Employees of Briggs Manufacturing Co. are blurred as they put up wall segments for a prefabricated home. A series of progress photographs was taken in one day, March 29, 1954, showing the speed that a prefabricated house could be built by experienced workers. A clock was drawn in the corner of each picture showing the exact time of day the photo was taken. At 8:05 a.m., the floor has already been laid and plumbing marked. Plywood forms and house sections are scattered near the site.

Briggs Manufacturing Co. (Tacoma); Building construction; Prefabricated houses; Plywood; Progress photographs;

At 8:30 a.m., three employees of Briggs Manufacturing Co. are focused on erecting the walls of a prefabricated home. A series of progress photographs was taken in one day, March 29, 1954, showing Briggs' techniques in quickly constructing a prefabricated house. Tool boxes lie near pipes while plywood forms rest on the ground near the house floor.

Briggs Manufacturing Co. (Tacoma); Building construction; Prefabricated houses; Plywood; Progress photographs;

Construction is rapidly progressing on a Briggs Manufacturing Co. prefabricated home. Trusses are in place on the roof and most of the walls appear to be up. Window and door openings are present but without glass. It now appears that the home will be a rambler style, one-story house without basement. A series of photographs was taken in one day, March 29, 1954, to demonstrate the speed that a prefabricated house could be constructed using experienced workers. Each picture had a drawn clock in the corner showing the exact time a photo was taken. Work probably began before 8:00 a.m.; it is now 1:00 p.m.

Briggs Manufacturing Co. (Tacoma); Building construction; Prefabricated houses; Progress photographs;

Evening is drawing near at 4:30 p.m. as shadows extend over the partially completed roof of a Briggs Manufacturing Co. prefabricated home. Workers are placing plywood over the roof in preparation for nailing shingles. A series of photographs was taken over the course of one day, March 29, 1954, showing the progression of a prefabricated house being constructed. A drawn clock in the corner of each picture enabled the viewer to track the speed in which the house was built.

Briggs Manufacturing Co. (Tacoma); Building construction; Prefabricated houses; Progress photographs;

Workers on top of a prefabricated home are busy laying plywood sheets on the gently sloping roof in a photograph taken at 3:00 p.m. on March 29, 1954. The house apparently is a one-story rambler without a basement. The walls on at least one side of the house are up with window and door openings. A sign is nailed to a beam indicates this is a Cliff May home, manufactured and distributed by Briggs Manufacturing Co. This photograph is just one of a series of pictures taken during the course of one day, March 29, 1954, with clocks placed in the left hand corner so that construction progress could be tracked.

Briggs Manufacturing Co. (Tacoma); Building construction; Prefabricated houses; Signs (Notices); Progress photographs;

A large glass window is carefully being put into its opening by two employees of Briggs Manufacturing Co. at 3:30 p.m. on March 29, 1954. Briggs Manufacturing specialized in prefabricated buildings; a series of photographs were commissioned to be taken during the course of one day, March 29, to show the speed in which a prefabricated home could be built. The time the picture was taken was then noted by way of a drawn clock in the left corner of each photo.

Briggs Manufacturing Co. (Tacoma); Building construction; Prefabricated houses; Windows; Progress photographs;

Prefabricated housing was one solution to the burgeoning demand for homes in the Puget Sound area after World War II. The cost of erecting a prefabricated home was probably much less than a custom made house and it could be built quickly as well. Briggs Manufacturing Co. specialized in prefabricated buildings. They commissioned a series of photographs tracking the progress of erecting a structure, with the time of day noted in the left corner of each picture. These photographs were taken during the course of a single day, March 29, 1954. An employee of Briggs is shown kneeling on the roof top; there are plywood sections laid out in preparation of roofing. The house is taking shape at 2:00 p.m.; it now shows a one-story rambler style structure with possibly an attached garage.

Briggs Manufacturing Co. (Tacoma); Building construction; Prefabricated houses; Progress photographs;

Briggs Manufacturing Co. found a niche in the competitive building industry by specializing in prefabricated homes. As the population in the Puget Sound region grew steadily in the years following World War II, prefabricated housing answered the call for affordable, easily constructed housing. During the course of one day, March 29, 1954, a series of photographs was taken showing the progression in erecting a prefabricated house. The time of day the picture was taken was carefully noted by way of a clock drawn in the left corner of the photograph. Thus, the construction could be tracked with ease. View at 8:45 a.m.; the flooring is in place and some walls are up. Two men in top coats and suits examine the site while a Briggs employee finishes attaching two wall sections.

Briggs Manufacturing Co. (Tacoma); Building construction; Prefabricated houses; Progress photographs;

Construction continues on the new United Pacific Insurance Company's office building, an addition to the Medical Arts building. Building costs would total a half-million dollars and add 30,000 square feet of office space. Work would continue throughout 1954 and the building would open in January, 1955. View of partially completed building with concrete forms being hoisted and large sign informing passersby that this would be the future home office of the United Pacific Insurance Company. Photograph was taken on April 15, 1954.

United Pacific Insurance Co. (Tacoma); Building construction--Tacoma--1950-1960; Progress photographs; Signs (Notices);

Construction of the new United Pacific Insurance Company office building on Saint Helens took nearly two years and cost an estimated $500,000. The insurance company already owned the Medical Arts building next door; this five story addition would include several floors for United Pacific and a couple for rent to other companies. John Graham Company of Seattle was the architect; James J. Barnes Construction Company, also of Seattle, the general contractors. View of partially completed building taken on April 15, 1954; apparently workers have already reached and are busy on the fourth floor. Photograph ordered by James J. Barnes Construction.

United Pacific Insurance Co. (Tacoma); Building construction--Tacoma--1950-1960; Progress photographs;

Construction worker in hard hat has one foot on the concrete forms while balancing the other on a plywood deck in an April, 1954, photograph. The forms are placed over plywood in the construction of the new United Pacific Insurance Company office building on Saint Helens Avenue. The building would take nearly two years to complete and cost an estimated $500,000. Photograph ordered by Bethlehem Pacific Coast Steel Corporation.

United Pacific Insurance Co. (Tacoma); Building construction--Tacoma--1950-1960; Building materials; Bethlehem Pacific Coast Steel Corp. (Seattle);

A packed house at the Temple Theatre awaited Monk Watson's magic show on April 14, 1954. The evening's entertainment was sponsored by Miracle Power, an engine performance lubricant. Here Monk Watson gleefully holds a hand of playing cards while four others, possibly associated with National Auto Parts, display posters advertising Miracle Power's potency. A box full of Miracle Power cans is to the foreground along with the magician's props. Photograph ordered by National Auto Parts.

Automobile equipment & supplies; Posters; Watson, Monk; National Auto Parts, Inc. (Tacoma);

Titus Motor Company, exterior of building with parked automobiles and double-parked service truck. Many neon and painted signs, "We give you More ..trade now" posters in windows. Elizabethean style brick building by Roland Borhek, Architect, c.1926.

Titus Motor Co. (Tacoma); Automobile dealerships--Tacoma--1930-1940;

This May 1939 advertising photograph shows the wide range of Ford commercial vehicles sold by Titus Motor Co. on display in front of the Victorian style Seymour Conservatory at Wright Park. The glass conservatory, one of only three on the West Coast, was a gift to the citizens of Tacoma by Tacoman businessman William W. Seymour. The building, designed by I.J. Knapp, opened in November of 1908 and gave the average Tacoman their first glance at the foliage of the tropics. In 1938, Leon Titus, a 25 year veteran in the automotive sales business, got his foot in the door in Tacoma by being awarded the downtown dealership of Ford, Ford Mercury and Lincoln Zephyr. The dealership moved into the old Pacific Car Co. building at 618-624 Broadway, where they remained until the mid 1960's. As a boy, Leon Titus had worked for the Marmon-Nordyke Co., manufacturer of the Marmon automobile. The Titus family is still heavily involved in the automotive business today. (TNT 12/15/1938, pg. 11)

Titus Motor Co. (Tacoma); Automobile dealerships--Tacoma--1930-1940; Ford trucks; Seymour Conservatory (Tacoma); Wright Park (Tacoma); Greenhouses--Tacoma--1930-1940; Parks--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Automobile in service department at Titus Motor Company.

Titus Motor Co. (Tacoma); Automobile dealerships--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Service department at Titus Motor Company. Mercury sedan over greasepit, mechanic working under automobile.

Titus Motor Co. (Tacoma); Automobile dealerships--Tacoma--1930-1940; Mercury automobile;

Four barbers employed by the Lyons Barber Shop stand next to their chairs in a 1954 photograph. The barbershop looks well equipped with a long line of chairs, sinks, mirrors, and appropriate tools. Tall ash cans were provided as a convenience for smoking customers. Lyons Barber Shop was located on Fort Lewis. Because of the fort's size and number of personnel, there may have been more than one Lyons barbering facility on base.

Barbershops--Fort Lewis; Barbers--Fort Lewis; Lyons Barber Shop (Fort Lewis);

The Holroyd Company was a well-known local manufacturer of concrete products and other building materials. Their materials were not only used in building houses, bridges, industrial facilities and businesses but often were subject to strict quality control. Here a chimney built with Holroyd materials is being tested to make sure of its durability and air flow in a May, 1954, photograph.

Holroyd Co. (Tacoma); Building materials; Chimneys; Testing; Product inspection;

Arrival of television host and columnist Ed Sullivan at Ray Ridge Lincoln-Mercury at 124 Tacoma Avenue So. for a personal appearance in June, 1954. Mr. Sullivan's very popular variety television show of the 1950s is noted for introducing many new entertainers. Standing next to Mr. Sullivan is dealership owner Ray H. Ridge. His Lincoln-Mercury automobile dealership opened in 1946. It closed after his death in 1964. TPL-140 ALBUM 7.

Sullivan, Ed, 1902-1974; Automobile dealerships--Tacoma--1950-1960; Ray Ridge Motors, Inc. (Tacoma); Ridge, Ray;

Television host and columnist Ed Sullivan is welcomed to Ray Ridge Lincoln-Mercury on Tacoma Avenue South after his arrival on June 9, 1954, for the laying of the cornerstone on the new Mary Bridge Children's Hospital. Mr. Sullivan received a TPD motorcycle escort and a ride in a new convertible courtesy of Mr. Ridge's dealership. Ray Ridge is on the right in the light suit; man shaking hands with Mr. Sullivan is tentatively identified as Judge George Boldt. Mr. Ridge, Mr. Sullivan and Judge Boldt would be among the honored guests at a 1500 person celebration of the new hospital held at the Masonic Temple's Fellowship Hall. ALBUM 7.

Sullivan, Ed, 1902-1974; Automobile dealerships--Tacoma--1950-1960; Ray Ridge Motors, Inc. (Tacoma); Ridge, Ray; Shaking hands--Tacoma;

Tacomans of all ages wait their turn to meet television host and columnist Ed Sullivan and to get his autograph at Ray Ridge Lincoln-Mercury on Tacoma Avenue during a personal appearance on June 9, 1954. While waiting they can check out the new 1954 Mercurys in the showroom. For 23 years, America invited Ed Sullivan into their homes on Sunday evenings for shows that featured opera, rock music, comedic acts, ballet and dramatic readings, often on the same telecast. The show's name changed from "Toast of the Town" to simply "The Ed Sullivan Show" in September, 1955. Mr. Sullivan's famous saying was "We have a 'really big shew' for you." The former journalist with the awkward wooden delivery also had a sentimental side which appeared in his conversations with the Italian mouse, Topo Gigio, and in his continuing press for more children's medical facilities. He was in Tacoma for the cornerstone ceremony at the new Mary Bridge Children's Hospital. ALBUM 7.

Sullivan, Ed, 1902-1974; Automobile dealerships--Tacoma--1950-1960; Ray Ridge Motors, Inc. (Tacoma); Autographing--Tacoma--1950-1960;

In June of 1954, television host and columnist Ed Sullivan flew out to the Puget Sound region to make a series of personal appearances. On Sunday June 9th at 10:15 a.m. he signed autographs at Ray Ridge Motors, 124 Tacoma Avenue So. He then was provided a police motorcycle escort to 3rd and "L" where at 11:00 a.m., he helped Mayor Tollefson lay the cornerstone for the Mary Bridge Children's Hospital. In this photograph, Ed Sullivan, the host of "Toast of the Town," signs an autograph for an unidentified young girl as an Army officer looks on at Ray Ridge Lincoln-Mercury. Others await their turn for Mr. Sullivan's signature. ALBUM 7.

Sullivan, Ed, 1902-1974; Automobile dealerships--Tacoma--1950-1960; Ray Ridge Motors, Inc. (Tacoma); Autographing--Tacoma;

Television host and columnist Ed Sullivan signs autographs for delighted youngsters at the Ray Ridge Lincoln-Mercury on Tacoma Avenue during a personal appearance on June 9, 1954. Framed Norman Rockwell print of Henry, Edsel and Henry Ford II, issued for the Ford Golden Anniversary in 1953, on wall. Dealership owner Ray Ridge and former Tacoma mayor John Anderson look on with smiles. Mr. Sullivan, host of a popular variety show, was in Tacoma for the laying of the cornerstone of Mary Bridge Children's Hospital. Elvis Presley and the Beatles would make their television debuts on his program. ALBUM 7.

Sullivan, Ed, 1902-1974; Automobile dealerships--Tacoma--1950-1960; Ray Ridge Motors, Inc. (Tacoma); Ridge, Ray; Anderson, John H.; Autographing--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Television host and columnist Ed Sullivan signs autographs and chats with fans at Ray Ridge Lincoln-Mercury on Tacoma Avenue during a personal appearance. Mr. Sullivan flew in on June 9, 1954, specifically for the cornerstone laying of the new Mary Bridge Children's Hospital. He delivered an address at the ceremony in which he remarked "This will always be my memory of Tacoma, one of human values and sacrifice." (TNT 6-9-54, p. 1) ALBUM 7.

Sullivan, Ed, 1902-1974; Automobile dealerships--Tacoma--1950-1960; Ray Ridge Motors, Inc. (Tacoma); Autographing--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Crowd waiting for appearance of television host and columnist Ed Sullivan at Ray Ridge Motors on June 9, 1954. Sullivan made a brief publicity stop at the dealership prior to taking part in the cornerstone laying ceremonies for the new Mary Bridge Children's Hospital. Four Tacoma Police Department motorcycles await their riders; they are parked in front of a convertible in which Mr. Sullivan will be transported. There is a small banner welcoming Mr. Sullivan on the automobile. ALBUM 7.

Sullivan, Ed, 1902-1974; Automobile dealerships--Tacoma--1950-1960; Ray Ridge Motors, Inc. (Tacoma); Motorcycles--Tacoma; Tacoma Police Department (Tacoma);

Television host and columnist Ed Sullivan met with Tacoma heavyweight boxer Pat McMurtry and his brother, Mike (far right), outside Ray Ridge Lincoln-Mercury at 124 Tacoma Avenue on June 9, 1954. Mr. Sullivan was in town to help lay the cornerstone for the new Mary Bridge Children's Hospital at 311 South L Street. He was guest speaker at the ceremony and later attended a large celebratory luncheon at the Masonic Temple. ALBUM 7.

Sullivan, Ed, 1902-1974; Automobile dealerships--Tacoma--1950-1960; Ray Ridge Motors, Inc. (Tacoma); McMurtry, Pat; McMurtry, Mike;

ca. 1939. Elevated view of the Hotel Winthrop, circa 1939. By this time, the Winthrop had been open for 14 years, celebrating its grand opening on May 16, 1925. The eleven story hotel was named after explorer and writer Theodore Winthrop whose book "The Canoe and the Saddle" helped popularize the Northwest.

Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma); Hotels--Tacoma--1930-1940;

ca. 1939. Birds eye view of downtown Tacoma, taken in May of 1939. In the lower left corner is the intersection of 9th and Broadway. The Roxy Theatre, at 901 Broadway (now known as the Pantages), is at the lower left and across Broadway is the distinctive turret of John Hamrick's Music Box Theatre.

Roxy Theatre (Tacoma); Music Box Theatre (Tacoma); Motion picture theaters--Tacoma--1930-1940; Cityscapes--1930-1940; Commercial streets--Tacoma--1930-1940; Business districts--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Two employees of United Pacific Insurance Company at company headquarters in the Medical Arts Building examine data being printed probably involving policyholders on October 28, 1954. The man in the suit is pointing at a particular entry on the list while the other man observes. Three more employees are in the background possibly handling data entry cards. Photograph ordered by United Pacific Insurance.

United Pacific Insurance Co. (Tacoma); Insurance companies--Tacoma; Office workers--Tacoma--1950-1960; Machinery;

Although organized in Seattle in the 1920's, United Pacific Insurance Company decided to move their headquarters to Tacoma after purchasing the Medical Arts Building in the early 1940's. Their new addition to the Medical Arts Building would open in early 1955 and contain new quarters for their company. Here two employees of United Pacific Insurance look over data from the Sanborn Map Co. concerning information about North "E" Street on October 28, 1954. Several other Sanborn Map volumes are filed nearby, including Vol. 2 for Tacoma and three volumes for Portland. Photograph ordered by United Pacific Insurance Co.

United Pacific Insurance Co. (Tacoma); Insurance companies--Tacoma; Office workers--Tacoma--1950-1960; Maps;