ca. 1926. Automobile involved in accident in front of Western Auto Supply Company circa 1926. Large crowd gathered at scene. An overturned vehicle is pictured on the left, while a damaged vehicle is pictured to the right. Western Auto Supply opened a store in the Cornell House in 1922. (filed with Argentum)

Western Auto Supply Co. (Tacoma); Traffic accidents--Tacoma--1920-1930; Automobiles--Tacoma--1920-1930; Automobile equipment & supplies stores--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Staff at Western Auto Supply Company. The men are, standing left to right, H. F. Sturtridge, Cecil Albers, William McCallum and Arnold Blatt. Kneeling are, left to right, John Davis and Willis Peters. (T. Times, 7/13/1938, pg. 2).

Western Auto Supply Co. (Tacoma)--People; Commercial facilities--Tacoma--1930-1940; Automobile equipment & supplies--Tacoma--1930-1940;

This was how the Western Auto Supply Co., located at 715-17 Pacific Ave., appeared on July 11, 1938. Western Auto had operated at this same location near 8th and Pacific for about twenty years. They started out with a small storeroom on the corner and expanded steadily. Their newest business venture was a service department that worked on customers' cars. The entrance was located to the left in the photo. Personnel at the downtown store included manager H.F. Sturtridge, William McCallum, John Davis, Cecil Albers, Arnold Blatt and Willis Peters. (T. Times 7/13/1938, pg. 2)

Western Auto Supply Co. (Tacoma); Commercial facilities--Tacoma--1930-1940; Automobile equipment & supplies--Tacoma--1930-1940;

William Farrell, Tacoma's first resident architect, arrived in the fall of 1883, immediately set-up his architectural office and was inundated with work. One of his first commissions was this brick building at 715-17 Pacific Avenue for Dr. Bostwick; the rear portion facing South 8th Street was added after 1893. Another of Farrell's commissions was the prestigious, new Chamber of Commerce Building at 12th and Pacific which necessitated hiring a partner, Carl August Darmer. Together, Farrell & Darmer designed many of the brick buildings built in the 1880s along the west side of Pacific Avenue between South 9th and 13th Streets. In this 1948 photograph, Western Auto Supply Company occupies the storefronts of the Dr. Bostwick Building and the Nelson Bennett Building at 713 Pacific. North Pacific Bank Note Company occupies the buildings' upper story.

Western Auto Supply Co. (Tacoma); Commercial facilities--Tacoma--1940-1950; Automobile equipment & supplies; North Pacific Bank Note Co. (Tacoma); Printing industry--Tacoma; Buildings--Tacoma--1940-1950; Farrell, William;

Western Auto Supply Company and North Pacific Bank Note Company located in building at 715-17 Pacific Ave. originally designed for Dr. Bostwick by William Farrell, Architect, about 1885. Western Auto occupied the ground floor storefronts, and North Pacific occupied the 2nd floor. The sign on the roof points the way to the Interurban and Bus Terminal. For I.F. Laukes, Pacific Bank Note Company. (filed with Argentum)

Western Auto Supply Co. (Tacoma); Commercial facilities--Tacoma--1940-1950; Automobile equipment & supplies; North Pacific Bank Note Co. (Tacoma);