View of curving road in Gig Harbor, taken on October 31, 1927, for court evidence. This street has now been identified as Harborview by a reader with the nearest cross street as Novak. The small house below street level has been identified as once belonging to the Jerkovich family and is no longer there. The house on the extreme left with car parked outside was the Ancich home. The house on the extreme right belongs to the Allen/Dupelle families. The vacant property in the middle is now known as the Burton/Steele property and was once owned by another Ancich family. (Information provided by a reader)

Streets--Gig Harbor; Houses--Gig Harbor--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;

College of Puget Sound pep rally at Broadway Theatre, circa 1927. Crowd of students in front of box office at South 9th and Court C. Building by J.M. Wood and A.F. Heide, Associated Architects; John Galen Howard, Designer; Sydney Lovell, Interior Designer, 1889. (Argentum)

Theaters--Tacoma--1920-1930; Broadway Theater (Tacoma); College of Puget Sound (Tacoma)--1920-1930; Students--Tacoma--1920-1930;

The Young Business Woman's Club ukulele orchestra provided part of the musical entertainment at the Y.B.W.C. dinner held on November 9, 1927 in the Peacock room of the Tacoma Hotel. More then 200 members and guests attended the dinner which was organized to honor the various businesses and organizations that employed the club's members. J. Frank Hickey, the president of the Tacoma Chamber of Commerce spoke that evening of the increasing role of women in the commercial life of the city. Consisting of four strings, the ukulele came to Hawaii in the 1800's by way of Portuguese immigrants. It became popular in the mainland in the 1920's and '30's. Besides the traditional small guitar shape, ukuleles were shaped like banjos, rectangles, teardrops and even pineapples. Several of the young ladies practicing for their performance are holding banjo-shaped ukuleles. (TNT 11-10-1927 p. 12) G40.1-028

Ukuleles; Musicians--Tacoma--1920-1930; Young Business Womens Club (Tacoma);

This photograph of the new Masonic Temple, 47 Saint Helens Avenue was taken in November of 1927. The Temple Theatre (then called the Heilig Theater), built within the Masonic Temple, had celebrated its grand opening on October 18, 1927. The theater was leased by Calvin Heilig and was decorated in an Egyptian motif. Loges were installed on the lower floor. The Masonic Temple itself would be dedicated on December 1, 1927, six weeks after the theater's grand opening. The $550,000 building rose ten stories from the Broadway level. It was 124 x 170 feet in size and built of steel and concrete. The facade consisted of stone finish with brick trimmings. Sixteen Masonic bodies would utilize the structure as a meeting space. TPL-632; G65.1-136 (TNT 11-19-27, p. 1-2)

Masonic Temple (Tacoma); Temple Theatre (Tacoma);

This is how tranquil American Lake appeared as viewed through several trees on November 16, 1927. American Lake is near Fort Lewis and north of what is now I-5. G38.1-073

American Lake (Wash.);

On November 17, 1927, Mrs. A.B. Smith was photographed with bottles of soda pop for sale at a charity benefit. Signs advertising ice cold Coca-Cola and Muscadine (5 cent) punch are attached to the wall. She was monitoring one of the booths at the Bellarmine College Fair, held at St. Leo's high school gym, from November 17-27, 1927. The gym was converted into many old California missions staffed by Catholic women and girls. Money raised during the Fair would support the new Bellarmine College to be built shortly. G34.1-146 (TNT 11-19-27, p. 14)

Smith, A.B.--Family; Fund raising--Tacoma--1920-1930; Signs (Notices); Carbonated beverages;

On November 17, 1927, eleven members of the Fanchon-Marco revue, who were appearing on stage at the Broadway Theater, were photographed at the Azure Pool, 748 Market Street, while enjoying a specially arranged swim. The short-lived Azure Pool was dedicated in May of 1927. Designed by noted Tacoma architect Silas E. Nelsen and built of concrete by C.F. Davidson, the natatorium advertised "Swim in Drinking Water." Private lessons were offered by appointment. (photograph has been damaged in corner) (T.Times 11-18-27, p. 20-alternate photograph)

Azure Pool (Tacoma); Swimming pools--Tacoma--1920-1930; Diving boards--Tacoma; Swimmers--Tacoma--1920-1930; Entertainers--Tacoma--1920-1930;

The Otsuka Family opened the Panama Garage at 1320 Market Street in 1923. Roy, Eddie and Hidegoro Otsuka operated the repair shop, car wash and service station. The family posed for this photograph in front of their business in November of 1927. The business was later managed by Ted Semba and Ken Hayashi. It closed during World War II. TPL-6371; G48.1-042

Panama Garage (Tacoma); Japanese American families--Tacoma; Japanese Americans--Tacoma;

Jeff, a tiny ringtailed monkey, tips the scales at three pounds as he is being weighed in late November of 1927 at the Point Defiance Zoo. His keeper and "chef," Oscar M. Olson, stated that "Jeff" had gained three ounces over Thanksgiving so needed to go on a diet. Mr. Olson's unusual job as "chef" to the zoo's 17 monkeys and assorted inhabitants landed him on the front page of the November 26th News Tribune as #11 in "Tacoma's Strangest Jobs." The carefully monitored diet of his clientele included hothouse lettuce, tomatoes, raisin bread, Gig Harbor and Wenatchee apples, Yakima and Tacoma potatoes. Besides the monkeys, Mr. Olson also was in charge of the diets of the zoo's bears, deer, elk and buffalo. G68.1-169 (TNT 11-26-27, p. 1)

Olson, Oscar M.; Monkeys; Scales; Point Defiance Zoo (Tacoma);

Main gates of Fort Lewis. The gates were built in 1917 using field stone and squared logs and paid for by a subscription fund set up by the employees who constructed the main buildings of (then) Camp Lewis. The cost was $4000. Camp Lewis was designated as a permanent Army post and officially became Fort Lewis in September of 1927. G69.1-159 TPL-10315

Gates--Fort Lewis; Military facilities--Wash.; Fort Lewis (Wash.);

Danish Brotherhood Play. Three men and two women on a small stage containing a living room set furnished with two spinning wheels. (Argentum)

Danish Brotherhood (Tacoma); Theatrical productions--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Institutional kitchen at Western State Hospital in Lakewood. For F.S. Lang Manufacturing Company. (Argentum)

Mental institutions--Lakewood; Asylums--Lakewood; Institutional care--Lakewood; Western State Hospital (Lakewood); Stoves--1920-1930; Kitchens--1920-1930;

Mayor Melvin G. Tennent, right, shakes hands with "Banjo King" Eddie Peabody at (Old) City Hall. Edwin Ellsworth "Eddie" Peabody, 1902-1970, was a well known vaudeville star. The 24 year old performer was appearing in person for the first time in Tacoma, from 12/2- 12/29/1927, at the Broadway Theater. The diminutive blue eyed, blonde haired young man was an expert on all stringed instruments, playing with proficiency the banjo, violin, mandolin, guitar, harp and others. While in town, he also made guest appearances to autograph his records at Sherman Clay Co., Hopper Kelly and Rhodes Bro. (TDL 12/2/1927, pg. 7- info only) (Argentum) (listed in Richards notes as A2438)

Peabody, Eddie; Banjos; Mayors--Tacoma--1920-1930; Tennent, Melvin Green;

1927 Stadium High School alumni reunion. Many people seated in auditorium. (Argentum)

Stadium High School (Tacoma); Alumni & alumnae--Tacoma; Reunions--Tacoma--1920-1930;

This group of Tacoma firemen may have gathered in support of the Near East relief in December of 1927. Americans were asked to donate one Sunday's meal expenses toward this charitable endeavor. Tacoma had been awarded the title "Golden Rule City of America" in 1926 by virtue of its generous donations. G25.1-094

Fire fighters--Tacoma--1920-1930; Tacoma Fire Department (Tacoma); Eating & drinking--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Boys in Azure Pool, 748 Market Street. The Azure Pool was an indoor swimming pool built in the spring of 1927. The concrete pool had been designed by noted Tacoma architect Silas E. Nelsen. This large group of young boys are taking advantage of the indoor facility to swim, a sport not conducive to outdoor activity in December. G54.1-124, BU-13325

Boys--Tacoma--1920-1930; Swimmers--Tacoma--1920-1930; Swimming pools--Tacoma--1920-1930; Azure Pool (Tacoma);

This young unidentified Japanese-American couple was married in a Buddhist ceremony on December 11, 1927, at the Hiroshimaya Hotel, 1355 Market Street. The bride appears to have had an attendant who is holding a large bouquet of flowers and four junior attendants. The Buddhist minister, in ornamental robes, is standing behind the newlyweds. The wedding party and guests, all dressed in Western attire, are posed beneath a canopy; each section of the canopy has a similar circular design. TPL-2838; G39.1-186

Japanese Americans--Tacoma; Weddings--1920-1930; Grooms (Weddings)--1920-1930; Brides--1920-1930; Wedding costume--1920-1930;

Several Elks Stocking Fillers made guest appearances in Judge Edward Hodge's Superior Court chambers on December 12, 1927, with Judge Hodge presiding at the scene. They were in charge of collecting pledges for the Elks Christmas charity fund. Standing from L-R were: Sheriff Tom Desmond, Roland E. Borhek, Will H. Miller, Carl E. Lindquist, LeRoy Rogers, James G. Dickson, Gus H. Lindberg and prosecutor Bertil Johnson. These prominent business and civic leaders were to appear on the Stocking Fillers regular Tuesday program on radio station KMO for a makeshift "trial," charged with "speeding - speeding past signs of distress and poverty without lending a helping hand." It was all to draw attention to gathering more donations of money, services and clothing to make Christmas a happier one for many of Tacoma's poor. (TNT 10-25-27, p. 9-article on Stocking Fillers; TNT 12-13-27, p. 11)

Hodge, Edward; Judges--Tacoma--1920-1930; Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, Tacoma Lodge No. 174 (Tacoma); Fraternal organizations--Tacoma--1920-1930; Johnson, Bertil E.; Desmond, Tom; Borhek, Roland E.; Miller, Will H.; Lindquist, Carl E.;

This is the Colonial Garage as pictured on December 20, 1927. It was operated by Frank J. Brennan and offered storage, repairs, simonizing and washing with day and night service. The garage was located in downtown Tacoma at 924 Court C. Part of the Rhodes Bros. Department Store is visible in the background.

Colonial Garage (Tacoma); Automobile service stations--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Norton Memorial. Erected by a grateful city, the Norton Memorial stands on a grassy plot at St. Helens and Tacoma Avenue and 1st St. South. A likeness of Percy Dunbar Norton, public servant and pioneer businessman, is engraved upon the stone. A small drinking fountain (later removed prior to WWII when scrap metal was essential for national defense) is attached. Percy Norton, related by marriage to two of the founders of the St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co., served as manager of the firm as well as Tacoma City Council president at the time of his death, age 44, in April of 1900. Flags were flown at half mast at City Hall, colors lowered on mastheads of vessels loading at the St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. dock, as well as the emblem on the lumber company offices' flagpole. His desk at council chambers would be draped in mourning for 30 days. The Tacoma Ledger in its April 14, 1900, tribute to Mr. Norton praised his "indomitable pluck, courage, and ability" in the building up of Tacoma and his "business sagacity and management" on the city council in enabling the city to "weather the hard times with its credit untouched." The Norton Memorial still partially remains at the same site, now called the Norton Memorial Park at 99 Tacoma Avenue South. (Tacoma Ledger, April 14, 1900, p. 1-article on Mr. Norton) TPL-3650; G38.1-079

Norton Memorial (Tacoma); Monuments & memorials--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Orchestra on stage in front of a giant "Top Hat and Moon" backdrop at the Broadway Theater. Fourteen musicians and director.

Theaters - Tacoma - Tacoma Theater ( Broadway Theater, Music Box Music Ensembles - Orchestras

ca. 1928. Frank Converse, Foreman for the City Light Department, with his wife Gertrude and their baby. (Argentum)

Converse, Frank--Family;

ca. 1928. Large foursquare residence in Seattle. For E.R. Thomas Real Estate Company. Same house as A2475-1 & A2477-1. (Argentum)

E.R. Thomas Real Estate Co. (Seattle); Real estate business--Seattle; Estates--Seattle;

ca. 1928. A copy of this photograph was ordered in October of 1958 by the Cheney Lumber Co. In the photograph, the members of the "Decimo Club" posed in their basketball uniforms. It appears to date from around 1928; the "Decimo" Club participated in the City League basketball league that year. The player holding the basketball in the front row is believed to be Ben Cheney. In 1924, Mr. Cheney arrived in Tacoma from South Bend at the age of 19. He loved sports and participated in several, including basketball. He drew a cartoon for his 1920 South Bend High School yearbook of himself dreaming of basketball glory, but at 5'8" tall he did not play varsity basketball. His true skill was in business. In 1936, he bought his first lumber mill and began building the empire that became the internationally known Cheney Lumber Co. He donated generously to allow local children to have the opportunity to participate in sports. Ben Cheney died in 1971. (The Ben Cheney Story by Med Nicholson, The Sou'wester, Fall 2000)

Basketball players--Tacoma;

ca. 1928. A Street at So. 11th St., looking north, in 1928. The Tacoma Building, at right center, was completed in 1911. The building was home to the Weyerhaeuser Timber Co. and the Tacoma Commercial Club. It is currently being restored. The Tacoma Hotel can be seen in the background, located where the Frank Russell Co. building stands today.

ca. 1928. Elevated view of 1300 block of Pacific Avenue circa 1928. Among the many businesses on Pacific Avenue were the Owl Cafe at 1336 Pacific (lower left) and the Dillion Bldg at 1330-32 Pacific. The familiar spire of the Puget Sound National Bank is to the far right. The Pierce County Courthouse looms in the distance at far left back with the big white walled Greenwich Coliseum (407 So. 13th St.) below. The Greenwich Coliseum had opened in 1927 and would become a premier athletic venue and ballroom.

ca. 1928. Unidentified man with his 1928 Buick in front of Seymour Conservatory at Wright Park. Vehicle has Pennsylvania plates and also displays California and Oregon non-resident windshield stickers. Blossoms and other foliage are visible through the conservatory's large windows. The Victorian style glass conservatory, opened in 1908, was a gift to the people of Tacoma from Tacoma businessman William W. Seymour. TPL-5720, BU-12737

Seymour Conservatory (Tacoma); Greenhouses--Tacoma--1920-1930; Wright Park (Tacoma); Buick automobile;