Mayor J.J. Kaufman wields the knife in a promotional photo for Apple Pie Week, taken at his office in (Old) City Hall at 625 Commerce. The enormous pie is being cut with an equally enormous knife. Apple Pie Week was set for March 4-9, 1940. Preparing to dig in are members of the Tacoma Bakers Committee for the special week: Ray Bolin of Weaver Pie Co., O.H. Oaks of Golden Rule Bakery and Wallace Macpherson of Federal Bakery. Standing at the far left, next to Mr. Bolin, is Mrs. Agnes Phillips from the Northwest Food Exchange, Wenatchee. (T. Times 3-4-40, p. 5) ALBUM 11.

Mayors--Tacoma--1930-1940; Kaufman, Joseph J.; Pies; Phillips, Agnes; Bolin, Ray; Oaks, O.H.; Macpherson, Wallace A.;

Eleanor Roosevelt, Assistant Director of the Office of Civilian Defense, makes an impromptu address over Radio Station KMO from the Mayor Harry Cain's office at City Hall on December 13, 1941. Mrs. Roosevelt answered questions over the air as presented by civilian defense council members. She was reportedly very affable and willing to be photographed and interviewed. She urged all Americans to assist in civil defense, stating that "defense is not a question of one individual or one organization." She repeatedly stressed the importance of volunteer groups and the invaluable assistance they could render. (TNT 12-13-41, p. 1) ALBUM 1.

Presidents' spouses; Roosevelt, Anna Eleanor, 1884-1962; Visits of state--Tacoma; World War, 1939-1945--Civil defense--Tacoma; Radio broadcasting--Tacoma; KMO Radio Station (Tacoma); World War, 1939-1945--Communications;

Actress Lana Turner with two very happy unidentified men in Mayor Harry P. Cain's office at (Old) City Hall where she appeared for a press interview on Friday June 12, 1942. Miss Turner was in Pierce County as part of a War Bond Sales junket. She would spend about 24 jam packed hours in the area, visiting Fort Lewis, the Seattle-Tacoma shipyard, dedicating Tacoma's "Liberty Center" and selling stamps and bonds at a Saturday rally. (T. Times 6/13/1942, pg. 1)

Turner, Lana, 1920-1995; Actresses; War bonds & funds--Tacoma--1940-1950;

On October 1, 1942, union leaders met with Tacoma Mayor Harry Cain in his office to map out plans for their involvement in the upcoming salvage drive. Seated are, left to right, John Jacobs, Teamsters #313 and collection chairman, and Mayor Harry Cain. Standing are Harry Saterlee, left, Teamsters, and Norman Shut, Building Service Employees Union. The plan that evolved was that the Teamsters would supply vehicles and drivers, and the Service Employees labor. On Sunday, November 1, this group would collect scrap from every parking strip in the city. (T. Times 10/2/1942, pg. 4)

Cain, Harry P., 1906-1979; Jacobs, John; Saterlee, Harry; Shut, Norman; World War, 1939-1945--Scrap drives; Labor unions--Tacoma;

Val Fawcett, acting mayor of Tacoma, looks up at a portrait of his father, colorful former Mayor A.V. Fawcett, hanging on the wall in Tacoma's (Old) City Hall at 625 Commerce St.. Val Fawcett assumed office to allow Mayor Harry Cain to serve in the Army. C.V. "Val" Fawcett took over as acting mayor in May of 1943. He was elected mayor in 1946 and served until 1950. The portrait of A.V. Fawcett is now hanging in the Rare Book Room of the Tacoma Public Library Main Branch. TPL6634 (T. Times 5/13/1943, pg. 1)

Fawcett, Clarence Valdo, 1900-1965; Mayors--Tacoma--1940-1950; Fawcett, Angelo Vance; World War, 1939-1945--Social aspects--Tacoma;

City Finance Commissioner and Acting Mayor Val Fawcett poses with V.F.W. Auxlliary Ladies for a Poppy Sale publicity photo in front of (Old) City Hall. The proceeds from the sale of the tiny red flowers go to support veterans' programs. (T. Times) ALBUM 14.

Mayors--Tacoma--1940-1950; Fawcett, Clarence Valdo, 1900-1965; Fund raising--Tacoma--1940-1950; Patriotic societies--Tacoma--1940-1950; Veterans organizations--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Mayor Harry Cain at his office in (Old) City Hall with women from Messinger Post Auxiliary. Publicity for Poppy Sale. Also dated 05/23/1941.

Mayors - Tacoma - 1940-46 - US Senators - Washington State - 1947-53 - Harry P. Cain (1906-79)Organizations - Patriotic Organizations - Veterans of Foreign Wars - Tacoma - Elias J. Messinger Post No. 1428 - Auxiliary

Tacoma Mayor Harry P. Cain shakes hands with an Army officer in his office at (Old) City Hall in preparation for CCC Day, March 29, 1941, when selected CCC boys would take over the running of city government for a day. The officer may be Lt. Col. Lester A. Dougherty who commanded the five CCC camps in the Fort Lewis district. The mayor had issued an official proclamation that Saturday, March 29th, be "CCC Day in Tacoma." He urged Tacomans to visit the five nearest camps--Camps Electron, Lower Cispus, Quilcene, Moran and Glacier, the following week when open houses would be held to celebrate the CCC's eighth anniversary. Mayor Cain wears a button promoting the 1941 Daffodil Festival. ALBUM 12. (T.Times 3-28-41, p. 3)

Mayors--Tacoma--1940-1950; Cain, Harry P., 1906-1979; Shaking hands--Tacoma; Civilian Conservation Corps (Tacoma);

Mrs. Sigrid Holmberg, Mrs. Claude Purvis, and Mrs. Lee C. Garrison of Tacoma's Delphinum Garden Club shared smiles with master clock expert E.F. Farrens (right) and his assistant, Joe Mertz, as they held two of the old clock hands from the Old City Hall clock tower, 625 Commerce Street in May of 1962. The Delphinium Garden Club was working with Mr. Farrens to restore the tower clock, which had fallen into disrepair since 1959 when the city offices left the building for the new County-City Building on Tacoma Avenue South. New cedar clock hands were to be made by the city's woodworking shop. There had been talk about razing the dilapidated Italian Renaissance building, built of yellow brick; it managed to escape the wrecking ball and was added to the National Registry in 1974. Photograph ordered by Delphinium Garden Club. (TNT 5-22-62, p. 1, 5-27-62, p. 1) TPL-9181

Delphinium Garden Club (Tacoma); Clock towers--Tacoma; Old City Hall (Tacoma); Holmberg, Sigrid; Mertz, Joe; Farrens, E.F.;

ca. 1971. 1971 Richards color stock footage. Bell tower of Old City Hall. Designed in the style of "fifteenth-century Italian town hall architecture," the six-story building was constructed in 1892. It became "Old" City Hall upon the opening of the County-City Building in 1959. Saved from demolition, it was restored as a shopping center with grand opening in 1974. In 1980 it was converted into an office building. The 32-square foot tower had its bell chimes restored in late 1993. The Old City Hall is on the City, State, and National Registry. TPL-9206

Clock towers--Tacoma; Old City Hall (Tacoma);

• Built in 1892, this became the Old City Hall when the County-City Building opened in 1959. This building is on the City, State and National Historic Registries.
• Printed on front: City Hall & Grounds, TACOMA, Wash.

Tacoma City Hall

Circa 1907.

Circa 1985.

Circa 1920.

• Printed on back: Looking out from the Bell Tower of Old City Hall, you see the Commencement Bay Grainery. Trains arrive daily from the Mid-West loaded with grain that is then shipped to Asia.
• Picture Tacoma Artist's Postcard Project; Photography by Sharon Styler

On the morning of June 7, 1926, Tacoma saw a change in city government from "business as usual." The March 1926 election had brought defeat to all City Council incumbents up for re-election. Photographer Chapin Bowen captured the moment as the old Council stepped out and the new took their seats for their first meeting. Pictured around the table, left to right, are Jesse W. Silver- Public Works, newly elected A.S. Walters - Finance, newly elected Mayor Melvin G. Tennent, Ira Davisson- Light & Water and newly elected H. Dyer Dyment- Public Safety. Seated to the right is City Clerk Genevieve Martin. (TNT 6-7-26, p. 1-photograph is flipped in newspaper) Bowen 26375, TPL-9549

In the depths of the Great Depression, about 1,000 men and women waged a peaceful orderly march on City Hall in late February of 1931 to focus attention on immediate unemployment relief. Members of the Unemployed Council, the Trade Unity League and the Communist Party requested: 1) unemployment insurance at $15 per week with $5 extra per dependent; 2) an immediate relief fund of $1 million generated by reducing city officials' salaries; 3) non-ejection of unemployed not able to pay house rent; 4) free use of civic auditoriums for meetings of the unemployed and 5) full payment of war bonus. Mayor M.G. Tennent met with twelve chosen marchers to express his and the city council's concern but stated that their powers were limited. He did state that a $41,000 Sheridan Avenue project was approved that morning so that more men could be employed through city construction. After listening to a program of addresses by their leaders, the large crowd dispersed after about three hours. (TDL 2/26/1931, p.4-article). Bowen 03-914.

On June 1, 1942, Einar Langseth (center) greets the heads of his city protective services after taking on the duties of Tacoma's wartime Public Safety Commissioner. He had defeated Holmes Eastwood for the office. He is pictured in the City Council Chamber shaking hands with reappointed Fire Chief Emory N. Whitaker. On the right is his new appointee as Police Chief, Tom Ross. Ross had been acting as chief of the department since Langseth, who held that post, had started his run for office. Langseth had served the city for over 20 years as a patrolman and police chief. (T. Times 6/1/1942, pg. 1)

Langseth, Einar, 1892-1968; Whitaker, Emory; Ross, Tom; Law enforcement officers--Tacoma; Municipal government--Tacoma;