ca. 1954. A woman gardening holds up a blossom to the couple on the doorstep of an attractive 1950's rambler. The home has a long covered veranda, a probable window seat, and multi-paned windows. The attached one-car garage, door partially opened, is set at basement level. Shadows are falling on the nicely trimmed sloping yard. A large tree would provide shade and protection from winter winds.

Houses--1950-1960; Gardening;

Pacific Lutheran College students Naomi Rasmussen (left) and Lois Ronell are studying in the tidy room they shared in the school's new women's dormitory in October, 1954. Drapes on the large window are open to let in natural light and provide a beautiful view of a large tree-filled lot. Each girl seems to have a bed, bookcase, and possibly separate desks. Large cuddly stuffed animals rest on top of their beds. Computers and refrigerators are conspicuous by their absence.The new South Hall dormitory was home to 129 women in the fall of 1954. It had many amenities such as two decorated lounges complete with televisions and a grand piano, four small kitchen units, complete laundry service and study rooms. Mrs. Clara Nelson was housemother. (TNT 10-13-54, C-2, 1955 Saga yearbook)

Students--Parkland--1950-1960; Pacific Lutheran College (Parkland)--1950-1960; Studying; Bedrooms; Stuffed animals (Toys); Bulletin boards; Rasmusson, Naomi; Ronell, Lois;

Group of eight woman at the home of Mrs. Klassen, four seated, in front of windows. The only Klassen listed in the 1939 City Directory is Zadie (Mrs. Fred) Klassen at 610 S. 17th St. (filed with Argentum)

Women--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Steve's Gay '90s. Steve's Cafe (later commonly known as Steve's Gay '90s) was a fixture in South Tacoma for several decades. It was well known for its good food and lavish entertainment. View of Cable Room, a specialty dining area within Steve's which definitely had an old-time atmosphere. Steve Pease had imported actual cable car seating for his restaurant; Bill Knabel Sign & Display Service designed the room's layout. Names of actual cable cars were attached to the ends of the seats, including Powell & Market Strs., Bay & Taylor, and Angel Flight. Photograph ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association. TPL-3850

Steve's Gay '90s (Tacoma); Restaurants--Tacoma--1950-1960; Signs (Notices);

A large wooden Santa seems to wave his arm in friendly greeting as he maintains his post on the lawn of a 1950s style rambler. A wreath and decorated fir tree help to promote the holiday season. Components of this Santa came from a kit; with step-by-step instructions, individuals could easily build and paint these cutouts. Photograph ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association.

Christmas decorations; Plywood; Handicraft; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma);

The congregation of the University Place Assembly of God posed for this October 17, 1954, sepia photograph in front of their wood church. There appear to be many young families attending this particular house of worship. The large sign, "Jesus Saves" on the church was probably visible for quite some distance away. A black speaker is positioned above the sign next to the erected cross so that announcements could be heard even in the parking lot. The University Place Assembly of God was located at Mountain View Avenue and South 29th Street. Edwin Oster was listed in the 1954 City Directory as its pastor.

University Place Assembly of God (University Place); Protestant churches--University Place; Churches--University Place; Signs (Notices);

Ace Furnace & Steel Co. were steel fabricators whose plant was located at 3740 South Union Avenue. One of their trucks and trailers was loaded with large storage tanks when photographed in front of the company on October 16, 1954. There was plenty of advertising on the truck and trailer, and also on the tanks. The steel firm had expanded their business in the early 1930's which eventually led to including transport of their products to customers. Ace Furnace manufactured furnaces, tanks, gasoline tanks and pre-fabricated steel gas stations. According to the 1954 City Directory, Ace Furnace was owned by Alvin T. Davies; he also owned Birchfield Boiler and Tacoma Boiler Works. Photograph ordered by Ace Furnace & Steel Co.

Ace Furnace & Steel Co. (Tacoma); Trucks--Tacoma--1950-1960; Storage tanks--Tacoma; Metalworking--Tacoma; Signs (Notices);

Photograph taken in July of 1939 of an empty dance floor with band members posed at the far end. Richards Studio notes describe the shot as "Brad Bannon and Joe Thomas's bands at Neal's Glendawn Park." Neal's was a small dance hall on the north side of Five Mile Lake in Federal Way. The hall was located right on the lake with a deck on the lake side. The road leading to the club was a one lane road. Photograph ordered by Mr. M.E. Neal (filed with Argentum) (www.federalwayhistory.org)

Dance halls--Federal Way--1930-1940; Neal's Glendawn (Federal Way);

Photograph taken in July of 1939 of a dance floor with an empty band stand at the far end. Richards Studio notes describe the shot as "Brad Bannon and Joe Thomas's bands at Neal's Glendawn Park." Neal's was a dance hall located on the north side of Five Mile Lake in Federal Way. The small hall was located right on the lake with a deck on the lake side. The road leading to the club was a one lane road. Photograph ordered by Mr. M.E. Neal (filed with Argentum) (www.federalwayhistory.org)

Dance halls--Federal Way--1930-1940; Neal's Glendawn (Federal Way);

J. T. Richmond, better known as "Dad," spent his 80th birthday on September 3, 1925 hard at work at the salt water Nereides Baths at Point Defiance teaching beginners how to swim. His student in this photograph was 5 year old Charlotte Hannah. "Dad" was the most popular instructor at the Baths and was believed to be the oldest water sports instructor in the nation. He had been teaching swimming for 25 years. He spent an average of three hours a day in the water and also walked 3 miles daily for exercise. The Nereides, an indoor heated salt water pool, operated at Point Defiance from 1906-1932. (TNT 9/3/1925, pg. 13) (WSHS- negative A858-0)

Swimming--Tacoma--1920-1930; Bathing suits--1920-1930; Swimming pools--Tacoma--1920-1930; Richmond, J.T.; Hannah, Charlotte; Nereides Baths (Tacoma);

Operations at Heidelberg Brewing Co. were highly mechanized by the mid-1950's. A second brewing line was installed in the summer of 1954 which doubled the brewhouse capacity. Here a brewery employee keeps a careful eye on his large machine which appears to be in the bottling section. Photograph ordered by the Radio Corps. of America.

Machinery; Heidelberg Brewing Co. (Tacoma)--1950-1960; Brewing industry--Tacoma--1950-1960;

The smokestack at West Tacoma Newsprint seems to extend endlessly into the sky as it belches smoke on October 20, 1954. West Tacoma Newsprint were paper manufacturers, who despite their name, were actually located in Steilacoom. The Chambers Creek location had been home to many paper manufacturers since 1918, starting with Cascade Paper and concluding with Abitibi Consolidated Sales which announced its impending closure in July, 2000. View of chimney from its base looking upward; evenly spaced steel rings circle the chimney. Photograph requested by Boedecker Chimney.

Chimneys--Steilacoom; West Tacoma Newsprint (Steilacoom); Boedecker Chimney Construction Co. (Tacoma);

Another view of the West Tacoma Newsprint chimney was taken on October 20, 1954. It is possible that this chimney was newly installed by Boedecker Chimney Construction Company as various pieces of machinery and lines appear to be still attached. Fred Boedecker's company built many chimneys for industrial plants in this region including chimneys for Bethlehem Pacific Coast Steel and St. Regis. Photograph ordered by Boedecker Chimney Construction Co.

Chimneys; Boedecker Chimney Construction Co. (Tacoma); West Tacoma Newsprint (Steilacoom);

Two men are barely visible on a ledge circling the enormous smokestack outside the West Tacoma Newsprint plant on October 20, 1954. It is unclear whether they are performing maintenance work or actually installing a new chimney. Boedecker Chimney Construction Co. built many chimneys for industrial plants in this region, including St. Regis and Bethlehem Pacific Coast Steel. View of cars parked along plant with chimney in rear. Photograph ordered by Boedecker Chimney Construction Co.

Chimneys; Boedecker Chimney Construction Co. (Tacoma); West Tacoma Newsprint (Steilacoom)

Group at Puget Sound National Bank with Golden Jubilee hats. Men in western wear and women in bonnets. Bank president Reno Odlin is standing wearing dark clothing without a hat to the right of the column, in the center of the group. All employees were required to wear Jubilee garb in celebration of Pioneer Days at Puget Sound Bank. The bankers wore beaver top hats with dignified frock coats and black ties. (T. Times 7/20/1939, pg. 20)

Washington State Golden Jubilee, 1939--Tacoma; Banking--Tacoma--1930-1940; Puget Sound National Bank (Tacoma); Banks--Tacoma; Odlin, Reno, 1897-1979;

Interior of church. Simple pews, a small podium, and an Andrew Kohler piano present an intimate setting for the University Place Assembly of God church. A poster of Jesus along with religious wall hangings adorn the paneled walls. The church was located at Mountain View Avenue and South 29th Street. Edwin Oster was listed in the 1954 City Directory as the church's pastor.

University Place Assembly of God (University Place); Protestant churches--University Place; Churches--University Place; Pianos;

Church classrooms. The University Place Assembly of God church had many small children attending church along with their parents. The church provided cozy classrooms with appropriate sized furniture for the youngsters. View of cheerful classroom was taken on October 21, 1954; small wooden chairs with curved armrests are just the right size for the rectangular working table. Bright stars decorate the nearby chalkboard and colorful pictures are positioned on walls and even on the toy chest. A thick rug gives additional warmth to the room.

University Place Assembly of God (University Place); Protestant churches--University Place; Churches--University Place; Sunday schools--University Place; Classrooms--University Place;

Tacoma (Old) City Hall building, with old jail on right, showing contrast before and after steam cleaning. As part of Tacoma's beautification plan, A. W. Bushy of Western Building Cleaning Co. was removing 41 years of grime accumulated on City Hall. The dingy portion on the right back is the portion that has not been cleaned. City Hall building designed by E.A. Hatherton, Architect, 1893. Hatherton was from San Francisco and worked on design of that city's City Hall. The building was cleaned in time for Tacoma to play host to the state during the Golden Jubilee celebration. (T. Times 7/26/1939, pg. 4)

Clock towers--Tacoma; Old City Hall (Tacoma);

Roof trusses are in place at the new Langendorf United Bakeries building on South 38th Street on October 26, 1954. The Timber-Tech Corporation, whose motto was "Timber-Built by Timber-Tech", provided the wooden trusses. Ray B. Kelly Co. were the contractors. The new plant would cover 17,000 square feet and have room for expansion. View of interior of building with roof trusses, lumber and trucks. Photograph ordered by Timber-Tech Corporation.

Building construction--Tacoma--1950-1960; Roof trusses--Tacoma; Structural frames--Tacoma; Langendorf United Bakeries (Tacoma); Timber-Tech Corp. (Tacoma);

Fleet of trucks. A fleet of Holroyd trucks and mixers is parked outside of the company plant on November 2, 1954. The Holroyd Co. manufactured concrete blocks, bricks and other types of building materials. Their products could be found in businesses and homes throughout Western Washington. The company plant was located in South Tacoma's industrial section at 5047 So. Washington St.

Holroyd Co. (Tacoma); Concrete products industry--Tacoma; Cement industries--Tacoma; Trucks--Tacoma--1950-1960; Concrete mixers;

A long line of trucks and cement mixers is stationed outside the Holroyd Co. plant on South Washington St. in November, 1954. The Holroyd Co., owned by James Holroyd, was a supplier of all kinds of building materials, sand and gravel, steel windows and manufacturers of concrete masonry units. Their products were used throughout Tacoma and Western Washington. Their mixers were capable of churning out several hundred cubic yards of concrete mix a day. View of trucks, mixers, storage units and loading machines; photograph commissioned by the Holroyd Co.

Holroyd Co. (Tacoma); Cement industries--Tacoma; Concrete industries--Tacoma; Building materials; Building materials industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Trucks--Tacoma--1950-1960; Concrete mixers;

Golden Jubilee Pageant "Saga of the West." Searchlights from the Battleships of the US Pacific Fleet pierce the night sky over scenery in Stadium Bowl. The stage for the extravaganza was over 200 feet in length. The fleet had arrived on July 20, 1939 with six battleships and 8,000 men. In port were the flagship Pennsylvania, as well as the California, New Mexico, Arizona, Idaho and Mississippi. Tours were conducted from 1-4 and searchlight displays each night at 10:15p.m.

Washington State Golden Jubilee, 1939--Tacoma; Stadium Bowl (Tacoma); Historical pageants--Tacoma; Searchlights--Tacoma;

Tacoma's Golden Jubilee celebration of Washington's statehood reached its climax at 8:45 p.m. on July 20, 1939 in the Stadium Bowl with the presentation of the theatrical extravaganza "Saga of the West." A cast of 2,000 depicted historic events from the previous fifty years of Washington's history. At 10:15 p.m. with search lights from the U.S Navy's Pacific fleet lighting up the sky, Queen Amy Lou Murray was carried in on her throne by a group of young men painted glistening gold and placed at the center of the field. The finale cast included princesses representing all of Washington's 39 counties, 100 beautiful women in long evening gowns and an honor guard of men in military uniforms. (T. Times 7/20/1939, pg. 1)

Washington State Golden Jubilee, 1939--Tacoma; Stadium Bowl (Tacoma); Historical pageants--Tacoma; Searchlights--Tacoma;

Continental Bakery employees in Western clothes and wearing Jubilee hats posed in front of bakery and two Wonder Bread trucks with sign "Picnic Days Are Here Again." A large sign on top of the roof proudly proclaims Continental as the "Home of Wonder Bread."

Washington State Golden Jubilee, 1939--Tacoma; Continental Baking Co. (Tacoma); Trucks--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Six men and ten women, all well-dressed, posed for this sepia photograph at the Woman's Club House at 426 Broadway on October 29, 1954. The Broadway location had a long and colorful history; prior to it becoming the home of the Tacoma Woman's Club, it had been the residence of Isaac Anderson, Battle Creek Sanitarium, and the University Club. Built in 1890, the property was sold to Mrs. Agnes Wood after the Woman's Club Association had dissolved in 1960. The building was razed in 1961 after a minor fire. Photograph ordered by K.G. Scott.

Group portraits; Tacoma Woman's Club House (Tacoma);

Exterior James Sales Elementary School. The local architectural firm of Lea, Pearson & Richards designed the James Sales Elementary School as a modern brick one-story school with many windows. The school was located on 112th Street in Parkland, part of the Franklin-Pierce School District. It was named after James Sales, first white child born in what is now the Tacoma area in 1853. Photograph ordered by Lea, Pearson & Richards.

James Sales Elementary School (Parkland); Public schools--Parkland--1950-1960; Lea, Pearson & Richards (Tacoma);

Exterior James Sales Elementary School. A close-up view of the main entrance to the James Sales Elementary School was taken on October 31, 1954. Designed by local architects Lea, Pearson & Richards, the school was built mostly of brick as a one-story unit. A modern entryway with multi-paned windows and small porch would greet the children of the school. The name of the school is clearly stated in large letters close to the entrance. The James Sales Elementary School was located in Parkland and was a part of the Franklin Pierce School District. It was named after James Sales, first white child born in the Tacoma area in 1853. Photograph ordered by Lea, Pearson & Richards.

James Sales Elementary School (Parkland); Public schools--Parkland--1950-1960;

Exterior of James Sales Elementary School. James Sales Elementary was named after the first white child born in the Tacoma area on October 23, 1853. His parents were William and Eliza Sales, mill-hand at Nicholas Delin's mill and cook, respectively. The Sales later took a claim in the Puyallup Valley. The James Sales Elementary School was designed by local architects Lea, Pearson & Richards. The school was a very contemporary brick building with a multitude of windows that allowed plenty of natural light. Photograph ordered by Lea, Pearson & Richards. (Morgan: South on the Sound, p. 34)

James Sales Elementary School (Parkland); Public schools--Parkland--1950-1960; Lea, Pearson & Richards (Tacoma);

Interior- James Sales Elementary School. Just outside the school's auditorium doors is a large bulletin board with the silhouettes of two dark hands and the warning: "Clean Hands Are Important." The bulletin board is neatly placed on the brick wall next to the recessed auditorium doors. The James Sales Elementary School is in the Franklin Pierce School District and located in Parkland. It was designed by local architects Lea, Pearson & Richards. Photograph ordered by Lea, Pearson & Richards.

James Sales Elementary School (Parkland); Public schools--Parkland--1950-1960; Bulletin boards; Lea, Pearson & Richards (Tacoma);

Sprayking, Inc. of Los Angeles supplied paint spray to the Mt. Rainier Ordnance Depot located on Fort Lewis. In a November 2, 1954, photograph, the interior of the warehouse shows paint spray booths. Photograph ordered by Sprayking, Inc.

Sprayking, Inc. (Los Angeles, Calif.); Warehouses--Fort Lewis;