The McChord Field Women's Club held their annual fashion show and tea at the McChord Field Officers' Club in April 1949. The show featured the latest in spring and summer fashions. More than 200 members and their guests attended the event. Left to right: Mrs. Fred Nelson, wife of Commanding Officer; Mrs. John Kersch (standing), Fashion Show Chairman; Mrs. Elwood Jackson, Fashion Show Hostess; and two unidentified fashion models (T.N.T., 4/10/49, p. D-9).

Fashion shows--Tacoma; Fashion models--Tacoma; Women--Clothing & dress--Tacoma--1940-1950; Events--Tacoma; Women--Social life--1940-1950; McChord Field Officers' Club (Tacoma); McChord Field Women's Club (Tacoma);

William Skansie (far left) and the crew of the Skansie's Shipbuilding Company stand in front of a 59-foot fishing boat that was completed in April of 1949. The yet un-named seiner was the first fishing boat to be built at the Skansie shipyard in Gig Harbor since 1930. John Cosulich (sixth from the left) had been foreman at the Skansie plant for 37 years. This Skansie fishing boat was designed by J. A. Martinolich of San Francisco, California. Skansie's Shipbuilding Company was owned and operated by William Skansie and Mitchell Skansie Jr. (T.N.T., 4/18/49, p. 14). TPL-8339

Fishing boats--Gig Harbor--1940-1950; Boat & ship industry--Gig Harbor; Launchings--Gig Harbor--1940-1950; Skansie's Shipbuilding Co. (Gig Harbor); Cosulich, John--Family; Skansie, William;

Tacoma was experiencing a building boom, a lot of new businesses were surfacing throughout the city and many established businesses were remodeling and expanding their sites and services. Building progress of Ghilarducci's California Florists; they would have 13,500 square feet of floor space, the estimated building cost was $100,000 and it was expected to be completed by June 1, 1949; the building contractor was Ketner Brothers (T. Times, 3/13/49, p. 19).

Florist shops--Tacoma; Progress photographs; Building construction--Tacoma; Signs (Notices); Ghilarducci's California Florists (Tacoma);

Tacoma's Elks Club was having their annual "Extravaganza" event in 1949. This year's show would include a short concert by the Elks Band, ten all-Elks acts, and a minstrel show. All benefits from the show would be used to help send the local Elks Band to the Grand Lodge Convention in Cleveland, Ohio. The newly appointed Elks Exalted Ruler, John H. Anderson would give the welcome address for the "Extravaganza." View of poster that was used to advertise the big event (T.N.T., 4/26/49, p. 5).

Fraternal organizations--Tacoma--1940-1950; Men--Clubs--Tacoma; Events--Tacoma--1940-1950; Theatrical productions--Tacoma--1940-1950; Theatrical posters; Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, Tacoma Lodge No. 174 (Tacoma);

The Tahoma Orthopedic Guild hoped to sell 100,000 daffodils at various 11th Street stands during the spring of 1949. The fund raiser was for the benefit of the building fund of the future children's hospital. Members of the group are holding up a sign that advertises the upcoming sales event and some of the lovely flowers to be sold. Left to right are: Alice Marr, Florence Berry, Mrs. Charles Denzler, Peggy Brown, Vina Brandes and Helen Bennett. Mary Bridge Children's Hospital opened in 1955, built in part with money donated by the Orthopedic Guild. (T. Times, 3/31/49, p. 1).

Fund raising--Tacoma--1940-1950; Charitable organizations--Tacoma--1940-1950; Signs (Notices); Daffodils--Tacoma; Women--Clothing & dress--Tacoma--1940-1950; Tacoma Orthopedic Association (Tacoma);

Edith Krakauer is a hat designer, she is currently a house guest of Dr. Leo and Helen M. Scheckner of Tacoma. Edith is from Sydney, Australia and will be traveling throughout the United States, including: San Francisco, Los Angeles, New Orleans and Washington D. C., to promote her hats. View of Edith Krakauer wearing one of her incredible hat creations (T.N.T., 4/3/49, p. D-5).

Hats--1940-1950; Women--Clothing & dress--Tacoma--1940-1950; Australians--Tacoma; Fashion designers--Tacoma; Scheckner, Leo--Homes & haunts; Krakauer, Edith;

View of the "Sven Salen" docked, crane in background and hoisting machinery in foreground. Photo ordered by General Adjustment Bureau, an insurance adjusting company, possibly for an insurance claim. The insurance company had their offices in Tacoma's Washington Building at 1019 Pacific Avenue; the branch manager was John B. Hamilton.

Hoisting machinery; Boats--Tacoma; Industrial facilities--Tacoma; Piers & wharves--Tacoma; Insurance companies--Tacoma; Insurance; General Adjustment Bureau (Tacoma);

Cooney Transfer Company was owned and operated by Clarence R. Johnson, Gerald O. Thelander and Earl A. Sweet. The company specialized in moving large machinery and equipment throughout Western Washington, they were located at 2317 Pacific Avenue. View of large truck moving a large piece of machinery, an unidentified man is standing on top of machine.

Hoisting machinery; Equipment; Laborers--Tacoma; Moving of structures--Tacoma; Moving & storage trade--Tacoma; Cooney Transfer Co. (Tacoma);

This house, located at 618 North Sixth Street in Tacoma, was built in 1931 for Malcom Saxton, the president of Saxton Lumber Co.. This picture was taken in 1949 when the house was owned by Leon Titus the President of Titus Motor Company and Titus Manufacturing Company, the authorized Ford trucks and automobile dealers and Ford engine rebuilders in Tacoma. The flowering cherry tree in the front yard is in full bloom.

Houses--Tacoma--1940-1950; Neighborhoods--Tacoma; Flowers--Tacoma; Yards--Tacoma; Lawns--Tacoma; Cherry trees--Tacoma; Titus, Leon E.--Homes & haunts;

St. Regis had started producing kraft paper in January 1949, the tacoma plant had been remodeled over a long period of time and was operating at full capacity. View of St. Regis Paper Company Kraft Pulp Division; new mill on left, new laboratory is currently under construction; building contractor is Howard S. Wright and Company (T. Times, 3/13/49, p. 19).

Industrial facilities--Tacoma; Remodeling--Tacoma; Paper industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Building construction--Tacoma; St. Regis Paper Co. (Tacoma)--1940-1950;

Ed Johnson (seated), proprietor of the Tacoma Cigar Co. at 259 So. 13th, was photographed in March of 1949 hand rolling cigars. Mr. Johnson opened his own cigar stand at this location in 1917, when business outgrew the cigar factory that he and his brothers operated in the basement of the Lucerne building, 418 So.9th. At the height of his business, he had three cigar makers sitting side by side at the window where they could be viewed from the street. By 1949, the business was reduced to himself and one assistant. He started selling beer from this same location at the end of Prohibition, 14 ounces for a nickel. Due to the high cost of tobacco and taxes, he quit making cigars around 1953, one of the last to quit the business in the state, but he continued to operate his open air tavern from the cigar counter until his death at the age of 85 on November 17, 1967. (TNT 8/21/1949, pg 4, 8/9/64, pg. A10, 3/19/67, pg. A13, 11/18/67, pg. 2)

Johnson, Ed; Tacoma Cigar Co. (Tacoma); Cigars;

St. Joseph's Hospital and School of Nursing had 23 first year students going through the capping ceremony in 1949. Two were male students. St. Joseph's had one of the best nursing programs in Washington. View of Sister Mary Jane, O.S.F. hospital administrator, awarding St. Joseph's Nursing School insignia to Harold Dilly (left) and William Adams (T. Times, 3/7/49, p. 2). TPL-8820

Medical students--Tacoma; Medical education--Tacoma; Nurses--Tacoma; Nursing--Tacoma; Nuns--Tacoma; Rites & ceremonies--Tacoma; St. Joseph's Hospital & School of Nursing (Tacoma);

Irving E. Stimpson from Seattle, was elected President of Washington State Junior Chamber of Commerce, Jack McCullough was elected one of the eight new vice-presidents. View of members of the Junior Chamber of Commerce at the Winthrop Hotel, campaigning for the presidential and vice presidential candidates (T.N.T., 4/23/49, p. 1).

Meetings--Tacoma--1940-1950; Conference rooms--Tacoma; Hotels--Tacoma; Business people--Tacoma--1940-1950; Tacoma Junior Chamber of Commerce (Tacoma); Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma);

In March of 1949, 57 children from the morning and afternoon kindergarten classes of the Fern Hill school took a 40 mile roundtrip train ride from Tacoma's Union Station to Auburn. Ninety percent of the children had never been on a train before. After the ride, they were given a tour of the station by the stationmaster, and all 57 children climbed onto a giant scale in the baggage room. The entire group weighed 2,880 lbs. (T.N.T., 3/27/49, p. A-7). TPL-8804

Railroad stations--Tacoma; Children--Tacoma--1940-1950; Northern Pacific Railway Co. (Tacoma); Railroads--Tacoma; Railroad companies--Tacoma; Union Station (Tacoma); Railroad travel--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Holroyd Company manufactured concrete blocks, bricks, and other types of building materials. Holroyd quality products could be found in homes and businesses throughout Tacoma and Western Washington. The company's plant was located at 5047 South Washington Street in South Tacoma's industrial area; the business was owned by James A. Holroyd. View of recently built concrete houses; photo ordered by the Holroyd Company.

Reinforced concrete construction--Tacoma--1940-1950; Concrete--Tacoma; Concrete products industry--Tacoma; Houses--Tacoma--1940-1950; Neighborhoods--Tacoma; Holroyd Co. (Tacoma);

Lanette Adams is shown practicing at her parents' roller skating rink, The Roller Bowl, in April of 1949. The Roller Bowl, owned by Roger W. and Dolores Adams, was located in Lakewood at 8006 South Tacoma Way. Lanette won the Primary Girls Freestyle championship in 1949 and was the first Northwest roller skater to win the U.S. National Roller Skating championships in both 1949 and 1950. She won first place in the juvenile free style at the Washington State championships in 1951. Lanette was seven years old at the time. (Gallacci, Blau, McArthur: Playground to the Pros).

Roller skating--Tacoma--1940-1950; Skaters--1940-1950; Skating rinks--Tacoma; Children--Social life--1940-1950; Recreation--Tacoma--1940-1950; Tacoma Roller Bowl (Tacoma); Adams, Lanette;

A team of twelve members from the King Speed Club would be representing Tacoma at the Washington State Amateur Roller Skating Speed Championship contest. View of Lanette Adams roller skating at the Roller Bowl, possibly getting ready to compete in the Washington State Amateur Roller Skating Speed Championship. (T.N.T., 4/17/49, p. C-13).

Roller skating--Tacoma--1940-1950; Skaters--1940-1950; Skating rinks--Tacoma; Children--Social life--1940-1950; Recreation--Tacoma--1940-1950; Tacoma Roller Bowl (Tacoma); Adams, Lanette;

Tacoma Yacht Club sponsored the Daffodil Yacht Races on Daffodil Festival weekend. The race results were as follows: Neil Christensen's "Jaunty" took first place in Cass A with a time of 2:10:58; Harbine Monroe's "Nautilus III" placed second in Class A with a time of 2:22:34; Al Andersen's "Endelie" received first place in Class B with 2:37:47; and Kenn Hore's "Emquad" placed second in Class B with 2:50:38 (T.N.T., 4/11/49, p. 16).

Spectators--Tacoma; Yacht racing--Tacoma; Yachts--Tacoma; Events--Tacoma; Tacoma Yacht Club (Tacoma);

Pacific Telephone and Telegraph was offering their customers a lot more communications technology and more efficient service. The company now had more telephones, better services and more jobs throughout the area. Exterior view of Standard Stations Incorporated, located at 2323 Pacific Avenue; view of telephone booth, photo ordered by Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company.

Telephone booths--Tacoma--1940-1950; Telephone companies--Tacoma; Telephone industry--Tacoma; Automobile service stations--Tacoma; Signs (Notices); Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Co. (Tacoma); Standard Oil Co. of California (Tacoma);

Tacoma's Temple Theatre advertised they had the "widest proscenium arch of any theater or hall on Pacific Coast". Throughout the years the Temple Theatre had a number of movie stars making special appearances, including Tallulah Bankhead and Lucille Ball. The Temple Theatre was later renamed the Saint Helens Convention Center in 1992 and the Landmark Convention Center in 1995. View of unidentified man backstage at the Temple Theatre, by the curtain and props control area.

Theaters--Tacoma; Theatrical producers & directors--Tacoma; Stages (Platforms); Stage props; Temple Theatre (Tacoma);

Puyallup was one of the hardest area hit by the earthquake, destroying many buildings and causing a two to three feet fissure on the ground. View of Puyallup police officer Archer taking down a report after the big earthquake hit. Kenneth Thompson of Puyallup shows Chief Archer the damage in his basement. Photo ordered by Life magazine in New York (Life, 4/25/49, p. 34-35 & T.N.T., 4/13/49, P. 1, 12 & 4/14/49, p. 1-2).

Thompson, Kenneth--Homes & haunts; Basements--Puyallup; Police--Puyallup; Rescue work--Puyallup; Earthquakes--Puyallup; Disasters--Puyallup; Life (New York, N.Y.);

Tacoma Yacht Club was sponsoring the Daffodil Yacht Races on the Daffodil Festival weekend. The first leg of the race was from Old Tacoma to Port Piers on Commencement Bay, then back to the starting point. A total of 11 entries participated in the Class A race, and 4 entries raced in Class B. All sailors celebrated after the races in the Captain's Lounge of the Tacoma Yacht Club (T.N.T., 4/11/49, p. 16).

Yacht racing--Tacoma; Yachts--Tacoma; Sailboat racing--Tacoma; Sailboats--Tacoma; Events--Tacoma; Tacoma Yacht Club (Tacoma);

Water Department, Parker Paint Manufacturing Company, Mr. Martin. The City of Tacoma's Department of Public Utilities, Water Division shops building has been painted using Parker Paint that was manufactured in Tacoma. The one-story building, made of reinforced concrete, was completed in 1936. Decorative light fixtures, pilasters extending beyond the roof line and decorative motifs above the windows provide an interesting exterior of this utility building. A tower at the far side of the building contains the same diamond motif as the main building.

Tacoma Dept. of Public Utilities, Water Division (Tacoma); Public utility companies--Tacoma; Buildings--Tacoma--1940-1950; Pilasters--Tacoma; Architectural decorations & ornaments--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Three views of Thom McAn Shoe Store, McAn Shoe Stores, New York. A view of the store from the front. The cash register stands in the center, near the front. Electric fans hang from high on the walls to increase circulation. Display windows have been built into the shelving on all three walls to display current shoe fashions.

Thom McAn Shoe Store (Tacoma); Shoe stores--Tacoma--1940-1950; Shoes; Cash registers;

Van de Kamp sign, North 1st and G Streets, Electrical Products, Larry Moore. A new neon sign advertised Van de Kamp's Bakery from the roof of their building. The sign featured an image of a wind mill with the tubing that contained the neon formed into the shapes of the wind mill vanes. Van de Kamp's Holland Dutch Bakeries had four locations in Tacoma.

Van de Kamp's Holland Dutch Bakeries (Tacoma); Bakeries--Tacoma--1940-1950; Electric signs--Tacoma--1940-1950; Roofs--Tacoma; Windmills--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Copy of customer's picture, Mr. William J. Love. Information provided below the portrait states, "Mary Gray, Born in Prince George's county, Maryland, March 9th, 1759; age near 113 years. Now living in Greenup County, Kentucky, 12 miles from Portsmouth, O. Her descendants. First Generation--Children--13, Second--Gr. Children--65, Third--Gt.gr. Children--617, Fourth--Gt.gt.gr. Children--337, Fifth--Gt.gt.gt.gr. Children--44.

Gray, Mary; Aged persons; Longevity; Portraits;

This aerial photograph from November 1948 shows the Hooker Electrochemical Company located at 605 Alexander Avenue on the Tacoma tideflats. The waterway above the plant, dotted with log booms, is the Hylebos Waterway. Small houses and businesses line the shore on the other side of the waterway along Marine View Drive. Hooker changed its name to Occidental Chemical Co. in 1982. In 1997 the company was purchased by Pioneer Companies Inc.; the plant closed in 2002. TPL-7977

Aerial photographs; Hooker Electrochemical Co. (Tacoma); Chemical industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Logs; Hylebos Waterway (Tacoma); Harbors--Tacoma; Factories--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Interior view of the new Mueller-Harkins Motor Company building, the company was having an "Open-House" to celebrate the near completion of the new facilities; people are gathered around the new 1949 Buick automobiles in the Mueller-Harkins new car showroom. Mueller-Harkins Motor Company's new service center is being referred to as "America's Finest Automotive Service Center" (T. Times, 12/3/48, p. 8-9).

Buick automobile; Automobile dealerships--Tacoma; Vehicle maintenance & repair--Tacoma; Events--Tacoma; Windows--Tacoma; Showrooms--Tacoma; Mueller-Harkins Motor Co. (Tacoma);

22 first graders from McCarver School presented a dramatization of the fable "Jack and the Beanstalk" as a Back-to-School feature of National Education Week in November of 1948. The play was directed by Harriet Caldwell. Pictured are 17 of the 22 participants, including Billy Brown and Paul Fendel who together made up the cow. Some of the children's names were listed in the Tacoma Times article of November 5th including three of the fairies: Carolyn Foster, Penny Laybourn and Sharon Epps; Troy-Ann Kelly as the fairy with the harp; Marlene Kerth holding the chicken; Byron Haynes as the seated giant and Gary Michael in feathered cap. (T.Times, 11/5/1948, p.10-article & alternate photograph) TPL-10154

Children performing in theatrical productions--Tacoma--1940-1950; School children--Tacoma--1940-1950; Stages (Platforms); Stage props; Theatrical productions--Tacoma--1940-1950;

View of five unidentified Townsend Club members standing outside of Tacoma's Music Box Theatre in November of 1948. They are proudly wearing "Townsend" hats and displaying their club banner with the theater movie ticket window in background. The Townsend Plan called for a $200 a month pension for every retired person over 60. The Club's slogan was "work for youth and age for leisure." Support for the Townsend Plan fueled President Franklin D. Roosevelt's support for the Social Security Act. Townsend Clubs continued to be popular until 1950 when social security benefits finally overtook welfare payments.

Clubs--Tacoma; Motion picture theaters--Tacoma; Banners--Tacoma; Meetings--Tacoma; Motion picture posters; Music Box Theatre (Tacoma); Townsend Clubs of America (Tacoma);