This photograph of Spellman's Buster Brown Shoe Store, at 1122 Broadway, was taken in March 1946. The first Buster Brown Shoe Store opened in Tacoma in 1915. William and J. B. Spellman bought the Tacoma store in 1933. They were joined by a third brother, J. A. Spellman in 1934. The brothers eventually owned stores in Bellingham, Bremerton, Vancouver Washington, and Portland Oregon. Spellman's Shoe Store went out of business in the late 1960s.

Shoe stores--Tacoma; Window displays--Tacoma--1940-1950; Signs (Notices); Spellman's Buster Brown Shoe Store (Tacoma);

Rhodes Department Store, "Hi School Shop", Junior's Fashion section. Murals on walls, splatter painted fixtures, many dresses and skirts.

Business Enterprises - Department Stores - Tacoma - Rhodes Brothers

Rhodes Department Store lingerie section.

Business Enterprises - Department Stores - Tacoma - Rhodes Brothers - Clothing Departments - Lingerie Department

Rhodes Department Store trimmings section. This view of the fabric department was taken in late April of 1946. Rhodes had been in business since 1903. It finally closed in 1974.

Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Rhodes Department Store lingerie section as photographed on April 29, 1946. The venerable downtown department store was located at 950 Broadway and offered quality merchandise at reasonable prices. Its slogan "All Roads Lead to Rhodes" was famous throughout the Puget Sound region. Rhodes had been in business in Tacoma since 1892 but would close its flagship store in late December of 1974.

Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma--1940-1950; Lingerie;

Rehn Motor Company. Staff photo in front of the Chevrolet dealership in Gig Harbor.

Automobile dealerships--Gig Harbor--1940-1950; Rehn Motor Co. (Gig Harbor);

Allen Motor Company, Studebaker dealership. An Open House was held at the new Allen Motor Company Building at 6004 So. Tacoma Way exhibiting the new 1947 Studebaker passenger car and used car premises. The new building was built for $80,000, and was 130 feet by 100 feet. It had a service entrance on South 60th Street as well as an exit onto South Tacoma Way. Allen Motors was an old and established firm in Tacoma. J.K. Gordon was president at this time, James M.H. Gilchrist was vice president and general manager. 7" x 11" format. (T.Times, 10/2/1946, p.2)

Automobile dealerships--Tacoma--1940-1950; Allen Motor Co. (Tacoma);

Ray Ridge Motors for Robert Sconce Advertising. The new 1946 Mercurys at Ray Ridge Motors are being insected closely by several men while women catch up on their most recent activities at the Lincoln-Mercury showroom.

Automobile dealerships--Tacoma--1940-1950; Ray Ridge Motors, Inc. (Tacoma); Automobiles--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Hogan's Lakewood Center Grocery, Nalley's display. A stack of Nalley's Hamburger Relish selling for 25 cents each is on the shelf over the meat counter. The counter displays potato salad, assorted cold cuts, skinless weiners, lamb, hamburger, and calves liver. A scale to weigh the meat by the pound is at the right. A sign advertises that this store is an "Official Fat Collecting Station". Nalley's reported syrup, salad dressing and oils in short supply compared to demand. Tomato products also continued in short supply. Therefore, the sales drive through the fall months featured hamburger relish. (T.Times, 10/23/1946, p.5)

Grocery stores--Lakewood--1940-1950; Hogan's Fine Foods (Lakewood); Scales; Meat; Food;

Interior of Pease Brothers Garage. The building was originally built in 1913, and the Pease family took over in 1926. They renovated the garage and added an automotive maintenance center, which included repairs and washing, in the basement. Pease Bros. offered a full service auto shop. Interior view of auto parts section of Pease Bros.

Automobile equipment & supplies; Mechanics (Persons)--Tacoma; Maintenance & repair--Tacoma; Pease Brothers (Tacoma);

Weisfield & Goldberg Jewelers. In-store display featuring a Christmas creche made of heavy paper including Christ child, the Virgin Mary, Joseph, the Three Kings, shepherds, two camels, three sheep and a goat. A bulb fit an opening above the roof of the manger scene indicating the star that came to rest over the place where Christ was born. The display includes the "Mizpah, Lucky Talisman Diamond ring and the prayer, "May the Lord watch between me and thee when we are absent one from another".

Weisfield & Goldberg, Inc. (Tacoma); Merchandise displays--Tacoma--1940-1950; Diamonds; Christmas decorations; Creches (Nativity scenes)--Tacoma;

Standard Oil service stations - Steilacoom Garage, for Mr. Evans. This side view of the garage shows the doors open, cars parked in the front by the gasoline pumps and a tow truck and one other truck parked along the side. This service station was built and owned by George Kuper. Later the station was bought from Mr. Kuper by Edward "Whitey" Faulk. TPL-5737b

Automobile Service Stations--Steilacoom--1940-1950; Standard Oil Co. of California (Tacoma); Steilacoom Garage (Steilacoom);

Richfield Oil Corp. Richfield Service Station. A car is up on a hoist. One attendant is lubricating a rear wheel, one is checking on the oil drain and one is getting equipment.

Automobile service stations--Tacoma--1940-1950; Richfield Oil Corp. (Tacoma);

View from South L Street, looking east towards K Street near 11th Street. Backs of buildings lining K Street, Safeway Parking Lot.

Safeway Stores, Inc. (Tacoma); Grocery stores--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Safeway parking lot at 52nd and South Tacoma Way for store at 5400 South Tacoma Way. A new store was soon to be built on this site.

Safeway Stores, Inc. (Tacoma); Grocery stores--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Looking north on South Tacoma Way toward South 54th Street. Safeway Store is in Hallack Building of 1927 at left center, service station at corner, many automobiles on street.

Safeway Stores, Inc. (Tacoma); Grocery stores--Tacoma--1940-1950;

September, 1942, view of Safeway parking lot at 52nd and South Tacoma Way for store at 5400 South Tacoma Way. A new store was soon to be built on this site.

Safeway Stores, Inc. (Tacoma); Supermarkets--Tacoma--1940-1950; Parking lots--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Gunderson Importer interior. Cases of jewelry, silver, Spode china, crystal and gifts are on display in this September, 1943, photograph. A store front display window is seen at the left side. TPL-9175

Jewelry stores--Tacoma--1940-1950; Merchandise displays--Tacoma--1940-1950;

The American Automobile Association made a stop in Tacoma in February of 1944 as part of its around-the-nation Synthetic Tire Caravan tour. AAA officials were testing the evenness of tire wear on synthetic and recapped tires when driven at 35 miles per hour, the official maximum wartime speed. Tires manufactured by 15 different companies were being tested. Figures were to be made available to the public once testing was completed. Two Pontiac automobiles used in the tests are shown in the foreground. (T. Times, 3/3/44, p. 3).

Automobile equipment & supplies; Tire industry; Pontiac automobile; Testing--Tacoma--1940-1950;

General Petroleum exterior of 3 plants. In January 1944 General Petroleum Corp. and Maxwell Petroleum Co. merged, becoming the exclusive distributor, in this region, of Mobil products. Exterior view of Maxwell Station No. 43.

Automobile service stations--Tacoma; General Petroleum Corp. (Tacoma); Maxwell Petroleum Co. (Tacoma);

General Petroleum exterior of 3 plants. Maxwell Petroleum Co has been in Tacoma for just eight years, and since then it has become the largest independent wholesaler and retailer of petroleum products in the State of Washington. The recent merger with General Petroleum Corp. will make them one of the largest gasoline distributors in the United States. Exterior view of a Maxwell station.

Automobile service stations--Tacoma; General Petroleum Corp. (Tacoma); Maxwell Petroleum Co. (Tacoma);

Ray Gamble has brought a few of the carved elephants in his collection to display at the new offices of Central Bank. He and the staff at the new branch are seen behind the counter where the carved elephants are displayed. Tacoma businessman Ray Gamble owned the largest collection of elephants in the world.

Bankers--Tacoma; Banking--Tacoma--1950-1960; Banks--Tacoma; Central Bank (Tacoma)--People; Central Bank (Tacoma); Gamble, Ray, 1886-1972; Collectors--Tacoma;

Tietz Construction has nearly completed this new home near the corner of Suspension and Fernside, believed to be 1274 South Fernside, in the Narrowmoor Addition of Tacoma. Roofing material is being added on this day. Building Center, Inc.'s, panel truck is parked in front of the new home along with automobiles from a variety of different years. A yard sign on the right proclaims, "Custom Built by Tietz Construction".

Tietz Construction Inc. (Lakewood); Houses--Tacoma--1950-1960; Housing developments--Tacoma; Real estate development--Tacoma; Trucks--Tacoma--1950-1960; Automobiles--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Bell Fuel Company offered vending machine convenience for purchasing coal and presto logs. 50 pounds of coal cost 65 cents and 7 presto logs were 60 cents. Bell Fuel Company was owned by William H. and Edgar A. Bell. They handled oil, coal, wood and sawdust and also sold and serviced heating equipment. Ordered by R.B. Dickinson & Co.

Bell Fuel Co. (Tacoma); Fuel trade--Tacoma--1950-1960; Vending machines--Tacoma--1950-1960;

With its large, U-shaped bar down the middle of the room, the Kit-Kat Tavern was a fixture on Pacific Ave., across the street from the Olympus Hotel, from 1947 to 1971. In this photograph from March of 1952, a large crowd of men and women fills every booth and stool. The Kit-Kat claimed to have the "best draft beer in town", and a large California wine was only 25 cents. TPL-8249

Kit Kat Tavern (Tacoma); Bars--Tacoma; Bartenders--Tacoma;

Two television repairmen at Sepic Electric sit at benches crowded with test equipment while a third repairman crouches next to the back of a cabinet model TV reading a wiring schematic, in this photograph from February 1952. The Sepic Electric Company was owned and operated by two brothers, Fred and Stan Sepic. The business, which started in 1942, began as an electronics repair shop, but later expanded to include sales of funiture and appliances.

Sepic Electric Co. (Tacoma); Furniture stores--Tacoma--1940-1950; Appliance stores--Tacoma--1950-1960; Maintenance & repair--Tacoma; Televisions--1950-1960;

The television repair room at Sepic Electric. Three men, in overalls, are working on television sets in the service room. Stacks of supplies and equipment can be seen on shelves around the room.

Sepic Electric Co. (Tacoma); Furniture stores--Tacoma--1940-1950; Appliance stores--Tacoma--1950-1960; Maintenance & repair--Tacoma; Televisions--1950-1960;

The Steven Motor Company occupied two buildings in downtown Tacoma on Broadway in 1952. They sold new Chrysler Corporation cars from 734 Broadway, which also had an entrance at 733 St. Helens; and used cars from 738 Broadway. The showroom was open evenings until 9:00 Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The Steven Motor Company was founded by Everett T. Steven who started in the automobile business while still a youngster polishing the brass on new cars. The Steven Motor Company left downtown South Tacoma Way in 1959. These buildings are still standing in the heart of Tacoma's Antique Row.(TNT, 3/14/1952, p.B-2)

Automobile dealerships--Tacoma--1950-1960; Chrysler automobile; Plymouth automobile; Steven Motor Co. (Tacoma);

Interior of showroom. Front window with Lincoln Electric truck outside. Electric ranges, refrigerators, televisions inside.

Lincoln Electric (Tacoma); Appliance stores--Tacoma--1950-1960; Stoves--Tacoma; Refrigerators; Televisions; Trucks--Tacoma--1950-1960;

The living room of the apartment over the storefront for Lincoln Electric. A sofa and day bed face each other across the room. A coffee table, footstool, small table with a radio, desk, dresser, and two side chairs complete the furnishings. Floral draperies are closed over the front windows. A counter or table can be seen in the right foreground.

Lincoln Electric (Tacoma); Appliance stores--Tacoma; Living rooms--Tacoma--1950-1960;