The Century Ballroom, with rooftop sign advertising dancing to the strains of Slim Martin and his Orchestra, known as the "Maestro of Mirth and Melody." During the defense industry boom of the World War II years, the Century Ballroom was one of the hottest venues in the Northwest. All of the big bands played there, the Dorseys, Kay Kyser, the Lombardo brothers and Ted Fio Rito. The ballroom was built by developers Rocco (Mac) Manza and Emilio James (Jimmy) Zarelli in 1934. It was their second business venture, the first being "a little hamburger stand in Fife" called the Poodle Dog, now a recognized landmark. The Century Ballroom was located just north of the Dog. It was built by contractor Bonnie MacDonald and the new developers paid him back as they could. The building had 20,000 square feet of floor space and cost $28,000. It consistently lost money for the first eight years. With the boom in wartime industry, the pair struck pay dirt. The ballroom sometimes ran two shifts of dances with the second starting at 1:30a.m. for the swing shift workers. With the 1950's, big band music was out and rock was in. A fire in January of 1964 gutted the interior of what was once the Century Ballroom. The flames swept the length of the building just under the roof and then burst to heights of 20 to 30 feet and were visible for miles. Nine businesses were housed at this siteΓÇöincluding Toppers IGA Market, FujiΓÇÖs Ten Cent Store, and the Fife City Hall. Toppers IGA and Fuji's Ten Cent Store never resumed business in Fife. (TNT 3/23/1980, pg. D9)

Century Ballroom (Fife); Ballrooms--Fife--1930-1940; Musicians--Fife--1930-1940;

Mayor Harold Tollefson exchanged smiles with Julie Reihm in March of 1965, as she was made an honorary citizen of Tacoma. Ms. Reihm, 20, had just presented the mayor with a proclamation making him an honorary citizen of Disneyland. She was a special Disneyland Ambassador who was touring the country to publicize the amusement park's 10th anniversary. Ms. Reihm also made Mayor Tollefson an honorary member of the Anaheim City Council and bestowed upon him a free one-year pass to Disneyland and an official Disneyland color book. In return, the mayor made Ms. Reihm an honorary Tacoma citizen. G67.1-154 (TNT 3-24-65, A-10-article & alternate photograph)

Mayors--Tacoma--1960-1970; Tollefson, Harold M., 1908-1985; Reihm, Julie; Guests--Tacoma--1960-1970;

ca. 1957. A banjo player, believed to be Barney Stallone, deftly picks out a tune as he joins fellow musicians in a jam session in an undated sepia photograph possibly taken about 1957. This tight quartet is composed of drums, accordion, banjo and two guitars. They are sitting close together on a small stage; a piano and instrument case are nearby. The guitarist to Mr. Stallone's right is believed to be a Mr. Naccarto. Photograph ordered by Joyce Kinkela Hergert. (Additional information provided by a reader)

Music ensembles; Banjos;

Groups of men appear to be consulting one another as work progresses on the construction of a new unidentified bridge in late 1957. Plywood has been laid on most of the roadbed with one section of exposed rebar yet to be covered. Photograph ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association.

Bridge construction; Bridges; Suspension bridges; Plywood; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma);

ca. 1954. The photograph of this very contemporary rambler styled home with many picture windows was probably taken in the summer of 1954. The one-story home had a extended, wide driveway and may have been located in the growing suburbs outside Tacoma city limits. The home, #8803, had a partially fenced yard and was surrounded by trees and shrubs. TPL-8313

Houses--1950-1960; Driveways;

On July 31, 1936, promoter Rookie Lewis outdid himself by staging an authentic "Indian Wedding" as the evening's special attraction during his Walkathon (dance marathon) at the Century Ballroom in Fife. Chief White Eagle conducted the Native American wedding of So-To-Le-O and groom Qua-Le-Ales, with rites performed in sign language. Five different tribes participated in the wedding. The Walkathon was heavily attended by citizens of Tacoma and Seattle, since both cities had local ordinances forbidding such marathons. Approximately 30 people were pictured, first two rows were Native-Americans in costume, others may be some of the remaining participants in the Walkathon. Tribal blankets serve as backdrop. (T.Times 7-31-36, p. 4-article; 8-1-36, p. 5-article; www.historylink.org) (filed with Argentum)

Indians of North America--Clothing & dress; Weddings--Fife; Marathons--Fife;

Cowan-Lynn Wedding bridal party. Carolyn Fogg was the only attendant for Grace Marie Cowan as she wed C. Nathan Lynn on August 22, 1937. J. Marvin Lynn was his brother's best man. The small private ceremony was held at the residence of the groom's parents, Mr. and Mrs. C.O. Lynn on No. "C" St. The bride is wearing a princess styled gown of heavy pink lace while her maid of honor is dressed in pale yellow organdy. (T.Times, 8-23-37, p. 7) (filed with Argentum)

Cowan, Grace Marie; Lynn, C. Nathan; Weddings--Tacoma--1930-1940; Wedding costume--1930-1940; Brides--1930-1940; Grooms (Weddings)--1930-1940; Fogg, Carolyn; Lynn, J. Marvin;

ca. 1935. Tollefsen-Haydon Wedding. Bride in lace gown with veil and train holding bouquet in front of altar. (filed with Argentum)

Weddings--Tacoma--1930-1940; Brides--1930-1940; Wedding costume--1930-1940;

ca. 1935. Tollefsen-Haydon Wedding. Bride with four bridesmaids standing in front of altar. (filed with Argentum)

Weddings--Tacoma--1930-1940; Brides--1930-1940; Wedding costume--1930-1940;

Mary Berry Thomas- Bernard Albert Sack Wedding at Annie Wright Seminary on September 22, 1937. An unidentified girl in a long dress carrying a bouquet was photographed coming down stairs. She was probably a junior bridesmaid. (filed with Argentum)

Weddings--Tacoma--1930-1940; Annie Wright Seminary (Tacoma)--1930-1940;

Hagerty-? Wedding at Central Baptist Church. Bride, groom, four groom's men and four bridesmaids; candlelabras and flowers. Building constructed in 1900 as First Swedish Baptist. (Filed with Argentum)

Weddings--Tacoma--1930-1940; Brides--1930-1940; Grooms (Weddings)--1930-1940; Central Baptist Church (Tacoma);

ca. 1935. Staaki-Bergioli Wedding. Bride and two bridesmaids with long dresses. Maids have large bouquets, all have very different hats. This circa 1935 wedding appears to have taken place in someone's home. (filed with Argentum)

Weddings--Tacoma--1930-1940; Brides--1930-1940; Wedding costume--1930-1940; Wedding attendants;

Charles H. Manley, 80, stands beside his cigar store Indian in front of his tobacco store at the corner of 9th and Pacific in January of 1937. Manley's cigar store had been in downtown Tacoma for 48 years. The statue was carved in 1883 from a solid piece of straight grained Southern pine by a Chicago firm that specialized in creating wooden Indian signs for cigar stores. He was painted with four coats of bright paint and then shipped by N.P.rail to Mr. Manley in Livingston, MT. Total cost was $350 plus $75 in shipping, a princely sum that soon paid off in increased business. Native Americans named the sculpture "Skookum" because he was so big and painted so brightly. He was on wheels so that he could be moved inside in inclement weather. Mr. Manley heard of the Tacoma boom and set out to make his fortune, transporting "Skookum" by freight car and setting up his business at Pacific & 9th St. where "Skookum" would remain for 58 years; he was sold in 1946 to Seattle businessmen for $900. (T. Times 1-11-1937, pg. 14; TNT 1/7/1979)

Manley, Charles H.; Charles H. Manley Tobacconist/Cigar Store (Tacoma); Cigar store Indians--Tacoma;

In January of 1937, Julius Twohy was photographed as he stood on a scaffold to create a mural across the 72 foot long dining room wall at the Cushman Hospital at 2002 East 28th Street. The young Ute Indian artist from Seattle paused in his work to explain the story in his "Indian writing" to Dr. John N. Alley, superintendent of the hospital. The art work was part of a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project. The mural, photographed here after three months of work, was projected to take another three months to complete. It told the legend of the Thunder Bird, the Indian weather god, in the language of Twohy's ancestors. The figures were outlined in thick black and would be filled in with brilliant red, blue, yellow and reddish brown. The artist was a member of the Ute tribe from the Uintah Basin in eastern Utah. (WSHS) (T. Times 2/13/1937, pg. 9- picture & article, 7/8/1936, pg. 13)

Hospitals--Tacoma--1940-1950; Cushman Indian Hospital (Tacoma); Indians of North America--Tacoma--1940-1950; Twohy, Julius; Alley, John N.;