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;

Kruger's Triple XXX Root Beer Barrel drive-in restaurant in South Tacoma. On June 4, 1941, six young carhops in uniforms and boots lined up in front of the building with neon signs on cornice and giant root beer barrels on roof. There are automobiles parked in front of restaurant which was owned and operated by Frank J. Kruger. It had celebrated its grand opening in October of 1936. The drive-in was sold to Bill and Thelma Busch in 1943 and became familiarly known as Busch's Round Table Restaurant.

Drive-in restaurants--Tacoma--1940-1950; Triple XXX Barrel (Tacoma); Restaurant workers--Tacoma--1940-1950;

ca. 1979. The Carlton Hotel, circa 1979. The Carlton was built in 1909 by Anton Huth, from a design by architect C.A. Darmer. The hotel was also home to the Barbary Coast restaurant.

Carlton Hotel (Tacoma); Hotels--Tacoma;

ca. 1979. Unidentified barber shop circa 1979. The shop is believed to be the Asako Barbershop, 1552 Market St.

Barbershops--Tacoma--1970-1980;

ca. 1979. A hand-lettered sign in the window above a boarded up pane advertises the location as "Kurt's Carpet," address unknown, while a more substantial sign notifies passerbys that the store is patrolled by K-9 Police dogs.

Security systems; Kurt's Carpet (Tacoma);

ca. 1979. Formally attired mannequins inhabit the windows at Huseby's Tux-N-Tails.

Huseby's Tux-N-Tails (Tacoma); Window displays--Tacoma; Mannequins; Wedding clothing & dress;

ca. 1979. In 1979, the Barbary Coast occupied much of the ground floor of the Carlton Hotel,

Carlton Hotel (Tacoma);

ca. 1979. Antique barber chair in an unidentified barbershop, circa 1979. Decorations on the wall feature barber poles and the slogan "Ask for Wildroot." Wildroot Cream Oil hair tonic was preferred by barbers and comic strip character Dick Tracy. By the late seventies when this picture was taken, these items would already be collector's items.

Barbershops--Tacoma--1970-1980;

ca. 1979. Architectural detail on the Samson Hotel, 1152-56 Fawcett Ave.

Samson Hotel (Tacoma); Apartment houses--Tacoma;

ca. 1979. The ornate outline of the Samson Hotel, 1152-56 Fawcett Ave., shows clearly against a more modern office building in this Cysewski picture from 1979. The Hotel was built in 1889 from a design by F.A. Sexton and was converted to apartments in 1928. After several fires, the building was demolished in 1989. The site, in 2007, is a vacant lot.

Samson Hotel (Tacoma); Apartment houses--Tacoma;

ca. 1979. Mosaic tile work in front of the lot where the Maple Leaf Hotel was formerly located, 1546-48 Broadway. The Maple Leaf was last listed under that name in 1911; the building was demolished in 1957.

Maple Leaf Hotel (Tacoma); Mosaic pavements--Tacoma--1979-1980;

ca. 1979. Sidewalk leading up along the side of the C. St. Cafe and the rear of the cafe, circa 1979.

C St. Cafe (Tacoma); Restaurants--Tacoma--1970-1980;

Back of Photo:
John Duras, owner/operator of the Jubilee Hamburger Restaurant waits on customers.
Geff Hinds - Photo

Back of Photo:
Charlotte Cline, owner of the Little Park Restaurant in Spanaway, wonders if the bar stools will ever fill again after the hepatitis scare at her establishment recently.
News - Severson
Bruce Larson Photo

Back of Photo:
News
Marlene Tenzler is just waiting for the auctioneer to auction off Bullwinkle and his friends, because she said she has five grandchildren. The public auction was held in the former Bullwinkle's Family Food N Fun theater and restaurant at 2424 S. 320th St. in Federal Way today.
She didn't buy the moose. Winning bidder spent more than $4,000 for the sculptured pieces and equipment.
Photo by Russ Carmack

Barry Frocks, women's clothier. Night view of store with lighted neon sign and display windows. Mannequins sport the most recent fashions in the display windows; coats, hats, suits and dresses. Floral bouquets fill the area just inside the front entry. TPL-2520

Clothing stores--Tacoma--1940-1950; Barry Frocks (Tacoma); Mannequins; Window displays; Dresses; Coats;

Sherwin-Williams Paint and Interior Decorating Store, interior view, as photographed in February of 1946.

Sherwin-Williams Paint Co. (Tacoma); Paints & varnishes; Paint industry--Tacoma; Merchandise displays--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);

Rhodes Department Store fabric section.

Business Enterprises - Department Stores - Tacoma - Rhodes Brothers - Fabric Department

Rhodes Department Store corset shop. Undergarments are stacked neatly on two tables in this photograph dated April 29, 1946.

Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma--1940-1960; Lingerie; Corsets;

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;

The staff of The Steak House posed for this photogragh on March 24, 1945 shortly after it expanded by taking over an adjoining building. The Steak House was located at 2622-24 No. Proctor, across the street from the Proctor (now Blue Mouse) Theater. At the time this picture was taken, it was owned by Ted Clark. It closed in the mid-50s.

Restaurant workers--Tacoma; Restaurants--Tacoma; Waitresses--Tacoma; Cooks; Uniforms; Steak House (Tacoma);

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);