Plywood sections like these shown on February 15, 1932, would be used for "pingpong boards." Samples provided by the Oregon-Washington Plywood Co., which had moved its headquarters to Tacoma in September of 1931. Previously based in Portland, the company operated two big mills in Tacoma and Everett after its move. G37.1-049b (TNT 9-5-31, p. 1-article on company)

Plywood; Oregon-Washington Plywood Co. (Tacoma);

This is a sample of plywood provided by the Oregon-Washington Plywood Co. of "pingpong boards." Photograph taken on February 15, 1932. The company had moved its headquarters from Portland to Tacoma in September of 1931. It formerly operated four big mills in Tacoma, Portland, Seattle and Everett. Only the Tacoma and Everett mills remained in the company's operations. The Oregon-Washington Plywood Co. was located at 1549 Dock St., former home of the Tacoma Veneer Co. G37.1-049a (TNT 9-5-31, p. 1-article on company)

Plywood; Oregon-Washington Plywood Co. (Tacoma);

Interior view of Tacoma Electrochemical Co.'s Tideflats plant was taken on March 1, 1932. An unidentified worker watches the gauge on tank #3 as he turns the wheel. This site would eventually become the Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington. G33.1-151

Tacoma Electrochemical Co. (Tacoma); Industrial facilities--Tacoma--1930-1940; Gauges; Chemical industry--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Kavanaugh family. The Kavanaugh family, including a small child, posed for an outdoor group portrait on March 27, 1932. Boland photography notes do not list their first names or address(es.) There were several Kavanaughs in the 1932 City Directory including Hugh and Michael J. G1.1-094

Kavanaugh--Family; Families--Tacoma--1930-1940;

FTD Floral display was held at the Scottish Rite Cathedral on April 11, 1932. View of potted blossoms and a small floral gazebo. Hundreds of thousands of blossoms were on display during the ninth annual convention of the Northwest Florists Association and the Northwest Bulb Growers Association April 10-12, 1932. The public was welcomed to attend the flower show without charge. G26.1-100 (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 4-10-32, A-1-article)

Flower shows--Tacoma--1930-1940; Scottish Rite Cathedral (Tacoma); Gazebos--Tacoma;

The classic figure of Mercury is the official logo of the Florists Telegraph Delivery, or FTD, service. (now called Florists Transworld Delivery) It is on display here at the April, 1932, flower show held at the Scottish Rite Cathedral. The room was filled with thousands of blossoms, all part of the ninth annual convention of the Northwest Florists Association and the Northwest Bulb Growers Association. FTD International president Thomas Luke of Portland was a guest speaker at the convention. G26.1-116 (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 4-10-32, A-1-article; TDL 4-11-32, p. 1-article)

Flower shows--Tacoma--1930-1940; Scottish Rite Cathedral (Tacoma); Flower arrangements;

Unidentified man with pistol. He may have been a former or current soldier who was participating in Fort Lewis' regional shoot in September of 1932. The Northwest regional rifle and pistol competition was held during Fleet Week. More than 250 marksmen entered the three-day meet, including representatives of all sections of the Armed forces and civilians, in pursuit of thirteen trophies. G69.1-128 (TNT 9-5-32, p. 1, 6-articles)

Handguns; Sharpshooting--Fort Lewis;

These units were listed as "preventorium" by Marvin Boland in 1934 as he spent the day photographing the Pierce County Sanatorium, 1 Command Circle, Lakewood. Tuberculosis patients would undergo treatment at this county facility which would remain open until 1952. It would later be called Mount View Sanitarium and also Lakeview Sanitarium. G30.1-019

Pierce County Sanatorium (Lakewood); Sanatoriums--Lakewood; Tuberculosis;

One-lane road curving slightly through stand of trees not far from the start of Peterman Manufacturing Co.'s main truck road going up to the top of Peterman Hill, south of Morton. According to a reader, Mr. Peterman used a contract rock crusher to crush rock and a full time roadgrader to make an all-weather road at a time when most logging roads were planked or just mud. Al Peterman had bought 11 sections (or 7040 acres) from the Northern Pacific Railroad in 1933-34. He began logging in late 1934 to supply his Tacoma door plant. The area had originally been called Cotter's Rock after a pioneer homesteader but became known as Peterman Hill. His logging operations ceased in Morton in 1940 but not before logging 190 million feet of timber. Photograph ordered by Peterman Logging (Manufacturing Co.) in June of 1936. G75.1-065; G74.1-111 (Additional information provided by a reader)

Peterman Manufacturing Co. (Tacoma); Lumber industry--1930-1940; Roads--Washington; Trees;

1936 Daily operations at St. Regis. Although the specific St. Regis plant was not identified by the photographer, this was probably the Tacoma St. Regis located at 801 Portland Ave. Various sections of the facility and its machinery were photographed in a two-day period in December of 1936 by the Boland studios. The machine above may have been used to dry pulp since steam is shown rising from the rear roller. A million dollars had been spent to transform the Tacoma plant into a modern facility so that production of 60,000 tons of bleached pulp per year could be achieved. G37.1-016 (T.Times 10-14-36, p. 5-article; T.Times 11-25-36, p. 5-article)

St. Regis Paper Co. (Tacoma)--1930-1940; Machinery; Paper industry--1930-1940; Lumber industry--1930-1940; Mills--Tacoma--1930-1940;

1936 Daily operations at St. Regis. View of large funnels and other unidentified machinery in photograph taken on December 21, 1936. Plant is believed to be the St. Regis Tacoma location, 801 Portland Ave. The Tacoma facility had recently undergone an expensive remodeling to be transformed into a modern plant where 60,000 tons of bleached pulp were expected to be produced a year. Over 800 men had been employed in the reconstruction process boosting St. Regis' payroll to $15,000 a week. Much new machinery was purchased including electric saws and machines to bark logs. By late November of 1936, the Tacoma St. Regis had commenced operations with a crew of 250. A bleaching unit would be ready in three months. (T.Times 10-14-36, p. 5-article; T. Times 11-25-36, p. 5-article)

St. Regis Paper Co. (Tacoma)--1930-1940; Machinery; Paper industry--1930-1940; Lumber industry--1930-1940; Mills--Tacoma--1930-1940;

1936 daily operations at St. Regis. In late 1936 St. Regis Kraft Co.'s Tacoma plant began operating with a crew of 250 at its newly remodeled and modernized facility in the Tideflats. Boland studios paid visits to the pulp plant on December 21-22, 1936, to photograph the new interiors including machinery. Here two unidentified St. Regis employees focus their attention of one of the new machines. G37.1-048 (T.Times 10-14-36, p. 5-article; T. Times 11-25-36, p. 5-article)

St. Regis Paper Co. (Tacoma)--1930-1940; Paper industry--1930-1940; Lumber industry--1930-1940; Mills--Tacoma--1930-1940; Machinery;

1936 daily operations at St. Regis. The Tacoma St. Regis underwent expansion and modernization of its facility in the Tideflats during most of 1936. New machinery was brought in as the demand for bleached pulp grew. By the end of November of that year, the pulp plant had started operating with an initial crew of 250. Eventually the plant would run continuously on a 24-hour schedule with four staggered shifts of eight hours and provide employment for many Tacomans. (T.Times 10-14-36, p. 5-article; T. Times 11-25-36, p. 5-article)

St. Regis Paper Co. (Tacoma)--1930-1940; Paper industry--1930-1940; Lumber industry--1930-1940; Mills--Tacoma--1930-1940; Machinery;

Unidentified equipment at St. Regis. St. Regis Kraft in Tacoma had undergone a $1,000,000 modernization project so that the company could move into bleached pulp production. New machinery was purchased and the site expanded. The purpose of the tall structure shown above was not provided; each row had six concrete or metal handles. G37.1-027

St. Regis Paper Co. (Tacoma); Paper industry--1930-1940; Lumber industry--1930-1940; Mills--Tacoma--1930-1940; Equipment;

Reconstruction and expansion of the St. Regis Kraft facility in the Tideflats was nearly completed in late December of 1936. The company had spent $1,000,000, a tidy sum in the Depression years, to update their large pulp plant to handle the production of bleached pulp. New machinery was purchased to deal with 25,000 short logs per hour, including electric saws to cut the logs into irregular-shaped chunks and machines to bark the logs before going to regular pulp chippers. The bleaching unit would be ready in early 1937. G34.1-104 (T.Times 10-14-36, p. 5-article; T.Times 11-25-36, p. 5-article)

St. Regis Paper Co. (Tacoma); Paper industry--1930-1940; Lumber industry--1930-1940; Mills--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Streetcar tracks head toward the waterfront in this December 30, 1936, photograph. Information on the picture states that it is "144 ft. to intersection No. 41st & Cheyenne Sts." There is a store or restaurant at the left which advertised the Olympic brand of milk, cream and ice cream. Photograph ordered by Tacoma Railway & Power Co. G58.1-022

Residential streets--Tacoma--1930-1940; Streets--Tacoma--1930-1940; Street railroad tracks--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Huge sheets of bleached pulp are being manufactured at the Tacoma St. Regis Kraft plant in February of 1937. The plant had recently reopened a few months ago after much remodeling and expansion. St. Regis was moving into the growing bleached pulp business. According to the Tacoma Times, five million board feet of giant hemlock logs were chewed into chips every month and converted into pulp to be used in the manufacture of paper. This meant that the Tacoma plant produced 150 tons of pulp daily; the whole process from sawing logs to chipping to cooking with chemicals, washed and dried and finally baling took about six hours. St. Regis Kraft was a wholly owned subsidiary of the St. Regis Paper Co. Pulp from Tacoma supplied the eastern paper mills of the St. Regis Paper Co. as well as being exported to foreign countries, including Japan. G37.1-061 (T.Times 1-27-37, p. 1, 5-articles on St. Regis)

St. Regis Paper Co. (Tacoma)--1930-1940; Paper industry--1930-1940; Lumber industry--1930-1940; Mills--Tacoma--1930-1940; Machinery;

Close-up of floating log rafts in the City (now Thea Foss) Waterway. These logs were probably destined for pulp production. Washington was third in the nation at this time in pulp producing. The abundance of hemlock and accessibility of water transportation plus low utility rates made Tacoma a prime location for the manufacture of pulp and other lumber products. Photograph taken in March of 1937. TPL-3236; G36.1-080 (T.Times 1,5-articles on pulp)

Logs; City Waterway (Tacoma);

St. Regis' floating log dump as viewed in early May of 1937. Docked nearby is the Japanese vessel, "Gyokoh Marudairen." In the distance are prominent city structures: the towers of City Hall, Pierce County Courthouse, and Central School and the Art-Deco styled Medical Arts Building. The floating logs will eventually be pulped and the product shipped via water to St. Regis' eastern paper mills and exported to foreign countries, including Japan. Japan was St. Regis' best customer at 35,000 tons annually. G37.1-010 (T.Times 1-27-37, p. 1-article on St. Regis)

Logs; Cargo ships--Japanese; Shipping--Tacoma--1930-1940; Cityscapes;

Young women, believed to be members of the YWCA, are packed into this unidentified hall in this October, 1920, photograph. It appears that they have just finished having dessert. This may be the conclusion of the membership campaign of Stadium and Lincoln High School Reserve clubs of the YWCA which culminated in a dinner held at the YWCA on Saturday night, October 16, 1920. New membership totals were 170 members at Stadium and 220 members at Lincoln. G46.1-176 (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 10-10-20, D-4-article on membership contest & upcoming dinner)

Young Women's Christian Association (Tacoma);

Warmed by a roaring fire in the fireplace, several children enjoy a good book in the children's reading room at the original Carnegie building of the Tacoma Public Library. During Childrens' Book Week, November 15-20th 1920, the room would be the center of the final oral contest of the campaign to introduce youngsters to the classics. 20,000 children in Pierce County would be participating in the written and oral competition based on "My Favorite Library Book." The prizes were beautifully bound copies of children's classics. The goal was to introduce great literature into the home, replacing the mass produced "dime novels." The Carnegie building was built in 1903 with funds donated by industrialist Andrew Carnegie. It was designed by the New York architectural firm of Jardine, Kent and Jardine. BU-11,819, G39.1-076, TPL-3846 (TDL 10/31/1920, pg. E-9)

Public libraries--Tacoma--1920-1930; Tacoma Public Library (Tacoma); Children--Tacoma--1920-1930; Reading--Tacoma--1920-1930; Books; Fireplaces--Tacoma--1920-1930;

In October of 1920, Al McCoy, one of the last farriers working in Tacoma posed beside "Big John," the veteran fire horse of the Tacoma Fire Department and one of McCoy's steady customers for 20 years. Mr. McCoy worked at the John A. Andrews Blacksmith Shop, located at 1330-32 Commerce St. "Big John" waited patiently for Mr. McCoy to fit his new shoes. He was no longer needed to pull Tacoma's fire wagons and Mrs. W.R. Rust and the Tacoma Humane Society had narrowly saved him from being sent to a glue factory. (TDL 10/3/1920 p.B-4) G66.1-119

Blacksmiths--Tacoma; McCoy, Al; John A. Andrews Blacksmith Shop (Tacoma); Forge shops--Tacoma; Horses--Tacoma--1920-1930;

A large crowd of soldiers are photographed leaving the (Liberty) Theatre at Camp Lewis in February of 1921. The men are bundled warmly against the cold and wet winter day. Movie posters partially obscured by the soldiers indicate that much laughter was on the bill with the silent-screen comedy team of (Eddie) Lyons and (Lee) Moran. G69.1-127 TPL-10310

Motion picture theaters--Camp Lewis; Crowds--Camp Lewis; Soldiers--Camp Lewis; Military life--Camp Lewis;

Here is the "Cinderella Coach" as it looked on July 28, 1920 when it rolled with its load of costumed kiddies through the streets of Tacoma's business district to a story telling festival in Wright Park. The children were dressed in Fairytale costumes, including a small bride and groom. Standing on the roof of the coach dressed as Cinderella's Fairy Godmother is Sarah Elizabeth Boland, daughter of photographer Marvin D. Boland. The festival in Wright Park, planned by the Tacoma Public Library and Community Service, featured 20 of the city's best story tellers and would attract 5000 eager listeners. According to a charming story in the July 25, 1920 Tacoma Sunday Ledger, Eleanor Hoyt, the small daughter of Mrs. Elwell H. Hoyt, first saw the potential in the dilapidated Tacoma Hotel coach and envisioned it as "Cinderella's Coach." Her mother, a member of the committee planning the storytelling, put forth a plan to carry children, including Eleanor, down Broadway and over to Wright Park. (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 7-28-1920, pg. 6- picture; 7-25-20, B-5) G66.1-117; TPL-9310

Carriages & coaches--Tacoma--1920-1930; Children--Tacoma--1920-1930; Boland, Sarah Elizabeth;

Construction on the new John Dower Lumber Company headquarters building at 733 East 11th Street began in late November, 1921. The company held an open house for the general public on March 11, 1922. The building, designed by Bullard & Mason, was one of the most unique lumber offices in the country. The finish on the exterior was designed to resemble a log house; the interior was finished in selected native woods, stained and varnished to bring out their natural colors. In 1922 the John Dower Lumber Company was one of the largest retail lumber companies in the United States. The St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Company purchased the Dower yard and headquarters building in 1942. BU-11057

Lumber industry--Tacoma--1920-1930; John Dower Lumber Company (Tacoma); Building construction--Tacoma--1920-1930;

The Seamen's Church Institute, in its various existences, has served thousands of sailors with both spiritual and material needs. This photograph, believed to have been taken in February of 1922, shows some of the visiting sailors enjoying some recreational downtime with a bit of piano music. The same men can be seen in Boland B5339. The clergyman in the rear is believed to be Rev. Harry Ferneyhough who had been the guiding force at the Institute for sixteen years. He was born in England and was a former sailor himself. Rev. Ferneyhough went daily to the harbor to greet ships and distribute handbills inviting sailors to visit the Institute. There would be no charge for food or any hospitality offered. (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 3-12-22, 10-E; TDL 3-14-22, p. 5-article)

Sailors; Seamen's Church Institute (Tacoma); Charitable organizations--Tacoma--1920-1930; Pianos;

A small barefoot child sits quietly on top of a wooden "trough" as four men behind it work in the fields in this August, 1922, photograph. Farm houses and barns can be spotted in the distance. Marvin Boland had taken several photographs of agricultural scenes in Pierce County that year, a time when there was still much farming being done locally. G6.1-046

Plants; Farms;

1922 agricultural scenes in the Puyallup Valley. View of berry fields taken on a sunny day in August of 1922. These are believed to be raspberry fields. Later, a front page article in the October 17, 1922, News Tribune called Puyallup the "Queen of Berry Growers." The valley's rich, fertile soil meant that red raspberries and Evergreen blackberries could grow abundantly. G6.1-049 (TNT 10-17-22, p. 1-article)

Plants; Berries; Raspberries;

A young girl makes acquaintance with a nodding sunflower in this August, 1922, photograph. Before her is an enormous field with more plants and in the background, an unidentified farm and outlying buildings. This farm is believed to have been in the Puyallup Valley. G6.1-011

Farms; Sunflowers; Plants;

A roadside sign provided by the Auto Club of Washington welcomes visitors to Kitsap County although the particular Dodge touring car pictured above in the spring of 1923 seems to be departing, rather than continuing through the countryside. The vehicle, with at least two passengers, had dealer plates and was occupied by an intrepid News Tribune reporter on his way to Bremerton via the "Army-Navy highway" from Gig Harbor. The News Tribune sought to convince readers that it was possible to take an enjoyable ride to Bremerton by taking the ferry from Point Defiance to Gig Harbor and then motoring on fairly comfortable country roads. The Dodge automobile pictured above had stopped at the signpost designating the boundary line between Pierce and Kitsap County probably on its way back. (TNT 4-4-23, p. 17)

Traffic signs & signals; Dodge automobile;