1929 street scene view looking down 9th street (toward the east) taken for the Tacoma Chamber of Commerce. The marquee for the Broadway Theater (902-14 Broadway) is to the right. The Hotel Winthrop (773 Broadway) is on the left. The Tacoma Theater closed down for a remodel and reopened in 1927 as the Broadway Theater. In 1933, under new management, it became the Music Box. It was destroyed by fire in April of 1963.
Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma); Theaters--Tacoma; Broadway Theater (Tacoma);
Bustling Broadway looking south from 9th St. This was a segment of vibrant downtown Tacoma during the summer of 1927. Cars and pedestrians throng Broadway. The area around 9th & Broadway was a mixture of motion picture theaters (Colonial in center, Broadway, Pantages and Rialto not pictured), large department stores (McCormack Brothers, Rhodes Bros.), fraternal organizations (Pythian Temple), variety stores (Kress) and assorted shops. Drivers were still getting used to automatic traffic lights, recently installed in late March, in the downtown area. This may have been "movie season" as banners and flags advertised such luminaries as "Gish," "Chaney," and movies like "Barbed Wire," "Ben Hur," "Annie Laurie," and "Beau Geste." TPL-1880; G59.1-028
This is another view of Broadway looking south from 9th St. in late summer of 1927. The photo studio has added lines crossing the streetcar tracks to mark where cars were warned to stop to allow pedestrians to cross the street in safety. One of the city's first automated traffic signals is just beyond view in the foreground. The Pantages theater is on the left along with Lou Johnson's ladies clothing store and the Lewis Bros. men's clothing store. On the right are the Colonial theater, Pythian Temple, Kress store and the Rhodes Bros. department store. Broadway, like Pacific Avenue, had many stores and shops nesting cozily side-by-side. Shoppers could catch a convenient streetcar or just walk to the numerous establishments downtown. More and more people, however, were starting to own automobiles and as the above photograph shows, street parking was at a premium. TPL-10041; G59.1-029
ca. 1928. The Perkins building. The Perkins building was constructed in 1906 and named after its builder, Sydney Albert Perkins. It was designed by Russell & Babcock, Architects. At the time it was built, it was the first fireproof building and the tallest structure (at eight floors) in Tacoma. It housed the Tacoma Daily Ledger and the Daily News and it was the first home to the University of Washington, Tacoma. (WSHS- negative A655-0)
The R.L. Courtney Building, located at 1105 South 11th Street, was designed by architect George Trost and built for $37,000 by Peter Madsen in 1922. The Hill Top Confectionery occupied the corner level and Dr. Eugene Hallan (dentist) and a Dr. Lynch (physician & surgeon) had offices on the second floor. Businesses at the 11th & "K" St. location were easily accessible by private car or streetcars. In 1922 the businessmen of "K" St. (now Martin Luther King Jr. Way) saw a rapid growth of business in this section of Tacoma. Six new buildings replacing older units included the Dobson-Nelson Motor Co. at 12th & "K," Normanna Hall Association's new business block at 14th & "K," the Nasser Building, also on 12th & "K," occupied by the Piggly-Wiggly and a branch of the National Bank of Tacoma, the Langlow Building at Sixth & "K," the Woolen Cleaners Building adjoining the Dobson-Nelson structure and the Courtney Building. TPL-896; G19.1-071; BU-10,064 (TNT 12-29-22, p. 22)
R.L. Courtney Building (Tacoma); Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Business districts--Tacoma--1920-1930;
A person standing across the street on April 14, 1925, would be able to see the following establishments on the west side of Pacific Avenue near South 10th St. in downtown Tacoma: (L-R) the Rust Building (950 Pacific), Charles F. Lewis Hatters (948), Scobey's Cigars (946) with Naubert & Manning Billiards upstairs, Davis Men's Shop (944), Peterson & Cooksie Billiards (942-44), Haugen & Loney Tailors (942), and in the San Francisco Block building, the Regal Shoe Co. (938-40) with several businesses upstairs including the Chinese Medicine Co. and attorney G.B. Aldrich. TPL-5475; G61.1-048
Business districts--Tacoma--1920-1930; Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Rust Building (Tacoma); Regal Shoe Co. (Tacoma);
One of downtown Tacoma's prime commercial streets was Broadway. This is Broadway looking north from 11th St. in March of 1926. On the right is the 12-story brick Fidelity Building (949-55 Broadway) with the Bank of California as one of the tenants. The Bank of California would build its own Italian Renaissance building of Wilkeson sandstone and granite at 1011-13 Pacific Avenue in 1928. On the photograph's left is a portion of the Fisher Co. department store (1104 Broadway) and the Rhodes Brothers Department Store at 950 Broadway. G59.1-021
Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Business districts--Tacoma--1920-1930; Fidelity Building (Tacoma); Office buildings--Tacoma--1920-1930; Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Fisher's Department Store (Tacoma);
This damaged print is of the Puget Sound National Bank Building (1117-19 Pacific Avenue-formerly the National Realty Bldg.) taken from the 12th St. viewpoint on June 25, 1926. On its right at the corner is the National Bank of Tacoma. Looking northbound, buildings right to left are: the barely visible one-story structure at 1115 Pacific Avenue which had been built as an annex/addition to the National Realty Bldg., then the Bankers Trust building at 1109-13 Pacific, Peoples department store (1101-07 Pacific) with the 17-story Washington Building skyscraper at the far left (1019 Pacific). Flags and bunting decorate both Peoples and the Puget Sound National Bank Bldg. G61.1-043
Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Business districts--Tacoma--1920-1930; Puget Sound National Bank (Tacoma); National Bank of Tacoma (Tacoma); Banks--Tacoma; Peoples (Tacoma); Washington Building (Tacoma); Office buildings--Tacoma--1920-1930;
Photographer Marvin Boland took a series of pictures of Tacoma's downtown business district on August 22, 1924 where he focused on the numerous business establishments, large and small, packed into a few city streets. This view is of Pacific Avenue near South 11th Street. L-R are the 12-story Rust Building (950 Pacific) with one of their tenants, Lundquist-Lilly (men's clothing store); Scobey's Cigars at 946 Pacific with the Naubert & Manning Billiard parlor upstairs; Davis Men's Shop, M&M Hat, Friedman's (Jewelers) all at 942-44 Pacific with Peterson & Cooksie Billiards above; and the Regal Shoe Co. at 938-40 Pacific. TPL-225; G61.1-016
Horse-drawn mail carts and 19th Century houses, seen in the background, were still prevalent in Tacoma's Central Business District when a postal employee posed with his rig in front of the 12th Street entrance to the Federal Building in June of 1921. The Federal Building housed the Main branch of the U.S. Post Office. The horse-drawn carts transported mail prior to the advent of motorized vehicles. TPL-164; G42.1-114
Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Federal Building (Tacoma); Mail wagons--Tacoma--1920-1930; Postal service--1920-1930; Postal service employees--Tacoma--1920-1930; Letter carriers--Tacoma--1920-1930;
An unidentified party of four from Bremerton posed in front of a parked automobile on the east side of Pacific Avenue near South 8th St. in May of 1919. The well-dressed couples were perhaps out on a Sunday drive. In the background looking north are the Eau-Claire Apartments, Auto Parts Supply Co., D.C. Modrall & Co., Jim's Place (restaurant) and a tailoring establishment. TPL-1640; G61.1-009
Commercial streets--Tacoma--1910-1920; Business districts--Tacoma--1910-1920; Couples--Tacoma--1910-1920; Automobiles--Tacoma--1910-1920;
Federal Insurance Company office at South 10th Street and Pacific Avenue, also home to Knapp College, Gale's Rugs and the Lutheran Service Center.
Anderson Building (Tacoma); Knapp College (Tacoma); Storefronts--Tacoma--1940-1950; Federal Insurance Group (Tacoma); Gale's Rugs (Tacoma); Lutheran Service Center (Tacoma);
Federal Insurance office at 10th and Pacific, also home to Knapp College (second floor), Gale's Rugs and the Lutheran Service Center.
Anderson Building (Tacoma); Knapp College (Tacoma); Storefronts--Tacoma--1940-1950; Federal Insurance Group (Tacoma); Gale's Rugs (Tacoma); Lutheran Service Center (Tacoma);
Interior of Broadway Branch, Puget Sound National Bank. Wooden counter with Glass partitions marked "Savings and Exchange" and "Notes and Collections". Fancy wall coverings and light fixtures, terrazzo flooring and countertops. Fueled by the wartime economy and the able leadership of bank president Reno Odlin, Puget Sound Bank began to grow dramatically. With the increased business, the bank needed additional help as well as replacements for those men serving in the war. The bank could not find enough employees to cover both the Broadway and the Lincoln branches, as well as the main branch. The Broadway branch was closed and the main branch remodeled in 1942.
Commercial facilities--Tacoma--1940-1950; Puget Sound National Bank (Tacoma); Banks--Tacoma;
ca. 1941. Detail view of Puget Sound National Bank (National Realty Company) building showing elaborate doorway featuring carved figures. Heath and Twichell, Architects, 1910.
Commercial facilities--Tacoma--1940-1950; Business districts--Tacoma--1940-1950; Puget Sound National Bank (Tacoma); Banks--Tacoma;
Two buildings in 900 block of Pacific, containing four storefronts, as photographed in December of 1940. Ground level remodeled to match with new tile storefronts. Tenants, L to R: Hy (Henry) Mandles & Son, Men's Clothiers (948 Pacific); Chappell and Grimes, Cigars & Lunch (946 Pacific); Oregon City Woolen Mills (942-44 Pacific); and the fourth storefront was apparently vacant at the time.
Commercial streets--Tacoma--1940-1950; Business districts--Tacoma--1940-1950; Oregon City Woolen Mills (Tacoma); Chappell & Grimes (Tacoma); Hy Mandles & Son (Tacoma);
Exterior of Rhodes Store, Olympic Ice Cream. A five-story brick department store. Window displays of women's clothing are shown. Miller's Furs and Olympic Ice Cream stores are up one block. Corner of 11th and Market.
Commercial buildings--Tacoma--1940-1950; Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma--1940-1950;
Independent Insulation Corporation, exterior of Pacific Carbide. This is an exterior view of several warehouses and storage facilities. The buildings farther in the distance are made of brick and a pile of 500 gallon drums in behind one of them. A narrow tower with exterior stairways is more in the foreground. Telephone and electric poles have bring many wires to this facility and it appears that railroad access available.
Refrigerator Supply - interior of retail store. A man and a woman are ready to assist customers from behind the counter. Supplies are stacked on open shelves.
The Warburton Building. The Warburton, built in 1905, was the first concrete building to be constructed in Tacoma. It was designed by Frederich Heath, architect, and built by Stanton Warburton. In 1943, it was home to the Owl Drug Co., Mannings Market and "Painless Parker," the dentist.
Business districts--Tacoma--1940-1950; Commercial streets--Tacoma--1940-1950; Owl Drug Co. (Tacoma); Manning's Market (Tacoma); Warburton Building (Tacoma); E.R. Parker System (Tacoma);
By 1949, when this photograph was taken, the Bradley Block Building, which still stands at 701-3 Pacific Ave., had seen better days. Built in 1890 by William Bradley as a saloon and boarding house, over the years it was home to the Hotel Bradley, the Lawler Apartments, the Grayson Apartments, and the Holland Furnace Company. It was saved from likely destruction in 1964 when it was purchased by the architectural firm of Liddle & Jones. (TNT, 10/20/1968)
Exterior of Westinghouse Building. View from west side of two story building shows low relief terra cotta frieze near cornice of brick building. A neon sign hangs below the wooden sign board. TPL-6387
Commercial facilities--Tacoma; Westinghouse Electric Supply Co. (Tacoma); Signs (Notices);
This photograph of the recently completed million dollar F.W. Woolworth Co. building, 955 Broadway, was taken from across Commerce St., for the Roy T. Earley Co., engineers in January of 1951. The Woolworth store replaced the Fidelity Building that had stood at the corner of 9th and Broadway from 1890 until it was demolished in 1949. The News Tribune called the new building "the most up-to-date beautiful store of its kind in the world." After the store closed in 1993, it was sold and transformed into a giant telephone switching station with no public access, and its people-oriented uses limited to the art gallery space created in its street level windows.
Exposure from Lloyd Suiter Tire Co., 1955 Pacific Ave., looking each way down Pacific Ave. On the right hand side is Union Station (1735 Pacific Ave.), Schoenfelds and the Eleventh Street bridge. On the left hand side is Harry Brown Confections Inc. Wholesale (1932-34), Westinghouse Electric Corporation (1930), Webster-Robinson Machinery and Supply Co. (1924), Johnson Brush Co. (1920), American Plumbing and Steam Supply Co. (1908-16) and Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. is on the corner of Pacific and 19th. Streetlights are on either side of the wide thoroughfare. TPL-9382
Commercial streets--Tacoma--1950-1960; Business districts--Tacoma--1950-1960; Union Station (Tacoma);
Looking north on Jefferson Avenue at South 25th Street, Pacific Refrigeration Company Ice Plant in right foreground, Columbia Brewing Company in right background. This view of a well-traveled city street was taken on June 5, 1951.
Commercial streets--Tacoma--1950-1960; Pacific Refrigeration Co. (Tacoma); Columbia Breweries, Inc. (Tacoma)--1950-1960; Automobiles--Tacoma--1950-1960;
The Equitable Building appeared in the magazine "Interiors" December 1949 edition, in a "Postwar Architecture" section. The building had a fireproof reinforced concrete frame, covered in sparkling aluminum and panels of green tinted glass. View of elevators and telephone located in lobby area, in Portland's Equitable Building, now known as the Commonwealth Building.
Commercial facilities--Oregon--Portland; Office buildings--Oregon--Portland; Architecture--Oregon--Portland; Architects; Belluschi, Pietro; Equitable Building (Portland, Or.); Commonwealth Building (Portland, Or.);
The Equitable Building was Oregon's first International style commercial office building. International style features include a flat roof, a smooth continuous wall surface, an absence of decorative elements, and use of modern building materials such as aluminum and tinted glass. Exterior view of Portland's Equitable Building, now known as the Commonwealth Building, taken in January of 1949.
Commercial facilities--Oregon--Portland; Office buildings--Oregon--Portland; Architecture--Oregon--Portland; Architects; Belluschi, Pietro; Equitable Building (Portland, Or.); Commonwealth Building (Portland, Or.);
