This is how the Interurban Terminal, 702 A St., looked on July 13, 1925 from the alley & 8th Street. The Tacoma-Olympia bus, or auto stage, was parked along the side waiting for connecting passengers. In the right rear was a side view of Puget Sound Electric Railway No. 516. Partially viewed to the left of #516 was one of the Tacoma Railway & Power's Stone & Webster 200 cars used on McKinley Ave. Puget Sound Electric Company began interurban line service between Tacoma and Seattle in 1902. The direct (limited) service, with stops only at Kent and Auburn, left every hour on the half hour between 7:30 a.m. and 6:35p.m. The local left every hour 6 a.m. -8 p.m., with 2 later streetcars, service ending at 11:35p.m. Locals stopped at all way stations. TPL-2932; G66.2-032 ("To Tacoma By Trolley" by Warren W. Wing; "Tacoma by Trolley" trolley schedule by McCormack Bros. Inc.)
Puget Sound Electric Railway (Tacoma); Mass transit--Tacoma--1920-1930; Electric railroads--1920-1930; Buses--Tacoma--1920-1930; Transportation facilities--Tacoma--1920-1930; Bus terminals--Tacoma;
Passengers on the Puget Sound Electric Railway peer out as it is crossing the bridge over the Duwamish River on July 13, 1925. Power to operate the railway was supplied by wires overhead in the cities and by third rail in more rural areas. Puget Sound Electric Co. began the interurban line service between Tacoma and Seattle in September of 1902. The following year, the company also bought Tacoma Railway & Power Co. PSE went out of business in 1928 due to the competition created by trucks and steam railroads. G66.2-033 ("To Tacoma By Trolley" by Warren W. Wing; "Tacoma by Trolley" trolley schedule by McCormack Bros. Inc.; Wikipedia-article on the Puget Sound Electric Railway)
Puget Sound Electric Railway (Tacoma); Mass transit--Tacoma--1920-1930; Electric railroads--1920-1930; Railroad bridges--1920-1930;
Baseball Team, Battery "F," 143rd Field Artillery California National Guard, Camp Lewis. July 17, 1925. (WSHS)
Camp Lewis (Wash.); Military camps--Tacoma--1920-1930; California National Guard, Battery F, 143rd Field Artillery (Camp Lewis); Baseball players--Camp Lewis--1920-1930;
Railroad tracks within St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. complex, part of series taken for court evidence on July 17, 1925. Assorted buildings in the distance; boards outdoors in the open. G36.1-161
Railroad tracks--Tacoma--1920-1930; St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma);
Closer view of railroad crossing at St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. complex in July of 1925. A large sign warns of a railroad crossing and limits speed to 12 mph. The crossing is outside the company's planing mill. Photograph taken for court evidence. G36.1-157
Signs (Notices); Railroad crossings--Tacoma--1920-1930; Railroad tracks--Tacoma--1920-1930; St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma);
On July 17, 1925, a series of photographs were taken at the St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. complex for court evidence. Here three men stand on or near railroad tracks. Logs are stacked nearby. G36.1-162
Railroad tracks--Tacoma--1920-1930; St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma);
Railroad crossing on E. 11th St. near the St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. mill. A sign warns drivers and pedestrians of a railroad crossing and restricts speed to 12 mph. This photograph was taken for court evidence on July 17, 1925. G57.1-109
Railroad crossings--Tacoma--1920-1930; Railroad tracks--Tacoma--1920-1930; Signs (Notices); St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma);
This unidentified man standing on a flatbed section being hauled by a tractor-like vehicle in July of 1925 was possibly an employee of Cooney Transfer & Storage Co. Behind the man are three large transformers to be used by the City. Photograph ordered by Cooney Transfer & Storage Co. G43.1-043
Caption on photograph reads "The Bodyguard Escorting His Royal Highness 'The Umpire.' July 19, 1925." Members of the Kuh-Ala-Dagh Lodge of the Dramatic Order Knights of Khorassan (DOKK), a Seattle temple, held a summer picnic on the shores of Spanaway Lake at the home of C.G. Grosser on July 19, 1925. The featured event was a baseball game. Mr. Grosser served as the umpire and was zealously guarded by an escort of seven young "DOKKIES" with rifles on their shoulders. The escort remained during the game. The DOKK is a Knights of Pythias side degree identified by its lean toward comedy. (WSHS) TNT 7/20/1925, pg. 3
Fraternal organizations--Tacoma; Play (Recreation)--1920-1930; Knights of Pythias (Tacoma); Dramatic Order Knights of Khorassan (Seattle); Baseball umpires--Tacoma;
Doctors and other medical personnel at Cushman Hospital appear to be preparing a patient for surgery under an array of bright lights on July 23, 1925. Cushman was a veterans hospital located at 2002 E. 28th St., the former grounds of the Puyallup Indian School. The government had built a modern hospital with up-to-date equipment to be used on ailing ex-servicemen. G30.1-001
Hood St. Reservoir. The Hood St. Reservoir, as pictured in July of 1925, was in a serene setting at South 32nd and Yakima near the Holy Rosary Catholic Church. It would serve South Tacoma and other low-lying districts only. In the reservoir's foreground is an aerator which is putting oxygen in the water to aid in the prevention of growth of anaerobic bacteria. The large concrete lined basin had a capacity of 13 million gallons of water. The reservoir, which can be seen over one side of the Yakima/Thompson Bridge, is now capped. (Reiter: South Tacoma; TNT 7-27-25, p. 5) G43.1-106
Hood Street Reservoir (Tacoma); Reservoirs--Tacoma--1920-1930; Holy Rosary Church (Tacoma);
Veterans undergoing treatment at Cushman Hospital. Two men appear to be getting help for their backs on July 23, 1925, in Cushman Hospital's treatment room. A third man, barefoot, stares at a machine equipped with a gauge. Cushman would close as a veterans hospital in 1928 and reopen shortly thereafter to aid Indians with tuberculosis. G30.1-002
6th Engineers from Camp Lewis and their guests are crowded onto a pontoon bridge extending into an unidentified lake on July 23, 1925. Rowboats/canoes with oars can be seen in the foreground. The men on the far right are carrying plates of food as it appears that people will be enjoying dining alfresco. G70.1-014
Pontoon bridges; Lakes & ponds; Military personnel;
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;
Dressed in then fashionable bathing suits, employees of the National Bank of Tacoma held their annual picnic at the DeKoven Inn on the east side of Lake Steilacoom in August of 1925. The National Bank of Tacoma was one of the oldest banks in Tacoma. Although the DeKoven Inn, which previously had been a boys' school, was destroyed by a fire on August 2, 1925 the resorts dance and banquet hall was saved. It became the new Inn and much of the property formerly belonging to the Inn was subdivided and sold. (WSHS- negative A916-0) (TNT 8/13/1925, pg. 23-article on Inn)
Bathing suits--1920-1930; DeKoven Inn (Lakewood); National Bank of Tacoma (Tacoma)--Employees;
Members of Tacoma's Drama League spend a lazy August day in 1925, paddling an Indian dug-out at the Olympus Manor on Hood Canal. A float plane rests on the water behind them. The Olympus Manor was begun in 1918 by local art instructor, world traveler and friend of the famous Orre N. Nobles. It was located on Hood Canal two miles northeast of Union. By the 1920's, the 16 room retreat was frequented by the local summer art colony and scores of the famous. It was decorated with Nobles' invaluable collection of Tibetan and Oriental art, furniture and artifacts. The two story retreat was destroyed by fire in 1952. No one was hurt, but the building and its priceless collection was destroyed and never rebuilt. (Shelton-Mason County Journal 7/31/1952; 8/7/1952) (photograph from the Erna Tilley Collection)
Olympus Manor (Hood Canal); Tacoma Drama League (Tacoma); Canoes; Nobles, Orre--Homes & haunts;
A gaggle of school children show off their bottles of Orange Kist as they celebrate Orange Kist Week in front of the Bostwick Building's Smith Flower Shop on August 1, 1925. Orange Kist Week ran from July 31-August 6th. A Ford truck donated by Edward Leonard, Ford dealership, was decorated with a large Orange Kist bottle and featured promotions for the new soda drink daily. On Saturday, August 1st, "Old Home Week," a comedy starring Thomas Meighan, was playing at the Rialto. George Greenlund, manager of the theater, arranged to serve 500-1000 cases of ice-cold Orange Kist at 9th & Broadway. As part of the formal introduction of Columbia Brewing Co.'s new product, 3000 bottles of the soda would be given away every day for a week at various locations, including stores and baseball games. (TNT 7-31-25, p. 6) G33.1-064
Children eating & drinking--Tacoma--1920-1930; Carbonated beverages; Signs (Notices); Ford trucks;
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;
Traveling on the Tacoma-Seattle Highway, photographer Marvin Boland captured views of rural communities such as the one pictured above on August 2, 1925. His notes indicate it was called "Woodmot," but this may have actually been the Woodmont Beach area located in South King County. Here a rustic bridge leads to several wood framed houses. G28.1-062
Henry Mill in Old Town. A new and very modern mill opened in Old Town on July 20, 1925, located on the waterfront at 3001 North Starr St. Henry Mill & Timber Co. would remain in business there until 1945 when it was taken over by the Tacoma Lumber Fabricating Co. During WWII, Henry Mill became active in prefabricated structures for the military. They specialized in bridges and hangars. TPL-2048; G36.1-143B
The Henry Mill & Timber Co. had just begun operating in late July of 1925, just about two weeks before this photograph of the plant's exterior was taken. The plant took over two years to build due to difficulty in preparing the foundation. Built on the 26-acre waterfront site of the old Tacoma Mill Co., the sawmill was designed to use the most modern equipment. It started with a head saw, edger and trimmer. Finished products could be easily transported via ship or nearby railroad tracks. G36.1-143A (TNT 7-20-25, p. 16-article)
On August 4, 1925, John B. "Kelly" Carlton was photographed outside the Pierce County Courthouse while enjoying a refreshing Orange Kist soda. "Kelly" was the "keeper of the key to the county cooler" as he was the county jailer. Orange Kist, a new soda manufactured in Tacoma by the Columbia Brewing Company, was introduced to consumers in August, 1925, with a barrage of advertising and promotional stunts, including a free giveaway of thousands of cases of the soda. Prohibition had driven Tacoma's breweries out of beer and into other product lines. On August 3rd a big truck with 3,000 bottles of the new soda for free distribution had backed up to the Courthouse and unloaded its cargo right into Kelly's waiting, and thirsty, arms. G33.1-065; TPL-6208 (TNT 8/4/1925, pg. 7)
Carbonated beverages; Eating & drinking--Tacoma--1920-1930; Carlton, John B.; Columbia Brewing Co.--Associated objects; Pierce County Courthouse (Tacoma);
This is a view of tree-lined North "I" St. at 9th looking south in August of 1925. There are only two parked cars and one far away in the distance. One woman is waiting at the corner further down the block, perhaps for a streetcar to come as the streetcar tracks are clearly visible. Part of the apartment house soon to be known as the Biltmore Apartments can be seen on the left with its distinctive turret. G60.1-051
Residential streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Street railroad tracks--Tacoma--1920-1930; Apartment houses--Tacoma--1920-1930;
This home at 802 North Yakima Ave. was described by its architect, Kirtland Cutter, as a "quaint cottage in the German style of architecture" and not a design commonly seen in the Pacific Northwest. It was built originally for David K. Stevens in 1891. By 1925, it was the residence of civic leader and prominent businessman, Henry G. Shaw who had purchased the home from another pioneer businessman, John H. Scott. The house had been nominated as one of the most beautiful in the city in 1920. The apartment house in the background at 801-07 North "I" St. would be renamed the Biltmore Apartments in 1926. G28.1-129; BU10, 175
Large three-story plus daylight basement apartment house at the corner of 8th & North "I" St. This Queen Anne-styled building with turrets was to be renamed the Biltmore Apartments in 1926. It may have been called the Sound View Terrace Apartments prior to its renaming. The apartment house was built in 1889 with J.D. Warren as contractor and George A. Sumner as builder. Frederick A. Sexton was the architect. BU-10,522
