This is how the Merit Building, 315 So. 11th St., appeared near the close of 1931. Built in 1909, it housed the Merit Hotel (new in 1915) and the Hollywood Apparel Shop, Miller Furs, and the Olympic Dairy Store & Ice Cream Parlor. The Rhodes Bros. Department Store is on the right and the Market Street Drug Store on the left of the business block. The primary tenant, the Hotel Merit, opened in November of 1915 in its location near Market St. It contained 70 rooms newly furnished in mahogany and oak and hot and cold water in each room. The small hotel furnished its lobby in wicket and its smoking room, located just off the lobby, in oak and leather. H.K. Slauter was the hotel's proprietor. He was a former salesman with the Suter Jewelry store in Seattle. (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 12-5-15, p. 28)
Merit Hotel (Tacoma); Hotels--Tacoma--1930-1940; Merit Building (Tacoma); Hollywood Apparel Shop (Tacoma); Miller's Furs (Tacoma); Olympic Dairy (Tacoma); Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Commercial streets--Tacoma--1930-1940;
The True Oil Co. plant appeared to be still under construction in late December of 1931. This progress photograph shows one large circular tank and two small buildings located in the tideflats. The tidewater distribution plant, located at 1502 E. 11th St., was Tacoma's seventh major waterfront oil concern. It received its inaugural shipment of gasoline on December 24th, beginning operation of the new $100,000 plant. All tanks and pipelines were ready for the initial 1,250,000 gallons of gas delivered to Tacoma by the tanker "Brandywine" out of southern California. (TNT 12-22-31, p. 17-article) G35.1-044
Progress photographs; True Oil Co. (Tacoma); Petroleum industry--Tacoma--1930-1940; Building construction--Tacoma--1930-1940;
Lincoln High School presented its annual Christmas program on December 22, 1931. The 60-piece orchestra and 100-member chorus posed together with director, Margaret Goheen (far left, first row). Handel's "Messiah, " Lincoln High School's oratorio was so much in demand that a repeat performance was held the following Sunday at Mason Methodist Church. 2600 people wanted free admission to the school performance but the school auditorium only had 1500 seats. The News Tribune reported that the students gave a fine performance with a pleasing appearance by the singers, dressed in black and white surplices for the chorus and white for the soloists. G47.1-001 (TNT 12-22-31, p. 1-article; TNT 12-23-31, p. 14-article)
Lincoln High School (Tacoma); Students--Tacoma--1930-1940; Orchestras--Tacoma--1930-1940; Choirs (Music)--1930-1940; Goheen, Margaret;
The Daughters of the Nile, Zora Temple held their winter ceremonial in the Gothic Room of the Masonic Temple on December 9, 1931. The women were members of an international fraternal order of women either married to or related to Shriners. 300 women were in attendance at the ceremonial that honored the Supreme Queen, Mrs. Lulu Ramage Phelps of Seattle. The Supreme Queen is the national head of the organization. Mrs. Glen Darling presided over the ceremonies. (TNT 12-10-31, p. 12-article)
Daughters of the Nile Zora Temple No. 5 (Tacoma); Fraternal organizations--Tacoma--1930-1940; Women--Tacoma--1930-1940;
Streetcar #374 pulls into the car barn at So. 13th & A Streets. To the right rear of the photo is the powerhouse for the Tacoma Railway Co. at 1301 A St.; to the left is the Northern Motors Ford dealer at 1217 A St. Fire gutted the powerhouse on February 16, 1950. TPL-6570; G66.2-005 ("To Tacoma By Trolley" by Warren W. Wing; "Tacoma by Trolley" trolley schedule by McCormack Bros. Inc.)
Mass transit--Tacoma--1930-1940; Street railroads--Tacoma--1930-1940; Street railroad tracks--Tacoma--1930-1940; Tacoma Railway & Power Co. (Tacoma);
The 10-piece Coliseum Orchestra on stage on November 7, 1931. Dressed in faintly Cossack-style costume, the smiling musicians pose with a wide variety of brass instruments, drums and a large piano. They played at the (Greenwich) Coliseum on So. 13th St. which had room in its auditorium for dances as well as boxing matches. G40.1-050
Two unidentified men stand in front of the partially opened doors of the Washington Air College hangar at Mueller-Harkins Airport in early October of 1931. The enormous doors are more than twice the height of the men. TPL-882; G12.1-010
Hangars--Lakewood; Washington Air College (Lakewood); Airports--Lakewood; Mueller-Harkins Airport (Lakewood);
This is how the Allenmore Golf Course clubhouse appeared in September of 1931 with the snow capped peaks of Mount Rainier in the background . The golf course had just opened with 18 holes in August of that year. Allenmore derived its name from the last names of owners Sam Allen and D.W. Dinsmore.
Allenmore Golf Club (Tacoma); Clubhouses--Tacoma--1930-1940; Rainier, Mount (Wash.);
Pipes and equipment at Hooker Electrochemical Co. as photographed on September 24, 1931. Hooker's large plant in Tacoma was built in 1928 and celebrated its grand opening in February of 1929. Chemicals manufactured by Hooker aided the area's pulp and paper industry. G33.1-163
Hooker Electrochemical Co. (Tacoma); Chemical industry--Tacoma--1930-1940; Industrial facilities--Tacoma--1930-1940; Equipment;
Various types of equipment located at Hooker Electrochemical's plant were photographed on September 24, 1931. The chemical producing company was located at 605 Alexander Avenue and would celebrate over 50 years in business here in Tacoma. After several name changes, it would close down about 2002. G33.1-164
Hooker Electrochemical Co. (Tacoma); Chemical industry--Tacoma--1930-1940; Industrial facilities--Tacoma--1930-1940; Equipment;
Washington Co-op Egg & Poultry Assn. float for the 1931 Western Washington Fair. An unidentified woman is seated, flanked by two small children, on September 24, 1931. G20.1-011
Washington Co-op Egg & Poultry Association (Tacoma); Floats (Parades)--Puyallup--1930-1940; Western Washington Fair (Puyallup);
Football team members from the College of Puget Sound are seated in a long row against a lineup of Studebakers from the Allen Motor Co. This September 18, 1931 night view was believed to have been taken at Stadium Bowl which would be the site the following evening of the Loggers' grid season start against Pacific Lutheran College. The maroon-and-white clad Loggers shut out PLC 20-0 before a crowd of more than 4000. Photograph ordered by Allen Motor Co. G67.1-108 (TNT 9-21-31, p. 10-article on game)
Football players--Tacoma--1930-1940; College of Puget Sound (Tacoma)--1930-1940; Students--Tacoma--1930-1940; Studebaker automobile;
Former heavyweight boxing champion Jack Dempsey (at left) posed with Allen Motor Co. president Harold A. Allen (center) and Mr. Dempsey's manager, Leonard Sacks, on September 10, 1931, at the Union Station, 1717 Pacific Avenue. A new Studebaker President eight brougham, courtesy of Allen Motors, is ready for Mr. Dempsey, per his request. The boxer customarily drove a Studebaker at home and asked to be transported in one while in Tacoma. He was in town for the Junior League Milk Fund Benefit which would earmark proceeds towards the purchase of milk for undernourished children at Tacoma Public Schools. Mr. Dempsey was the star attraction for the September 10th event which was held outdoors at Stadium Bowl. Photograph ordered by Allen Motor Co. TPL-678 (TNT 8-28-31, p. 1-article; T. Times 9-12-31, p. 9)
On September 8, 1931, the Larchmont streetcar was photographed as it pulled out of the car barn at 13th and A Streets. The car barn was shared by both Tacoma Railway & Power and Puget Sound Electric Railway. The Railway's powerhouse's 75 foot smokestack can be seen in the center of the picture. When erected. it was the largest iron stack in the Northwest and one of the largest in the world, at 75 feet high and 5 feet in diameter. The power plant was vital in the change from horse drawn and steam driven streetcars to electric ones. The powerhouse was gutted by fire in February of 1950. The car barn, which had been serving as Tacoma Transit's garage, was razed to make a parking lot. TPL-1600; G66.2-024 ("To Tacoma By Trolley" by Warren W. Wing; "Tacoma by Trolley" trolley schedule by McCormack Bros. Inc.)
Mass transit--Tacoma--1930-1940; Street railroads--Tacoma--1930-1940; Tacoma Railway & Power Co. (Tacoma); Street railroad tracks--Tacoma--1930-1940;
Four bare chested Sea Scouts are flanked by two Sea Scout leaders in uniform as they posed behind giant oars on August 17, 1931. Tacoma's Sea Scouts were led by Dr. Hubert Watson who is believed to be the man with the John Paul Jones Tacoma sweater kneeling above. Dr. Watson was the "skipper" of the John Paul Jones, Ship 120. In 1930 Tacoma's Sea Scouts participated in the Seattle-Prince Rupert, B.C., international cruiser race aboard the 40-foot admiral's barge, the "Triton," a 60 h.p. remodeled Navy boat, an event in which they won honors. This photograph was probably taken because Ship 120 was selected in 1931 to be the Pacific Northwest Sea Scout flagship. This was the first Tacoma ship to be honored since Sea Scouting was added to the Boy Scout program in the Northwest. Dr. Watson, a prominent Tacoma dentist, was still nominal commander of the John Paul Jones at the time of his death at age 31 in October of 1932. G23.1-060
This is the 240-foot high Cushman Dam #2 as photographed on August 14, 1931. The hydroelectric dam on the North Fork of the Skokomish River provides power to the Tacoma Power system. Smaller than Cushman Dam #1, it went online on December 31, 1930. G24.1-155
Cushman Dam #2 (Lake Kokanee); Dams--Lake Kokanee;
The USS West Virginia at anchor in Commencement Bay in July of 1931. The ship, under command of Rear Admiral R.H. Leigh, was in town to participate in Fleet Week. The battleship had been commissioned in 1923 and was the most recent of the "super-dreadnoughts." She would be heavily damaged during the attack on Pearl Harbor but was completely rebuilt at the Puget Sound Navy Yard in Bremerton. Although missing much of the war, the West Virginian would still earn five battle stars. She was decommissioned in January of 1947. (www.usswestvirginia.org; TDL 6-30-31, p. 5-article) G71.007
In July of 1931, passengers on the Washington Navigation Company ferry "Skansonia" could climb onto a stool and order a fried ham sandwich for 15 cents as they commuted between Gig Harbor and Point Defiance. The "Skansonia" was built in 1929 at the Skansie Brothers Shipyard in Gig Harbor. The curved lunch counter on the ferry offered a fried egg for 15 cents; or a Swiss cheese sandwich, hamburger or hotdog for 10 cents. You could top off your breakfast or lunch with a slice of homemade pie for a dime and wash it down with coffee, cold milk or pop. On hot days, the kiddies could enjoy a frozen Popsicle or a malted milk shake. (Neal & Janus "Puget Sound Ferries.") TPL-9261; G66.1-090
Ferries--1930-1940; Washington Navigation Co. (Gig Harbor);
The scene of an accident involving a Tacoma Railway & Power streetcar was photographed on July 7, 1931. Boland photographers took a series of pictures in the area near Pacific Luthern College (now University) showing the distance from the railroad crossing in several directions. This view is labeled "135 feet East of the Eastrail of the South bound Spanaway track at Parkland." On the right hand side of the street is the Parkland Laundry and in the foreground, a building containing a lunchroom and possibly a barbershop. This accident is believed to have occurred on June 30, 1931, when the southbound streetcar struck an automobile heading west. Witnesses reported that the car was carried by the streetcar for more than 75 feet. Jack Miller, age 15, died at the county hospital the following morning, July 1st, and his father H.F. Miller was seriously injured. H. F. Miller had been the driver of the automobile. Photograph ordered by Tacoma Railway & Power Co. TPL-477; G73.1-023 (TNT 7-1-31, p. 1-article; TDL 7-1-31, p. 1-article)
A Tacoma Railway & Power Co. streetcar had been involved in an accident and Boland photographers were requested to photograph the Parkland accident scene on July 7, 1931. They took several pictures of the accident location from various directions. Photograph #4 was "105 feet west of the South bound Spanaway track at Parkland." This is believed to have been the accident that occurred about 8 pm on June 30, 1931, involving the H.F. Miller car. Mr. Miller's 15-year-old son, Jack, died in the county hospital the following day due to his injuries and his father, H.F. Miller, was seriously injured. The streetcar was heading south at the time of the accident and the Miller vehicle heading west. Photograph ordered by Tacoma Railway & Power Co. G73.1-021 (TNT 7-1-31, p. 1-article; TDL 7-1-31, p. 1-article)
Railroad crossings--Parkland; Tacoma Railway & Power Co. (Tacoma)--Accidents; Streets--Parkland;
On July 7, 1931, photographs of an accident scene in Parkland which had involved a Tacoma Railway & Power Co. streetcar were taken by the Boland photographers. Each photograph was marked with the distance from the railroad track. Photograph #3, shown above, is listed as "33 feet East of the East rail of the Southbound Spanaway track at Parkland." This is believed to have been the June 30th accident involving a vehicle occupied by Jack Miller, age 15, and his father H.F. Miller. The Miller vehicle was going west at the time of the collision with the southbound streetcar. Jack Miller died in the county hospital the following morning and his father was hospitalized with serious injuries. The automobile had been carried down the street for more than 75 feet and was a total wreck. Photograph ordered by Tacoma Railway & Power Co. G73.1-024 (TNT 7-1-31, p. 1-article; TDL 7-1-31, p. 1-article)
Street railroad tracks--Parkland; Tacoma Railway & Power Co. (Tacoma)--Accidents; Streets--Parkland;
In 1931, the Foss Launch & Tug Company operated the largest fleet of tugs on the Puget Sound out of their waterfront office building at 400 Dock Street. This photograph from July of 1931 shows twelve Foss tugs (and a small service boat) lined up by size next to the company's office building. The largest tug, at the far left, is the Andrew Foss, 97 feet long, built in 1905. The smallest tug, at the far right next to the service boat, is the Peggy Foss, 32 feet long, built in 1912. On Monday November 23, 1931 a fire destroyed the Foss company offices. They rebuilt at the same site, but in 1943 they moved to the Middle Waterway. TPL-7092
The Tacoma Field Inn at Tacoma Field (Pierce County Municipal Airport) in Lakewood. The inn served "Notter's Chicken Dinners" and Medosweet ice cream. TPL-7089
Restaurants--Lakewood--1930-1940; Tacoma Field Inn (Lakewood); Tacoma Field (Lakewood);
Soldiers from the 148th Field Artillery, Fort Lewis on horseback in the 1931 Tacoma 4th of July Parade. The parade is heading south on Pacific Ave. Stores and shops on the west side of Pacific in the 1100 block can be seen in the background. TPL-7091
This view of Tacoma's harbor is believed to have been taken on July 3, 1931, from the Milwaukee Dock. In the background is thought to be the Port of Tacoma grain elevator. Photograph ordered by the Cascade Timber Co. G27.1-064
Soldiers from the 10th Field Artillery, Fort Lewis, gather in a field in South Tacoma on July 3, 1931. Along the road behind them are several businesses including The Moon lunch room and a building with a sign that says Dew-kist Farm. There is also a fireworks stand. TPL-7088
