By March 1st, 1924, Tacoma's old Chamber of Commerce Building at 773 Broadway had been demolished and work had begun on the foundation of the future Hotel Winthrop. The eleven story hotel, built by the Citizen's Hotel Corporation, was dedicated in May of 1925. With the chamber building gone, and the new hotel not yet built, this photograph provides an excellent view of the Bostwick Block, 755-71 Saint Helens, as it looked in March of 1924. At that time it was undergoing extensive remodeling; in July the exterior was covered with Duralite.

Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma)--Construction; Hotels--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Centralia Motors celebrated its opening in mid-October of 1926. This interior view of the business is of the office staff at work. The office was situated so that workers were in clear view of any potential customer who could then be helped immediately. G75.1-015

Centralia Motors (Centralia); Office workers--Centralia; Automobile dealerships--Centralia;

Cascade Paper Co. On August 29, 1927, an unidentified man in business attire was photographed with one hand on the handle of an enormous machine at the Cascade Paper Co., 4302 Chambers Creek Rd., Steilacoom. Cascade Paper built a $600,000 plant in Steilacoom in 1918 and advertised itself in the 1928 City Directory as "Tacoma's First Paper Mill." A pulp mill was added in 1925. Cascade Paper Co. was headed by Frank S. Baker, president, and John Hewitt, vice-president. G37.1-008

Cascade Paper Co. (Steilacoom); Paper industry--Steilacoom; Machinery;

Ten men doffed their hats as they posed in front of the Peninsula Cafe in Gig Harbor on October 8, 1927. The men were not identified. They may have been photographed for the Seattle Times. G72.1-142

Peninsula Cafe (Gig Harbor); Group portraits--1920-1930;

The Otsuka Family opened the Panama Garage at 1320 Market Street in 1923. Roy, Eddie and Hidegoro Otsuka operated the repair shop, car wash and service station. The family posed for this photograph in front of their business in November of 1927. The business was later managed by Ted Semba and Ken Hayashi. It closed during World War II. TPL-6371; G48.1-042

Panama Garage (Tacoma); Japanese American families--Tacoma; Japanese Americans--Tacoma;

Workmen at lunch. Men employed at the building of the new Union Bag & Paper Power Corporation plant in the Tideflats relax and enjoy their lunch outdoors at the construction site in March of 1928. No eating facilities are available so the men make-do by sitting on stacks of lumber and makeshift tables in order to eat their homemade lunches. TPL-1437; G37.1-035

Union Bag & Paper Power Corporation (Tacoma); Construction workers--Tacoma--1920-1930; Rest periods--Tacoma;

Seven usherettes in bat capes and bat ears line up outside the Rialto Theatre where the silent film version of "The Bat," the world's greatest mystery play, was showing in 1926. L-R: Rose Travaglio, Mary Marko, Lillian Hansen, Ann Brower, Irene Carnahan, Helen Morley (chief usherette) and Florence Lloyd. They received many favorable comments on their costumes from patrons of the theater. Based on Mary Roberts Rinehart's 1920 play which ran an impressive 867 performances at the Morosco Theatre on Broadway, "The Bat" was produced and directed by Roland West. It features a mysterious masked master criminal called The Bat whose identity is unveiled only in the last moments of the movie. Cartoonist Bob Kane was so impressed with the film when he saw it as a young boy that his memories of its images formed the basis for his cartoon character Batman. The film opened in Tacoma to rave reviews and could be seen at the matinee for 35 cents or in the evenings for 50 cents, 10 cents for kiddies. (TNT 8-17-26, p. 8) Boland B15500, TPL-2038

Rialto Theatre (Tacoma); Motion picture theaters--Tacoma--1920-1930; Ushers--Tacoma--1920-1930; Motion picture industry--1920-1930; Morley, Helen; Travaglio, Rose; Marko, Mary; Hansen, Lillian; Brower, Ann; Carnahan, Irene; Lloyd, Florence;

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);

Photograph of the employees of the Oriole Candy Company taken in April of 1918. Picture is labeled "Farewell to H. L. Brown by employees Oriole Candy Co." It is believed that the banquet was held to bid goodbye to Mr. Brown as he would depart for France to help the Y.M.C.A. as a volunteer. The Y.M.C.A. was one of several organizations that set up recreational "huts" overseas for soldiers. In 1907, Harry L. Brown, a budding confectioner and experimenter in sweet treats, opened his own retail candy shop on Broadway, known as Oriole Chocolates. By 1909, he had converted it into a wholesale operation. He made the acquaintance of an ambitious young salesman, currently employed by Schilling Spices, named Jonathan Clifford Haley. Haley offered to market Brown's sweet treats around the Northwest. By 1914, the pair were officially partnered as "Brown & Haley" with Haley as president and chief salesman and Brown as general manager, candy formulator and head of manufacturing. The company's Oriole Chocolates were made by hand and satisfied the sweet tooth of the soldiers stationed at Fort Lewis during WWI. Brown & Haley is now the oldest, largest candy company in the Tacoma area and one of the oldest in the U.S. G33.1-128; TPL-1027, TPL-9553

Oriole Chocolates (Tacoma); Candy--Tacoma; Chocolate industry--Tacoma--1910-1920; Laborers--Tacoma; Brown & Haley (Tacoma);

Automobile dealers of the 1920s built palaces of prestige to showcase their latest models. Architect C.F. W. Lundberg designed the Mutual Motors Building for pioneer Tacoma automobile dealer Edward P. Leonard. The Lincoln dealership opened in June 1925. Later, a giant milk bottle was installed on the building's roof to identify it as the Olympic Dairy Products plant. As of 2000, Washington Tent & Awning, Inc. occupies this building on Martin Luther King Way. B12455, BU-10023, TPL-5683

Automobile dealerships--Tacoma; Mutual Motors (Tacoma); Building construction;

Sumner E. Orr and E.J. Gauthier, proprietors of Tacoma's all-night garage Gauthier & Orr, were photographed receiving leases for six Union Oil stations from company officials E.C. Wilson, Tacoma agent, and N.W. Watson, special agent, on July 17, 1928 (order of men in photo unknown). They exchanged the documents at Station #119 located at 601 No. 1st St. The new owners planned for Tacoma motorists to receive the best service possible. They intended to install lifts for grease work and to modernize the equipment at each station. The six stations leased by the pair were located at 58th & S. Union, 25th & Jefferson Ave., N. 1st & Tacoma Ave. (pictured), 21st & Pacific Ave., East 11th & St. Paul Ave. and 302 Puyallup. (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 7-22-28, p. G-5) BU-13106, TPL-9637

Automobile service stations--Tacoma--1920-1930; Union Oil Co. of California (Tacoma); Orr, Sumner E.; Gauthier, E.J.; Wilson, E.C.; Watson, N.W.;

Interior view of Hirsch Cycle Co. shop. Hirsch Cycle, managed by Clarence Potter, was the local Harley-Davidson motorcycle and Columbia bicycle dealership. On February 6, 1925, five Harleys were parked on the stained concrete floor of the firm's repair department. Four men, probably employees, are also in the room. Hirsch Cycle was located at 1010-12 Tacoma Avenue South. G66.1-145

Hirsch Cycle Co. (Tacoma); Motorcycles--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Walker Cut Stone located at 2403 Center Street employed a large number of skilled stonecutters at their plant in Tacoma. They were photographed in March of 1925, hand carving the hard surfaced stone. The sandstone, quarried in Wilkeson, was used by the tons in such edifices as the Temple of Justice in Olympia, Bank of California, and the Walker Apartments. G33.1-115; TPL-3182

Walker Cut Stone Co. (Tacoma); Building materials industry--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Rustic Naches Tavern. The Naches Tavern appears to be composed of a two-story log cabin-designed building with deep porch and a log archway a few yards away. It is surrounded by tall trees. It is located at the foot of the Naches Pass. A Captain Craine was the tavern's proprietor. TPL-5815; G75.1-001 (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 4-4-26, G-1-article on Naches Pass highway and surroundings)

Naches Tavern;

On April 4, 1924, the Bell System Telephone company celebrated the 40th anniversary of telephone service in Tacoma by holding a luncheon for the surviving original subscribers to Tacoma's first telephone exchange. Five female employees, dressed in the manner of 1884, welcomed the guests. They are, left to right, Icle McDowell, Lucille Croxall, Eva Mollett, Mrs. Signe Hultgrew and Mrs. Mildred Sinclair. Their guests are, left to right, A.E. Dean, R.F. Radebaugh, I.W. Anderson, Major C.O.Bates, E.W. Melse, Judge John Arthur, Arthur Patrick, John Schlarb, W.P. Bonney, W.G. Rowland, Walter J. Ball, J.M. Ashton, W.J. Thompson, Henry Drum and Stuart Rice. The first telephone company office was located in Rebard's Cigar Store, and the owner acted as "central", dropping his work at the cigar counter to work the switchboard. The group is standing outside the Bell Telephone building at 1101 Fawcett Ave. Built in 1901 by J.E. Bonnell, it was added to the National and Tacoma historic registries in 1985. Boland B9815, BU-13,178

Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Co. (Tacoma); Telephone companies--Tacoma;

ca. 1921. Ole B. Lien, pioneer pharmacist on Tacoma Avenue since 1894, and partner Harry B. Selvig opened this drug store in 1901 in the 1888 Greer Building. The Queen Anne-style structure was designed by architects Farrell & Darmer and built by contractor H. M. Matheson. It was torn down in 1951 to make way for a modern addition to the Tacoma Public Library. B8252.

Drugstores; Pharmacists; Lien & Selvig (Tacoma);

Employees of the Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Co. crowd onto the small boat, "Lathea," on August 4, 1924, while others in back wait aboard the "Fossberg." G50.1-063

Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Co. (Tacoma)--Employees; Boats--Tacoma--1920-1930; Piers & wharves--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Inexperienced safecrackers failed to blow open the massive safe at Bye Thompson Motor Sales, 3320 South G Street, on early Friday morning, December 5, 1924. The thieves abandoned their efforts when the explosives they used broke the windows in front of the safe and threw the office into disarray, but only succeeded in blowing off the combination dial on the safe's door, not in releasing the bars holding the door in place. This was the second time in less than a year that Bye Thompson Motors had been robbed; on December 18, 1923, thieves somehow carried away the company's 1000 pound safe and blew it open several blocks away. That robbery netted the thieves $362. This photograph was taken at the scene of the crime on December 5, 1924. G24.1-056 (TNT 12-5-24, p. 1)

Safes; Robberies--Tacoma; Bye Thompson Motor Sales Co. (Tacoma);

Photographer Marvin Boland's notes indicate that this was the bank vault at the Scandinavian American Bank in December of 1920. At that time the bank was building a 16-story structure at 1019 Pacific Avenue. While the new building was being constructed, the bank conducted business at a temporary location at South 13th and Pacific. The bank failed in January of 1921 and construction stopped. The building remained unfinished until 1925 and is now known as the Washington Building. G34.1-019

Scandinavian-American Bank (Tacoma); Banks--Tacoma; Vaults (Strong rooms)--Tacoma;

Haering's opened a new brick one-story grocery store in the Hillsdale neighborhood on the east side of town in July of 1921. It was the first of several new buildings to house the rapidly growing firm; more would be built in different parts of the city. The store was designed and built by P.C. Walesby for about $4500. Employees of the company are pictured above enjoying a celebratory banquet inside the store. Haering's Grocetorium promoted the "self-service" form of shopping as a means to keep prices low. As the signs inside the store indicated, smart shoppers could purchase five cans of Del Monte corn for $1.00, flour for $2.20, ginger snaps and citrus for 25 cents. "Help Yourself" seemed to be the store's byword. (TDL 6-12-21, B-5-article); TDL 7-11-21, p. 7-article)

Grocery stores--Tacoma--1920-1930; Haering's Grocetorium (Tacoma);

A truckload of coal is being delivered to the Lucerne Block, 901 Tacoma Avenue South, by Economy Fuel in August of 1921. The fuel company's driver pauses his shifting of the coal to gaze at the camera. The coal is being deposited in the building's coal bin through a coal hole in the sidewalk. The buildings across the street would be demolished in the early 1950s so the County-City Building with jail could be built on the site. In the far background is Central School now used by the Tacoma School District as its Administrative Building.

Economy Fuel Co. (Tacoma); Fuel trade--Tacoma--1920-1930; Coalholes--Tacoma; Trucks--Tacoma--1920-1930; Central School (Tacoma);

Crown Drug Co. The Crown Drug Co. was a longtime tenant in the Pacific Savings & Loan Association building located at 1102-04 Pacific Avenue. The building was formerly known as the Equitable Building and the lower portion modernized in 1931. BU-11001

Crown Drugs (Tacoma); Drugstores--Tacoma--1930-1940; Pacific Savings & Loan Association (Tacoma); Banks--Tacoma; Equitable Building (Tacoma);

Crowds, described in a Daily Ledger ad as being the "greatest in the history of Tacoma's home owned and operated popular department store," lined up outside the big McCormack Bros. department store, 1148 Broadway, on February 7, 1932. The store had just reopened two days before, refinanced and reorganized. The new name was McCormack's, Inc., but it was still run by James McCormack and his family. Creditors had settled for 20 cents on the dollar and there were new goods added to every department. Men's suits were as low as $9.75, electric toasters for only 98 cents, spring dresses at $4.79 and even a Limonges dinnerware set for $5.95. In 1936, this building would be remodeled for the Sears, Roebuck & Co. store. (TDL 2-4-32, p. 3-article; TDL Ad, 2-7-32, A-5)

McCormack Bros. Department Store (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma--1930-1940; Shopping--Tacoma--1930-1940;

This is S.A. Andrews' Seattle store featuring women's apparel as viewed on February 26, 1935. Mr. Andrews had a Tacoma store at 9th & Broadway at the same time. Both locations had similar facades with uncluttered windows of hats, suits and coats. G56.1-090

Andrews Women's Apparel (Seattle); Clothing stores--Seattle; Facades--Seattle; Window displays--Seattle;

Mr. S.A. Andrews is seated at the rear of his Seattle Women's Apparel store on February 26, 1935. Both his Tacoma store, located for years at 9th & Broadway, and his Seattle location had very similar exteriors as well as interior layouts. This extended interior view notes the muted wall-to-wall carpet and air of spaciousness with the high ceilings and open floor plan. Chairs are handily placed for waiting customers and hats and clothing are side-by-side. G56.1-089

Andrews Women's Apparel (Seattle); Clothing stores--Seattle; Merchandise displays--Seattle--1930-1940; Hats--1930-1940; Andrews, Samuel A.;

On a hot summer evening in August of 1919, a visitor to Tacoma could stand at the intersection of Pacific Avenue and 9th, looking north, and see the names of two of the city's hotels and a theater light up the sky in electric signs suspended over the street. On the left is the Hotel Donnelly, 742-50 Pacific Ave. The hotel was built in 1887 and leased to John Donnelly, who gave it his name, ten years later. It was demolished in 1925 to make way for the Motoramp Garage. On the right is the Hippodrome Theater at 821-23 Pacific Ave., an office building at 819 Pacific and the Olympus Hotel at 815-17 Pacific. In 1978, the Olympus was converted to apartments. Pedestrians who became weary from walking could hire a taxi at the corner stand or catch a ride the Pacific Avenue streetcar. TPL-4446, BU-13429, Boland-B2166

Hotel Donnelly (Tacoma); Hotels--Tacoma--1910-1920; Street railroads--Tacoma--1910-1920; Streets--Tacoma--1910-1920; City & town life--Tacoma--1910-1920; Hippodrome Building (Tacoma); Olympus Hotel (Tacoma);

In July of 1919, the Ideal Tea Co. at 927-29 Tacoma Ave. So. made its deliveries with a horse drawn wagon. Milton H. Hoch, who had moved to Tacoma from Omaha around 1915, was manager of the tea and coffee shop. These buildings on Tacoma Avenue South were later demolished to make way for modern office buildings across from the County City Building. BU 12,939; Boland # B1998

Ideal Tea Co. (Tacoma);

ca. 1918. The Puget Hotel was constructed in 1907 by the Puget Mill Co. in their company owned and run town Port Gamble. It was designed by Seattle's most prominent architecture firm, Bebb & Mendel. It was a luxury hotel for visitors and company officials, later furnished with massive antique pieces of furniture made in Dresden, Germany and brought to the Puget Sound by sailing ship for the home of Cyrus Walker, first manager of the Puget Mill. Although part of the town, it was run as a concession. So although the town was dry, drinking and gambling were available at the hotel. It also housed the town's only restaurant. The hotel was damaged in the 1962 Columbus Day wind storm and was closed on December 22, 1962, a victim of that damage and declining use. It was later demolished. (Seattle Times 12/23/1962) Boland #10

Puget Hotel (Port Gamble); Lumber industry--Port Gamble; Puget Mill Co. (Port Gamble);

Candy shop at the Donnelly Hotel. Customers browsing in the candy shop at the Donnelly Hotel in 1919 had their choice of good chocolates, reading material, and a place to rest weary feet. Small tables with "ice cream parlor" chairs were placed close to racks of magazines such as "Sunset," "Photoplay," "Collier's" and "Modern Priscilla." A fine candy selection of Oriole, Mars, Imperial's and Sweet's could be purchased. John Donnelly had leased the Fife Hotel and transformed it into the Donnelly Hotel in 1898. The hotel would be demolished 27 years later to make way for the Motoramp Garage. G56.1-046

Hotel Donnelly (Tacoma); Hotels--Tacoma--1910-1920; Confectioneries--Tacoma--1910-1920;

A visitor to Tacoma in 1919 could stand downtown on Pacific Avenue near 8th St., looking south and view this bustling scene. Pedestrians present a blurred image through the camera as they hustle across Pacific, pictured with its streetcar tracks running down the center of the street. Some automobiles maneuver down the street, while others wait parked for their drivers to return. On the left, front to back, are the Hotel Olympus (815-17 Pacific Ave.), an office building at 819 containing the offices of the Tacoma Times and the Hippodrome (821-23.) On the right, front to back, are the Havana Inn storefront and its delivery vehicle in front, Hotel Waldorf (a rooming house at 728 Pacific), Bowie and Love (electric supplies at 732), Hotel Revere (rooms to let above 732), Moose Candy & Confectionary and the Hotel Donnelly and Donnelly Cafe. G61.1-024, TPL-5769

Hotel Donnelly (Tacoma); Hotels--Tacoma--1910-1920; City & town life--Tacoma--1910-1920; Hippodrome Building (Tacoma); Olympus Hotel (Tacoma); Business districts--Tacoma--1910-1920; Commercial streets--Tacoma--1910-1920;