Tacoma lumberman and philanthropist Ben Cheney sharpens his ax at a grinding wheel. Possibly he is planning to do some of the remodeling work at his summer home himself. He isn't dressed to labor, wearing dress shoes, slacks, jacket and natty cap. He is being observed by an older gentleman in a plaid wool shirt with a cigarette dangling from his amused mouth. Cheney himself was blessed with a strong sense of humor and is smiling at his own actions.

Cheney, Ben B., 1905-1971--Homes & haunts; Cheney, Ben B., 1905-1971; Axes; Grinding wheels;

Kaiser Aluminum; exterior of new pot room building. This reduction plant will become the newest facility to receive power when the the switches are thrown to 18 new "super size pots" or electrolytic reduction cells. Power will be supplied by the Bonneville Power Administration on an interruptible basis. The 18 extra "pots" will boost the plant's production by 10 million pounds annually. (TNT 4/16/1956, pg. 21)

Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corp. (Tacoma); Aluminum industry--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Ben Cheney, President and founder of the Cheney Lumber Company, poses with a display of trophies and memorabilia from some of the many amateur sports teams that he sponsored. Photograph taken at the Winthrop Hotel. The display was probably set up in connection with the Pacific Northwest District Conference of the National Recreation Association being held at the Winthrop Hotel.

Cheney, Ben B., 1905-1971; Awards;

Arista Club; publicity committee for Guest Day Tea. The Arista Club Spring Tea would be held April 25, 1956 at the Day Island home of Mrs. Walter Browne. Spring flowers would be the main decoration, with the color pink predominating. Standing, left to right, are Agnes (Mrs. A.E.) Lybeck, Adlyn (Mrs. Leslie) Beckstead, Grace (Mrs. F.W.) McMahon. Seated, left to right, are Mrs. L.O. Reisinger, Mildred (Mrs. Thomas W.) Reid, Violette (Mrs. Walter) Browne, Marion (Mrs. Martin) Pederson, Ann (Mrs. Robert) Levinson. The Richards appointment book lists this address as 3512 No. Union, the McMahon's home. (TNT 4/22/1956, pg. D-5)

Arista Club (Tacoma); Lybeck, Agnes; Beckstead, Adlyn; McMahon, Grace; Reid, Mildred; Browne, Violette; Pederson, Marion; Levinson, Ann;

Oscar Hokold Construction; open houses for new homes. Most of the homes appear to be modest split levels, with the back of the house 2 stories and the front one story with the front door opening on the higher level. Hokold was holding an open house for these homes, the first of 40 to be built in an area between 76th & 78th on So. Thompson. The average price was $11,800, with $1200 down and $75 a month. The homes were designed to expand as the family enlarges. They featured oak floors, mahogany doors, fireplaces, recreation rooms, plus room for two more bedrooms in the basement. Hokold was also developing additions on East 64th off of Portland and between Wapato and Alling Park. Hokold would later establish the Northwest hotel chain of King Oscar motels. (TNT 4/8/1956, pg. B-6)

Houses--Tacoma--1950-1960; Residential streets--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Copy of a customer's print, McGuire & Muri, Architects; artist's rendering of the St Mary's Parish Church & Parrish Hall, Seaview, Wa.

Catholic churches--Seaview, Wa.;

Mr. and Mrs. Carl Wilson, ordered by the Washington Coop. He holds pruning shears and she holds what appears to be a Washington state business license. They are perhaps starting their own orchard or berry business.

Washington Cooperative Farmers Association (Tacoma); Wilson, Carl; Pruning; Scissors & shears;

Junior League, Gig Harbor High School auditorium. The women from the Junior League are presenting a puppet play. Two women, hands held high, stand inside the puppet theatre. They are holding their puppets, 2 male and 2 female, up over the "stage" of the theatre. Scenery is attached to rod that runs above & to the rear of their heads. Two more women stand near the back wall, puppets at the ready. Another woman holds a piece of scenery, waiting for the set change. A women sits following a script intently, she is possibly the prompter. The puppet play "Johnny Appleseed" had been presented in 22 Tacoma area schools by League members. TPL-10525

Gig Harbor High School (Gig Harbor); Puppet shows--Tacoma; Junior League (Tacoma);

Mrs. Kenneth Baughn and Mrs. Layton Stalcup were in charge of the upcoming Horace Mann PTA & Preschool spring carnival in 1956. Mrs. Baughn of the preschool and Mrs. Stalcup of the PTA were dressed in Western garb to promote the "Western Round-up" theme of the carnival. It was held at the elementary school located at 5211 South "K" St. (TNT 4-17-1956, p. 15-alt. photograph)

Baughn, Kenneth--Family; Stalcup, Layton--Family; Parent-Teacher Association (Tacoma); Horace Mann School (Tacoma); Public schools--Tacoma--1950-1960; Costumes;

Tacoma Savings & Loan Association; drilling at site of the new savings and loan association. Raymond T. Winden, left, vice president of the association, inspects the drilling on a vacant lot at 9th and A St., the future site of the association's downtown headquarters. Built across the street from the bank's old headquarters, the new building would be modern in appearance and built of aluminum and glass with black granite trim. An exploratory hole is being drilled in hopes of finding enough water to operate the proposed air conditioning system. Called "reverse-cycle" air conditioning, the process pumps water up from far below ground to both heat and cool the building. The association building would be the first downtown to use this process, also used in the Public Utilities building. (TNT 4/5/1956, pg. A-13)

Tacoma Savings & Loan Association (Tacoma); Banks--Tacoma; Drilling--Tacoma; Construction--Tacoma--1950-1960; Drilling & boring machinery; Winden, Raymond T.;

The unveiling of the painting of William R. Rust at the Mary Bridge Childrens' Hospital. The first anniversary of the hospital would be commemorated by the Board of Directors on April 4, 1956. The portrait honors the memory of the late Rust, whose estate provided the funds to build and partially maintain the Rust wing of the hospital. The portrait was hung on April 1st by Rust's granddaughter Mrs. Thomas Murphy (Billie Jean Rust), center, who was passing through enroute from Hawaii to her home in St. Paul, Minnesota.To Mrs. Murphy's left is Gersham Rowland, past administrator of the Rust Estate. To her right is her mother Mrs. Margaret Smith, past president of the Tacoma Orthopedic Society. The unveiling of the portrait was the highlight of the volunteer tea. Rust, who died in 1928, was prominent in Tacoma business, social and political affairs. He had business enterprises in Alaska and Tacoma, including the Tacoma Smelter. (TNT 4/1/1956, pg D-4)

Rust, Billie Jean; Portraits; Mary Bridge Childrens Hospital (Tacoma); Rust, William R.; Smith, Margaret;

Reichhold Chemicals. An almost completed structure, a 20,000 square foot warehouse in which "penta" and plywood glue are stored, at the Lincoln Ave. site of Reichhold Chemicals is captured in this progress photograph ordered by Soule Steel of Seattle. The plant was being constructed on 51 acres on the Tideflats between Tacoma Sash & Door and Pennsalt. The plant hoped to begin production of plywood glue by April with a staff of 25. By May, the plant would be able to begin production of pentachorophenol, a wood preservative. The company would employ 100- 125 workers over the next 2 years. The production of the chemicals was automatic; ingredients were combined using a system of pipes and vats in a "batch process." The raw materials were loaded into tanks and moved from chemical reaction to reaction untouched by human hands. The basic ingredient was soya flour. The completed facility would include a laboratory, control station, warehouse, plant, offices and railroad siding. (TNT 3/18/1956, pg. 1; 6/28/1956, pg. A-4)

Building construction--Tacoma--1950-1960; Steel; Reichhold Chemicals, Inc. (Tacoma); Soule Steel Co. (Seattle);

Mr. and Mrs. Leonard High of Fife stand in position ready to "dosey-doe." She wears a full and flounced frock and he wears a embossed western style shirt with a string tie. The couple will take part in the Rainier Council Festival Dance in April. The square dance groups are very closely knit. On March 31, 1956, a formal square dance wedding was held at the Titlow Beach Lodge. Mrs. Elizabeth Faithfull and Norman T. Miller were joined to the strains of a dancing song, surrounded by friends the couple had met through their square dancing organizations Boots and Bonnets, Parkland Squarenaders and the Starliters Round Dance Club. The couple had appropriately met while dancing in Steilacoom a year before and had been a steady pair since. Mr. Leonard High served as groomsman and also called the reception dance. Mrs. Miller sewed her formal square dance wedding dress of 29 yards of gray floral embossed fabric in seven tiers over three fluffy white and turquoise net skirts. (TNT 4/1/1965, pg. D-4, TNT 4/8/1956, pg. D-2)

Square dancing--Tacoma--1950-1960; Weddings--Tacoma--1950-1960; High, Leonard;

Copies of a customer's prints, ordered by the Douglas Fir Plywood Association. Actual date of photographs is unknown. A man works on the engine housing of the plane, attaching plywood to its curved surface.

Plywood; Airplanes; Airplane industry;

Copies of a customer's prints, ordered by the Douglas Fir Plywood Association. Actual date of photographs is unknown. Two men can be seen through the doorway to the right of what will be the cockpit of the new plane. The plane is being built of plywood and the workers mark a sheet of it to the needed dimensions.

Plywood; Airplanes; Airplane industry;

Twelve princesses for the 1956 Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival, dressed in Easter dresses and hats and holding baskets of flowers. Preparations were well underway for the 23rd annual Daffodil Festival to be held on April 9-15, 1956. Twelve candidates were vying for Queen. Seated left to right in row 1 are Dianne Divelbiss of Sumner and Judy Poolman of Sumner. 2nd row: Donna Kaelin of Sumner, Nancy Rosario of Sumner, Cheryl McDonald of Tacoma, Evelyn Strandley of Puyallup. 3rd row: Frances Delano of Puyallup, Connie Vandewall of Puyallup, Judy Nelson of Puyallup, Margaret Strachan of Tacoma. Top Row-Kathy Gustafson of Tacoma and Betty Zevenberger of Tacoma. Margaret Strachan was crowned Queen by Governor Arthur Langley April 9th in Spartan Hall in Sumner. The 18 year old Stadium High School senior was the first Tacoma girl ever elected Queen. Princesses were Diane Divelbiss, 17 year old Sumner senior, and Evelyn Strandley, 16 year old Puyallup junior. (TNT 4/1/1956, pg. D-1, TNT 4/10/1956, pg.1)

Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1956); Divelbiss, Dianne; Poolman, Judy; Kaelin, Donna; Rosario, Nancy; McDonald, Cheryl; Strandley, Evelyn; Delano, Frances; Vandewall, Connie; Nelson, Judy; Strachan, Margaret; Gustafson, Kathy; Zevenberger, Betty;

Copies of a customer's prints, ordered by the Douglas Fir Plywood Association. Actual date of photographs is unknown. A man works inside the incomplete fuselage of the plane, riveting around the cabin window.

Plywood; Airplanes; Airplane industry;

Copies of a customer's prints, ordered by the Douglas Fir Plywood Association. Actual date of photographs is unknown. A plane is being constructed largely of plywood. A man operates a table saw, cutting the plywood to the correct shape for cabin windows. The unfinished plane body can be seen in the background.

Plywood; Airplanes; Airplane industry;

Publicity photograph for the Neva Lyness Orthopedic Guild's "Fanfare" Dance. Co-chairmen Mrs. Robert Lynch and Diane (Mrs. Chris) Turlis put the finishing touches on flowering branches that will be used, along with lanterns and fans, as decorations for the dance to be held August 1st at the Towers. Colorful fans and champagne would be given as party favors. All proceeds from the dance will go to the Mary Bridge Children's Hospital. The Orthopedic Guilds were instrumental in the establishment of Mary Bridge and funded part of its ongoing operation costs. (TNT 5/29/1956, pg. 9)

Tacoma Orthopedic Association, Neva Lyness Guild (Tacoma); Fans; Flowers; Turlis, Diane;

Senior Team winners, ordered by the Adams roller rink. Roger Adams was the owner of the Tacoma Roller Bowl, at 7455 South Tacoma Way, which was scheduled to host the 1956 state finals. Over 200 skaters competed in the 15th annual Washington State Amateur Roller Skating Championships at the Tacoma Roller Bowl March 25-27. The meet was the largest held in the state and over 1500 fans crowded the rink on the opening night. The top three competitors in each division would progress to regionals. This pair is possibly Senior dance champions Caroline & Dale Sprague of Bellingham. (TNT 3/23/1956, 3/26/1956, pg. 17)

Tacoma Roller Bowl (Tacoma); Roller skating--Tacoma;

Copies of a customer's prints, ordered by the Douglas Fir Plywood Association. Actual date of photographs is unknown. Two men observe a wooden structure that might be the housing for the landing gear on the all wood plane.

Plywood; Airplanes; Airplane industry;

Pacific Telephone and Telegraph, a group of 13 men sit around a table at the Winthrop Hotel with bound notebooks in front of them. Back row, third from left, is Reno Odlin, President of Puget Sound Bank. Odlin was a member of the eight man Regional Advisory Board of business leaders mapping out new projects for the company. They proposed a $400,000 construction project for Tacoma. The project included new equipment for the Market and Proctor offices, an expansion program for the Waverly office and alteration of the downtown long distance facilities. Similar projects were proposed for Seattle, Bremerton, Sumner and Shelton. Seated in the center at the head of the table is Mark Sullivan, president of PT&T and standing at the far right is George M. Dean, vice president and general manager of the Washington-Idaho district of PT &T.(TNT 3/22/1956, pg. A-10)

Telephone companies--Tacoma; Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Co. (Tacoma); Odlin, Reno, 1897-1979;

Publicity photograph for Easter seals promotion, taken at the Crippled Childrens School in Salishan. Nine year old Pamela Munro, in leg braces, stands in front of the wheelchair she no longer needs; Mrs. Dorothy Johnson stands beside the chair. Two years ago, when a hip condition forced Pamela to stay off her feet for long periods of time, a small sized wheelchair was located for her in the "loan closet" of equipment administered by Mrs. Johnson. Pamela was able to use the chair until she graduated to her braces. Proceeds from Easter Seals provide the only source of funds for filling the "loan closet." Easter seals were mailed each spring to every resident in the area with a letter entreating them to donate. The fund raiser in 1956 would run from March 10 - April 10. Funds raised would provide medical care, rehabilitation and education for handicapped children and adults. Among other things, the donations helped support Camp Manitowish, a summer camp for handicapped children ages 9-17 located east of the mountains on the shores of Lake Coeur d'Alene. Easter Seals helped pay for housing and maintenance of the camp and "camperships" for two local kids. (TNT 3/5/1956, pg. 22, 3/25/1956, pg. B-4))

Fund raising--Tacoma--1950-1960; Community service--Tacoma--1950-1960; Charity--Tacoma; Charitable organizations--Tacoma--1950-1960; Pierce County Easter Seal Society (Tacoma); Munro, Pamela; Johnson, Dorothy;

Publicity photograph for the Tuberculosis League of Pierce County. Mayor Harold Tollefson points out to Hal D. Murtland (right) the pins on the map marking reported and treated TB cases. A poster for the mobile X Ray unit lies on the desk. Also viewing the map are County Commissioner Harry Sprinkler (seated) and Dr. Charles McGill, president of the TB Assoc. of Pierce County. Murtland, a Tacoma attorney, had just been appointed chairman of the the mass chest xray survey to be conducted in Tacoma and Pierce County the next winter. The first mass xray since 1948 would begin in November and utilize four mobile xray units. Murtland planned for 140,000 Pierce County adults to be xrayed in the fight to eradicate TB. (TNT 3/25/1956, pg. B-4)

Tuberculosis League of Pierce County (Tacoma); Tuberculosis--Tacoma--1950-1960; Community service--Tacoma--1950-1960; Tollefson, Harold M., 1908-1985; Murtland, Hal; Sprinkler, Harry; McGill, Charles;

The March 21st, 1956 opening of the Pacific Telephone & Telegraph's Hobby Show, sponsored by the Tacoma Council of Telephone Pioneers. One man holds a braided leather whip, while John Svoboda, from the sponsoring group, holds a double barreled shotgun. To Svoboda's right stands Eric O. Brown, district commercial manager for Pacific Telephone and Telegraph. The displays behind the three men are of firearms. In front and to the right of the men is a table holding open literature on tying flies. More than 100 participants displayed over 400 individual entries. The entries included hobbies, handicraft, art work and collections of a wide variety. Exhibits included coins and tax tokens, silver and chinaware, dolls, churns and coffeemills, embroidery, crochet and lace, early American firearms, a lapidary's table for amateur geologists and fly making. The show was open to all telephone workers and their families. The chairman was Arthur Dahlberg. (TNT 3/20/1956, pg. 4, 3/21/1956, pg. A-11, 3/22/1956, pg. A-4)

Telephone companies--Tacoma; Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Co. (Tacoma); Firearms; Whips; Hobbyists--Tacoma; Collectors--Tacoma; Svoboda, John; Brown, Eric O.;

Interior of the old Hewitt residence, often referred to as Tacoma's finest house; ordered by Steve Pease of Steve's Gay 90's. The modern American home was built in 1889 for Henry Hewitt Jr. and designed by Andrew J. Smith, architect. Henry Hewitt came west with Col. C.W. Griggs and established the St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. The three story "castle" was occupied by several Hewitts, as well as Edgar T. Short and E.E. Rhodes. The house was demolished in 1957 to make way for a parking lot for the Central Lutheran Church. The staircase features ornately carved wood railings and panels, with stained glass windows at the landing. Interiors were made of cherry, maple, oak and birch and the exterior featured several turrets, cupolas and spires. Pease incorporated parts of famous mansions in the decor of his Gay 90's club, as well as collecting photographs and memorabilia of famous historic homes. (TNT 9/9/1979)

Hewitt, Henry J.--Homes & haunts; Stairways--Tacoma;

Twin Harbor Lutheran Church, ordered by the Douglas Fir Plywood Association to show the use of Texture 111 exterior siding.

Plywood; Churches;

Twin Harbor Lutheran Church, ordered by the Douglas Fir Plywood Association to show the use of Texture 111 exterior siding.

Plywood; Churches;

Ordered by the Douglas Fir Plywood Association; plywood being used in the construction of a commercial "chicken house." Plywood is being attached to the exterior of the beams to form the curved roof of the chicken house. The entrance area and a ventilation window can be seen. This is the back of the house. This is possibly the Fife farm of the Guy Conine family. The family raised poultry in three chicken houses, one conventional and two of the quonset hut design. They raised Van Tress hybrid crosses, Washington Whites and Lancaster Whites. The laminated beam construction of the two quonset hut variety eliminated the need for posts for support. All feeding and watering was automatic. (TNT 10/28/1956, pg. B-6)

Plywood; Construction; Poultry houses; Poultry industry;

Ordered by the Douglas Fir Plywood Association; plywood being used in the construction of a commercial "chicken house." Plywood is being attached to the exterior of the beams to form the curved roof of the chicken house. The laminated beam construction eliminated the need for posts for support. This is possibly the West Side Dairy Road poultry farm of the Guy Conine family in Fife. They operated one conventional chicken house and two of the quonset hut design. (TNT 10/28/1956, pg. B-6)

Plywood; Construction; Poultry houses; Poultry industry;