Maefair Apartment fire hearing. It was determined after a long hearing that unfortunately the loss of nineteen lives occurred primarily because of human error. No criminal negligence was found. (T. Times, 3/2/45, p. 1).

Courtrooms--Tacoma; Judicial proceedings--Tacoma; Pierce County Courthouse (Tacoma);

Three unidentified men are pictured in the County Auditor's office in the Pierce County Courthouse on September 30, 1942.

Municipal government--Tacoma--1940-1950;

On September 30, 1942, Deputy Auditor Mary Nuzman, left, supplied a Declaration of Candidacy to Mrs. Clara Doan, Republican candidate for Constable. Mrs. Doan was believed to be the first female candidate for Constable in Tacoma's, or perhaps the state's, history. Her candidacy was being presented by Dr. Hinton D. Jonez, right, Republican County Chairman. Mrs. Doan was the widow of a WWI veteran and the daughter of a pioneer Thurston County family (Moses Gardner). She was running for the 3rd Constable spot using the slogan "one should be a woman." (T. Times 10/2/1942, pg. 5)

Nuzman, Mary; Doan, Clara; Jonez, Hinton D.; Political elections; Municipal government--Tacoma--1940-1950;

On September 30, 1942, under the watchful eye of Deputy Auditor Mary Nuzman, (left), Mrs. Clara Doan filled in the blanks on the Declaration of Candidacy for Constable. Mrs. Doan was the Republican candidate and the first woman to run for the office. Her candidacy was being presented by Dr. Hinton D. Jonez, center, Republican County Chairman. If elected, she would be one of 3 Constables, along with Robert Dykeman and "Connie" Ireland. Most of the Constable's work load was paperwork. (T. Times 10/2/1945, pg. 5)

Nuzman, Mary; Doan, Clara; Jonez, Hinton D.; Political elections; Municipal government--Tacoma--1940-1950;

After wedding portrait of Mary Ellen Miller and Don Carlson in front of the Pierce County Court House. As more young men were drafted or enlisted, weddings were hurriedly placed on the social calendar, often with the young woman travelling to the military base where her intended was stationed. The Pierce County Courthouse became a revolving door for young couples wanting to be united before he left for "over there." [Also dated. 08-14-1942]

Miller, Mary Ellen--Marriage; Carlson, Don; Weddings--Tacoma--1940-1950;

As the caption on this photograph indicates, this was the Criminal Force of the Pierce County Sheriff's Dept. in 1938. John C. Bjorklund (not pictured), the County Sheriff, was in his second term. When re-elected in 1938, he received the largest majority ever given a candidate for any office in the history of Pierce County up to that time. TPL-2512

Uniforms; Sheriffs--Pierce County--1930-1940; Pierce County Sheriffs (Tacoma);

On January 19, 1938, Pierce County Sheriff John C. Bjorklund posed on the steps of the old Pierce County Courthouse at 1012 South G Street with his 16-member staff. Sheriff Bjorklund is in the front row, second from the left. His criminal deputies donned blue caps, coats and high laced boots for this photograph. Marian Hager, stenographer, was the only female staff member. The names of the sixteen aides are listed in the newspaper caption. (TNT 1/19/1938, pg. 7-alternate photograph)

Bjorklund, John; Uniforms; Sheriffs--Pierce County--1930-1940; Law enforcement officers; Pierce County Courthouse (Tacoma); Courthouses--Tacoma; Hager, Marian;

Pierce County Sheriff's officers, George W. Kupka on right, flank Sheriff John C. Bjorklund on the Court House steps in January of 1938. John C. Bjorklund was in his second term. When re-elected in 1938, he received the largest majority ever given a candidate for any office in the history of Pierce County up to that time. Bjorklund was for many years the secretary of the Tacoma Longshoremen's Union and he was a familiar figure on Tacoma's waterfront. (filed with Argentum)

Bjorklund, John; Uniforms; Sheriffs--Pierce County--1930-1940; Pierce County Sheriffs (Tacoma); Pierce County Courthouse (Tacoma); Courthouses--Tacoma; Kupka, George;

ca. 1936. Pierce County Courthouse. From the time it was built in 1892 till it was demolished in 1959, the Romanesque turrets of the Courthouse were a familiar landmark in Tacoma. The building was designed by Proctor & Dennis, architects, and was patterned after the courthouse in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania by Henry Hobson Richardson. It was an imposing structure for a city with large aspirations. The three story building was built of Wilkeson grey freestone finished with Tenino bluestone. Its focus was a tall clock tower that was damaged in the 1949 earthquake. A167500-36. (TPL-2532, TPL-4031 and TPL-6670)

Pierce County Courthouse (Tacoma); Courthouses--Tacoma; Historic buildings--Tacoma;

Pierce County Sheriff Tom Desmond stands next to the what is left of a $12,000 still at the County Courthouse on October 23, 1930. Somehow thieves managed to spirit away part of the still, a seven-foot contraption with twelve compartments and twelve faucets. The grain alcohol still, capable of producing 250 gallons of grain alcohol a day, was seized in a raid at Point Fosdick on October 18, 1930. It was put in a corridor of the courthouse near the entrance of the jail. The seven-foot part went missing on the night of the 20th. Consequently, two deputy sheriffs were fired for "gross carelessness." (TNT 10-23-30, p. 1)

A pile of slot machines awaits the sledgehammer of Chief Deputy Sheriff John Piper on October 9, 1929 at the county courthouse. These were a sample of the 39 slots ordered destroyed following seizure by county officers from various places of businesses in Pierce County. A total of $244.85 in nickels, dimes and quarters was taken from the machines. This amount, less $10 for trucking, was turned over to the county school fund. The machines, minus their cash, were taken to the waterfront and dumped into Commencement Bay. (TNT 10-10-29, p. 17) TPL-8466;

On August 4, 1925, John B. "Kelly" Carlton was photographed outside the Pierce County Courthouse while enjoying a refreshing Orange Kist soda. "Kelly" was the "keeper of the key to the county cooler" as he was the county jailer. Orange Kist, a new soda manufactured in Tacoma by the Columbia Brewing Company, was introduced to consumers in August, 1925, with a barrage of advertising and promotional stunts, including a free giveaway of thousands of cases of the soda. Prohibition had driven Tacoma's breweries out of beer and into other product lines. On August 3rd a big truck with 3,000 bottles of the new soda for free distribution had backed up to the Courthouse and unloaded its cargo right into Kelly's waiting, and thirsty, arms. G33.1-065; TPL-6208 (TNT 8/4/1925, pg. 7)

Carbonated beverages; Eating & drinking--Tacoma--1920-1930; Carlton, John B.; Columbia Brewing Co.--Associated objects; Pierce County Courthouse (Tacoma);

On December 30, 1924, a crowd of last minute "shoppers" filled the office of Pierce County Auditor Freemont Campbell Jr. in a last minute attempt to get their 1925 automobile license applications filed before the January 1 deadline. By the 30th, scarcely half of the county's automobile owners had applied for their new licenses. Tacoma and Pierce County drivers who belonged to the Automobile Club of Western Washington could avoid the lines at the auditor's office in the Pierce County courthouse,1012 South G Street, by going to the automobile club's Tacoma office at 119 South 9th Street. (TNT 1/1/1925, pg. 11) (WSHS- negative A644-0)

Crowds--Tacoma--1920-1930; Pierce County Auditor (Tacoma)--1920-1930; Recording & registration--Pierce County--1920-1930;

The view around South 11th in downtown Tacoma has changed dramatically since this photograph of the Pierce County Courthouse, located at 1012 South "G" St., was taken in August of 1924. The lush trees are gone and the buildings altered or demolished, including the courthouse itself in 1959. The lawn on the left side of the street is now part of Bates Technical College and the wooden sidewalk directly across it transformed into ordinary cement. The wood building at the corner of South 11th & Altheimer remains but now houses the CJ Johnson Bail Bonds. Where the courthouse once stood is now parking for the County-City Building. TPL-3269; G17.1-081

Pierce County Courthouse (Tacoma); Courthouses--Tacoma; Streets--Tacoma--1920-1930;

View of the Pierce County Courthouse in 1924 featuring the 230-foot stone clock tower. The massive Romanesque structure was built in 1892 and was patterned after the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania courthouse designed by Henry Hobson Richardson. At the far left is the First Presbyterian Church, 1001 South "G," which would be acquired the following year and transformed into Central Lutheran Church. Both structures and surrounding trees would be demolished with the courthouse falling in 1959 and the church in 1955. G17.1-078; BU-10,713

Pierce County Courthouse (Tacoma); Courthouses--Tacoma; First Presbyterian Church (Tacoma);

Illegal stills at courthouse. Theodore Mohrbacher, Joe Desmond and Jack Bodaylea, left to right, of the county dry squad examine confiscated stills at the county courthouse on January 19, 1924. These are just a few of the dozens of huge liquor stills that will be converted into junk by jail trustees in the near future. The stills are now piled up in the lobby of the county jail. Stills can range in size from small tea kettle types to huge commercial boilers capable of holding hundreds of gallons of mash. The manufacture of alcohol was made illegal by the passage of the 18th amendment and the Volstead Act, which went into effect in January of 1920. Prohibition was abolished with the passage of the 21st Amendment to the Constitution in 1933. (TNT 1-19-24, p. 1) G24.1-074; TPL-9895

Stills (Distilleries); Mohrbacher, Theodore; Desmond, Joe; Bodaylea, Jack;

Prohibition came to Washington State early, with its passage taking effect at 12:01a.m. on January 1, 1916. By 1920, local entrepreneurs were very savvy at brewing "moonshine" in homemade distilleries, or "stills." This pile was only the most recent installment of confiscated stills in Pierce County. (TDL 8/15/1920, pg B-5) G24.1-072

Prohibition--Tacoma; Stills (Distilleries);

ca. 1915. A photographic copy of a customer's photograph showing a large group of approximately 78 people in front of one of the entrances to the Pierce County Courthouse.

Pierce County Courthouse (Tacoma); Courthouses--Tacoma; Architectural elements--Tacoma; Doors & doorways--Tacoma;

ca. 1913. This circa 1913 group portrait of the Pierce County Treasurer's staff was taken in the old Pierce County Court House at South 10th and G Streets during an inspection by the Washington State Examiner. Calvin J. Carr, seated in the center of the first row, was County Treasurer.

Employees and bicycle delivery boy on steps of the Pierce County Court House. The Pierce County Court House was built in 1892. The three story building was a copy of the Courthouse in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. The plans contained everything Tacomans hoped for in this elaborate structure, including secret staircases and a hanging room, and suited their grandiose plans for their city. The grand structure was demolished in 1959 due to its poor condition and replaced by a parking lot for the modern County-City building. Here employees pose with bicycles on the steps of the structure. The man behind what is believed to be a bicycle delivery boy or courier is holding a baby. The women on the left are most probably clerical staff, although two of them are posing with bicycles.

Pierce County Courthouse (Tacoma); Historic buildings--Tacoma; Bicycles & tricycles--Tacoma--1890-1900; Clothing & dress--1890-1900;

Pierce County employees posed in the Auditor's office within the County Courthouse in March of 1898. The Auditor at that time was F.H. Gloyd, possibly the man seated behind the desk. W.D.C. Spike, sporting a large handlebar mustache, is seated near the center of the group. Mr. Spike would go on to defeat Republican A.P. Peterson on November 8, 1898, for the Auditor's position, 4,209 votes to 3,617. W.D.C. Spike was a native of Halifax, Nova Scotia, and came to Tacoma about 1890. He was a widely known businessman involved in the Pacific Coast Gypsum Co. and the American Coal Co. Mr. Spike would go on to serve two terms as County Auditor. He passed away on July 2, 1915, at home. (TDL 7-3-15, p. 11-obit.; Bonney, W.P., History of Pierce County Washington, p. 539-voting statistics)

Spike, W.D.C.; Government officials--Tacoma; Government employees--Tacoma; County government--Tacoma; Pierce County Courthouse (Tacoma);

ca. 1892. This is an image of the Pierce County Court House under construction circa 1892. Stone masons are posed in front of the incomplete building with large heaps of stone in the foreground. It would eventually become a three-story structure with a 230-ft. tower. Wilkeson and Pittsburg grey freestone, finished with Tenino bluestone, would be used on the exterior. The massive Romanesque edifice would serve as the county's courthouse for over sixty years until its demolition in 1959. (Copy of original) Bi-Centennial Project # 75346-53; BU-10704

Pierce County Courthouse (Tacoma); Progress photographs; Building construction--Tacoma--1890-1900; Stone cutting--Tacoma;

• Built in 1892, and made out of Wilkeson and Pittsburg grey freestone, finished with Tenino bluestone--this was demolished in 1959 after the County-City Building was constructed.
• Printed on front: Pierce Co. Court House, located at Tacoma.

Printed on front: Pierce County Court House, Tacoma, Washington

Current location of Tacoma Public Library's Main Branch. Printed on front: Public Library also showing Court House, Tacoma, Wash.

Printed on front: First Presbyterian Church, Tacoma, Wash.

• Pierce County Court House. Built in 1892 at 1012 So. G Street, it was demolished in 1959. circa 1907.
• Printed on front: Court House, Tacoma, Wash.