Exterior view of Washington Hardware Company. Washington Hardware added a 50,000 square foot Wholesale Division at 1247 Puyallup Avenue in 1950. It carried hardware, building materials, tools, shop supplies and sporting goods for sale.

Washington Hardware Co. (Tacoma); Hardware stores--Tacoma--1950-1960;

ca. 1887. Copy exposure of historical print. This copy of a historical print shows a view of Tacoma from the tideflats just south of "The Boot" circa 1887. In the distance near left is the (first) Central School with tower, located at South 11th & "G" Sts. The imposing Tacoma Hotel, 913 A Street, is at the far right. Pilings indicate the area that must be filled so that railroad tracks and warehouses could eventually be built. The future site of the City Waterway (now Foss Waterway) lies beyond the fallen timber and tree stumps. Copy made August 31, 1950.

Cityscapes; Central School (Tacoma); Tacoma Hotel (Tacoma); Tree stumps--Tacoma;

ca. 1900. This is how Tacoma appeared from the south across the tideflats circa 1900 . Prominent early businesses identified in the foreground were: (left to right) the Pacific Match Co., the Tacoma Furniture Factory Bresemann & Klee, and the Pacific Lounge & Mattress Co. The Pierce County Courthouse with tower is at the far left background. The first 11th St. Bridge is at the far right. Copy made August 31, 1950.

Cityscapes; Pacific Match Co. (Tacoma); Tacoma Furniture Factory Bresemann & Klee (Tacoma); Pacific Lounge & Mattress Co. (Tacoma); Pierce County Courthouse (Tacoma); 11th Street Bridge (Tacoma); Bridges--Tacoma--1900-1910;

ca. 1887. This view of Pacific Avenue, looking north from 10th, was taken in 1887. Horse drawn carriages and wagons fill the unpaved street. The Fife Hotel, 742-50 Pacific Avenue (at left background), was still under construction with scaffolding visible. The building at 930 Pacific Ave. was home to the Tacoma News. The News and The Daily Ledger, both founded in 1883, were the two biggest newspapers in Tacoma at this time. The Ledger was a morning paper; The News was an evening paper. Some years later, both papers were bought by Sidney A. Perkins. Ultimately, they were taken over by The News Tribune. Copy made August 31, 1950. (TPL-2297 and TPL-8147)

Commercial streets--Tacoma--1880-1890; Carts & wagons--Tacoma; The News (Tacoma); Newspapers--Tacoma--1880-1890; Fife Hotel (Tacoma); Hotels--Tacoma--1880-1890; Building construction--Tacoma--1880-1890;

A few self-service stations were starting to appear in the early 1950's in the Puget Sound area; however, it was still an unusual sight. A customer would pump his own gas rather than waiting patiently in his car for an attendant to do so. As this gas station's large sign advertised, you could "save $$" by doing the work yourself. Photograph ordered by Fletcher Oil Company.

Automobile service stations--Tacoma; Signs (Notices); Fletcher Oil Co. (Tacoma);

Pouring concrete at the new Tacoma Transit Company building. Three men are standing on a form guiding a cabled bucket of concrete into a shaft. Buildings are seen in the background. Ordered by John Ritchie, Douglas Fir Plywood Association.

Building construction--Tacoma--1950-1960; Concrete--Tacoma; Reinforced concrete construction--Tacoma--1950-1960; Plywood; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Tacoma Transit Co. (Tacoma);

Exterior of Casa Blanca Apartments designed and owned by Ray Gamble. View of three-story brick building from corner of North 2nd and Yakima Avenue. Ordered by Earl C. Walters, Continental Inc., Seattle. Originally built in 1890 as flats, the structure was known as the Lincoln Apartments. In 1944, Ray Gamble remodeled the structure serving both as architect and owner. It was a labor of love that went on for 18 years of construction. The building has 30 units. Much of the mosaic tile work was designed by Gamble himself, out of tiles selected in his travels. The electric eyes and push-button patio coverings for rainy days are his own designs. There are even gold plated door knobs. In the late 60's, he turned over the income form the Casa Blanca to the University of Puget Sound for scholarships. Having no education himself, he wished to help others. (Seattle Times 2/18/1968)

Casablanca Apartments (Tacoma); Gamble, Ray, 1886-1972; Apartment houses--Tacoma;

Scenic views from Eastern Washington. An aerial view of the housing area across the Columbia River from the utility facilities at Grand Coulee Dam. Mason City was built on one side of the river during the dam construction and Engineer's Town grew on the opposite side. This view shows the land forms above the river into the distance.

Columbia River (Wash.); Land; City & town life;

Three young boys, (l to r) Gregg White, Ricky Garoutte and Douglas Williams, were photographed, in November of 1950, while playing in the sand table at the Lakewood Cooperative Play Group No. 1. The Lakewood co-op play group was formed by a group of clever Lakes district mothers in March of 1950. The young mothers reasoned that by forming their own non-profit organization, with the member/mothers taking turns at supervising, they could both provide playmates for their young children and free-up more of their own time. (TNT, 12/17/1950, p.D-1) Ordered by the Tribune, Barbara Dana.

Day care; Children playing in sand--Lakewood; Children playing with toys--Lakewood--1950-1960; White, Gregg; Garoutte, Ricky; Williams, Douglas;

Thirteen children from the Lakewood Cooperative Play Group No. 1 pose for a group portrait, dressed in their winter clothes, on Jungle Jim playground equipment. The co-op playgroup met Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9:30 - 11:30 at the Washington Horseman's Club. The children enjoyed all the open space - and the organized activities like finger-painting and clay modeling. The mothers shared the responsibility of watching and supervising the children. Ordered by the Tribune, Barbara Dana. (TNT, 12/17/1950, p.D-2))

Day care; Children playing outdoors--Lakewood--1950-1960;

Publicity for National Flower Week. Woman placing carnation in lapel of man seated at desk and surrounded by five men. Bouquets of carnations and mums are on desk. The seated man is believed to be C.A. Erdahl, longtime Commissioner of Public Utilities. Ordered by Mr. Farley, Farley Florists.

Flowers; Flower arrangements;

Tacoma formed a Civilian Defense force, proposed for a force of 150 individuals. Here, Tacoma City Clerk Josephine Melton, left, administered the oath of office to 30 auxilliary police. The men had completed a six-week training course, including first aid, police, and firearms courses. Names are listed in the newspaper. Ordered by Frank Evans. (TNT, 10/29/1950, p.15)

Korean War, 1950-1953--Civil defense--Tacoma; Melton, Josephine; People associated with health & safety;

Helen B. Murray, holding basket of hydrangeas, stands beside stone, Chinese-style monument in garden. The estate was originally owned by Joseph L. Carman, designed by Kirtland Cutter in 1919, and later owned by Actress Linda Evans. (T.N.T.)

Murray, Lowell T.--Homes & haunts; Murray, Helen B.; Gardens--Lakewood; Sculpture--Lakewood; Madera (Lakewood);

Photograph of a woman sitting at a desk working with a specialized machine with a cabinet with small storage drawers behind her. Stacks of envelopes with metal clasps on them are seen on either side of the machine. Ordered for the Washington Congress of Parents and Teachers Association (PTA) by Mill Spencer.

Parent-Teacher Association (Tacoma); Office equipment & supplies;

Photograph of a woman typing on a manual typewriter. A card catalog sits beside her and a sign above it says, "Join the P.T.A.". Ordered for the Washington Congress of Parents and Teachers Association (PTA) by Mill Spencer.

Parent-Teacher Association (Tacoma); Typewriters; Typewriting--Tacoma;

Breakfast nooks were very popular in the 1950s. It looks like Melvin Paulson (12) had first dibs on the Cheerios as he and his three brothers enjoy breakfast in their new breakfast nook in September of 1950. From left to right are Steven (3), Melvin, Gerald (15) and Robert (6), sons of Selma and Clifford Paulson. The Paulsons' breakfast nook was custom built and upholstered and fits perfectly around a chrome table. The nook could be used for breakfast, lunch or snacks and as shown, could be large enough to seat at least four growing boys. (TNT 9-24-50, p. B-2)

Paulson, Clifford--Homes & haunts; Furniture; Kitchens--Tacoma--1950-1960; Boys--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Cold room constuction, Douglas Fir Plywood Association laboratory, Dave Countryman. Worker installing plywood panels on walls of foil insulated room on October 31, 1950.

Plywood; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma);

William E. Porter was ready to vote in November 1950. He was 81 years old October 20, 1950, and had been voting for 60 years. He was born in Pennsylvania in 1869 and first voted in November 1890. At that time, women were not allowed to vote and there was a $2.00 poll tax collected from each person casting a vote. The sign above the levers that voters used to make their selections reads, "Time Limit, 2 Minutes".

Porter, William E.; Voting--Tacoma--1950-1960; Political elections--Tacoma--1950-1960;

In February of 1950, bids for construction of 1,800 feet of Snoqualmie Pass highway snow sheds were called. The project included one 1,300 foot shed at Airplane curve, west of the summit, and a second 500 foot shed at Lake Keechelus. This photograph, taken in October of 1950, shows that progress on the sheds was progressing rapidly. One element that helped speed the construction of the sheds was the use of plastic-faced plywood manufactured by St. Paul & Taoma Lumber Co. Forms built from the newly developed plywood could be re-used numerous times cutting down on both materials costs and construction time. The plastic facing on the plywood gave the finished concrete a very smooth surface. (TNT 11/12/1950)

Progress photographs; Road construction; Snoqualmie Pass; Snow sheds

On November 5, 1950 the News Tribune ran a "Hockey Home Schedule" photograph page featuring various members of the Tacoma Rockets and their families. "Wingy" Johnsten and his wife (seated) shared the local sports news with Mr. and Mrs. Mel "Pee Wee" Read and daughter Donna, age 3. The Johnstens' five-year-old son, Eddie, looked on. (TNT 11-5-1950, D-1)

Read, Mel; Read, Mel--Family; Read, Donna; Johnsten, Eddie; Families--Tacoma--1950-1960; Ice hockey--Tacoma; Ice hockey players--Tacoma;

A reception honoring the new vicar of St. Mary's Episcopal Church, Lakewood, was held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Dudley Gunston on September 28, 1950. Seated from left to right are Anne Newton, the new vicar, Rev. Newton L. Carroll, Brig. Gen. William F. Daugherty, Mrs. J.R. Throckmorton, president of St. Mary's Guild, and Mrs. H.E. Fountain, president of St. Mary's Altar Guild. (TNT 9-30-50, p. 4)

Receptions--Lakewood--1950-1960; Clergy--Lakewood--1950-1960; Carroll, Newton L.; Gunston, Dudley--Homes & haunts;

Scenic views from Eastern Washington. Huge boulders dwarf a house built near a rapids.

Rivers; Rapids; Boulders; Houses;

In October of 1950, Jody (Mrs. James Joseph) Scott showed how a touch of eye makeup could emphasize her best feature. The News Tribune added that, "Skillful use of eye-makeup is one of the most important beauty tricks a woman can use to assure her that she is taking full advantage of her natural attractiveness." The Tribune's feature on makeup was a hot topic; color motion pictures had led to an explosion in the use of cosmetics. Max Factor had invented his "Pan Cake" foundation that guaranteed a flawless complexion just like the movie stars. Eye shadow, lipsticks and nail polish were now available in bright colors. Women everywhere were experimenting with the new cosmetics. The American Homemaker was ready to put the Great Depression and WWII behind her and became glamorous. Photograph ordered by Tribune for make-up feature, by Barbara Dana. (TNT, 10/29/1950, p.D-7)

Scott, Jody; Cosmetics & soap; Grooming; Journalism--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Two workmen are inspecting a control box with the name Fairbanks-Morse Pomona Pumps on it. Hoses connect to various valves in the control box. A new type of drilling, known as the reverse circulation drilling method, was used to drill the new well for Lakewood. The pumps would deliver water at a rate of 3,800 gallons per minute. Ordered by Service Hardware Company. (TNT, 11/18/1950, p.16)

Service Hardware & Implement Co. (Tacoma); Pumps;

In October of 1950, a solemn group of Tacoma Sportsmen's Club members held a mock funeral for the club's slot machine. The unidentified club members gathered around the flower draped machine, which lay on a small hand cart, while eulogies were read and sad songs sung. One of the members (far right) wore an official "crying towel." In 1949, Judge Hugh J. Rosselini had started a campaign to crack down on gambling in Tacoma and Pierce County. The Tacoma Sportsman's Club was started in 1933, and occupied a portion of the Wright Building at 902-04 Pacific Ave. from 1936 to the mid-1960s when it was torn down to make room for a parking lot.

Sportsmen's Club of Tacoma (Tacoma); Slot machines--Tacoma; Funeral rites & ceremonies--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Peeking through the woven bamboo setting are Tacoma Athletic Commission members (kneeling) Salem Nourse and L.B. MacDonald. Standing are Margaret (Mrs. Salem) Nourse and Myra and E.R. Fetterolf. They were part of a large gathering that attended the T.A.C. Hawaiian dinner-dance held at the Top of the Ocean on October 2, 1950. Alfred Apaka, celebrated Hawaiian orchestra leader, and his band entertained. (TNT 10-15-50, p. D-4)

Tacoma Athletic Commission (Tacoma); Events--Tacoma--1950-1960; Top of the Ocean (Tacoma); Nourse, Salem; MacDonald, L.B.; Nourse, Margaret; Fetterolf, Myra J.; Fetterolf, E.R.;

A woman acrobat provided part of the evenings entertainment at the Halloween party sponsored by the Tacoma Athletic Commission on October 30, 1950. In this photograph she is balancing on the platform at the top of a small step-platform with her toes pointed straight up at the ceiling. The acrobate is probably Patsy Jean Smith, who studied acrobatics at the Barclay School in Seattle. Mr. Barclay also taught at the Lewis Harter Studios, 945 1/2 Broadway in Tacoma. The Athletic Commission Halloween party was held at the Top of the Ocean. (T. Times 10-06-1948 p.5) Ordered by Will Maylon.

Tacoma Athletic Commission (Tacoma); Top of the Ocean (Tacoma); Dinner parties--Tacoma--1950-1960; Halloween--Social life; Stunt performers--Tacoma; Entertainers--Tacoma;

In October of 1950 organized labor encouraged all its members to do their part in supporting the Community Chest during its annual fund drive. Maxine Knauf signed up C.I.O. members, (l to r) Pat Ward, George McCann and Andrew Monset, at the St. Paul and Tacoma Lumber Company mill for membership in the "21 Club." To obtain membership, each participant promised to donate at least 25 cents to each of the 21 Red Feather agencies, for a minimum total subscription of $5.25. A club emblem was given to each member who reached his goal. Money donated to the Community Chest was disbursed to agencies such as the Boy Scouts, the Boys Club, the Tacoma Day Nursery and the Y.M.C.A., among others. (TNT 10-8-50, A-15, TNT 10-1-50, p. 1)

Tacoma Community Chest (Tacoma); Membership campaigns--Tacoma--1950-1960; St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma); Knauf, Maxine; Ward, Pat; McCann, George; Monset, Andrew;

Narrows Bridge Opening Ceremonies. Spectators stand along the side of the bridge while a Mercury convertible, Ford coupe, flatbed truck with "South Kitsap Chamber of Commerce" banner, and other vehicles travel across the bridge on its opening day. People did not mind paying the tolls (55 cents a car/15 cents pedestrians) for the chance to step foot on the magnificent new bridge. Despite brisk winds, the bridge held steady. Ordered by Bethlehem Pacific Coast Steel Corporation. TPL-8553

Tacoma Narrows Bridge (Tacoma); Bethlehem Pacific Coast Steel Corp. (Seattle); Bridges--Tacoma--1950-1960; Parades & processions--Tacoma--1950-1960; Ford automobile; Trucks--Tacoma--1950-1960; Convertible automobiles; Automobiles--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Opening of Narrows Bridge. Brig. Gen. Frederic Hayden cuts the ribbon on the east side of the bridge, surrounded by large crowd of celebrants. He was accompanied by Chamber of Commerce Bridge Committee chairman Ted Brown, Governor Arthur B. Langlie, Senator Harry P. Cain, Congressman Thor Tollefson and Mayor John Anderson. Gen. Hayden had to snip the ribbon twice; he was so fast the first time that photographers were not quick enough to get a picture. Admiral Daniel Barbey had the honor of cutting the ribbon on the west side of the bridge; he was accompanied by Hum Kean, Mayor of Bremerton and H.H. Ryan, Gig Harbor's mayor. (TNT 10-14-50, p. 1, 10-15-50, A-2)

Tacoma Narrows Bridge (Tacoma); Bridges--Tacoma--1950-1960; Dedications--Tacoma--1950-1960; Hayden, Frederic L.;