This photograph of the Rust Building, at the corner of South 11th and Pacific, was taken in October of 1950, thirty years after it was built. Lundquist-Lily men's clothiers, Thom McAn shoes, Regal Shoe Company and C.P. Fawcett jewelers were located in the storefronts along Pacific Avenue. The neon sign advertising the name of the building can be seen on top of the 12- story building. The new F.W. Woolworth building can be seen behind the Rust Building on the far left side of the photograph. In 2003 it was renamed The Commerce Center. TPL-9495

Office buildings--Tacoma--1950-1960; Rust Building (Tacoma); Business districts--Tacoma;

This photograph of the west side of the 900 block of Pacific Avenue, looking south, was taken for a full page ad that ran in the December 13, 1950 Tacoma News Tribune. Sponsored by the Pacific Avenue Progress Club and the merchants of Pacific Avenue, the advertisement extolled the virtues of their street and stores for Christmas shopping. Many of the stores stayed open until 9 p.m. every evening from December 15 through the 24th. Pacific Avenue offered one-level shopping with "no hills to climb." Except for the Rust Building on the corner, all the buildings in the 900 block were torn down in the 1960s and replaced with a parking lot. (TNT 12/13/1950 p.B-1)

Commercial streets--Tacoma--1950-1960; Rust Building (Tacoma);

Wollander Far West Homes at Mountlake Terrace. A one-story house in the Mountlake Terrace housing development built of cement block is shown in December of 1950. The driveway is along the left side. The roof line has included a covered walkway to the front door.

Houses--Mountlake Terrace; Real estate business--Mountlake Terrace; Neighborhoods--Mountlake Terrace; Wollander Farwest Homes (Tacoma); Housing developments--Mountlake Terrace;

Interior exposure of the home of Harry Rinker at 1254 So. Fairview Dr. for Tietz Construction. The large stone fireplace extends out into a built in planter box for house plants, and also divides the living and dining rooms. The living room is separated from the sitting room, or library, by folding pocket doors. For another view of the same room from the opposite angle, see A56012-8.

Living rooms--Tacoma--1950-1960; Furniture--1950-1960; Studies (Rooms)--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Rain damage to hillside at Pearl Richards' home. Mrs. Richards was the widow of Paul Richards and the mother of Turner, Bob, Ed and Nelson Richards, owners of the Richards Studio. The damage was the result of Tacoma's worst rainstorm in 30 years, on Feb. 8-9, 1951. (TNT 2/9/1951 & 2/10/1951, pg. 1)

Houses--Tacoma--1950-1960; Landslides--Tacoma--1950-1960; Disasters--Tacoma--1950-1960; Richards, Pearl--Homes & haunts;

Rain damage to hillside at Pearl Richards' home. Pearl Richards was the widow of Paul Richards and the matriarch of the Richards Studio clan. Tacoma's worst rainstorm in 30 years began at 6 p.m. on 2/8/1951, and devastated the city of Tacoma and Pierce County causing several hundred thousand dollars of damage. (TNT 2/9/1951 & 2/10/1951, pg. 1)

Houses--Tacoma--1950-1960; Landslides--Tacoma--1950-1960; Disasters--Tacoma--1950-1960; Richards, Pearl--Homes & haunts;

Exposure to show the rain damage at the residence of Mrs. Pearl E. Richards, 103 East Road. Tacoma's worst rainstorm in almost 30 years began at 6 p.m. on Feb. 8, 1951. Between 6 p.m. Thursday and 6 p.m. Friday, 3.12 inches of rain fell; the heaviest since 1921. Damage was reported throughout the city and county, mostly due to landslides and flooding. Salmon Beach was evacuated and portions of Portland Ave. and Marine View Dr. were closed due to washout. Loss topped several hundred thousand dollars. Mrs. Richards was the widow of Paul Richards and the mother of photographers Turner, Bob, Ed and Nelson Richards. (TNT 2/9/1951 pg.1, TNT 2/10/1951 pg. 1)

Houses--Tacoma--1950-1960; Landslides--Tacoma--1950-1960; Disasters--Tacoma--1950-1960; Richards, Pearl--Homes & haunts;

Interior of home at 1254 So. Fairview Dr. The dining room is divided from the living room with a stone extension from the fireplace used as a planter for houseplants and a room divider. A sitting room is separated from the main living area with pocket doors, open in this picture. For another view of the same room from the opposite angle, see A55971-6.

Living rooms--Tacoma--1950-1960; Furniture--1950-1960; Studies (Rooms)--Tacoma--1950-1960; Dining rooms--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Fawcett family portrait. Tacoma mayor Val Fawcett posed with his family shortly before Thanksgiving in 1949 at the mayor's No. 19th St. home. Seated are: Linda Fawcett, daughter Margaret Knecht, son-in-law Norbert Knecht, granddaughters Linda (age 6) and Valerie (age 3) Knecht and Mayor Fawcett. The Knechts traveled from Seattle for this occasion. ALBUM 14.

Homes & haunts--Fawcett, Clarence Valdo, 1900-1965; Mayors--Tacoma--1940-1950; Fawcett, Clarence Valdo, 1900-1965; Fawcett, Clarence Valdo, 1900-1965--Family; Fawcett, Linda; Knecht, Norbert; Knecht, Margaret; Knecht, Valerie; Knecht, Linda;

Individual shots of three homes at Lowell School, 812 No. 13th, 816 No. 13th and 820 No. 13th. This cottage-style home was built by A.W. Rademaker in 1905. This house and two others along North 13th Street were to be moved to make way for the new Lowell School. Three columns support the upper story over the porch that spans the front of the house. Three windows form a bay onto the porch. A side door is visible heading to the back yard. Sealed bids were received January 10, 1950, for the building. (TNT, 1/1/1950, p.10)

Houses--Tacoma--1940-1950; Porches--Tacoma; Columns--Tacoma; Bay windows--Tacoma; Moving of structures--Tacoma;

Completed exterior of home built by contractor Bert Sundgren. This view from North 45th Street shows the back of a two-story house with a small deck over an extension on the first floor. This home will have a view of Puget Sound over its neighbors further down the slope. A walkway curves to the front of the house where the formal entry is found. The Asarco stack can be seen on the left. Photograph ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association, Margie Chalmer.

Houses--Tacoma--1940-1950; Building construction--Tacoma--1950-1960; Plywood; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Smokestacks--Tacoma;

Completed exterior of home designed by Lance, McGuire & Muri architects and built by Bert Sundgren, contractor. The exterior of the two story house has been covered with plywood. Large windows will provide uninterupted views from the interior. A small extension is seen on the lower floor on the right. Photograph ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association, Margie Chalmer. (TNT, 9/11/1949, p.B-5)

Houses--Tacoma--1940-1950; Building construction--Tacoma--1950-1960; Windows--Tacoma--1950-1960; Plywood; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma);

Interior of new bungalow court, Adlee Court, built and managed by Addison Forrester and Carter Lee. This view shows one of the four bachelor units that would be available January 2, 1950. The kitchen is straight ahead, the bathroom is just to the right. Forrester & Lee, designers and builders of the 20 unit bungalow court, held an open house January 1, 1950. Cost of the structure was $130,000. In addition to the four bachelor apartments were four large one-bedroom apartments and twelve medium sized one-bedroom units. The units ranged from $65 to $85 per month. (TNT, 1/1/1950, p.6)

Adlee Court Apartments (Tacoma); Apartments--Tacoma--1940-1950; Kitchens--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Interior exposure of 944 So. Mountain View Ave. in the Narrowmoor addition, designed and built by Tietz Construction. The home has a brick fireplace for coziness. Built in shadow box partitions between the kitchen and dining room form attractive staggered shelves used for displaying collected treasures without the blocked off feeling of a solid wall. The square American modern furniture sat on embossed carpet. Pictures of this home were used in Tietz's exhibit at the Greater Tacoma Home Show in March, 1950 and in the TNT special for National Home Week in September, 1950 and the TNT special for the 1952 Tacoma Home Show. In 1952, this was the home of George Petrich. (TNT 9/10/1950, pg. B-9 & TNT 4/1/52, pg. 29)

Houses--Tacoma--1950-1960; Interiors--Tacoma--1950-1960; Interior decoration; Fireplaces; Furniture--1950-1960; Living rooms--Tacoma--1950-1960; Kitchens--Tacoma--1950-1960; Petrich, George--Homes & haunts;

Interiors of homes ordered by Wm. W. Tietz. This view of an early 1950's living room features a large brick fireplace with a large, unframed mirror above it and bookcases on either side as a focal point. The plush and upholstered furniture is all pushed against the walls. The ceilings are lower than those in houses of earlier periods and the woodwork has been scaled down considerably or is nonexistent, as at the ceiling edges. A large patterned wallpaper is seen on the walls of the dining area.

Living rooms--Tacoma--1950-1960; Fireplaces--Tacoma--1950-1960; Wallpapers; Moldings--Tacoma;

Apartment house under construction. Piles of concrete block building materials are stored in front of what will be an under living unit parking structure. A pickup truck is parked in front. Photo ordered by Holroyd Co., manufacturer of cement blocks.

Apartment houses--Tacoma--1950-1960; Construction--Tacoma--1950-1960; Trucks--Tacoma--1950-1960; Holroyd Co. (Tacoma);

Exterior of the home of Clarence W. and Evelyn Todd at 226 Del Monte Ave., Fircrest. R.N. Harrington was contractor for this fifties ranch style home. C.W. Todd was the executive secretary and manager of the Tacoma Chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America. The home had an unusually large two car garage. Landscaping had not been installed.

Houses--Fircrest--1950-1960; Todd, Clarence W.--Homes & haunts;

Before shot of 8437 So. Park Ave., home of H.P. Myers, for Linwood Sales Co.

Houses--Tacoma--1950-1960; Linwood Sales Co. (Tacoma);

Exterior of office building at So. 13th & Broadway. The Happy Days Tavern is at 1302 So. Broadway and Dr. Steele's Dental Clinic is at 302 So. 13th St. The upper floors are occupied by the Le Roy Hotel, apartment units., 304 So. 13th St. The building is built on an incline, so that each office has a ground floor entrance on the 13th St. side, although it is on the upper floors on the Broadway side. The Le Roy has a fire escape on the 13th St. side. Street lights can be seen on both 13th & Broadway & the back of a city bus is visible in the foregound.

Office buildings--Tacoma--1950-1960; Fire escapes--Tacoma--1950-1960; Dental offices--Tacoma; Street lights--Tacoma--1950-1960; Buses--Tacoma--1950-1960; Bars; Eating & drinking facilities;

Progress photograph of Gerald Keely home at 3305 North 18th Street. A workman hangs out of an upper window as a convenient way to reach the exterior. Scaffolding is in place along one end of the house on either side of the chimney.

Houses--Tacoma--1940-1950; Building construction--Tacoma--1940-1950; Scaffolding--Tacoma--1940-1950; Carpenters--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Exposure of carpeting at Franke Tobey Jones Home. This view shows the new carpeting in the spacious dining room of the Franke Tobey Jones retirement home. This photograph was taken on January 18, 1951. Large windows provide plenty of air and light and hanging ceiling lamps also aid in illuminating the dining facility. The Franke Tobey Jones Home was designed by architects Heath & Gove and construction by J.E. Bonnell & Son was completed in March, 1925. The English Tudor home, with several later additions, is still located at 5340 North Bristol, near Point Defiance park.

Franke Tobey Jones Home (Tacoma); Retirement homes; Floor coverings;

Exterior of the snow-dusted home of William J. and Eva B. Parker. The three-story, Spanish-style house with a tile roof and stucco exterior was built in 1928 for James L. Garvin. A Mercury or Hudson automobile is parked on the other side of the street. William J. Parker was president of Parker Paint Manufacturing Company.

Houses--Tacoma--1950-1960; Parker, William J.--Homes & haunts; Automobiles--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company began enlarging and expanding their communications center before World War II, the war slowed the process due to inability to obtain necessary materials. The improvement program was estimated to cost about $25,000,000. Every telephone district in Tacoma would get new dial and long distance equipment and telephone lines would be extended. View of building progress at the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph facilities located at 757 Fawcett Avenue, scaffolding provided by Safway Steel Scaffolding Company.

Building construction--Tacoma; Billboards--Tacoma; Remodeling--Tacoma; Scaffolding--Tacoma; Safway Steel Scaffolding Co. (Tacoma); Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Co. (Tacoma);

January of 1949 view of building construction on Market Street; Wild Cat Bargain Center and Neal's Radio Sales Company are located next to the construction site; the building site is marked with a Roy T. Earley Company "Engineers -- Builders" sign. Neal's Radio Sales Company advertises their electric appliances; Wild Cat Bargain Center appears to be a grocery store and soda fountain; an "Olympia Beer" and West Coast Grocery Company truck is parked in front. TPL-10534

Commercial facilities--Tacoma; Commercial streets--Tacoma--1940-1950; Building construction--Tacoma--1940-1950; Business enterprises--Tacoma; Neal's Radio Sales Co. (Tacoma); Wild Cat Bargain Center (Tacoma); Automobiles--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Most of the Wollander Farwest Homes built were two bedroom family homes in Tacoma and the surrounding area. The January 1949 Tacoma Times advertised two and three bedroom houses, some furnished, in various areas of the city, for prices ranging from $3,600 to $7,500. Interior view of a Wollander Farwest home; view of fully furnished living room with shag trimmed sofa and chair and matching shag rug, two chairs and radio unit against the back wall, dining room area on right side.

Prefabricated houses; Housing--Tacoma; Living rooms--Tacoma; Seating furniture--Tacoma; Building construction--Tacoma; Housing developments--Tacoma; Wollander Farwest Homes (Tacoma);

Tacoma and its surrounding communities were growing rapidly and housing construction was in great demand. After World War II ended, many small 2 and 3 bedroom homes were built to accommodate the new families. Interior view of home designed by Wollander Better Builder Plans and built by Wollander Farwest Homes. The living room is decorated with a matching sofa and chair; the brick fireplace gives the room a warm and cozy feel.

Prefabricated houses; Living rooms--Tacoma; Fireplaces--Tacoma; Building construction--Tacoma; Housing developments--Tacoma; Wollander Farwest Homes (Tacoma); Wollander Better Builder Plans (Tacoma);

This house, located at 618 North Sixth Street in Tacoma, was built in 1931 for Malcom Saxton, the president of Saxton Lumber Co.. This picture was taken in 1949 when the house was owned by Leon Titus the President of Titus Motor Company and Titus Manufacturing Company, the authorized Ford trucks and automobile dealers and Ford engine rebuilders in Tacoma. The flowering cherry tree in the front yard is in full bloom.

Houses--Tacoma--1940-1950; Neighborhoods--Tacoma; Flowers--Tacoma; Yards--Tacoma; Lawns--Tacoma; Cherry trees--Tacoma; Titus, Leon E.--Homes & haunts;

Congested traffic 1948 style. A view of Broadway showing stalled traffic. The man driving the car in the left lane has his door open and is trying to park in the space in front of Burnetts Jewelry Store. A woman driving the car on the right is holding her baby while she waits her turn to drive on. The Roxy Theater is seen on the right and the Hotel Winthrop is across 9th Street from it. Beyond Burnetts on the left is the Telenews Theater and beyond that is the Bostwick Building where Saint Helens Avenue joins Broadway. The Tacoma Times invited opinions from readers on how to obtain more parking for Tacoma shoppers. They had been suggesting building municipal parking lots or garages. Taken for Buzz, Tacoma Times. (T.Times, 12/12/1948, p.10) TPL-8545

Commercial streets--Tacoma--1940-1950; Traffic congestion--Tacoma--1940-1950; City & town life--Tacoma--1940-1950; Business districts--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Several views of George Raknes residence, George D. Poe, Co; Mr. Melendy. A view of the exterior of the Scott Mansion, "Belleterre", built for David C. Scott in 1924. Edwin J. Ivey was the architect. It was made of stucco on hollow tile with stone and brick trim with a heavy slate roof in the French Gothic chateau style. Decorative features include tapestry brick and floral relief in the dormer gable ends and decorative half timbering around the windows. The windows are of leaded glass. A large bay window is seen on the left, a bow window is seen below the dormer facing the front and another bay window is on the far right.

Dwellings--Lakewood; Estates--Lakewood; Bricks; Plasterwork--Lakewood; Bay windows--Lakewood; Leaded glass windows--Lakewood;

Insulation being blown into walls of home, Llewellyn Advertising Agency, Mr. VanMeter. Bonded Builders truck is parked in the driveway while they are insulating this home with insulation blown into the gaps in the walls left behind by building methods. The contracting company was owned by R.G. Hoffer and P.L and L.L. Beckstead.

Houses--Tacoma--1940-1950; Maintenance & repair; Thrift--Tacoma--1940-1950; Bonded Builders (Tacoma);