St. Lukes Memorial Church Antique Sale. The sixth annual antique sale, sponsored by the Women's Council of St. Lukes, would be held May 1-3, 1956. Being greeted by the rector the Rev. Canon Arthur Bell (left) are Brad Bannon, a vestryman, Grace (Mrs. William) Bysegger, president of the Women's Council, and Tahlea Sue Knisely, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J.D. Knisely. All three are dressed in period costumes. The wares of more than 20 licensed antique dealers would be offered for sale in the Bell Parish Hall. Included would be early American and European glass, silver, china, jewelry, brass, furniture and prints. Hostesses would be dressed in heirloom gowns. (TNT 4/15/1956, pg. D-2; 4/29/1956, pg D-6)

Costumes; Bell, Arthur; Bannon, Brad; Bysegger, Grace; Knisely, Tahlea Sue; St. Luke's Episcopal Church (Tacoma);

The busy mail room of the Douglas Fir Plywood Association. A large mailer is being prepared. Some women fold the materials to be mailed and others stuff the envelopes. One of the jobs of the association was the promotion of the plywood product and the industry itself. One of the association's main sources of self promotion was the U.S. mail and the company maintained a large mail room to meet its demands.

Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Offices--Tacoma--1950-1960; Office workers--Tacoma--1950-1960; Correspondence;

Cheney Lumber Co.; packages of two by four "Cheney Studs" being readied for shipment in the railroad cars behind. Ben Cheney got his start in the lumber business in 1936 during the depression. By the late 1930's, he was supplying railroad ties nationally and internationally. Cheney was wholesaling the production of 140 portable mills throughout the northwest, selling their ties on a commission basis. As timber became more difficult to obtain cheaply, he became concerned over the side-cut slab wastage, often 2/3 of the log. He came up with the idea of supplying the housing market with standard 8 foot studding, the same length as railroad ties were cut. He even obtained a lower transportation cost from the Interstate Commerce Commission, making production even more economical. Cheney renamed the "shorts," as these 8 foot pieces had been called, "Cheney Studs." Studs became the standard in the building trade and Cheney is credited with standardizing the roof height in US residential construction. ("The Sou'wester" Volume xxxv, Number 3, Fall 2000)

Lumber industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Lumberyards--Tacoma; Lumber--Tacoma; Building materials industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Cheney Lumber Co. (Tacoma); Shipping--Tacoma--1950-1960;

ca. 1956. Aerial view of Northwestern Drug Co. on the Tideflats, circa 1956. Northwestern, formerly known as Tacoma Drug Co., built this facility and moved in February of 1949. This location housed a warehouse, offices and a shipping facility. The Great Northern yards can be seen in the background on the right. The body of water lying beyond D Street is the City Waterway.

Northwestern Drug Co. (Tacoma); Pharmaceutical industry--Tacoma; Aerial views; Aerial photographs;

The characters from the famous L. Frank Baum childrens' book "The Wizard of Oz" populate this float in the Daffodil Parade. Waving to the audience are Dorothy, the Tinman, the Cowardly Lion, the Scarecrow and Princess Ozma of Oz. The Oz float was sponsored by the West Coast Grocery's Shop Rite Markets and won the Festival Award for 1956. The float had an 8 x 10 replica of the book and used 40,000 daffodils for coverage. (TNT 4/14/1956, pg. 1; 4/15/1956, pg. 1)

Parades & processions--Tacoma--1950-1960; Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1956 : Tacoma); Festivals--Tacoma; Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1950-1960;

The nursery rhyme "Mary Mary, quite contrary" is the theme of this float; Mary waves to the crowd as she waters streams of flowers on her garden of "pretty maids all in a row." This float was sponsored by the Sears and Roebuck Co. and won first place in the Retail division, division 8. The parade viewers are bundled up in coats and hats as the day was dull and overcast, but the pretty maids show off their stems in short skirts. (TNT 4/14/1956, pg. 1; 4/15/1956, pg. 1)

Parades & processions--Tacoma--1950-1960; Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1956 : Tacoma); Festivals--Tacoma; Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1950-1960; Sears, Roebuck & Co. (Tacoma);

The Tacoma Retail Trade Bureau seems to have transported this float directly from the Arabian Nights to the Daffodil Festival. Two harem girls in black two piece outfits adorn the front of the float, while the sultan sits cross legged in the rear. The two Nubian slaves appear to be floral mannequins. The flower bedecked float adheres to the 1956 theme of "Storytime in Daffodils" and won first place in Division 6, other clubs and organizations.

Parades & processions--Tacoma--1950-1960; Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1956 : Tacoma); Festivals--Tacoma; Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1950-1960; Tacoma Retail Trade Bureau (Tacoma);

A group of women hold what appear to be business cards or tickets. The woman in the center with the perky smile, is receiving two from the woman in the chair. Photograph ordered by St. Joseph's Nursing School. The women are members of the planning committee for the St. Joseph's School of Nursing Alumnae Association. They are planning a homecoming banquet and dance Saturday evening, May 24th, at the Top of the Ocean. They are, left to right, Ann O'Connor, Esther (Mrs. L.D.) Clabough, Mary (Mrs. Al) Robbecke, Helen (Mrs. Robert) Ettlin, Josephine (Mrs. Thomas) Strom, Helen (Mrs. A.W.) Opperman and Mary Williams. The banquet will be preceded by a happy hour and followed by a dance. (TNT 5/20/1956, pg. D-7)

St. Joseph's Hospital & School of Nursing Alumnae Association (Tacoma); O'Connor, Ann; Clabough, Esther; Robbecke, Mary; Ettlin, Helen; Strom, Josephine; Opperman, Helen; Williams, Mary;

Pacific Lutheran College's May Festival Queen Maudie Straub. Queen Maudie was a religion major from Vancouver, B.C. Queen Maudie transferred to PLC from the University of British Columbia. She was president of Tassels, the scholastic honor society for senior women, and also of the Parish Workers Guild. She had the unique honor of being the only female member of Kappa Rho Kappa (KRK) and served as its secretary- treasurer. KRK was an organization for students of the Greek language, most of whom were studying for the seminary. (The 1956 yearbook "Saga")

Straub, Maudie; Pacific Lutheran College (Parkland)--1950-1960; Universities & colleges--Parkland--1950-1960; Festivals--Parkland--1950-1960;

Tacoma distance swimmer Bert Thomas is embraced by his mother, Nadine (Mrs. Fred) Dimond of 1209 1/2 Pacific Ave., at the end of his swim from West Seattle to Old Tacoma in May, 1956. Thomas swam the 18.5 miles in 15 hours, 23 minutes. He was determined to complete the swim on his third try as a belated Mother's Day gift for his mom. He entered the frigid 46 degree water at 11:35 a.m. on May 14, 1956 and touched bottom for the first time at 3:05 a.m. on May 15th several hundred yards east of the Old Tacoma Dock. He swam close to the east shore using back eddies and battling the high winds and tides. Money was raised as he swam to finance future swims. He next planned to swim the English Channel in the fall. (TNT 5-15-1956, pg. 1) ALBUM 9.

Thomas, Bert; Dimond, Nadine; Swimmers--Tacoma--1950-1960; Firsts; World records--Tacoma;

Bert Thomas swims from Seattle to Tacoma. A crowd estimated at 5,000 waits below the Old Tacoma Dock in the early morning hours to view the last lap of a swim that began at Fauntleroy; an 18.5 mile stretch that would take approximately 15 hours to swim. The crowd huddles around bonfires, listens to portable radios and speak quietly with friends as they wait for a glimpse of Thomas's white swimming cap. Some individuals wait for 5 - 6 hours. Photographs ordered by the Tacoma News Tribune. Thomas, a 275 lb. ex Marine frogman, was best known for his successful swim across the Strait of Juan de Fuca. He became the first man in history to swim the 19 mile tide-ridden route from Port Angeles to Victoria B.C., succeeding on his fifth attempt. He was now attempting to swim from Seattle to Tacoma, an 18.5 mile tide-ridden expanse of 40 degree water. His first attempt in February lasted less than 2 hours and his second in April fell 6 miles short after 9 hours of swimming; both attempts foiled as the tide turned against him. Thomas had been tested extensively to find out how he could survive a swim in such low temperatures.

Thomas, Bert; Swimmers--Tacoma--1950-1960; Firsts; World records--Tacoma;

ca. 1956. Aerial view of Washington Steel Products Inc. at the intersection of 11th Street and Milwaukee Way. The company was the only manufacturer of builders' hardware in the Pacific Northwest. This plant was constructed in 1948, with additions in 1950, 1952 and a million dollar expansion in 1953. In 1956, the plant occupied 120,000 square feet and turned out more than 450 products for national and foreign markets. The company manufactured small hardware such as drawers, knobs, pulls and hinges. Also pictured on 11th Street is Blake, Moffitt and Towne at 1157 Thorne Rd. Blake, Moffitt & Towne were wholesale distributors of printing and wrapping paper and stationery and were formerly located on Jefferson Avenue. (TNT 9/3/1956)

Washington Steel Products, Inc. (Tacoma); Blake, Moffitt & Towne, Inc. (Tacoma); Paper industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Hardware;

The S & S Builders booth at the 1956 Home Show features their new residential development at Tyee Park. Tyee Park was a new million dollar suburban residential community being developed in Lakewood. The new homes had five basic designs and were designed to be the epitome of indoor/outdoor living. The developers planned a community of 99 homes with curving roadways designated with Indian names. Over 15,000 people showed up to view the new homes on their Grand Opening. The 1956 Greater Tacoma Home Show was held May 11-20th at the College of Puget Sound Fieldhouse. The 8th annual exhibition was sponsored by the Tacoma Master Builders. Over 100 local and national firms participated, setting up booths and displays of interest to the home owner or buyer. (TNT 5/10/1956, section C)

Greater Tacoma Home Show (Tacoma); Exhibitions--Tacoma--1950-1960; Exhibit booths--Tacoma; S & S Builders (Tacoma); Houses--Lakewood--1950-1960; Housing developments--Lakewood--1950-1960;

Modern ranch home with carport in the rear before siding is applied. Photograph taken for Leevers Construction Co. on May 19, 1956.

Houses--1950-1960;

Western Monumental Works; exterior of building showing new sign post in front. This company opened in 1926 as Western Marble & Granite Works. It was owned in 1956 by Howard A. Wilham and specialized in grave markers. The new sign in front now reads "Western Memorials." The signs on the side of the building state that the company makes memorial markers & monuments for all cemeteries; a sideline is marble for the home. The vacant lot next to the sales room is used to display sample memorials.

Monuments & memorials--Tacoma; Monument builders--Tacoma; Western Monumental Works (Tacoma);

Exterior of Pacific Finance Loans at 5211 South Tacoma Way, showing the new sign out front. In the 1956 City Directory Craig G. Roberts is listed as the manager. Pacific Finance made many different kinds of loans; the poster in the windows suggests borrowing the money to finance your vacation. The one story brick building is topped by a unique pattern of scaffolding. The sign appears to be held up by the scaffolding and a series of wires extending from it.

Pacific Finance Loans (Tacoma); Signs (Notices);

Bethlehem Pacific Coast Steel; steel roof decking on gymnasium at Puyallup Jr. High. The school was designed by Robert Billsbrough Price, A.I.A., and constructed for a proposed cost of $850,000. This building would contain the physical education rooms, indoor courts, showers and dressing rooms. The school was built to accomodate up to 800 students.

Puyallup Junior High School (Puyallup); Public schools--Puyallup--1950-1960;

Aerial view of Reichhold Chemical Plant. The plant occupied 51 acres on the Tideflats, most of it empty to provide for future expansion, and manufactured chemicals used by the plywood industry. Reichhold represented the type of industry that Tacoma hoped to attract to the Tideflats with its ready water and rail transportation for goods and materials. The facility was constructed in 1955-1956 and consisted of a laboratory, control station, warehouse, plant, offices and a railroad siding. The company manufactured plywood glue and wood preservative and would employ a full complement of 100-125 workers when fully operational. The plant could turn out 10,000 - 15,000 pounds of pentachlorophenol, a preservative, a day and 100,000 pounds of glue a day. (TNT 3/18/1956, pg. 1; 6/28/1956, pg. A-4)

Reichhold Chemicals, Inc. (Tacoma); Chemical industry--Tacoma--1950-1960;

The remodeled chapel of the Tacoma Rescue Mission. The Mission was founded in 1912 as a result of an evangelistic campaign by Gypsy Smith. It provided emergency aid, shelter and Christian fellowship to transient men. This building consisted of the Keown Building at 1512 Pacific Ave., acquired in 1940, and the Grays Harbor Hotel Building at 1510 Pacific Ave., acquired in 1946. The Keown Building was built in 1907 and designed by C.A. Darmer, architect. The Grays Harbor Hotel building was built in 1901 and designed by the same architect. The 1956 remodel made the two buildings appear as one, including a resurface with Quikbrik the plastered brick veneer. The interior chapel was completely redone with new walls and ceilings as well as new offices and pews. The beams were of knotty pine, the walls of mahogany, the pews of fir; indirect lighting and air conditioning would also greet nightly worshipers. The chapel occupied the main floor of the mission. (TNT 1/1/1956)

Tacoma Rescue Mission (Tacoma); Charitable organizations--Tacoma; Chapels--Tacoma;

Washington Cleaners and Launderers. Washington was a full service cleaner with a main dry cleaning and laundry plant in Tacoma plus seven branches to serve military personnel at Fort Lewis. The four women in the picture are giving these clothes that smart crease with a commercial pressing machine. The clothing item is laid out on the bottom form; the top is pulled down, pressing and steaming the item between the two forms. Washington Cleaners termed their cleaning technique "Fabri-Sheen." (TNT 5/13/1956, pg A-15)

Washington Cleaners and Launderers (Tacoma); Cleaning establishments--Tacoma;

Copy of a customer's print, McGuire & Muri, Architects; artist's rendering of the St Mary's Parish Church & Parrish Hall, Seaview, Wa.

Catholic churches--Seaview, Wa.;

A copy of a customer's print for the Douglas Fir Plywood Association. The two men are demonstrating a carpentry project using plywood to an audience largely attired in Aloha shirts. The audience watches the men's actions with interest.

Carpentry; Woodworking; Plywood;

Copy of a customer's print for the Douglas Fir Plywood Association. One million dollars in US currency is displayed as a promotion for the film "Meet Me in Las Vegas." The MGM cinemascope musical starring Cyd Charisse and Dan Daily would play at the Music Box Theatre in Tacoma. The million dollar display in $10,000 bills is being guarded by two uniformed officers from Burns Security. The money appears to be blocked from contact by metal screening and glass. Promoters are not advocating gambling, " We don't recommend that you go to Las Vegas to win it," besides you might be out of town and miss seeing the movie.

Money--U.S.; Publicity photographs; Publicity; Advertising; Security systems;

Copy of a customers print, for Dave Buchie. Original photograph seems to hail from around 1900; Cutter is written in the lower right hand corner, possibly photographer's name. The photograph is taken at the intersection of 9th and Pacific. The Wynkoop-Vaughn drugstore was located at 902 Pacific Ave. The crowd stands many people deep under a cedar swatch. The women wear decorative hats and the men wear bowler hats. They are watching a parade march by, most probably a military one. Buildings are festooned with flags. TPL-9165

Parades & processions--Tacoma--1950-1960; Military parades & ceremonies--Tacoma--1950-1960;

The sea trials of the "Sea Babe" for Kazulin-Cole Shipbuilding Corp. Kazulin-Cole was located at 2002 Marine View Drive. Mike Kazulin was president and Anthony M. Ursich was the secretary-treasurer. The "Sea Babe" was a sports fishing boat. It was designed and built by Mike Kazulin. Built for Leroy Powell of South Bend, it would be based in Raymond. The craft could carry 10 fishermen and was powered by a 144 horsepower General Motors diesel motor. (TNT 6/17/1956, pg. B-2)

Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Kazulin-Cole Shipbuilding Corp. (Tacoma); Ship trials--Tacoma--1950-1960; Fishing boats--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Song stylist Helen O'Connell at the May, 1956, Greater Tacoma Home Show exhibit booth sponsored by John E. Amberg Co., distributors for Admiral-Hamilton appliances. Miss O'Connell holds open the door to an Admiral dual temperature refrigerator. To her right is a 1956 Admiral television set. The TV is topped by an Admiral portable radio. Helen O'Connell was an internationally known chanteuse who had recently returned to the music business after retiring to become a homemaker and mother of three daughters. She would be headlining the Broadway style revue at the Home Show. After her father's death while she was still a young teen, she had supported her family by singing in clubs and shows. She sang with the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra and their recording of "Green Eyes" sold over 3 million copies. (TNT 5/10/1956, pg. C-2-article)

Greater Tacoma Home Show (Tacoma); Exhibitions--Tacoma--1950-1960; Exhibit booths--Tacoma--1950-1960; O'Connell, Helen, 1921-1993; Singers--1950-1960;

Booth sponsored by the Honolulu Conservatory of Music at the 1956 Greater Tacoma Home Show held May 11-20th.The Honolulu Conservatory was a franchise opened by Karolyn & Floyd Piper in their home at 617 No. 2nd St. They specialized in Hawaiian music, teaching ukulele, guitar and accordion. They taught music lessons by the Conservatory method with numbers diagrammed inside notes, sold instruments, music and accessories and ran a studio in their home. At the exhibit booth, a posed mannequin band strikes up a tune on banjo, accordion, clarinet and guitar. Instruments are displayed, including accordions, a guitar and a triple neck steel guitar. Another guitar is available to the right to deposit entries for the free drawing for a ukulele, guitar and accordion.

Greater Tacoma Home Show (Tacoma); Honolulu Conservatory of Music (Tacoma); Musicians--Tacoma--1950-1960; Stringed instruments; Ukuleles;

ca. 1956. Kaiser Aluminum plant. Molten metal is being poured from a vat into a mold to form "pigs." The Tacoma plant was an aluminum reduction facility. It produced the pig aluminum from treated ore. Each "pig" weighs 50 pounds and contains higher that 99% pure aluminum. The Bonneville Power Administration provided the abundant power needed to produce the metal by electrolysis. (Kaiser Aluminum News, August 1956)

Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corp. (Tacoma); Aluminum industry--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Cheney Lumber Company's booth at the 1956 Greater Tacoma Home Show. A young Cheney Studs football player poses in uniform with one of the trophies. His uniform features the Cheney "stud" horse logo on the chest. "Studs" were what Cheney renamed the 8 foot 2 x 4 lumber "shorts" that revolutionized the building materials industry. On the back wall are photos of the young man's football team mates, as well as other Cheney teams. One sign points out that the amateur Cheney Studs baseball team was the national runnerup in the 1955 American Baseball Congress.

Lumber industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Lumberyards--Tacoma; Lumber--Tacoma; Building materials industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Cheney Lumber Co. (Tacoma); Greater Tacoma Home Show (Tacoma); Awards; Football players--Tacoma--1950-1960;

A model of one of Ben Cheney's lumberyards is displayed at the Cheney booth at the 1956 Greater Tacoma Home Show. Miniature stacks of Cheney "studs" dot the landscape. The Tacoma Home Show was held May 11-20, 1956 at the College of Puget Sound Fieldhouse. Over 100 local and national companies set up exhibit booths emphasizing products for the home. Cheney "studs" were 8 foot lengths of 2x4 timber that established the residential ceiling height in America.

Lumber industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Lumberyards--Tacoma; Lumber--Tacoma; Building materials industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Cheney Lumber Co. (Tacoma); Greater Tacoma Home Show (Tacoma); Models;