Copy of glass plate, Richards Studio. Hundreds of shipyard employees and visitors gathered on November 30, 1918, at the Todd Yards for the launching a vessel. Its name may be the "Jacona". Todd Dry Dock & Construction Corporation was a major shipbuilder with plants on the Hylebos Waterway. Todd went on to build more than fifty ships for the Navy during WWII. Copy of glass plate was made on October 3, 1958.

Launchings--Tacoma--1910-1920; Todd Dry Dock & Construction Corp. (Tacoma); Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1910-1920;

Back of Photo:
Photo Rcv'd: 05/21/1984 - Article date
1311 TACOMA SETTLEMENT HOUSE 1311

ca. 1918. Street scene, circa 1918, in Port Gamble. In the distance on the left of the street can be seen the spire of the St. Paul's Episcopal Church. The church was built in 1879. The church, like the town, was built to resemble the owners' home in East Macias, Maine. The streets were lined with imported shade trees of maple, ash and elm, all grown from cuttings brought from Maine. The houses reflected the steep roofed New England architecture.The church was originally of the Congregational faith, with the pastor doubling as the company physician. (Historylink.org) Boland #28, G73.1-038

Lumber industry--Port Gamble; Puget Mill Co. (Port Gamble); St. Paul's Episcopal Church (Port Gamble);

ca. 1918. Columbia Brewing Company was established in 1900 on South C Street not far from the giant Pacific Brewing and Malting Company. Emil Kliese was the owner, president and brewmaster of the plant until statewide prohibition in 1916. He died the next year. National Prohibition lasted 13 years, from 1920-1933. During that time the company manufactured soft drinks: "Birch Beer", "Chocolate Soldier", "Blue Jay" (a grape drink), and "Green River". Copies of old prints ordered by Columbia Breweries in 1951. (Brewed in the Pacific Northwest, Gary Meier)

Brewing industry--Tacoma--1910-1920; Columbia Brewing Co. (Tacoma);

ca. 1918. Drivers pose in front of the Columbia Brewing Company with five delivery trucks. The truck second from the right is loaded with barrels. Copies of old prints ordered by Columbia Breweries. A copy of Boland print #B1495.

Brewing industry--Tacoma--1910-1920; Columbia Brewing Co. (Tacoma); Trucks--Tacoma--1910-1920;

ca. 1919. Much of the work bottling beer at Columbia Brewing Company was done by hand. Bottles were soaked, rinsed, filled, capped, and made ready for shipment. Bottles began to be used for beer in the 1890's using green glass. Brown glass didn't become popular until after prohibition, after 1933. Half gallon sizes were popular at this time. A sign against the wall on the left advertises "Columbia Golden Drops Beer." (Copies of old prints ordered by Columbia Breweries in 1951)

Brewing industry--Tacoma--1910-1920; Columbia Brewing Co. (Tacoma); Columbia Brewing Co. (Tacoma)--People; Bottles; Signs (Notices);

ca. 1919. The wooden-tanked and crudely refrigerated cellar was the one and only storage cellar of the early day Columbia Brewing Company. In those days the brewery had scarcely more than a few hundred barrels of beer in production. Frost has condensed on the pipes leading around the top of this cellar. Gustav Schuster, manager of Columbia Brewing Company from September 17, 1917, to October 31, 1929, is standing on the left with a hat and moustache. Copies of old prints ordered by Columbia Breweries in 1951. (TNT, 1/7/1952) Format 6 1/4" x 7 1/2" TPL-7952

Brewing industry--Tacoma--1910-1920; Columbia Brewing Co. (Tacoma); Columbia Brewing Co. (Tacoma)--People; Schuster, Gustav;

ca. 1919. A horse-drawn wagon is pulling an early horseless delivery van out of a muddy road. The horses have the name of Columbia Brewing draped over their necks on this cold, snowy day. Copies of old prints ordered by Columbia Breweries in 1951. TPL-8348

Brewing industry--Tacoma--1910-1920; Columbia Brewing Co. (Tacoma); Snow--Tacoma; Horse teams--Tacoma; Carts & wagons--Tacoma; Trucks--Tacoma--1910-1920;

ca. 1919. Much of the work handling beer at Columbia Brewing Company was done by hand. Men are seen working in a chilled room bottling and racking beer into wooden barrels. A sign against the wall on the left advertises "Columbia Golden Drops Beer". Copies of old prints ordered by Columbia Breweries in 1951. TPL-7953

Brewing industry--Tacoma--1910-1920; Columbia Brewing Co. (Tacoma); Columbia Brewing Co. (Tacoma)--People; Bottles;

ca. 1919. Gustav Schuster was the manager of the Columbia Brewing Company in Tacoma from September 17, 1917 to October 31, 1929. For the whole time he was manager, the brewing industry was prevented from making beer by state and federal prohibition laws. In 1919 Mr. Schuster began producing "Colo - a malt beverage of quality" at the Tacoma plant. Colo was a nonalcoholic "near beer" and was classified as a soft drink. The Columbia Brewery managed to survive prohibition and in 1949 they were bought out by Heidelberg Brewery. Heidelberg was in turn purchased by Carling Brewery which operated the Tacoma plant at 2120-32 South C Street until 1979, when it closed.

Brewing industry--Tacoma--1910-1920; Columbia Brewing Co. (Tacoma); Offices--Tacoma--1910-1920; Desks; Writing materials; Safes; Columbia Brewing Co. (Tacoma)--People; Schuster, Gustav;

On a warm summer evening, July 14th, 1920, the residents of Trafton Street between 6th Ave and South 8th Street were treated to Tacoma's first Block Party. The party was hosted by the Community Service Club in an effort to end the isolation of city life and help neighbors get to know one another. The area was blocked off and lit by lights provided by the City Light Department. Bunting and flags were hung and oriental lanterns graced the bushes. The asphalt street was treated with cornmeal and boric acid till it shown like a dance floor. Residents and curious neighbors, totaling over 600, turned out for a community sing, street dancing and free popcorn, doughnuts and lemonade. The party was a great success and wound up near midnight as parents carried sleepy children home. The houses shown in the picture are 621, 625, 629 and 631 So. Trafton St. (TDL 7/14/1920, pg. 10; 7/15/20, pg. 1) Boland B3689, BU-12,823, TPL-1649;

Parties--Tacoma--1920-1930; Celebrations--Tacoma--1920-1930; Neighborhoods--Tacoma--1920-1930; Neighbors; City & town life--Tacoma--1920-1930;

In September of 1920, work was begun on the Consumers Central Heating Co., a huge steam heating plant on Dock St. at the foot of 11th St. By the end of October, the last brick had been laid in the 200 foot stack, second only in size to the one located at the Tacoma Smelting Co. Boilers had been installed, and the tunnel excavated for the pipe from the plant that would connect to the piping system of the city. The new plant was needed to supply heat to the new construction in downtown Tacoma - the Rust Building, Scandinavian American Bank and the National Bank of Tacoma. In an innovative move, it would run on refuse wood from Tacoma's many mills. The plant was expected to be fully operational by mid-November. The city liked the location of the plant so much that in 1922 they erected their own plant at 1145 Dock St. (The site of Dutho Rubber Co. and Pacific Machine Shop in the picture.) In September of 1979, 59 years later, the Cental Heating plant shut down permanently. The stack was dismantled brick by brick in 1980. (TDL 10/31/1920, pg. 5- picture, TDL 9/5/1920, pg. B6, 10/17/20, pg. B7) Boland B3347, TPL-9503

Consumers Central Heating Co. (Tacoma); Steam;

ca. 1920. The Rich Reconstruction Clinic opened in Tacoma in 1919, shortly after the Great War. For five years, Dr. Edward A. Rich and his many partners treated bone and joint disorders at the clinic. In 1925, the building became known as the Edgecliffe Apartments when it was converted entirely into 30 apartment suites.

ca. 1920. Copy made from glass plate, Richards Studio. Pedestrians pause on a wooden bridge to peer over the railings. They may be enjoying the beautiful water view but also may be watching the man under the bridge. He is hunched over, apparently looking for something. He does not appear to be in the water but on a narrow spit of land. The body of water is surrounded by trees and shrubs and a cluster of lily pads floats nearby. There is a possibility that this is a portion of Wright Park. Date of glass plate is not known, perhaps in the 1920's; copy was made on October 3, 1958.

Bridges; Lakes & ponds; Water lilies;

ca. 1920. A raft of logs being brought by early day tug "The Black Prince" to the Sedro Box and Veneer Co. plant at Sedro Woolley, Washington. A group of well dressed people stand calmly on this precarious log perch on the Skagit River. The Sedro plant went out of business after a devastating fire in December of 1924, but the individuals involved in its formation and management became the leaders in the growing Northwest plywood industry. ("The Plywood Age" by Robert M. Cour)

Sedro Box and Veneer Co. (Sedro-Woolley); plywood; Lumber industry--Sedro-Woolley--1920-1930; Mills--Sedro-Woolley--1920-1930;

ca. 1920. The Sedro Box and Veneer Co. plant at Sedro Woolley, Washington. Stacks of completed fir panels sit waiting shipment to door companies such as Wheeler Osgood of Tacoma. By 1920, William J. "Cottonwood Bill" Royse, a legendary millwork veteran with a hearty handshake and a flamboyant air, and Clyde D. Lloyd, the consummate businessman, eased off the production of boxes and crates at their plant to begin manufacturing plywood panels. Business took off and by 1924 orders were piling up. Business boomed until the plant was destroyed by fire on December 4, 1924. ("The Plywood Age" by Robert M. Cour)

Sedro Box and Veneer Co. (Sedro-Woolley); plywood; Lumber industry--Sedro-Woolley--1920-1930; Mills--Sedro-Woolley--1920-1930;

A flyer for a "mass meeting at Washington School" on Tuesday, June 1 at 8:15p to discuss a new branch library for N. 26th and Proctor streets.

ca. 1920. Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad, Engine #10253. This is an Asahel Curtis print, #46216, which was requested copied by the Washington State Historical Society on April 1, 1977. Three men are standing next to the electric powered engine, spaced far apart, with the man in the foreground seemingly prepared to give the "go ahead" signal. Photographer Curtis documented industry in Washington State as well as historic events and geographic features. He was based in Seattle and worked there until his death in 1941. 60,000 of his images are held in trust by the Washington State Historical Society. (www.wshs.org/wshm/online-exhibits/curtis/exhibitb.htm)

Railroad locomotives; Railroad cars; Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad Co.; Railroads;

ca. 1920. Clyde D. Lloyd, one of the owners of the Sedro Box and Veneer Co. of Sedro-Woolley, Washington, poses with his favorite dog in his 1920 automobile. Copy of a customer's print. Lloyd, originally from Wisconsin, came west with the lumber industry and was a successful timber broker. In 1905, with an original investment of $6,000 each, William J. (Cottonwood Bill) Royse, Lloyd and Charles Peterson started the Sedro plant. For years the plant made only coffee and spice drums and berry baskets before beginning production of plywood panels in 1919. Royse was the colorful front man and Lloyd was the "all business" partner who anchored him. The Sedro plant was destroyed by fire December 4, 1924, but Lloyd played a vital role in lumber concerns in Bellingham after that time. ("The Plywood Age" by Robert M. Cour)

Lloyd, Clyde; Sedro Box and Veneer Co. (Sedro-Woolley); plywood; Lumber industry--Sedro-Woolley--1920-1930;

ca. 1920. A forest of logs waits for processing at the Sedro Box and Veneer Co. plant at Sedro Woolley, Washington. Around the time that the company began gluing fir panels, wages were a dollar a day for 10 hours of work and peelers were available for $3 a thousand. The plant produced fir panels for doors and one-side good panels for drawer bottoms. By 1924, orders were piling up and the plant was running at full capacity. ("The Plywood Age" by Robert M. Cour)

Sedro Box and Veneer Co. (Sedro-Woolley); plywood; Lumber industry--Sedro-Woolley--1920-1930; Mills--Sedro-Woolley--1920-1930;

ca. 1920. The "veneer canal at Sedro-Woolley", part of the Sedro Box and Veneer Co. plant at Sedro Woolley, Washington. The Douglas fir peeler logs were floated on the Skagit River to the area of the plant and brought to the mill by this canal. The same river that brought in the logs also frequently flooded the plant, including a major flood in January of 1918 that cost the plant $20,000. ("The Plywood Age" by Robert M. Cour)

Sedro Box and Veneer Co. (Sedro-Woolley); plywood; Lumber industry--Sedro-Woolley--1920-1930; Mills--Sedro-Woolley--1920-1930;

ca. 1920. The mill and some employees of the Sedro Box and Veneer Co. at Sedro Woolley, Washington. This photograph was taken in the early 1920's before the plant burned to the ground. The plant began plywood panel production in 1919 and by 1924 business was booming. Wages were a dollar a day for 10 hours and peelers were available at $3 a thousand. The plant employed 125 men and operated 24 hours a day. Then on December 4, 1924, the entire plant was destroyed by fire. There was little insurance and that went to the bank that supplied the money for the rebuild after the 1918 fire. The owners thanked the volunteer firemen for their valiant effort to save the plant and went out of business. ("The Plywood Age" by Robert M. Cour)

Sedro Box and Veneer Co. (Sedro-Woolley); plywood; Lumber industry--Sedro-Woolley--1920-1930; Mills--Sedro-Woolley--1920-1930;

ca. 1920. Sepia copy of customer print ordered by Bud Merrell of Seattle. This is possibly the Kildall Mercantile Co. department store or the Lynden Dept. Store. One man is standing behind the partially filled meat counter while seven others are grouped around the bakery section. Cookies and donuts line the glass shelves. There is a large display of canned goods along the back wall and a selection of fresh fruits and vegetables in boxes and on the table to the right. The rounded blotches on the print came from the original. Date of the original print is unknown, possibly in the early 1920's, copy made on September 12, 1958.

Grocery stores;

ca. 1920. Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad, Engine #10252. Copy of Asahel Curtis print #51601 requested by the Washington State Historical Society on April 1, 1977. The electric powered train may have been departing/arriving at the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Tacoma location. The Washington State Historical Society has 60,000 Curtis images in its collection.

Railroad locomotives; Railroads; Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad Co.;

ca. 1920. Early peeler logs, big and plentiful, are hauled by rail to the Sedro Box and Veneer Co. plant at Sedro Woolley, Washington.The twenties were the high point for the Sedro plant as timber was plentiful and cheap and the production of plywood panels was in its pioneering stage. Door and automobile companies clamored for the panels and business soared. The Sedro plant was destroyed by fire in 1924 and never rebuilt, but its founding members went on to serve with other plywood companies. ("The Plywood Age" by Robert M. Cour)

Logs; Sedro Box and Veneer Co. (Sedro-Woolley); Plywood; Lumber industry--Sedro-Woolley--1920-1930; Mills--Sedro-Woolley--1920-1930;

ca. 1920. The Sedro Box and Veneer Co. plant at Sedro Woolley, Washington. One of the pioneering companies in plywood production, the plant was started in 1905 by William J. "Cottonwood Bill" Royse, Clyde D. Lloyd and Charles Peterson. The plant originally made spice and coffee drums and berry baskets from the veneer made of the surrounding cottonwood trees. A fire destroyed the original plant in February of 1918 and the new, improved and larger plant included a panel department for the production of Douglas fir plywood panels. ("The Plywood Age" by Robert M. Cour)

Sedro Box and Veneer Co. (Sedro-Woolley); plywood; Lumber industry--Sedro-Woolley--1920-1930; Mills--Sedro-Woolley--1920-1930;

ca. 1920. The mill and some employees of the Sedro Box and Veneer Co. at Sedro Woolley, Washington. This photograph was taken in the early 1920's before the plant burned to the ground. Begun with an initial investment of $18,000, the Sedro plant was opened by William J. (Cottonwood Bill) Royse, Clyde D. Lloyd and Charles Peterson in 1905. The plant was jinxed from the very beginning. It was frequently flooded by the unpredictable Skagit River and the first plant burned to the ground on February 3, 1918. Local bankers put up $90,000 to rebuild, taking a mortgage on the plant. The new plant was larger and had a panel department. By 1924, business was booming. They employed 125 men and operated 24 hours a day. ("The Plywood Age" by Robert M. Cour

Sedro Box and Veneer Co. (Sedro-Woolley); plywood; Lumber industry--Sedro-Woolley--1920-1930; Mills--Sedro-Woolley--1920-1930;

ca. 1920. View of 9th and Broadway taken from the roof of the Medical Arts Building. Night scene showing the Winthrop Hotel (773 Broadway), left, and an illuminated Pantages Theater (901 Broadway) building.

Aerial photographs; Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma); Hotels--Tacoma--1920-1930; Pantages Theater (Tacoma);

ca. 1920. A fan of Columbia Brew, a "near beer" produced by the Columbia Brewing Company, models a suit for not-just-any occasion. The jacket and pants have been made by pasting labels for Columbia Brew on pants and a striped shirt. The top hat also displays an enlarged label for Columbia Brew. The Columbia Brewing Company opened their brewery on South C Street between South 21st and South 23rd in 1900. They made "Columbia Brew" during the dry period of prohibition. Columbia Brewing Co. was purchased by Heidelberg Brewing Co. in 1949; which was purchased by Carling Brewery in 1959. The plant closed in 1979. (Copies of old prints ordered by Heidelberg Brewing Company in December 1954.) Format 6" x 8". TPL-5565

Brewing industry--Tacoma--1910-1920; Columbia Brewing Co. (Tacoma); Costumes; Prohibition--Tacoma;