Bustling Broadway looking south from 9th St. This was a segment of vibrant downtown Tacoma during the summer of 1927. Cars and pedestrians throng Broadway. The area around 9th & Broadway was a mixture of motion picture theaters (Colonial in center, Broadway, Pantages and Rialto not pictured), large department stores (McCormack Brothers, Rhodes Bros.), fraternal organizations (Pythian Temple), variety stores (Kress) and assorted shops. Drivers were still getting used to automatic traffic lights, recently installed in late March, in the downtown area. This may have been "movie season" as banners and flags advertised such luminaries as "Gish," "Chaney," and movies like "Barbed Wire," "Ben Hur," "Annie Laurie," and "Beau Geste." TPL-1880; G59.1-028

Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Traffic signs & signals--Tacoma--1920-1930; Stores & shops--Tacoma--1920-1930; Motion picture theaters--Tacoma--1920-1930; Banners;

This is another view of Broadway looking south from 9th St. in late summer of 1927. The photo studio has added lines crossing the streetcar tracks to mark where cars were warned to stop to allow pedestrians to cross the street in safety. One of the city's first automated traffic signals is just beyond view in the foreground. The Pantages theater is on the left along with Lou Johnson's ladies clothing store and the Lewis Bros. men's clothing store. On the right are the Colonial theater, Pythian Temple, Kress store and the Rhodes Bros. department store. Broadway, like Pacific Avenue, had many stores and shops nesting cozily side-by-side. Shoppers could catch a convenient streetcar or just walk to the numerous establishments downtown. More and more people, however, were starting to own automobiles and as the above photograph shows, street parking was at a premium. TPL-10041; G59.1-029

Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Automobiles--Tacoma--1920-1930; Motion picture theaters--Tacoma--1920-1930; Department stores--Tacoma--1920-1930; Stores & shops--Tacoma--1920-1930; Pythian Temple (Tacoma);

This is the Dash Point home of Roy and Effie Allen as pictured in March of 1928. It was built with a commanding marine view. Mr. Allen was the president and manager of Star Iron & Steel Co., a major manufacturer of cranes. An article on Dash Point in the Tacoma Sunday Ledger's December 2, 1928, edition included a photograph of the Allen home with completed landscaping. (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 12-2-28, G-1)

Allen, Roy--Homes & haunts;

On February 25, 1929, the Boland Studios were asked to take photographs of the intersection of Meridian and Valley Road near Puyallup to be used as court evidence. This view is just beyond the Charles Service Station. House on the left of the curving road; sign on the right indicates the presence of a "private road -use at your own risk." See Boland B20388 for additional view of intersection. G73.1-046

Streets--Puyallup; Signs (Notices); Houses--Puyallup--1920-1930;

This March 22, 1929, photograph was taken 75-feet from the intersection of these two residential streets to be used as court evidence. The names of the streets were not listed. The visible houses appear to be modern for the time and the streets were wide, paved, with curbs and sidewalks. Several feet, planted with grass and shrubs, separated the sidewalks from the street. G57.1-015

Streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Houses--Tacoma--1920-1930;

In 1928 516 North "C" St. was occupied by Anne and Gerald deHaseth. This is one of the bedrooms found in the home built in 1892. It contained twin four-poster beds and other antiques resting on hardwood floors. Mr. deHaseth was a civil engineer with the Big Missouri Mining Co.

deHaseth, Gerald--Homes & haunts; Bedrooms--Tacoma--1920-1930; Beds;

Streetcar tracks head toward the waterfront in this December 30, 1936, photograph. Information on the picture states that it is "144 ft. to intersection No. 41st & Cheyenne Sts." There is a store or restaurant at the left which advertised the Olympic brand of milk, cream and ice cream. Photograph ordered by Tacoma Railway & Power Co. G58.1-022

Residential streets--Tacoma--1930-1940; Streets--Tacoma--1930-1940; Street railroad tracks--Tacoma--1930-1940;

The R.L. Courtney Building, located at 1105 South 11th Street, was designed by architect George Trost and built for $37,000 by Peter Madsen in 1922. The Hill Top Confectionery occupied the corner level and Dr. Eugene Hallan (dentist) and a Dr. Lynch (physician & surgeon) had offices on the second floor. Businesses at the 11th & "K" St. location were easily accessible by private car or streetcars. In 1922 the businessmen of "K" St. (now Martin Luther King Jr. Way) saw a rapid growth of business in this section of Tacoma. Six new buildings replacing older units included the Dobson-Nelson Motor Co. at 12th & "K," Normanna Hall Association's new business block at 14th & "K," the Nasser Building, also on 12th & "K," occupied by the Piggly-Wiggly and a branch of the National Bank of Tacoma, the Langlow Building at Sixth & "K," the Woolen Cleaners Building adjoining the Dobson-Nelson structure and the Courtney Building. TPL-896; G19.1-071; BU-10,064 (TNT 12-29-22, p. 22)

R.L. Courtney Building (Tacoma); Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Business districts--Tacoma--1920-1930;

A person standing across the street on April 14, 1925, would be able to see the following establishments on the west side of Pacific Avenue near South 10th St. in downtown Tacoma: (L-R) the Rust Building (950 Pacific), Charles F. Lewis Hatters (948), Scobey's Cigars (946) with Naubert & Manning Billiards upstairs, Davis Men's Shop (944), Peterson & Cooksie Billiards (942-44), Haugen & Loney Tailors (942), and in the San Francisco Block building, the Regal Shoe Co. (938-40) with several businesses upstairs including the Chinese Medicine Co. and attorney G.B. Aldrich. TPL-5475; G61.1-048

Business districts--Tacoma--1920-1930; Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Rust Building (Tacoma); Regal Shoe Co. (Tacoma);

This two-story Colonial with basement, located at 1315 North 5th St., was on the market in May of 1925 with a reduced price of $7,750, including $1500 cash and $75 a month payments. The home apparently had alley access and garage. An ad placed in the Tacoma Sunday Ledger's May 3, 1925 edition listed the home as having a 20+-foot long living room, oak flooring, unique fireplace and French doors leading to the dining room. Three bedrooms were located on the second floor along with a bath. Interested buyers were asked to contact Gilmour Nicholls, realtor. G28.1-130; BU-10,145 (Tacoma Sunday Ledger Ad, 5-3-25, p. 7E)

Houses--Tacoma--1920-1930;

This home at 802 North Yakima Ave. was described by its architect, Kirtland Cutter, as a "quaint cottage in the German style of architecture" and not a design commonly seen in the Pacific Northwest. It was built originally for David K. Stevens in 1891. By 1925, it was the residence of civic leader and prominent businessman, Henry G. Shaw who had purchased the home from another pioneer businessman, John H. Scott. The house had been nominated as one of the most beautiful in the city in 1920. The apartment house in the background at 801-07 North "I" St. would be renamed the Biltmore Apartments in 1926. G28.1-129; BU10, 175

Houses--Tacoma--1920-1930; Apartment houses--Tacoma--1920-1930;

The intersection of North Prospect at North 15th, looking east, was photographed for court evidence on February 8, 1926. The streets were paved and homes on both sides appear large and well maintained. House on the right corner is 1501 North Prospect; house on the left corner is 1502 North Prospect. Sidewalks and curbs were installed which was not a feature in all neighborhoods. Ornamental street lamps were spaced evenly along both sides of the street. The "90 ft" noted in the photograph's lower left corner is believed to be the distance to the intersection from the camera's viewpoint. G58.1-061 (photograph has been damaged)

Residential streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Houses--Tacoma--1920-1930; Street lights--Tacoma--1920-1930;

One of downtown Tacoma's prime commercial streets was Broadway. This is Broadway looking north from 11th St. in March of 1926. On the right is the 12-story brick Fidelity Building (949-55 Broadway) with the Bank of California as one of the tenants. The Bank of California would build its own Italian Renaissance building of Wilkeson sandstone and granite at 1011-13 Pacific Avenue in 1928. On the photograph's left is a portion of the Fisher Co. department store (1104 Broadway) and the Rhodes Brothers Department Store at 950 Broadway. G59.1-021

Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Business districts--Tacoma--1920-1930; Fidelity Building (Tacoma); Office buildings--Tacoma--1920-1930; Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Fisher's Department Store (Tacoma);

This damaged print is of the Puget Sound National Bank Building (1117-19 Pacific Avenue-formerly the National Realty Bldg.) taken from the 12th St. viewpoint on June 25, 1926. On its right at the corner is the National Bank of Tacoma. Looking northbound, buildings right to left are: the barely visible one-story structure at 1115 Pacific Avenue which had been built as an annex/addition to the National Realty Bldg., then the Bankers Trust building at 1109-13 Pacific, Peoples department store (1101-07 Pacific) with the 17-story Washington Building skyscraper at the far left (1019 Pacific). Flags and bunting decorate both Peoples and the Puget Sound National Bank Bldg. G61.1-043

Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Business districts--Tacoma--1920-1930; Puget Sound National Bank (Tacoma); National Bank of Tacoma (Tacoma); Banks--Tacoma; Peoples (Tacoma); Washington Building (Tacoma); Office buildings--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Photographer Marvin Boland took a series of pictures of Tacoma's downtown business district on August 22, 1924 where he focused on the numerous business establishments, large and small, packed into a few city streets. This view is of Pacific Avenue near South 11th Street. L-R are the 12-story Rust Building (950 Pacific) with one of their tenants, Lundquist-Lilly (men's clothing store); Scobey's Cigars at 946 Pacific with the Naubert & Manning Billiard parlor upstairs; Davis Men's Shop, M&M Hat, Friedman's (Jewelers) all at 942-44 Pacific with Peterson & Cooksie Billiards above; and the Regal Shoe Co. at 938-40 Pacific. TPL-225; G61.1-016

Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Business districts--Tacoma--1920-1930; Rust Building (Tacoma); Office buildings--Tacoma--1920-1930; Scobey Cigar Co. (Tacoma); Naubert & Manning Billiards (Tacoma); Peterson & Cooksie Billiard Parlor (Tacoma);

Horse-drawn mail carts and 19th Century houses, seen in the background, were still prevalent in Tacoma's Central Business District when a postal employee posed with his rig in front of the 12th Street entrance to the Federal Building in June of 1921. The Federal Building housed the Main branch of the U.S. Post Office. The horse-drawn carts transported mail prior to the advent of motorized vehicles. TPL-164; G42.1-114

Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Federal Building (Tacoma); Mail wagons--Tacoma--1920-1930; Postal service--1920-1930; Postal service employees--Tacoma--1920-1930; Letter carriers--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Hampshire Arms Apartments. Work has been completed in September of 1921 on the new Hampshire Arms Apartments located at the corner of 4th & North Yakima Ave. D.P. Nason was listed as the structure's builder and Albert Miller, its contractor. The three-story brick veneer apartment house was completely all-electric. TPL-4578; G16.1-007

Hampshire Arms Apartments (Tacoma); Apartment houses--Tacoma--1920-1930;

This is the home of Harry V. Smith as pictured in September of 1921. Mr. Smith and wife Mabel resided at 1909 North Oakes St. The 1922 City Directory lists Mr. Smith as being in the real estate business with an office in the Provident Building downtown. About 1918, Mr. Smith purchased a tract of land on North Oakes which ran through to North Fife St. One end of the property was a point extending into a gulch where he built his home with detached garage. The ground sloped abruptly on three sides to the bottom of the gulch. Several years later Mr. Smith would perform extensive landscaping to the property which turned the slope into 2000 feet of pathways. By 1929, a rustic bridge and miniature 9-hole golf course had been added. (TDL 8-25-29, D8-article)

Smith, Harry V.--Homes & haunts; Houses--Tacoma--1920-1930;

This is South "J" Street near 8th St. looking north as viewed on a wet February day in 1922. Trees in the foreground are bare and the roadway is void of traffic. Decorative street lamps are spaced evenly down the block. G60.1-061

Residential streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Street lights--Tacoma;

Tacoma Street Scene. This is Tacoma Avenue North at 2nd looking north. This photograph was taken in February of 1919 and shows bare trees and wide empty streets. There are only two cars in view and both appear to be parked. Houses in view are large and there is a four-story apartment building on the right. G62.1-070; TPL-858 (print is speckled)

Residential streets--Tacoma--1910-1920; Houses--Tacoma--1910-1920;

An unidentified party of four from Bremerton posed in front of a parked automobile on the east side of Pacific Avenue near South 8th St. in May of 1919. The well-dressed couples were perhaps out on a Sunday drive. In the background looking north are the Eau-Claire Apartments, Auto Parts Supply Co., D.C. Modrall & Co., Jim's Place (restaurant) and a tailoring establishment. TPL-1640; G61.1-009

Commercial streets--Tacoma--1910-1920; Business districts--Tacoma--1910-1920; Couples--Tacoma--1910-1920; Automobiles--Tacoma--1910-1920;

This is how the corner of South 9th & Broadway appeared in February of 1927. The Broadway Theater, 902-14 Broadway, was preparing for its grand opening on February 4th. It had previously been well known as the Tacoma Theater before being purchased for $450,000 in December of 1925, at that time the largest single realty transaction in the city's history. Extensive remodeling, including the loss of the familiar red exterior, cost the new owners another $150,000. There was a huge new sign, 40 feet high, with 3,000 bulbs that was visible for three miles. The theater would retain the "Broadway" name until 1933 when it became the Music Box Theater. Another of Tacoma's landmarks is clearly visible at right rear, the unusually shaped Bostwick Building with the Smith Flower Shop on the lower level. TPL-1602; G59.1-002 (TDL 12-19-25, p. 1-article on sale of theater; TDL 12-1-26, p. 1-article on remodeling; TNT 2-2-27, p. 9-article on signage)

Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Broadway Theater (Tacoma); Tacoma Theater (Tacoma);

This section of East 25th St. in 1927 contained several businesses located side-by-side. From L-R: Tacoma Biscuit & Candy Co. (601-605 E. 25th); Olympic Ice Cream Co. (615-617 E. 25th); Olympic Ice Co. (619-623 E. 25th) and the Carman Mfg. Co., a furniture and mattress factory, at 701-723 E. 25th. Several cars, including at least one delivery truck, are parked outside the buildings. G57.2-040; TPL-2405

Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Automobiles--Tacoma--1920-1930; Tacoma Biscuit & Candy Co. (Tacoma); Olympic Ice Cream Co. (Tacoma); Olympic Ice Co. (Tacoma); Carman Manufacturing Co. (Tacoma);

These homes on Borough Road east of the Tacoma Lawn Tennis Club in 1927 had splendid views of Commencement Bay. The substantially built houses were located in the city's north end. TPL-6475; G9.1-075

Houses--Tacoma--1920-1930; Commencement Bay (Wash.); Streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Neighborhoods--Tacoma--1920-1930;

This is the intersection of North 12th St. and Yakima Avenue North as viewed on September 3, 1927. Commencement Bay is pictured hazily in the background. Boland Studios were requested to photograph the scene to be used as court evidence in an automobile accident case. Names of those involved in the accident were not given. G62.1-133

Streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Houses--Tacoma--1920-1930;

These large and elegant homes, located in the 1000 block of North Yakima Avenue, were photographed from across the street on October 14, 1927. They were (left to right) 1006, 1010 and 1016 North Yakima with the rear of the Rust Mansion (1001 NO. I ST.) in the center of the photograph. TPL-806

Streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Houses--Tacoma--1920-1930;

This large brick-and-stucco home was built in 1925 by Andrew Larson for A.A. Duenwald. It was located at 816 North Stadium Way and was listed for sale at the end of October, 1927. Mr. Duenwald owned Duenwald's Delicatessen & Bakery, 915-17 Broadway. Ads running on consecutive Sundays in the TDL described the six-room home as having an unobstructed marine view and such amenties as a sun room, hardwood floors, tile fireplace, maid's room, oil heat, thermostat, and French doors leading to a flower garden. The home was located on two lots, 50 x 130-feet. Price for sale was $15,000. The November 6th ad indicated that the owner was leaving the city. A brief article in the February 19, 1928, Tacoma Sunday Ledger stated that Clyde E. Powell, insurance representative, had taken possession of the home which he had recently purchased. (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 10-30-27, E-1; 11-6-27, E-1; Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 2-19-28, A-8)

Duenwald, A.A.--Homes & haunts; Houses--Tacoma--1920-1930;

View of wide, curving roadway and houses in Gig Harbor taken for court evidence on October 31, 1927. For similar view, see B17545. This road has now been identified as Harborview Drive by a reader. The Castellan house is on the right and at the farthest right is believed to be 3514 Harborview Dr. The small house below street level at left, also shown in B17545, was the Jerkovich family's house. It is now gone. The Allen/Dupelle house next door remains but has been remodeled. G72.1-135 (Information provided by a reader)

Streets--Gig Harbor; Houses--Gig Harbor--1920-1930;

This was 13th & Broadway in downtown Tacoma in 1928. The Merchants Hotel occupied the Durgin Block with Bagley Drugs on the ground floor. The building had been constructed in 1890 and had already undergone alterations. The Mayflower Cafe and Palmer Hotel were close by. Visible in the background is the Luzon Building at 1302-04 Pacific Ave., then occupied by the Wm L. Davis & Sons furniture store. TPL-9721; G59.1-024

Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Merchants Hotel (Tacoma); Luzon Building (Tacoma); Bagley Drug Co. (Tacoma); Mayflower Cafe (Tacoma); Palmer Hotel (Tacoma); William L. Davis & Sons (Tacoma);

This is the east side of Pacific Avenue between S. 10th & 11th St. as viewed on October 2, 1928. The Bank of California (center, at 1011-13 Pacific) would be opening for business in six days. Designed by John Graham and built by the J.E. Bonnell & Son construction firm using Wilkeson sandstone and granite, the Italian Renaissance-styled building had stately Ionic columns. Tacoma's newest bank was flanked by the venerable Dougan Building (1007 Pacific) containing the Hotel Bennett and Western Union and the somewhat newer Dickson Building, home of the Shaw Supply Co. (1015 Pacific). G61.1-018

Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Bank of California National Association (Tacoma); Dougan Building (Tacoma); Dickson Building (Tacoma); Shaw Supply Co., Inc. (Tacoma); Hotel Bennett (Tacoma); Western Union Telegraph Co. (Tacoma);