ca. 1930. Copy of customer print. Employees of the Tacoma Bread Co. stand proudly in front of their fleet of delivery trucks in a photograph possibly taken in the 1930's. This was a far cry from the horse and buggy used to deliver bread to South Tacoma families when the bakery first started in the 1920's. The Tacoma Bread Co. was a long-time local bakery that was well-known for Manthou's Kream Krust Bread. Run by the Chris Manthou family, it expanded its facilities many times through the years. This old print was copied for the Tacoma Bread Co. on August 23, 1954; actual date of print is unknown.
ca. 1930. Two City Refuse Department trucks, and their drivers, parked in front of a Refuse Department garage. Probably the garage that was at 2801 So. A Street
Refuse disposal--Tacoma--1930-1940; Dump trucks; City Refuse Department (Tacoma)
ca. 1930. City Refuse Department dump truck unloads refuse in a Tacoma city dump in South Tacoma. The tall building at the right in the background is Kenworthy Grain & Milling Co. To the left are the Northern Pacific Shops.
Refuse disposal--Tacoma--1930-1940; Dump trucks; City Refuse Department (Tacoma)
ca. 1930. View of Tacoma on a cloudy day looking across the Hylebos Waterway and the Tacoma Tideflats. Hooker Electrochemical Co. can be seen to the right. St. Paul & Tacoma lumber mill, with its dark burner, can be seen on the left.
ca. 1930. Tacoma's "Theater Row," circa 1930. The marquees shine bright at three of the city's most popular movie houses, The Rialto, Broadway and Orpheum (now Pantages) Theaters. The Sound Era was just dawning in the 1930's. The Rialto was showing the talkie debut of Leon Erroll, "Only Saps Work." At the Orpheum was a talking remake of "Madonna of the Streets," starring Evelyn Brent. The fare at the Broadway was Raoul Walsh's western "The Big Trail," featuring John Wayne in his first starring role. The Broadway (originally known as the Tacoma Theater and later as the Music Box) burned down in 1963. TPL-1360
ca. 1930. The Community Theatre, 5441 South "M" St., joined the ranks of local movie houses showing "talkies" with the musical "Rio Rita" starring Bebe Daniels and John Boles on January 29, 1930. The theater used the "Perfectone" sound system, considered the latest in sound projection at the time. The Community, under the management of J.R. Porter, redecorated with new hangings for the proper absorption of sound. Large crowds caused a run of five days, a longer than normal stay for smaller theaters. (TDL 2-2-30, B-6-article on sound system)
Community Theatre (Tacoma); Motion picture theaters--Tacoma--1930-1940;
ca. 1930. View of Pier No. 1 and the waterfront of Seattle - looking toward the city from the water. Buildings in photograph include: Luckenbach Steamship Co. Inc. on Pier No. 1, and the L. C. Smith Tower in the background. To the right is the Pacific Steamship Co. (building labeled Pier A.)
Luckenbach Steamship Co. Inc. (Seattle); Pacific Steamship Co. (Seattle); Smith Tower (Seattle); Port of Seattle (Seattle);
Willard School 6A Class. Willard School was built in 1899 and it was the first Tacoma school to honor a woman. It was named in honor of national suffrage and temperance leader Frances E. Willard. The school at this location was demolished after the 1949 earthquake. (Argentum)
Willard School (Tacoma); Public schools--Tacoma--1920-1930; School children--Tacoma--1920-1930;
Miss Betty Gaston, with some creative photographic additions, was the sweetheart of the Tacoma News Tribune's 1931 Valentines Day edition. An unusually warm February, a balmy 60 degrees on the 14th, induced the photographer to enhance the image with an outdoors motif. The swing hung from a budding tree and Miss Gaston's legs protruded from a large heart that covered most of her body. Her "rompers" showed prominently and were pointed out as spring wear. Her hair and lips were darkened for contrast. (TNT 2/14/1931, pg. 1)
In the depths of the Great Depression, about 1,000 men and women waged a peaceful orderly march on City Hall in late February of 1931 to focus attention on immediate unemployment relief. Members of the Unemployed Council, the Trade Unity League and the Communist Party requested: 1) unemployment insurance at $15 per week with $5 extra per dependent; 2) an immediate relief fund of $1 million generated by reducing city officials' salaries; 3) non-ejection of unemployed not able to pay house rent; 4) free use of civic auditoriums for meetings of the unemployed and 5) full payment of war bonus. Mayor M.G. Tennent met with twelve chosen marchers to express his and the city council's concern but stated that their powers were limited. He did state that a $41,000 Sheridan Avenue project was approved that morning so that more men could be employed through city construction. After listening to a program of addresses by their leaders, the large crowd dispersed after about three hours. (TDL 2/26/1931, p.4-article). Bowen 03-914.
House at 417 No. E St., Tacoma. Photograph was taken for a real estate ad and ordered by R.G. Walker & Co., realtors, in February of 1931. House was vacant at the time. The Georgian period Colonial home was built in 1906 for George Lewis Gower. It was designed by the architectural firm of Russell and Babcock. After Gower's death, the home was purchased in 1920 by Leonard Howarth. After the death of Mr. Howarth, the home was sold by Janie M. Rice, the Howarth housekeeper, to Mrs. Anita Thorne Corse, the daughter of Chester Thorne. After her marriage to General David Stone, the couple relocated to the family home Thornewood. She sold this Colonial in 1935 to J.P. Weyerhaeuser, Jr. In 1948, it was remodeled into apartments.
Gower, George Lewis--Homes & haunts; Howarth, Leonard--Homes & haunts; Houses--Tacoma;
In February of 1931, Lucille Dyment, 6, and her sister Mardelle, 8, offered food items to Harry D. Hurlbut, president of the 4L Band, in exchange for admission to the concert at the Gault Intermediate School auditorium. The girls were the grandchildren of City Commissioner Dyer Dyment. More than 1 and one half tons of food were collected at this event sponsored by the McKinley Hill Improvement Club. This was the first year that the 36 piece volunteer band had performed relief concerts, and this was the 12th concert so far. Over 21,000 pounds of food had been collected in all for the needy and unemployed. The concerts were performed in halls all across the city and the food was distributed in the community where the concert took place. (TNT 2/25/1931, pg. 1) TPL-9968
In February of 1931, elderly Richard Henry "Jimmy" Davis demonstrated how he and the neighborhood boys played marbles outside the frame home of Abraham Lincoln in Springfield, Ill. The future President, depending on his mood, would either join the boys in the game or shoo them away, saying that they were making too much noise. Mr. Davis, who in 1931 was well past 80, lived in the Lutheran Compass Mission. He couldn't remember much about how he came to live there. He worked in the mines from the age of 11 and three cave-ins have robbed him of much of his memory. As a young man, he was active in the labor movement and for two years travelled and worked with Mary Harris "Mother" Jones, the "Miners Angel." The pair helped with organizing what would become the United Mine Workers. (TNT 2/11/1931, pg. 1) BGN-284 TPL-9934
On March 10th, 1931, at around 6:30p.m., the sheet iron canopy at the Broadway Theater, 902-14 Broadway, came crashing down from the marquee to the pavement. The metal canopy over the theater entrance at So. 9th and Court C was in the process of having new electric lights installed. The weight of the lights and the workmen was just too much for the metal canopy. Luckily no one was hurt. (TNT 3/11/1931, pg. 1; TDL 3/11/1931 p.1)
Broadway Theater (Tacoma); Motion Picture Theaters--Tacoma--1930-1940; Building failures;
This was the Market Street side of the St. Helens Clinic building on a rainy March 10, 1931. The towering Medical Arts Building (at right) can be seen dimly in the fog. The building housing the St. Helens Clinic formerly had been the Hyson Apartments. It was remodeled in late 1919 as a medical building. Later in the 1930s the triangular site reverted back to apartments. It was damaged by fire in May of 1966 and demolished in April of the following year. BU-13331
St. Helens Clinic (Tacoma); Clinics--Tacoma--1930-1940; Medical Arts Building (Tacoma); Office buildings--Tacoma--1930-1940;
Saint Helens side of the St. Helens Clinic building in 1931. The triangular shaped building had formerly been the Hyson Apartments when constructed about 1903. It was remodeled in late 1919 as the St. Helens Clinic with additional businesses on the first floor. Later in the 1930s the building was remodeled again into apartments. As the Berk Apartments, it would be damaged by fire in May of 1966 and demolished in April of 1967. BU-13330
St. Helens Clinic (Tacoma); Clinics--Tacoma--1930-1940;
The Temple of Justice was the first campus building completed on the Washington State Capitol grounds in 1920. Pierce County's quarries contributed the Wilkeson sandstone used in its construction. This view of the grand edifice was taken in March of 1931. It is home to the State Supreme Court and the State Law Library. G72.1-033
Inside hanger at Tacoma Field. Four airplanes are clearly visible, a single-wing tri-motor passenger plane and three bi-planes. Two of the bi-planes are marked Bennett Air Transportation Inc. Photograph was taken in March of 1931.
Airplanes--Lakewood--1930-1940; Bennett Air Transportation Inc. (Lakewood); Tacoma Field (Lakewood);
Dennison's Chili, found in markets today, was first made in a Tacoma plant located in Fern Hill. The factory opened in 1925, when they moved to Fern Hill. Belle Dennison started canning chicken in her kitchen in 1915. Friends raved about the product and soon her husband Lee was selling it to local stores. When this photograph was taken in 1931, 15 women from the Fern Hill neighborhood worked at Dennison & Company. Meat from 45,000 chickens, purchased at nearby ranches and packed in glass jars, was sold in stores from Alaska to the border of Mexico. The product line was expanded in the 1930s and sold about 1938 when the company moved to Seattle. (TDL, 3/29/1931, p. 4A).
One of Tacoma's busier intersections in 1931 was North 1st St. and Tacoma Avenue North. The San Clare Cafe (at left) featured everything from cigars to candy and Medosweet ice cream. Further down Tacoma Avenue North was the Supreme Cleaners & Dyers. Across the street was the Davis & Hollingsworth retail furniture concern at 20 Tacoma Avenue North. The First Presbyterian Church, a beautiful example of Romanesque architecture, rises high above the street at 20 Tacoma Avenue South. TPL-1605; G62.1-064
Commercial streets--Tacoma--1930-1940; Streets--Tacoma--1930-1940; San Clare Cafe (Tacoma); Supreme Cleaners & Dyers (Tacoma); Davis & Hollingsworth (Tacoma); First Presbyterian Church (Tacoma);
View of Tacoma Tideflats from the top of the Medical Arts Building. The City Waterway can be seen in the background. City Hall, with its distinctive clock tower, is clearly visible. This photograph was taken on April 5, 1931.
Aerial photographs--1930-1940; Cityscapes--1930-1940; City Waterway (Tacoma); Old City Hall (Tacoma);
View of downtown business district of Tacoma looking southeast from the top of the Medical Arts Building as seen on April 5, 1931. Good view of the fronts of the buildings on the east side of Broadway between 9th and 11th.
Aerial photographs--1930-1940; Business districts--Tacoma--1930-1940;
View looking north on Saint Helens St. from the top of the Medical Arts Building on April 5, 1931. Buildings that are clearly visible include the Webster Apartments (629 Saint Helens) and the Elks Temple (565 Broadway- large white building lower right), followed by (right to left) an apartment building (553 Broadway) and the Union Club (539 Broadway.)
Aerial photographs--1930-1940; Cityscapes--1930-1940; Webster Apartments (Tacoma); Elks Temple (Tacoma); Union Club (Tacoma); Commercial streets--Tacoma--1930-1940;
Along with daffodils and April showers, children and their pets have been a sure sign of spring in the Puget Sound area for generations. Photographer Chapin Bowen captured young Bobby David with his beloved dog, "Rags," seated in front of the Rialto Theater in 1931. Bob and Rags attended Tacoma's pet parade, held April 9, 1931.
