George Irey's Signal service station and Tacoma Radiator and Fender Works. Service station attendant standing at three-pump gasoline service island. Building in background was later remodeled into Mueller-Harkins Buick.

Business Enterprises - Automobile Service Stations - Signal Dealers - Tacoma - George Irey's Signal Service Station

Two baggage carts, loaded down with old tires, sit on the passenger platform at Tacoma's Union Station. In October of 1942, the U.S. Government began collecting all "excess" tires. By order of the Office of Price Administration, all motorists were required to sell or give to the Government all tires they had in excess of five. The Railway Express agencies at the nation's railroad stations collected the tires and sent them to Government warehouses. (T. Times)

Tires--Tacoma--1940-1950; Carts & wagons--Tacoma--1940-1950; Railway Express (Tacoma); Union Station (Tacoma); Railroad stations--Tacoma--1940-1950;

The A.E. Mulligan Company offered Tacoma customers a conveniently located dealership featuring Studebaker models. Customers admire the new 1946 Studebaker. Neon in windows of showroom and on signs for Temple Theater and Bonneville Hotel visible through glass in background.

Automobile dealerships--Tacoma; Showrooms--Tacoma; Consumers--Tacoma; Studebaker automobile; A.E. Mulligan Co. (Tacoma);

A.E. Mulligan Company, Studebaker dealers. Customers admire the 1946 Studebaker, "First by Far with a Postwar Car" reads banner on wall in background. Hood of one automobile is up displaying engine, photos of other Studebakers hang on walls. Customers browse through the dealership.

Automobile dealerships--Tacoma; Showrooms--Tacoma; Consumers--Tacoma; Studebaker automobile; A.E. Mulligan Co. (Tacoma);

Buck & Sons was owned and operated by Parker J. Buck. They were remodeling this building, which would house their business. Buck and Sons manufactured farm machinery, sold Ford tractors, repaired tractors and sold tractor tires. View of Floyd's Service Station featuring Signal products (Also see D21760-2). TPL-6410

Automobile service stations--Tacoma; Gasoline pumps--Tacoma; Vehicle maintenance & repair--Tacoma; Buck & Sons Tractor & Implement Co. (Tacoma);

Rehn Motor Company. Rehn family (?) by a Chevrolet truck in showroom of the Chevrolet dealership in Gig Harbor.

Automobile dealerships--Gig Harbor--1940-1950; Rehn Motor Co. (Gig Harbor);

Rehn Motor Company. Service department of the Chevrolet dealership in Gig Harbor.

Automobile dealerships--Gig Harbor--1940-1950; Rehn Motor Co. (Gig Harbor);

Munson-Smith Motors was appointed as associated Dodge and Plymouth passenger car dealer and Dodge job-rated truck dealer in South Tacoma. A four-day grand opening was held July 30 - August 3, 1946. The dealership will have a large 140 ft. by 140 ft. service area in the back of the building. L-R, W.M. Dunigan, H.G. Schreiber, Helen Jones, Alberta Smith, co-owner, Major George C. Yates, S.E. "Ed" Munson, co-owner; kneeling, Don Munson and Sam LeCrone.

Automobile dealerships--Tacoma--1940-1950; Munson-Smith Motors (Tacoma); Smith, Alberta; Munson, S.E.;

Ray Ridge Motors for Robert Sconce Advetising. Crowd admires the 1946 Mercurys at Ray Ridge Motors. Night view from outside showroom through plate glass windows. Convertible, sedan and "woody" wagon are visible. Neon signs in windows.

Automobile dealerships--Tacoma--1940-1950; Ray Ridge Motors, Inc. (Tacoma); Automobiles--Tacoma--1940-1950; Mercury automobile; Showrooms;

Ray Ridge Motors for Robert Sconce Advertising. Crowd admires the 1946 Mercurys at Ray Ridge Motors. Night view from outside showroom through plate glass windows. Convertible, sedan and "woody" wagon are visible. Neon signs in windows.

Automobile dealerships--Tacoma--1940-1950; Ray Ridge Motors, Inc. (Tacoma); Automobiles--Tacoma--1940-1950; Showrooms;

Standard Oil. Two women compare notes about a photograph. They are standing in front of shelves full of auto care products. RPM Motor Oil is stacked on the bottom shelves. Customers are admonished, "Don't wax it! Mac's it!".

Automobile equipment & supplies; Women--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Picton's Garage and automobile service station; photograph taken in September of 1945 at an unknown location. A mechanic and another man check under the hood of a panel van.

Automobile service stations--Pierce County; Picton's Garage (Pierce County);

The Standard Oil gas station located at the Camp Tahoma Auto Camp cabins, 3836 South Tacoma Way. The station is glass on all four sides, with venting widows that open at the top. Camp Tahoma's cabins, owned by Frank and B.J. Winkes, offered the driving public an alternative to staying in a hotel. The auto camp was demolished around 1966 to make way for Gill Lincoln Mercury.

Automobile service stations--Tacoma--1940-1950; Tourist camps & hostels--Tacoma; Motels--Tacoma--1940-1950; Camp Tahoma (Tacoma);

J. Thomas Standard Oil Service Station. Owned by Joseph & Loretta Thomas. Located at 27th and West Grandview in University Place. A woman is standing by the gasoline pumps and two automobiles are also shown. TPL-3399.

Automobile service stations--University Place--1940-1950; J. Thomas Standard Oil Service Station (University Place);

Puget Sound Auto Electric offered automobile radio installation, repairs, engine tune-ups, carburetor repairs and electrical servicing. They were a progressive and fast growing firm. Exterior view of Puget Sound Auto located at the corner of South 7th Street and Pacific Avenue, Nesbitt's orange soda billboard on right side.

Automobile equipment & supplies stores--Tacoma; Storefronts--Tacoma; Signs (Notices); Vehicle maintenance & repair--Tacoma; Puget Sound Auto Electric Co. (Tacoma);

Central Motors building shots. One story building showing both service and body shop entrances. The overhead sign indicated automobiles are "bought, sold and serviced". Over the door is painted, "Thru this door you'll Find the Best Used Cars in Town". TPL-1727.

Automobile repair--Tacoma--1940-1950; Automobile dealerships--Tacoma--1940-1950; Central Motors (Tacoma);

Standard Oil Co. started doing business in Tacoma in 1886, by shipping oil from Cleveland, Ohio to Tacoma in box and tank cars. They have grown and expanded and now have new offices and tanks on the Tideflats.View of new Standard Oil service station in Tacoma and Tahoma Motor Court on left side. TPL-3543

Automobile service stations--Tacoma; Building construction--Tacoma; Standard Oil Co. of California (Tacoma);

General view of Sanford Nash Company. Stucco building at Sixth and Tacoma Avenues, two Nash automobiles in showroom windows, neon and painted signs on building.

Automobile dealerships--Tacoma--1940-1950; Nash Metropolitan automobile; Sanford-Nash, Inc. (Tacoma);

General view of Ray Ridge Motors, Lincoln/Mercury dealer. A corner view of the large automobile dealership building. New automobiles are seen through the showroom windows. A Model A Ford, five window coupe is parked at the curb. Large home on G Street in background.

Automobile dealerships--Tacoma; Ray Ridge Motors, Inc. (Tacoma);

Harold A. Sanford was the President of Sanford-Nash Inc., he had been in the Nash dealership business since 1918. Exterior view of Sanford Nash Company, two signs posted by entrance tell us this is the Parts Department for used cars, the Service Department is located on lower floor. Stucco building at Sixth and Tacoma Avenue, two Nash automobiles in showroom windows, neon and painted signs on building. Photograph taken on February 24, 1947.

Automobile dealerships--Tacoma--1940-1950; Automobile equipment & supplies stores--Tacoma; Sanford-Nash, Inc. (Tacoma); Signs (Notices); Showrooms--Tacoma; Nash automobile;

Broadway Motor Company. Signs "We Pay High Prices for your Car or Equity", See Us First" and "Service Entrance". One automobile is seen parked in the service entrance and another is in the showroom seen through the window. Building has vertical stone decoration (low relief) and tall glass windows above the first floor.

Automobile dealerships--Tacoma--1940-1950; Broadway Motor Co. (Tacoma);

AAA Synthetic Tire Caravan. National and state American Automobile Association officials gather around a Pontiac and inspect the evenness and tire wear of synthetic and recapped tires. Tacoma is one of the stops on an around-the-nation testing tour. (T. Times, 3/3/44, p. 3).

Automobile equipment & supplies; Tire industry;

General Petroleum exterior of 3 plants. Maxwell Petroleum Co. is well known for their modern gasoline outlets. View of the 910 Puyallup Ave. station, which ranks with the nation's most modern, and has been featured in newspapers and magazines as the only one of its kind in America.

Automobile service stations--Tacoma; General Petroleum Corp. (Tacoma); Maxwell Petroleum Co. (Tacoma);

ca. 1944. Maxwell service station. Undated photograph, possibly in the mid-40's, of a ten-pump Maxwell service station on Puyallup Avenue in downtown Tacoma. Two vehicles are stopped at the pumps; one has its trunk open and the other is having gas pumped in by an attendant. Maxwell was known for its very modern gasoline outlets. TPL-8459

Automobile service stations--Tacoma; Maxwell Petroleum Co. (Tacoma);

Interior of Pease Brothers Garage. The garage was built in 1913 and in 1926 the Pease family renovated the facility and added an auto maintenance center, which included repairs and washing, in addition to storage. Repairs were done in the basement. View of unidentified auto mechanics surrounded by parts at Pease Bros.

Automobile equipment & supplies; Mechanics (Persons)--Tacoma; Vehicle maintenance & repair--Tacoma; Pease Brothers (Tacoma);

J.F. Shank's Shell station at South 38th and Thompson Avenue is shown with a separate building for automobile repairs. Gasoline pumps stand in front of the sales booth where tires have been hung in the windows. A very small, square-backed vehicle is parked by the sales booth. Ordered by Shell Oil Company, Mr. Holms.

Automobile service stations--Tacoma--1940-1950; J.F. Shank's Shell Station (Tacoma); Automobiles--Tacoma--1950-1960; Gasoline pumps--Tacoma--1940-1950; Vehicle maintenance & repair--Tacoma--1940-1950;

An interior view of the showroom at B.F. Goodrich Company's Tacoma store. They feature a wide variety of home appliances, bicycles, tricycles, wagons, and lawn mowers in addition to automobile tires, batteries and accessories. Banners span the ceiling and a sign in the back announces their "Grand Opening".

B.F. Goodrich Co. (Tacoma); Automobile equipment & supplies stores--Tacoma; Appliance stores--Tacoma;

The interior view of the drive-thru tire service area at B.F. Goodrich Company's Tacoma store. A large Buick is parked to the left. Tires fill bins and are stacked along both sides of the drive way. A vending machine on the left is stamped "Canteen" along the top.

B.F. Goodrich Co. (Tacoma); Automobile equipment & supplies stores--Tacoma; Tires; Automobiles--Tacoma--1950-1960; Buick automobile;

Fifteen men line two tables in a class taught in one of the conference rooms at Mueller-Harkins Motor Company. They are working with small parts. Two men who are teaching the class stand at the back of the room with a flip chart open to diagrams of an automobile engine's working parts. Ordered by Mr. Mueller.

Automobile dealerships--Tacoma; Vocational education--Tacoma--1950-1960; Mueller-Harkins Motor Co. (Tacoma)--Employees; Automobile equipment & supplies;

A school bus for Bethel School District No. 403 is parked outside Tacoma White Truck Company. The White Trucking neon sign is seen over the bus. Ordered by Mrs. Frank Buchanan. The bus in the photograph is a 1950 model Gillig bus built by the Gillig Brothers bus manufacturing company in Hayward, California.

Tacoma White Trucks, Inc. (Tacoma); School buses--Tacoma; Truck industry--Tacoma; Electric signs--Tacoma--1950-1960;