On September 30, 1942, Deputy Auditor Mary Nuzman, left, supplied a Declaration of Candidacy to Mrs. Clara Doan, Republican candidate for Constable. Mrs. Doan was believed to be the first female candidate for Constable in Tacoma's, or perhaps the state's, history. Her candidacy was being presented by Dr. Hinton D. Jonez, right, Republican County Chairman. Mrs. Doan was the widow of a WWI veteran and the daughter of a pioneer Thurston County family (Moses Gardner). She was running for the 3rd Constable spot using the slogan "one should be a woman." (T. Times 10/2/1942, pg. 5)

Nuzman, Mary; Doan, Clara; Jonez, Hinton D.; Political elections; Municipal government--Tacoma--1940-1950;

On September 30, 1942, under the watchful eye of Deputy Auditor Mary Nuzman, (left), Mrs. Clara Doan filled in the blanks on the Declaration of Candidacy for Constable. Mrs. Doan was the Republican candidate and the first woman to run for the office. Her candidacy was being presented by Dr. Hinton D. Jonez, center, Republican County Chairman. If elected, she would be one of 3 Constables, along with Robert Dykeman and "Connie" Ireland. Most of the Constable's work load was paperwork. (T. Times 10/2/1945, pg. 5)

Nuzman, Mary; Doan, Clara; Jonez, Hinton D.; Political elections; Municipal government--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Blocks used for sidewalks on Consumer's Central Heating System at Pierce County Court House, Holroyd Company, Jim Holroyd. A workman is backfilling the trench for the Consumer's Central Heating Company pipe that had been lined with concrete blocks to provide easy access to the pipe. The area where the pipe ran is covered with a sturdy material.

Holroyd Co. (Tacoma); Consumer's Central Heating Co. (Tacoma); Building materials--Tacoma; Concrete products industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Heating & ventilation industry--Tacoma--1940-1950;

A view of the exterior of the Pierce County Courthouse built in 1891-1893 of brick and sandstone. The tower was damaged by the April 13, 1949, earthquake and controversy had begun over whether it should be dismantled. It served as the courthouse for 70 years until it was abandoned and torn down following the construction of the present County-City Building along Tacoma Avenue. Constructed at a cost of $743,000, the cathedral-type building was an almost duplicate of architect Henry Hobson Richardson's courthouse in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The central tower clock was 230 feet high. (TNT, 7/24/1949) TPL-154

Pierce County Courthouse (Tacoma); Courthouses--Tacoma; Historic buildings--Tacoma;

The Pierce County Courthouse was built in 1892 and served for 70 years until it was abandoned and demolished following the construction of the current County-City Building on Tacoma Ave. Constructed at a cost of $743,000, the Romanesque building of Wilkeson and Pittsburgh grey freestone finished with Tenino bluestone was almost an exact duplicate of architect Henry Hobson Richardson's courthouse in Pittsburgh, Pa. The building was three stories and the central tower was 230 feet tall. The tower's clock, added in 1907, was four feet in diameter and faced on all four sides. The plans for the building included secret stairways, hideouts and a hanging room, reportedly used to hang two prisoners. The cathedral type building was demolished in 1959. (TNT'S "Tacoma Landmarks by Thompson" reprints from the TNT Calendars and Sunday Magazine")

Pierce County Courthouse (Tacoma); Historic buildings--Tacoma;

Claude R. "Shorty" Doran (at right, holding a microphone), the Pierce County Agricultural Agent, and an unidentified man were photographed using a reel-to-reel tape recorder in Mr. Doran's office at the old County Court House, 1012 South G Street, on June 15, 1950. They were probably recording a program to be broadcast on KMO radio during the Farm Show which was on the air Monday through Friday at 12:45 p.m. "Shorty" Doran became the agricultural agent in 1949. He had been active in promoting dairy practices in Pierce County for several years, and as superintendent of the Dairy department of the Western Washington Fair had successfully developed an outstanding 4-H dairy program. ( Ordered by Llewelyn Advertising Agency.)

Pierce County Courthouse (Tacoma); Sound recordings; Communication devices;

Printed on front: Pierce County C.H. (Courthouse), Tacoma, Wash.

Printed on front: Pierce County Court House, Tacoma

Current location of Tacoma Public Library's Main Branch. Printed on front: Public Library and Court House, Tacoma, Washington.

Interior of First Presbyterian Church, circa 1913.

Printed on front: The State Armory and Court House, Tacoma, U.S.A.

Printed on front: No. 6 State Armory, Tacoma, Washington

ca. 1892. This is an image of the Pierce County Court House under construction circa 1892. Stone masons are posed in front of the incomplete building with large heaps of stone in the foreground. It would eventually become a three-story structure with a 230-ft. tower. Wilkeson and Pittsburg grey freestone, finished with Tenino bluestone, would be used on the exterior. The massive Romanesque edifice would serve as the county's courthouse for over sixty years until its demolition in 1959. (Copy of original) Bi-Centennial Project # 75346-53; BU-10704

Pierce County Courthouse (Tacoma); Progress photographs; Building construction--Tacoma--1890-1900; Stone cutting--Tacoma;

Pierce County Sheriff Tom Desmond stands next to the what is left of a $12,000 still at the County Courthouse on October 23, 1930. Somehow thieves managed to spirit away part of the still, a seven-foot contraption with twelve compartments and twelve faucets. The grain alcohol still, capable of producing 250 gallons of grain alcohol a day, was seized in a raid at Point Fosdick on October 18, 1930. It was put in a corridor of the courthouse near the entrance of the jail. The seven-foot part went missing on the night of the 20th. Consequently, two deputy sheriffs were fired for "gross carelessness." (TNT 10-23-30, p. 1)

On August 4, 1925, John B. "Kelly" Carlton was photographed outside the Pierce County Courthouse while enjoying a refreshing Orange Kist soda. "Kelly" was the "keeper of the key to the county cooler" as he was the county jailer. Orange Kist, a new soda manufactured in Tacoma by the Columbia Brewing Company, was introduced to consumers in August, 1925, with a barrage of advertising and promotional stunts, including a free giveaway of thousands of cases of the soda. Prohibition had driven Tacoma's breweries out of beer and into other product lines. On August 3rd a big truck with 3,000 bottles of the new soda for free distribution had backed up to the Courthouse and unloaded its cargo right into Kelly's waiting, and thirsty, arms. G33.1-065; TPL-6208 (TNT 8/4/1925, pg. 7)

Carbonated beverages; Eating & drinking--Tacoma--1920-1930; Carlton, John B.; Columbia Brewing Co.--Associated objects; Pierce County Courthouse (Tacoma);

Prohibition came to Washington State early, with its passage taking effect at 12:01a.m. on January 1, 1916. By 1920, local entrepreneurs were very savvy at brewing "moonshine" in homemade distilleries, or "stills." This pile was only the most recent installment of confiscated stills in Pierce County. (TDL 8/15/1920, pg B-5) G24.1-072

Prohibition--Tacoma; Stills (Distilleries);

Undated photograph of the Pierce County Courthouse, 1012 South G St., possibly taken in the very early 1900s. The massive stone structure was built in 1892 and patterned after the Courthouse in Pittsburgh. The ornate three-story building with its turrets, spires, and arched windows was a Tacoma landmark until its demolition in 1959 to make way for the County-City Building and future parking. This undated photograph shows a number of pedestrians peering at the roadway in front of the Courthouse while several horse-and-carriages await. It is unclear whether an accident has occurred. TPL-3849

Pierce County Courthouse (Tacoma); Courthouses--Tacoma;

Maefair Apartment fire hearing. It was determined after a long hearing that unfortunately the loss of nineteen lives occurred primarily because of human error. No criminal negligence was found. (T. Times, 3/2/45, p. 1).

Courtrooms--Tacoma; Judicial proceedings--Tacoma; Pierce County Courthouse (Tacoma);

On Friday December 3, 1948, Judge Hugh J. Rosellini signed the death warrant for Jake Bird; the warrant orders Bird to be hanged on January 14, 1949. Bird was arrested for the Tacoma axe murders of Bertha and Beverly June Kludt earlier this year. The serial killer later confessed to participating in more than forty other murders. This will be Bird's second trip to the death house at Walla Walla Penitentiary, Governor Mon C. Wallgren ordered an investigation, which delayed the initial hearing. All available deputies were ordered to accompany Jake Bird to the Pierce County Court House and to secure the exterior of the building on Friday December 3, 1948. Bird told Patrick M. Steele, Pierce County Prosecutor, "Maybe you've got me this time and maybe you haven't". View of Jake Bird, in handcuffs, being escorted into Judge Rosellini's courtroom (T. Times, 12/1-3/48, p. 1).

Hangings--Tacoma; Homicides--Tacoma; Criminals--Tacoma; Confessions; Judicial proceedings--Tacoma; Courthouses--Tacoma; Actions & defenses--Tacoma; Bird, Jake--Trials, Litigation, etc.; Pierce County Courthouse (Tacoma);

Man outside County Commissioners office, Times. This unidentified man was photographed on September 11, 1947. He wore glasses and casual attire. He appears to be holding a cigar in his right hand with two more in his shirt pocket.

Offices--Tacoma--1940-1950; Courthouses--Tacoma--1940-1950; Men--Tacoma--1940-1950; Eyeglasses;

Port of Tacoma for Times Special Edition, studio stock, B of R. The exterior of the Old Pierce County Court House showing one of the entryways to the building. The arched doorway is set between two pilasters. Attached columns are set immediately adjacent to the doorway which is topped with decorative windows while separated by a frieze from casement windows.

Pierce County Courthouse (Tacoma); Courthouses--Tacoma; Architectural elements--Tacoma; Doors & doorways--Tacoma;

Port of Tacoma for Times Special Edition, studio stock, B of R. The exterior of the Old Pierce County Court House. The ornate building, patterned after the Courthouse in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, that was designed by Henry Hobson Richardson, was built in 1892. Proctor and Dennis served as architects and John T. Long was the contractor. It was built of Wilkeson and Pittsburg grey freestone and finished with Tenino bluestone. The clock tower stood 230 feet while the building's three stories measured 226 feet by 102 feet. The building was demolished in 1959. The building had turrets with conical spires and tall finials, round-arched windows, and a steeply pitched roof with hipped roof projections. A balustrade marks a balcony over one of the building's arched entryways.

Pierce County Courthouse (Tacoma); Courthouses--Tacoma; Clock towers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Roofs--Tacoma; Spires--Tacoma; Architectural elements--Tacoma;

Current location of Tacoma Public Library's Main Branch with the Armory and Courthouse in the background. Printed on front: Carnegie Library, Court House and State Armory, Tacoma, Wn.

Picture of the courthouse of Tacoma

Printed on front: The State Armory Showing Court House, Tacoma, Wash.

Printed on front: Armory and Court House, Tacoma, Wash 611.