ca. 1892. The Owen Woods' Building at 1148 Broadway is pictured here shortly after its completion in 1892. It was designed by architects Roath & Mendell with Michael McDonnell as contractor. The building was available for rent at the time of this photograph and interested parties could contact the Tacoma Rent Guaranty Co. The Arcade Store, and later the McCormack Brothers Dept. Store, occupied the building before Sears, Roebuck & Co. purchased it in 1935. Sears added two adjacent buildings to its store during expansion. The building was restored and renamed the Cornerstone Building in 1982.

Department stores--Tacoma--1890-1900;

Circa 1910.

• Built in 1892, the Owen Woods building at 1148 Broadway is now known as the Cornerstone Building. circa 1908.
• Printed on front: Looking North from C. and 13th.

The Sears store, ordered by Fairchild Publications. The entrance to the service station can be seen at the rear of the building. Elevated parking center at 1140-50 Court C.

Sears, Roebuck & Co. (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Sears, Roebuck and Company style show on main floor. Eight children, two boys and six girls, dressed in spring outfits. Group portrait taken with children atop a cabinet and in front of spring decorated column.

Six Sears, Roebuck employees appear to be happily gazing at a check or benefit statement from their employer in this March, 1953, photograph. D.A. Anderson, manager of Sears Tacoma, presents Connie Vaughn, newest member to the profit sharing plan, her annual statement. Sears offered profit sharing as one of their many employer-paid benefits to all regular employees after a year's employment. A poster on the wall behind the employees shows some of the benefits covered by the company; besides profit sharing, these included paid vacation and holidays, group life insurance, group hospitalization and employee discounts. A second poster displays a map locating Sears retail and factory stores nationwide and indicates the possibility for unlimited advancement. (TNT 3-7-53, p. 7)

Sears, Roebuck & Co. (Tacoma)--Employees--1950-1960; Employee fringe benefits; Posters; Anderson, D.A.; Vaughn, Connie;

Interior exposure of mannequin and refrigerator for Sears and Roebuck. A mannequin in an apron and fold out penguins advertise the newest Coldspot refrigerator at Sears. The refrigerator has a serve shelf- bonus space in the door to store small foods, a chiller- extra cold storage for meats and a crisper and "vegedrator"- to keep fruits and vegetables firm and flavorful. All three innovations are still used on modern refrigerators.

Sears, Roebuck & Co. (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma--1950-1960; Refrigerators--1950-1960; Mannequins;

Mrs. N. Earl Davison at Sears with daughter Joanne, 13, and son Steve, 11, are looking at a table saw for a possible Christmas gift. Joanne smiles at her brother as she sticks her finger through a small hole in the rough board. Sears, like now, carried a wide variety of items for sale including home tools.

Saws; Davison, N. Earl--Family; Sears, Roebuck & Co. (Tacoma); Shopping--Tacoma--1950-1960; Children shopping--Tacoma--1950-1960;

View of alley entrance to Sears, Roebuck's multi-tiered parking lot. As the large sign above the parking lot's entrance indicted, Sears offered their customers one hour of free parking from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. This was a new concept to attract more customers to Sears; even in the summer of 1951, downtown parking was at a premium and parking congestion becoming prevalent. New keys could also be made at the garage's entrance with only a minute's delay.

Sears, Roebuck & Co. (Tacoma); Parking garages--Tacoma; Parking lots--Tacoma--1950-1960; Signs (Notices);

A Sears, Roebuck employee demonstrates a new television console to a young Tacoma family in August, 1951. A similar television with rectangular screen is on sale for $259. Sears was having a sale on household appliances and furnishings with low down payments advertised. A sign on the wall indicates that a 15% down payments would be accepted. Several refrigerators are lined up just a few short steps away. TPL-5046

Sears, Roebuck & Co. (Tacoma); Televisions--1950-1960; Children watching television; Refrigerators; Selling--Tacoma; Sales personnel--Tacoma;

A well dressed family marches into Sears in the summer of 1951. In a photograph shot for advertising purposes, a sign denoting "New lower down payments" on household appliances is prominently displayed to attract such customers to enter the building. What appears to be a mangler with lid is selling for $124.95 and other appliances can be glimpsed close to entrances and windows. TPL-2530

Sears, Roebuck & Co. (Tacoma); Signs (Notices); Business enterprises--Tacoma--1950-1960;

This publicity photograph for a Tacoma Tigers game against Salem was taken on July 17,1950. Floyd (Lefty) Isekite, one of the great southpaws of the Western International League, demonstrates a pitching grip for Clarence Stave. Stave, peering over his sunglasses, was a retired umpire. Earl Kuper, at the far right, had been a catcher and manager for the Tigers. The three committeemen were promoting Tacoma Athletic Club night, August 1, at Tiger Stadium. (TNT 7-23-50, B-7)

Baseballs; Baseball players--Tacoma--1950-1960; Sporting goods; Isekite, Floyd; Stave, Clarence; Kuper, Earl;

20 trucks at store, Sears Roebuck & Company, Mr. Moore. Trucks from L.M. Jezek Trucking are lined up in the parking lot at Sears, Roebuck and Company. They were used to transfer merchandise from the local Sears store to Seattle. A labor dispute had kept ten Tacoma stores closed for more than five weeks and no progress was being made as to the opening of the retail department stores. Several men are standing out of the rain under the overhang on the key maker's station.(T.Times, 9/16/1948, p.13) TPL-9609

Sears, Roebuck & Co. (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma--1940-1950; Trucks--Tacoma--1940-1950; Retail trade strikes--Tacoma--1940-1950;

ca. 1943. Packed from wall to wall with customers, Sears and Roebuck Company's sale on alarm clocks was a huge success. This crowd was photographed circa 1943.

Sears, Roebuck & Co. (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma--1940-1950; Crowds--Tacoma--1940-1950; Shopping--Tacoma--1940-1950;

ca. 1943. Crowd lined-up on sidewalk at Sears, Roebuck and Company for sale on alarm clocks in this circa 1943 photograph. The department store advertised as "Tacoma's Modern Store" featured an updated facade of stucco with a black glass tiled corner entry. Hooded street lamp.

Sears, Roebuck & Co. (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma--1940-1950; Crowds--Tacoma--1940-1950; Queues--Tacoma; Shopping--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Herman Walker of the Hilltop Multi-Service Center watched in December of 1968 as Sherwin Williams prepared to insert a letter holding a donation to the Opportunity & Development, Inc. Christmas party for the underprivileged into the special mailbox at the Tacoma Sears store. Young Audrey Kinlow, in suit and tie, looked on. Tacomans in 1968 were asked to make Christmas happier for thousands of youngsters by contributing to the anti-poverty unit's annual Christmas party to be held on December 21st at McCarver Elementary School. Twelve special handmade mailboxes were placed in Sears, Puget Sound National Bank and Bank of Washington's main offices, and other locations . No postage was needed for these special letters; Herman Walker of the Hilltop Multi-Service Center (above) acted as Santa's special postmaster. (Photograph ordered by Tacoma-Pierce County Opportunity & Development, Inc.) (TNT 12-11-68, A-12)

Walker, Herman; Williams, Sherwin; Kinlow, Audrey; Sears, Roebuck & Co. (Tacoma); Mailboxes--Tacoma; Correspondence; Fund raising--Tacoma--1960-1970;

On December 4, 1968, Mrs. Ann Walker and Harry Birmingham, the Tacoma Sears Department Store manager, alerted Santa to all the upcoming festivities planned for the second annual Tacoma-Pierce County Opportunity & Development Christmas party for underprivileged children. Mrs. Walker and Mr. Birmingham were committee members for the event. They showed Santa a sample of the 6,000 pledge cards being prepared to seek donations for the party. Funds from the pledge cards would provide gifts, toys, clothing, and a scrumptious turkey dinner for 3,000 youngsters on December 21st. The cards were targeted toward citizens, church groups, schools, service clubs, granges and civic organizations. Mr. Birmingham also prepared 20 special Santa mailboxes for supermarkets and other locations in Pierce County where pledge cards could be returned. (Photograph ordered by Tacoma-Pierce County Opportunity & Development, Inc.) (TNT 12-8-68, A-20)

Walker, Ann; Birmingham, Harry; Sears, Roebuck & Co. (Tacoma); Santa Claus--Tacoma; Fund raising--Tacoma--1960-1970;

As part of the publicity for the War Bond drive held in July of 1942 by the retail stores in Tacoma, Madlyn Piper, dressed in white and wearing a military type "overseas" cap marked "I'm Selling Stamps and Bonds," was photographed selling war bonds to Harry Satterlee, an officer of the Teamsters Union, on the roof of Sears Store. On the first day of the sale, July 1st, $21,000 worth of bonds were purchased by the members of four unions, Machinists, Retail Clerks, Cooks & Waiters and Teamsters. On the kickoff day, for 15 minutes (12-12:15p.m.) nothing was sold city wide except bonds. (T. Times 7/1/1942 p.9)

Piper, Madlyn; Satterlee, Harry; War bonds & funds; World War, 1939-1945--Economic aspects of war--Tacoma;

Six women wearing military type "overseas" caps marked "I'm Selling Stamps and Bonds" with a "Tacoma Retail Stamp and Bond Sales - July" chart outside Sears, Roebuck and Company. The Tacoma salesgirls were posing for publicity pictures announcing the kickoff July 1, 1942 of the Tacoma Retail Stores Bond and Stamp Sale. The sales goal for July was $1,723,693. Pictured left to right are Rose Colombini, Madlyn Piper, Arline Keller, Nancy Carlson, C lella McElroy and Radie Cramer. (T. Times 6/30/1942, pg. 1; 7/1/1942 p.9)

World War, 1939-1945--Economic aspects of war--Tacoma; War bonds & funds--Tacoma--1940-1950; Colombini, Rose; Piper, Madlyn; Keller, Arlene; Carlson, Nancy; Cramer, Radie; Department stores--Tacoma; Sears, Roebuck & Co. (Tacoma);

Five volunteer War Savings Bonds salesgirls, (lt to rt) Rose Colombini, Madlyn Piper, Arlene Johnson Keller, Nancy Carlson and Radie Cramer, posed with one of the Bond sales booths used in Tacoma in July, 1942. The War Bond quota for Pierce County for July of 1942 was $1,723,693. Bonds were sold throughout Tacoma from "Victory Booths" set up both inside stores and on the sidewalks in front of stores. On the first day of the sale nothing could be sold in Tacoma stores, with the exception of restaurants, from 12 noon to 12:15 except bonds. On the first day of July, Tacoma unions bought $21,000 worth of bonds. (T. Times 6/30/1942, pg. 1- picture, 7/1/1942 p.9)

World War, 1939-1945--Economic aspects of war--Tacoma; War bonds & funds--Tacoma--1940-1950; Colombini, Rose; Piper, Madlyn; Keller, Arlene; Carlson, Nancy; Cramer, Radie;

Six women pose in front of the Sears Roebuck and Company building at 1148 Broadway with a July war bond thermometer chart, prepared to "heat up" the Tacoma Retail Stores Bond & Stamp Sale to be held throughout July 1942. The salesgirls each wear a cap marked "I'm Selling Stamps and Bonds." Pictured standing are, left to right, Madlyn Piper, Rose Colombini, Arline Keller,and Radie Cramer. Kneeling are, left to right, C lella McElroy and Nancy Carlson. The retail sales bond goal for July was $1,723,693. Sears opened their store on Broadway in May of 1936. They were a major retail presence downtown until they moved to the Tacoma Mall in 1981. (TNT 6/30/42, pg. 9-picture, T. Times 6/30/1942, pg. 1 & 7/1/1942, p.9)

World War, 1939-1945--Economic aspects of war--Tacoma; War bonds & funds--Tacoma--1940-1950; Colombini, Rose; Piper, Madlyn; Keller, Arlene; Carlson, Nancy; Cramer, Radie; Department stores--Tacoma; Sears, Roebuck & Co. (Tacoma);

As publicity for the Retail War Bond drive held in July of 1942, Madlyn Piper, clad in a white dress and wearing a military type "overseas" cap marked "I'm Selling Stamps and Bonds," is pictured selling bonds to Harry Satterlee, right, an officer of the Teamsters Union, on the roof of Sears Store. The man on the left is unidentified. Members of four of Tacoma's Unions purchased a total of $21,000 of war bonds on the first day of the sale, July 1st. They were the Machinists, Retail Clerks, Cooks & Waiters and Teamsters. (TNT 7/1/42, pg. 11- picture (cropped); T. Times 7/1/1942 p.9)

Piper, Madlyn; Satterlee, Harry; War bonds & funds; World War, 1939-1945--Economic aspects of war--Tacoma;

On September 24, 1941, two unidentified young girls were photographed with three dogs at the Sears Roebuck store, 1148 Broadway, to help promote National Dog Week. The girl at the left held a beagle pup; the one at the right, a cocker spaniel. Between them, sitting on the counter, was a grown cocker spaniel. National Dog Week was founded in 1928 by Captain Will Judy, a noted judge and former publisher of Dog World Magazine, to promote dog ownership and better dog care. (T. Times)

Sears, Roebuck & Co. (Tacoma); Dogs;