Standard Oil Co. started doing business in Tacoma in 1886. Oil was shipped from Cleveland, Ohio in box and tank cars. As the company expanded tanks were added and a new office and garage was built on the tideflats. View of three unidentified people at garden located in front of oil tank. They are harvesting corn, tomatoes and potatoes. Photograph taken on September 14, 1944.

Harvesting--Tacoma; Farm produce--Tacoma; Standard Oil Co. of California (Tacoma); Storage tanks--Tacoma;

Tacoma Boat Building Company completed the sardine seiner, North American, in 1944. Tacoma Boat Building was owned by H. Dahl and A. Strom, who were dedicated to building quality fishing vessels for North Pacific fishermen. View of North American's helm, compass and engine controls. TPL-8880

Helms; Control rooms; Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Tacoma Boat Building Co., Inc. (Tacoma);

Pacific Boat Building Co. completed the second of four barges ordered by the Army. The U. S. Army B.S.P. 3131, was an 88 foot self propelled cargo barge with double diesel engines. Interior view of engine room with steering wheel, compass and engine controls visible.

Helms; Government vessels--Tacoma; Compasses; Pacific Boat Building Co. (Tacoma);

Marvin Marine Repair Co. started as a boat repair shop working with individual boat owners. With the need for an increase in war production it received government contracts in ship building, repairs and converting. View of Marvin Marine employees guiding landing craft into water.

Laborers--Tacoma; Landing craft--Tacoma; Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Marvin Marine Repair Co. (Tacoma);

Clover Park students studying. Clover Park High School was one of the few schools offering extensive vocational programs. Vocational training options helped students acquire stronger skills needed for employment. Interior view of Clover Park High School Library with students studying at tables.

Libraries--Lakewood; Students--Lakewood--1940-1950; Clover Park High School (Lakewood);

United Church Service Center will be dedicating their new center, which has a recreational facility and 300 bed dormitory. The ceremony will feature four talented musicians from the medical training session at Fort Lewis. Left to right are William Hanley, Abraham Gershkowitz, Leona Louise and Jack Ringler (T. Times, 10/28/44, p. 1).

Military bands; Musicians--Tacoma; Building dedications--Tacoma; United Churches Service Center (Tacoma);

Henry Mill west end of yard for Condon Co. Henry Mill was busy filling orders for commercial and government contracts. They were a leader in prefabricated materials which allowed for orders to be filled rapidly. Exterior view of Henry Mill & Timber Co. plant and parking lot.

Mills--Tacoma; Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Henry Mill & Timber Co. (Tacoma);

College of Puget Sound the Spurs at Anderson Hall. Anderson Hall was a girls' dormitory located on campus at College of Puget Sound. View of four unidentified female students standing by a column with school years 1894-1943 visible.

Obelisks--Tacoma; Students--Tacoma; Universities & colleges--Tacoma; College of Puget Sound (Tacoma)--1940-1950;

On Christmas Eve 1944, at 8:30 p.m., the staff of the Tacoma Pacific Telephone & Telegraph public telephone station, 1109 Pacific Avenue, served coffee and doughnuts to the service men waiting to use one of the center's telephones. The call center, which had twelve telephone booths, was decorated for the holiday season with a Christmas tree and a poinsettia. New telephone installations in Tacoma/Pierce County had been virtually frozen since May of 1942, with new phones restricted to those "vital to public health, public welfare or security". The phone center was set up primarily for the use of military personnel and war workers. (T.Times 5/20/1942, TNT 2/6/1943)

Parties--Tacoma; Christmas trees--Tacoma; Military personnel--Tacoma; Telephone booths--Tacoma--1940-1950; Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Co. (Tacoma);

Clover Park students studying. Clover Park High School was one of the few schools offering extensive vocational programs. Vocational training options helped students acquire stronger skills needed for employment. Interior view of Clover Park High School hallway with students reviewing journals.

Periodicals; Students--Lakewood--1940-1950; Reading; Clover Park High School (Lakewood);

Lenora Erickson studio portrait for Tacoma Council of Churches. Lenora Erickson has just been recruited by the Tacoma Council of Churches as the new Bible Study Director. She is from Roseau, Minnesota and will be offering a non-denomination bible study program. Students will be able to attend a one hour per week Bible class, if program is requested by parents (T. Times, 1/27/45, p. 6).

Portrait photographs; Hats--1940-1950; Tacoma Council of Churches (Tacoma); Erickson, Lenora;

College of Puget Sound the Spurs at Anderson Hall. Anderson Hall was a girls' dormitory located on campus at College of Puget Sound. View of six unidentified students possibly studying for upcoming final exams.

Private libraries--Tacoma; Universities & colleges--Tacoma; Studying--Tacoma; Students--Tacoma; College of Puget Sound (Tacoma)--1940-1950;

Thomas S. Handforth was a local artist, specializing in painting, lithographs, sketchings and illustrations. He studied in New York and Paris and received a Guggenheim Fellowship for travel. The artist left many of his art works to the Tacoma Public Library. Sketching of Marjorie Shanaman, wife of Fred C. Shanaman, general manager of Pennsylvania Salt, done by Handforth.

Shanaman, Marjorie; Artists--Tacoma; Handforth, Thomas Schofield--Associated objects; Sketches;

Electrical Products Consolidated street lighting. The increase in street lighting was a hot topic in Tacoma in the 1940's. They were in the process of updating and adding modern street fixtures, but also wanting to retain the beauty of the old style lamps. View of St. Helens Avenue, Market Street and South 7th Street intersection. Tacoma News Tribune is on left side and J.T.'s Tavern on right. Street lamps align both sides of streets.

Street lights--Tacoma; Light fixtures--Tacoma; Commercial streets--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Avenger at Todd Pacific. The side of the "Avenger" has gaping holes it received in the battle of Tarawa. The man made tank crawled out of the South Pacific Sea and up to Japanese beachheads. View of large group standing in front of "Avenger" at Todd Pacific Shipyards (T. Times, 8/24/44, p. 3).

Tanks (Military science)--Tacoma; World War, 1939-1945--Tank warfare; Todd Pacific Shipyards, Inc. (Tacoma);

Avenger at Todd Pacific. Todd Pacific Shipyards has "Avenger", the tank used in the battle of Tarawa in the South Pacific. The tank used by the Marines, will be here for one week. View of large group at Todd Pacific Shipyards gathered to see "Avenger" (T. Times, 8/24/44, p. 3).

Tanks (Military science)--Tacoma; World War, 1939-1945--Tank warfare; Todd Pacific Shipyards, Inc. (Tacoma);

Major, a 37 pound tom turkey, picketed the Corbit & Company poultry market, 1142 Market St., from December 18th through December 22, 1944. Fred A. Corbit, the owner of the market, was unperturbed by Major's presence outside his shop. Fred figured that the old tom was using patriotism to cover for personal self-preservation. Corbit's & Co. was in business for over fifty years. Although Fred Corbit died in 1964, the business, under other management, remained open until 1973. (T. Times, 12/22/44, p. 2).

Turkeys; Feathers; Signs (Notices); Corbit & Co. (Tacoma);

Harry Ault desk shot. Harry E. B. Ault just celebrated his 61st birthday on October 30th. Ault was born in Kentucky in 1883 and has had a very interesting life. Ault has been a newspaper publisher, politician, print shop operator and was appointed Deputy U. S. Marshal in 1938 (T. Times, 10/31/44, p. 18).

United States--Officials & employees; Occupations; Ault, Harry E. B.--Birthdays;

USO 13th and Fawcett. The United Service Organization Travelers Aid Service had different activities going on every day of the week. Servicemen regularly visited the centers and spent time with USO volunteers. View of unidentified female artist sketching unidentified serviceman.

USO clubs (Tacoma)--1940-1950; Sketches; Military personnel--Tacoma;

Joseph E. Ford, County Auditor, had a voting machine placed at Stadium High School so students could become familiar with the voting process. Students were offered the chance to vote on the candidates for the upcoming election. Student ballot results were announced prior to Tuesday's national election and their major candidate choices included : Franklin D. Roosevelt, Democrat, for President and Mon C. Wallgren, Democrat, for Governor. The public concurred on election day. (T. Times, 11/2/44, p. 1, names listed).

Voting--Tacoma--1940-1950; Vote counting--Tacoma; Students--Tacoma; Stadium High School (Tacoma);

In October of 1944 these six young people represented all the students in Tacoma and Pierce County at an awards ceremony for the "Schools at War" war savings program. Each of the six groups of schools represented by the students received a special citation for exceeding both the national and state goals for student contributions to the war effort. During the previous year's campaign, the students in Tacoma/Pierce County had raised an average of $38.13 per student to help finance the war. Pictured are: (standing, l to r) Andy Moe, Colleen Kelly, La Rae Andre and Thomas Miller; (seated, l to r) Ivar Pihl and Lorraine Danell. (T. Times, 10/12/44, p. 3).

War bonds & funds; World War, 1939-1945--Economic aspects of war--Tacoma; Children--War work--Tacoma; Students--Tacoma;

On August 22, 1944, these six young women went to the Navy recruiting station in the Rust Building, at 950 Pacific Ave., and joined the WAVES, Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service. Taking the oath of allegiance from Ensign Betsy Abbott are: (l to r) Shirley Rasmussen, Audrey Purchase, Peggy Olson, Betty Day, Florence Olson and Shirlee Beardempl. They will leave in October for the U.S. naval training school at New York City. Two of the enlistees each had two brother already serving in the armed forces. (T. Times, 8/23/44, p. 8). TPL-983

Women--Military personnel--Tacoma; World War, 1939-1945--Recruiting & enlistment--Tacoma; Oaths--Tacoma;

Edna Donahue (center) and Eva Mahoney (right) were the winners in the Tacoma WAVE contest in September of 1944. Sponsored by local friends of the navy the unique contest was conducted to acquaint eligible women with the urgent need for their service in the navy. The two winners each received a war bond from WAVE recruiter Eleanor Frank at the Tacoma recruiting station. Mrs. Donahue, the first prize winner, had a son in the Navy V-12 program at the University of Washington. Miss Mahoney, the second place winner, had two sisters serving in the WAVES. (T. Times, 9/6/44, p. 10).

Women--Military service; War bonds & funds; United States Naval Recruiting Station (Tacoma); Donahue, Edna; Mahoney, Eva; Frank, Eleanor;

Forest Ind. research operations for Westinghouse Electric. (Possibly Forest Products Industries, Inc. Westinghouse Electric Corp. was located at 1930 Pacific Avenue in 1945). Man working in wood shop appears to be testing wood products.

Workshops--Tacoma; Industrial facilities--Tacoma; Laborers--Tacoma; Westinghouse Electric Co. (Tacoma); Forest Products Industries, Inc. (Tacoma);

Community Chest; U.S.O. Open House program. Governor Arthur B. Langlie cuts a small cake with one large candle under the watchful eye of Maj. Gen. Charles H. White and Tacoma Mayor Harry P. Cain. The cake is in honor of the one year anniversary of the opening of the USO Clubs at South Park, 4851 So. Tacoma Way, and 13th & Fawcett, 415 So. 13th. An Open House is being held at all four USO Clubs in Tacoma as part of the celebration. (T. Times)

Langlie, Arthur B., 1900-1966; Cain, Harry P., 1906-1979; USO clubs (Tacoma)--1940-1950; World War, 1939-1945--Social aspects--Tacoma; White, Charles H.; Cakes; Anniversaries--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Home portrait of Mrs. Charles (Phoebe) Lea, Jr. The portrait ran in the Tacoma Times announcing Mrs. Lea's election as president of the Tacoma Junior League. Her husband, Charles Lea Jr., was an architect with the local firm of Lea, Pearson & Richards. In 1942, the Lea family resided at 915 Park Dr. (T. Times 3/6/1943, pg. 4)

Lea, Phoebe;

Henry Mill, construction of prefabricated trusses. During the war, Henry Mill was active in lumber prefabrication.

Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Trusses--Tacoma; Structural frames--Tacoma; Building construction--Tacoma; Henry Mill & Timber Co. (Tacoma);

In February of 1943, the Tacoma Transit Co. parked one of its buses in front of the Modern Auto Works at 1401-09 A St. for a photo opportunity. The photo was used in a February 25 advertisement in the Tacoma Times asking people to use the rear door of the bus for exiting, leaving the front entrance for loading.. (T Times 2/25/43 Pg. 25)

Mass transit--Tacoma; Buses--Tacoma--1940-1950; Tacoma Transit Co. (Tacoma);

McKinley Park May Queen. On May 18, 1943, a formally dressed young woman sits on a throne as May Queen, surrounded by the young women of her court. The girls pose in McKinley Park, 9000 Upper Park St. E on the eastside of Tacoma. McKinley Park was given as a gift to the city in 1901 by the Tacoma Land & Improvement Co. It was slowly developed, but by the 1940's, the eastside park was one of the recreation centers of the city. (T.Times) [Also dated 05-14-1943]

May Day--Tacoma; Rites & Ceremonies--Tacoma; Festivals--Tacoma;

A quartet of actors from the May Day play at McKinley Park, May 18, 1943, poses in costume for the camera. (T.Times) [Also dated 05-14-1943]

May Day--Tacoma; Rites & Ceremonies--Tacoma; Festivals--Tacoma; Child actors;