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;

ca. 1953. A young girl in a frilly pinafore and a baby gaze wide eyed at the camera while she holds a winter squash in this circa 1953 photograph. Kitchen cabinets and an egg carton on a shelf can be seen in the background. The barefoot baby sits in a high chair with a large tray and wears a bib. His sister seems intent on giving him the squash for lunch while suppressing giggles with her fingers at her mouth. Copy of a customer's print. Sepia.

Children eating & drinking--1950-1960; Infants; Girls--1950-1960; Squashes;

ca. 1953. This aerial view of the northeast section of the Tacoma tideflats from 1953 shows part of the Port of Tacoma, lower left, and the 185-acre Port Industrial Yard which was acquired by the Port in 1959. Five mothballed WWII baby flattops are moored in the Port Industrial Waterway. The incomplete Port Industrial Waterway bridge, later named the Blair Bridge, can be seen at the right. The bridge opened for traffic on November 14, 1953. The bridge is 712 feet long with a 40 foot roadway and 5 feet of sidewalk on one side only. It has a clearance at high tide of 12 feet. There is a 150 foot channel between the main piers for the passage of shipping vessels. The two main channel piers are 45 x 55 foot and house the operating machinery, counterweights and electrical equipment for opening and closing the span drawbridge. They are the equivalent in height, measured both above & below the water, to a seven story building. The cost of the bridge was $1,600,000. (TNT 11/13/1953, special section #D)

Aerial photographs; Port of Tacoma (Tacoma)--1950-1960; Aircraft carriers--Tacoma--1950-1960; Harbors--Tacoma; Aerial views; Blair Bridge (Tacoma); Port Industrial Waterway Bridge (Tacoma); Vertical lift bridges;

Dr. Harold C. Nickelsen was able to add a mountain goat to his already well-stocked trophy room. Dr. Nickelsen shot the goat during the season in British Columbia with one shot from 450 yards using a thirty-ought-six rifle with scope sight. The goat weighed an estimated 250 pounds and had an exceptionally good set of horns. This sepia photograph was taken in November, 1952. (TNT, 11/2/1952, p.B-15)

Mountain goat hunting--British Columbia; Nickelsen, Harold C.; Dead animals; Mountain goats--British Columbia;

A new plywood floor is being installed.

Plywood;

A Spanish-style residence has been finished with stucco and a tile roof.

Houses--Tacoma--1950-1960;

A young woman is removing food from her freezer locker at the back of this grocery store. The produce counters are filled with melons, celery, grapes, and other produce. Two magazine racks are filled with the latest in comic books and magazines.

Refrigerators; Grocery stores--1950-1960; Melons; Grapes; Vegetables; Celery; Shopping; Comic books; Periodicals;

Two men wearing grocers' aprons stand by freezer lockers with one of the large insulated doors open showing ten inner compartments with two of their doors open. The compartments could be filled by the individuals who rented the lockers and they could remove the contents whenever the grocery store was open.

Refrigerators; Grocery stores--1950-1960;

Flames leaping two hundred feet in the air greeted the first firefighters to arrive at the Lilly Seed Company at 15th and St. Paul Avenue, June 2, 1952, at 8:41 p.m. A second alarm was transmitted immediately to help quell the fire. The fire could be seen from anywhere in the city as firefighters tried to control it. The 2-story frame building burned to the ground within an hour. The loss was estimated at $275,000. (100 Years of Firefighting in the City of Destiny, Clyde Talcot)

Lilly Seed Co. (Tacoma); Fires--Tacoma--1950-1960;

In March of 1952 an unidentified man was photographed tearing off an entry blank for the $20,000 "Room-for-Improvement" contest sponsored by the Douglas Fir Plywood Association. Contestants could win up to $4,000 by filling out an official entry form. Each contestant had to explain what remodeling project he wanted to complete and why plywood would be the best material to use. To win, the entry had to include both a written description of the project and before and after draws. The highest prize of $3,000, with a possible bonus of $1,000, was for the best plan to "Add-a-Room." Every contestant received an official entry form and a folder of home improvement ideas - all using plywood.

Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Contests--Tacoma;

A plaque honoring Stephen Tyng Mathew reads, "He laid the foundation of the National Park Services defining and establishing the policies under which its areas shall be developed and conserved unimpaired for future generations. There will never come an end to the good that he has done."

Mathew, Stephen Tyng; Plaques--Washington; Monuments & memorials--Washington; National Park Service (Wash.);

ca. 1959. Copy of a customer's print of Jack Boyle, figure skating champion. Jack Boyle competed with the Lakewood Figure Skating Club in both the pairs with Patsy Hamm and the mens individuals. He grew up in the north end of Tacoma, attended Jason Lee Jr. High and graduated from Stadium High School in 1949. He won every men's division event in the Northwest, including senior mens, and held just about every Pacific Coast title, including senior mens and senior pairs. He and partner Patsy Hamm placed nationally in the junior and senior pairs. Boyle went pro in 1949 and skated with the Ice Follies, Holiday on Ice and other touring revues. He retired from professional skating in 1955 and entered the teaching field. Boyle taught skating for over 30 years in Vancouver, BC. ("History of Figure Skating in Pierce County" excerpt written by Jack Boyle)

Lakewood Figure Skating Club (Lakewood); Skaters; Ice Skating--Lakewood--1950-1960; Costumes; Boyle, Jack;

Workmen are busy laying plywood for the roadbed as construction continues on a new bridge in late 1957. The bridge is not identified. Photograph ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association.

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

ca. 1950. Two men are carefully sliding plywood selections over joists in preparation for roofing. One man grips a hammer in one hand and a small metal clip in the other. A large portion of the roof has already had plywood nailed down. There are pieces of boards on the plywood sheets, perhaps weighing them down. Date of original print is unknown; copy was made for Douglas Fir Plywood Association on May 28, 1958.

Plywood; Roofs; Building construction; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma);

ca. 1950. Copy of customer print. A portion of a wooden ruler, measuring 3.5 inches, lies on a plywood board in an undated photograph. A metal clip, "Plyclip 3/4", is fastened to the edge of the board. This may measure the height of the plywood. The patent is pending on the "Plyclip." Date of original picture is not known, however, it was copied for Douglas Fir Plywood Association on May 28, 1958.

Plywood; Measuring; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma);

ca. 1953. Overhead view of students walking to class. This unidentified picture taken probably in the late spring, 1953, may be on the Pacific Luthern College campus in Parkland. A long row of students, primarily girls, are strolling in clumps, possibly heading for the large building in the rear of the photograph. The lawns are well manicured with shade trees dotting the landscape.

Universities & colleges; Students; Lawns;

ca. 1952. Bathed in golden tones is this close-up of a pair of gardening gloves, hand tool and small bouquet of flowers resting on a wooden bench. All three items are nestled together with the bouquet overlaping onto the gloves. This color photograph was taken circa 1952. ALBUM 15.

Flowers; Gloves; Gardening equipment & supplies;

Portrait of the Honorable Erling Tollefson, Municipal Court judge. Judge Tollefson was the youngest of the four Tollefson brothers who made their mark on Tacoma's landscape. Harold was a two-term Mayor of Tacoma, Thor, a multiple term Republican congressman and Rudy, a well known banker. Thor and Harold preceded him in admission to the bar. Erling Tollefson was born on December 13, 1913 and attended local Tacoma schools including Lincoln High School and the University of Puget Sound. He attended Gonzaga University Law School after being associated with Johnson Paint Co. for many years and passed the Washington bar exam in August of 1959. Judge and Mrs. Tollefson resided at 819 South Monroe. He would pass away on December 5, 1986. (TNT 8-16-59-article; TNT 4-30-78, C-13 article)

Tollefson, Erling;

Oil barge. Work continues on an oil barge at Canron, Inc. (located in the old Star Iron & Steel plant), 326 Alexander Ave. in May of 1977. More than half of the work has been completed on the 40 x 165-foot oil barge destined for remote Alaskan river trading. General cargo would be loaded on topside with fuel oil in 12 tanks below deck. Canron, Inc., had received a two-month rush construction job for Venetian Iron Works. Canron, a 123-year-old Canadian firm, had been in Tacoma for about two years and had leased the old Star Iron & Steel plant in the tideflats. The company had 75 employees in Tacoma and reported a $3,000,000 backlog of work. Progress photograph ordered by Venetian Iron West Corp., Seattle. (TNT 5-11-77, B-9 article)

Progress photographs; Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1970-1980; Barges--Tacoma; Canron, Inc. (Tacoma);

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. 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;

Mayor Gordon Johnston and Pierce County Commissioner Clay Huntington jointly do the honors in opening the 1977 Tacoma Home Show held at the Tacoma Mall. At the far left is Gordon Rockwell, show chairman. Each year thousands of spectators would peruse the various exhibits demonstrating the latest trends in home decor. This was the 31st annual home show. (TNT 3-22-77, B-15-article)

Greater Tacoma Home Show (Tacoma); Dedications--Tacoma--1970-1980; Mayors--Tacoma--1970-1980; Johnston, Gordon N.; Huntington, Clay; Rockwell, Gordon;

Copy of customer's negative. Side view of a Sportsman Royal van, taken in early August of 1976, for the Superior Bus NW, Inc. The Dodge vehicle was a full-sized van with side windows and passenger seating. The Sportsman signature name was phased out after 1980. (en.wikipedia.org-article)

Dodge automobile;

ca. 1975. Downtown's Broadway Plaza was the site of a street celebration in late spring of 1975. Ad spokesman "Ace Busby" of Puget Sound National Bank and Ms. Downtown Tacoma, Donna McNamara, smile brightly for the camera. The celebration also featured a carousel and Satiacum Salmon Teepee's $2.75 plate meals.

McNamara, Donna; Beauty contestants--Tacoma--1970-1980; Signs (Notices); Merry-go-rounds--Tacoma;

Undated photograph of gunboat #12 as it churns through calm waters. The ship is flying the American flag. It is possible that the patrol vessel was undergoing sea trials at the time. Photograph ordered on October 28, 1974, by Tacoma Boatbuilding.

Gunboats; Tacoma Boat Building Co., Inc. (Tacoma);

Undated photograph of the "Firecracker," a fishing boat, as requested by Martinolich Shipbuilding. The vessel is passing quietly through the waters of Commencement Bay; a glimpse of one of Kaiser's aluminum domes is visible on the far right of the photograph.

Fishing boats--Tacoma; Martinolich Shipbuilding Corp. (Tacoma);

Undated portrait of Major General John Q. Henion. Richards Studio was asked to retouch the customer's negative. Gen. Henion would later become Commanding General of the US Army in Japan. Ordered on June 4, 1974, by Finance & Accounting, Fort Lewis.

Henion, John Q.; Generals;