northwest manufacturers primarily from Tacoma, Seattle and Portland who displayed their products. The Balfour-Guthrie dock, with its immense floor, was able to hold all exhibits. The display floor is packed with samples of the Washington Furniture Mfg. Co.'s furniture, including many large upholstered sofas and comfortable chairs. Rugs, tapestries and a variety of lamps helped to accentuate the furniture. G35.1-010 (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 7-25-26, 4-A-article)
Washington Furniture Manufacturing Co. (Tacoma); Merchandise displays--Tacoma--1920-1930; Sofas; Chairs; Exhibitions--Tacoma--1920-1930;
The C.E. MacDonald Co. of Tacoma had a large display of overstuffed davenports and chairs at the fifth annual Northwest Furniture Manufacturing Exposition held from July 26-31, 1926. Sofas in a wide variety of materials and prints were spread out over the exhibition floor. In many cases, the chairs and sofas were upholstered in the same colors and material. The company, manufacturers and wholesalers of upholstered furniture, was located at 2121 South Tacoma Way in a "furniture row" next to Northwest Chair and Gregory Furniture plants. They were one of the 50 furniture manufacturers from Portland to Seattle who displayed their lines of furniture for the benefit of 2000 furniture dealers. The exhibition, held at the Balfour-Guthrie dock, had the advantage of locating all exhibits on a single floor. It was not open to the public. G35.1-011 (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 7-25-26, 4-A-article)
ca. 1918. The rear and side view of the Puget Hotel, circa 1918, in Port Gamble. The hotel was constructed in 1907 by the Puget Mill Co., which owned the entire town of Port Gamble. It included a luxurious hotel, a restaurant, a tavern, stables for horses and carriages and an annex for longer term budget boarders. The structure was designed by Seattle architects Charles Bebb and Louis Mendel and it was operated as a concession. The hotel was closed December 22, 1962 and later demolished. In 1966, the entire town of Port Gamble was made a National Historic site in recognition of its being one of the last remaining lumber towns in the nation. ("The Coast" magazine, January 1909, Vol. 17, No. 1, pg. 92) Boland #20
ca. 1918. The livery stable attached to the Puget Hotel in Port Gamble, circa 1918. The stable was also designed by the Seattle firm of Bebb & Mendel and constructed in 1907. It housed the horses and carriages used by the guests at the hotel. By 1920, the hotel was no longer boarding horses. The building was used successively as a garage, maintenance shop and a fire station. It is still standing. (Historylink.org) Boland #36
In the summer of 1919 the building at 218-220 St. Helens Avenue was the home of Sam J. Kenyon's Marmon Service Station and Bartons Auto Laundry. Mr. Kenyon specialized in servicing and repairing luxury automobiles known for their speed and power. The Marmon was manufactured from 1903 - 1933. Signage on the glass window indicates that the Kenyon shop also serviced "Locomobiles." The Locomobile was also manufactured in the US, from 1899 (steam version) and 1902 for the gas engine version, until 1928. Both car companies also produced race cars. To provide maximum service to its customers, Barton's, in the same building, was open "day and night" according to their sign. BU-13095
Marmon Service Station (Tacoma); Barton's Auto Laundry (Tacoma); Automobile service stations--Tacoma--1910-1920; Vehicle maintenance & repair--Tacoma--1910-1920;
