Pioneer pharmacists Ole B. Lien and Harry B. Selvig became partners in 1901 and opened a drug store at 1102 Tacoma Avenue South (later the address of the Tacoma Public Library) . In 1923, they moved across the street to the Charles Geiger Building, shown here. Behind the drugstore on South "G" was the Romanesque Pierce County Courthouse. Above the drugstore were the Palace Apartments where housekeeping and single rooms were available. Alongside the Lien & Selvig store on South 11th was the Florio True-Fit Tailor establishment. Lien, who had served Tacoma Avenue customers since 1894, died in 1933. Selvig died in 1944. New owners retained the Lien & Selvig name until the store closed in 1952 to make way for the County City Building facility. G56.2-062, BU-11463, TPL-6264
Construction - Winthrop Hotel. This steel column has been labeled #5 and would be used in the building of the Winthrop Hotel at 9th & Broadway in 1924. The column is believed to have been manufactured by the Star Iron & Steel Co. of Tacoma.
Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma)--Construction; Building construction--Tacoma--1920-1930;
Located ten miles south of Tacoma on Pacific Highway SW , Mammy's Cabin offered 1/2 Fried Spring Chicken on toast for a mere 50 cents. Their chicken and steak dinners were worth a drive on the "Camp Lewis Highway." Dozens of wooden tables and benches were available for dining alfresco under the grove of pine trees behind the small wood-framed restaurant. A huge log fire, seen smoking, continuously burned so patrons could gather around and converse. A phonograph with plenty of records was available on the porch so diners could select their own music. Mammy's Cabin, owned and operated by Mr. and Mrs. Edward C. Carrier, was open late each evening for those with fried chicken appetites. (scan from negative, no print on file) TPL-10530 (TNT 08-07-1924, B3)
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
Members of the Olympic Club, who were employees of the Olympic Ice Cream Co. and Velvet Ice Cream Co., celebrated their annual picnic at the Oaks on August 20, 1924. All, including the small children in attendance, had hats worn jauntily. The "Oaks" referred to on the banner above may have actually been the "Oakes," located on Lake Steilacoom. G34.1-148
Exterior view of the Tacoma Gas & Fuel plant. It is unclear whether this is the old Tacoma Gas & Fuel plant or perhaps the new plant located on 4 1/2 acres on South River Road. The company had begun construction of the new $250,000 plant in late 1923 which would include a 250,000 cubic feet gas tank. TPL-259; G35.1-048
Tacoma Gas & Fuel Co. (Tacoma); Fuel tanks; Storage tanks--Tacoma;
In September of 1924 the Sprague Building and its extension took up the whole block between South 15th Street and South 17th on the east side of Pacific Avenue. Built in 1888, the original Sprague Building was home to the Hotel Savoy in the 1920s when this photograph was taken. Later it was home to many businesses including the Croft Hotel in the 1930s, the Lutheran Welfare Mission & Service Club in the 1940s and the Full Gospel Tabernacle in the 1960s. It was torn down in the late 1960s. The Sprague Building Annex, now simply known as the Sprague Building, still stands at the corner of South 15th and Pacific. It is listed on both the city and national registers of historic buildings. Boland B10931, BU-10735;
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);
ca. 1924. The National Bank of Tacoma. Several men in overcoats gather around the exterior of the National Bank of Tacoma. The National Bank of Tacoma had its main branch at 1123 Pacific and two branches, one on "K" St. and one at 713 So. 38th St. (WSHS- negative A616-0)
National Bank of Tacoma (Tacoma); Banks--Tacoma--1920-1930;
ca. 1924. Tacoma Biscuit and Candy Company. Boxes of Skookum, Graham, and Snowflake crackers. The company was located at the corner of East F and 25th. Charles Hotchkiss was the president and J.G. Bassett was the manager. (WSHS)
ca. 1924. Advertising for products from the Tacoma Biscuit & Candy Co. On the left is a bag of "Eat-Mor Mammy's Sugar Cookies" and on the right is a container of "Everybody's Cracker Meal." The Tacoma Biscuit & Candy Co. was located at the corner of East F and 25th. Charles Hotchkiss was president and J.G. Bassett was manager. (WSHS)
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
Agency of the National Bank of Tacoma. A crowd is gathered at the door of the branch office of the National Bank of Tacoma, 713 So. 38th St., in the John Griffith building. On February 7, 1925, branch bank manager Harry Schmidt was shot in the back and robbed in front of the bank while transporting money by streetcar. The bandits made off in an automobile with $3400. The National Bank of Tacoma then closed both of its branch agencies, here and on K St., citing the lack of security available when transporting money and the risk to employees. The K St. branch had been robbed the previous December. (TDL 2/8/1925, pg. 1; TNT 2/7/1925, pg. 1- picture) (filed with Argentum)
National Bank of Tacoma (Tacoma); Banks--Tacoma--1920-1930;
This is what the intersection of South 33rd and "G" Sts. looked like the evening of March 18, 1925, at 6:13 p.m. The street in the foreground is "G" St. with several cars and a streetcar in the distance. Tacoma Steam Laundry is the large building to the left on South 33rd and Waddy's Battery Hospital and the Bye Thompson Motors (Ford dealership) across the street facing "G." Photograph ordered by Tacoma Rail & Power. G60.12-040; TPL-2417
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;
Winthrop Hotel. The 2 million dollar+ Winthrop Hotel was nearing completion by the end of March, 1925. Exterior work was finished in January of 1925 and hotel furnishings under way. It would have its much anticipated grand opening celebration in May.
Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma); Hotels--Tacoma--1920-1930;
Gig Harbor's Empress Theater, with its unusual "Moorish" architectural style, opened April 12, 1925, with the silent film "Miss Bluebeard" starring Bebe Daniels and Raymond Griffith. Contractor, and later architect, Gaston Lance designed the building which had a capacity of 450. Renamed the Blue Eagle, the theater closed in 1955, and was demolished a few years later. B12219, BU-10013, TPL-3843
Tommy's Produce Stand. Tommy's stall , located for several years in the Sanitary Public Market, 1108-14 Market St., sold fresh produce and plants grown locally. Employees of Tommy's posed next to the vegetable-laden tables in April of 1925. G39.1-140; TPL-5698,
Produce stands--Tacoma; Tommy's Produce Stand (Tacoma); Japanese American families--Tacoma; Japanese Americans--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;
Over 300 telephones scheduled to be installed at the new Hotel Winthrop posed around the two person switchboard. A desk telephone will stand on a table in each guest room. The Winthrop is the first hotel in Tacoma to have this type of instrument furnished throughout. The installation will require over 71 miles of lines, running through a 2 ft x 4 ft shaft extending perpendicularly from the basement to the private branch switchboard on the roof garden floor. These phones will bring the total number of phones in Tacoma to over 23,000. TPL-460 (TNT 5/16/1925, pg 3) print filed under A 1003
Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma); Telephones--1920-1930; Telephone switchboards;
Genevieve Brophy (left) and Anna Fuchs, employees of the main central office of the Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Co., sit at the new Hotel Winthrop switchboard surrounded by 300 desk telephones. After the telephones and switchboard were installed, the Hotel Winthrop became the first Tacoma hotel to have a telephone in every room. The switchboard was located on the roof garden floor of the hotel in a private room set apart from public view. It was staffed by four young women and chief operator Mrs. Johanna Hicks, who maintained the hotel's service 24 hours a day, seven days a week. (TNT 5/16/1925, pg 3) negative A1001-0, TPL-9971
Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma); Telephones--1920-1930; Telephone switchboards; Brophy, Genevieve; Fuchs, Anna;
Genevieve Brophy (left) and Anna Fuchs, employees of the main central office of the Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Co., show off the new switchboard at the Hotel Winthrop. They are surrounded by a few of the 300 telephones being installed at the Winthrop. When the installation was complete, the Winthrop became the first Tacoma hotel to have a telephone in every room. The switchboard was located on the roof garden floor of the hotel in a private room set apart from public view. (TNT 5/16/1925, pg 3) (WSHS, also Argentum)
Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma); Telephones--1920-1930; Telephone switchboards; Brophy, Genevieve; Fuchs, Anna;
In May of 1925, J.B. Ness posed with his new Overland Blue Bird touring car in front of his Ness Service Station No. 1, 3802 Pacific Ave. He recently purchased the auto from the Raudenbush Motor Co., Overland and Willys-Knight dealers, through their salesman W.A. Court. Mr. Court was pictured here beside an Overland coupe sedan. Mr. Ness tested the power of his new auto up the infamous South K St. hill climb from Center Street. Mr. Ness also operated a second service station at South 60th St. & Union Ave. (TDL 5/17/1925, pg. G-3)
Ness Service Station No. 1 (Tacoma); Automobile service stations--Tacoma--1920-1930; Overland automobile;
Pacific Tel & Tel Co. at 1101 Fawcett Ave., interior. A long row of women are seated before their switchboards in this June of 1925 photograph while the women standing behind them are perhaps giving instruction. Telephone operators for decades were primarily women. (scan from negative, no print on file) TPL-10529
On June 22, 1925, Hazel Green, right, and Arline Abel posed boldly in front of the Rialto Theater, clutching pipes in their mouths. They were demonstrating the newest fad, how young ladies were discarding their cigarettes in favor of pipes. The women were performers in the Ziegfeld Follies "Phantograph" advertised on the sign boards. The Follies novelty act preceded the movie and starred six beautiful bathing beauties, a comedian and a German police dog in a live action skit. Each audience member was given an early form of 3-D glasses that brought them up close and personal with the action. Viewers ducked falling ladders and water from the garden hose, screaming and laughing. The act was followed by the feature film "If I Marry Again." (TNT 6/24/1925, pg. 6- picture; TDL 6/21/1925, pg. H-3) g65.1-086 BU-11,224 (filed)
In June of 1925, Mike Marush posed in front of his store, the Marush Fish Co., with the King Salmon believed to be the largest ever caught in local waters on hook and line. The huge fish, weighing in at 47 lbs. dressed, was caught by G.C. Crawford of Gig Harbor at a point known as the "mouth of Gig Harbor," not far from the Narrows. The salmon fought for an hour, almost capsizing the boat. TNT 6/23/1925, pg. 16 (BU12230, Boland #B12818)
From July 26-30, 1925, the Washington State College extension service offered their second annual vacation camp to Western Washington farm women. The camp was held at Lincoln High School. Fifty farm women, representing different home economics or community organizations, learned about home management, nutrition and sewing. One of the favorite classes was this one, demonstrating the making of children's hats. (WSHS) (TNT 7/28/1925, pg. 1)
The John Ford western, "The Iron Horse." was showing at the Rialto Theatre in August of 1925. To help promote the movie, which took four years to make, the theater arranged for this Union Pacific "locomotive" to appear in Tacoma with 84-year-old famed Indian scout and interpreter Col. Alfred L. Chapman and his Chippewa wife, Princess Naggousaqua. Col. Chapman was present when the last spike was driven connecting the Central Pacific and Union Pacific lines. He also was instrumental in securing the services of some 800 Native Americans for the film and aided in the direction of an important movie scene. The "Iron Horse" dealt with the trials and tribulations of construction of the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railways to the west. It starred George O'Brien and Madge Bellamy and could be seen for a mere 50 cents for adults and a dime for children. (T.Times 8-17-25, p. 1)
Rialto Theatre (Tacoma); Publicity photographs; Chapman, Alfred L.; Princess Naggousaqua;
This group portrait was taken in August of 1925 of the annual National Bank of Tacoma picnic at DeKoven Inn in Lakewood. DeKoven Inn was located on the east side of Lake Steilacoom, about 30 minutes from Tacoma. The photograph is of a large group of people seated at three picnic tables placed among fir trees, with a house, tent, outbuilding, and water tower in background. The Inn itself, which was formerly a boys' school, burned down on August 2, 1925. The dance and banquet hall was saved and became the new center of operation, catering primarily to day parties. Much of the land previously occupied by the Inn was subdivided and sold as lots for summer homes. (WSHS) (TNT 8/13/1925, pg. 23)
DeKoven Inn (Lakewood); Picnics--Lakewood--1920-1930; National Bank of Tacoma--People;
National Bank of Tacoma Annual Picnic at De Koven Inn. DeKoven Inn was located on the east side of Lake Steilacoom. Many people at picnic tables. The Inn itself burned down August 2, 1925; the dance and banquet hall was saved and became the new Inn. The family owned operation was downsized and much of their property on the Lake was subdivided and sold as residential. (filed with Argentum) (TNT 8/13/1925, pg. 23)
DeKoven Inn (Lakewood); Picnics--Lakewood--1920-1930; National Bank of Tacoma--People;
