Ed Schloredt (L) and Richard Cook (R) listen carefully to judge Mel Pedersen who is pointing at contest designs fastened to a plywood wall. They are entrants in the Apprenticeship Contest in the carpentry division at the 1958 Tacoma Home Show. The 3rd annual Apprenticeship Contest, awarding honors to the top applicants, attracted apprentices in carpentry, millwork, and cabinetry from nine cities statewide. Carpenters would be required to build a partial wall eight feet high. They must fit doors and windows into the wall and trim and inside finish to demonstrate individual skills. Tools of the carpenter trade are leaning against the plywood wall including two saws. The Tacoma Home Show was an annual event held at the College of Puget Sound Fieldhouse to bring new products and ideas for homeowners to view and perhaps purchase. Photograph ordered by Washington State Council of Carpenters. (TNT 3-16-58, B-24, TNT 3-20-58, D-1)

Plywood; Contests--Tacoma--1950-1960; Carpentry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Greater Tacoma Home Show (Tacoma); Schloredt, Ed; Cook, Richard; Pedersen, Mel;

Thousands of local residents flocked to downtown Tacoma to enjoy both the sunshine and the many dazzling floral floats in the 1958 Daffodil Parade. Pierce County Oil Information Committee's Float #33 was evidently "The Old Woman in a Shoe". Wearing a shawl and granny glasses, the shoe's owner is apparently keeping her eye on the four visible children seated on the flower-bedecked float. The float won second place in the Wholesale and Industrial Division. There were forty floats entered in various divisions among 100+ parade entries. (TNT 4-13-58, B-9)

Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1958 : Tacoma); Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1950-1960; Parades & processions--Tacoma--1950-1960; Festivals--Tacoma; Pierce County Oil Information Committee (Tacoma);

Eighteen years after the first Selden's store opened on 13th & Broadway, the original five employees who made up the entire staff were still employed by Selden's. The News Tribune ran a multi-page feature on Selden's in the April 6, 1958, issue, to celebrate the grand opening of Selden's new and larger location at 11th & A Sts. They found a picture of the staff in 1940 and had them pose identically in 1958. Seated from L-R are Ozzie Ellingson, manager-floor covering sales, Mrs. Angeline (Grubisa) Graham, office manager, Sydney C. Selden, president of the firm. Standing are Wally Squires, head of the contracting division and Ed Selden, brother of Sydney and manager of the Lakewood branch of Selden's. To view the 1940 photograph, see C113556-2. Selden's had grown immensely from a rug and floor coverings store stuffed in a tiny 30 x 70 space to a 65,000 square foot multi-floor complete home center, featuring furniture, appliances and floor coverings. Sepia photograph ordered by Selden's, Inc. (TNT 4-6-58, B-2)

Seldens, Inc. (Tacoma); Ellingson, Ozzie; Graham, Angeline; Squires, Wally; Selden, Ed; Selden, Sydney C.;

ca. 1957. W.T. Grant Co. department store in the Villa Plaza Shopping Center.

W.T. Grant Co. (Lakewood); Department stores--Lakewood--1950-1960; Villa Plaza Shopping Center (Lakewood); Shopping centers--Lakewood--1950-1960;

Five bridges span the channelized Puyallup River in this aerial photograph taken in April of 1958 before the construction of I-5. The bridge at the bottom is the 21st Street Bridge. In the middle is the Puyallup River Bridge. Near the top, to the right of the river, is the Cushman Indian Hospital, soon to be the site of the Puyallup Tribal Casino.

Aerial photographs; Bridges--Tacoma;

Three bridges transverse the Puyallup River in aerial photographs taken by Richards Studio on April 22, 1958. The Tacoma Indian Hospital and grounds are visible at the top right of the photograph. Railroad tracks run parallel and under part of the bridges.

Aerial photographs; Bridges--Tacoma; Tacoma Indian Hospital (Tacoma);

The Concert Chorus at Pacific Lutheran College posed for the camera seated in an open fan shape in the Music-Chapel on April 9, 1958. The men all sported tuxedoes while the women were primarily dressed in evening gowns. According to the student yearbook, the SAGA, the popularity of the group was increasing rapidly in the Seattle-Tacoma area. The chorus performed several times on Fort Lewis, at various churches, and at chapel exercises on campus. They were honored to be the first choral group to sing at the new Central Lutheran Church in Tacoma. The Concert Chorus, under the direction of R. Byard Fritts, concluded its year by recording music for the sound track of a technicolor movie to be released by the United Good Neighbors. (1958 SAGA yearbook, p. 94)

Choirs (Music); Universities & colleges--Parkland; Pacific Lutheran College (Parkland)--1950-1960;

Nalley's would satisfy any pickle lover's fancy with its wide array of pickles. Dill pickles came in cans or bottles, kosher or banquet, whole or halved, and even garlic. There were barbecue and sweet relishes, hot dog and hamburger relishes. Pickles were sweet mixed, cut or sliced, or whole. Farm fresh cucumber chips and hamburger chips, both thin and regular sliced, were popular. View of four shelves of Nalley's pickles in various sizes; most came in easy twist-top containers. Photograph ordered by Nalley's.

Cucumbers--Tacoma; Merchandise displays--Tacoma--1950-1960; Nalleys, Inc. (Tacoma)--Products;

Night exposure of contemporary rambler style home belonging to Martin and Barbara Gosselin of Lake Steilacoom Point. The Gosselins owned Marty's Styling Salon on Sixth Avenue. The drapes are left open so that residents can enjoy the evening view from this wood framed house. Rather than walls, an enormous stone fireplace separates the dining room from the living room. At one end of the home is a more casual TV room with comfortable sofas and an additional fireplace. A partially covered patio appears to run the length of the house. The exterior of the home is gray with pale blue trim and roof. This home was designed and constructed by Mark Hoskins Home Construction Co. Photograph ordered by Home Construction Co.

Gosselin, Martin D.--Homes & haunts; Houses--Lakewood--1950-1960;

IBM had been located at its 12 Tacoma Ave. No. address for about seven years. It appears that some remodeling had been done since its initial move in 1951; double glass doors are now in place at the entrance. Large picture windows facing the sidewalk show most of the interior while the exposed side of the building has limited windows and plenty of brickwork. The Connoisseur Shop is located next door. The Tacoma branch of IBM was managed by William C. Bethke.

International Business Machines (Tacoma);

The Labor Temple on Market St. was home to a variety of unions with each union having a designated room. Among the many unions were the Butcher Workmen Union Local #554, the Bakers Union Local #126, Bricklayers Union Local #1 and the Motor Coach Employees Union Local #758, in addition to the Pierce County Central Labor Council AFL-CIO and United Labor Advisory Committee of Pierce County. Formerly the Hiroshimaya Hotel, the Labor Temple was purchased in 1941 by the Labor Council and completely paid for by 1943. View of members of the Plumbers and Fitters Union Local #82 who met in Room 201 of the Labor Temple; on the wall near the men are signs from other unions. Photograph ordered by the Plumbers Union.

Labor unions--Tacoma; Plumbers & Fitters Union Local No. 82 (Tacoma); Labor Temple (Tacoma); Signs (Notices);

Redi-Gas Service was located in Parkland at 14012 Pacific Ave and celebrated its grand opening in April, 1958. The company, with district manager Cleve Redig at the helm, sold bottled gas. The Parkland plant was one of ten retail outlets for the company in the Pacific Northwest. Propane gas was used for home, commercial and industrial purposes. It was easy to install for heating. No chimneys were necessary or complicated ductwork. Redi-Gas had a ten vehicle fleet with gas delivered in either bulk or cylinder form. Interestingly, 75% of poultry farmers used propane in running their businesses. Exterior view of Redi-Gas; a large lot makes parking simple for customers. The building is a modern glass and brick structure with walnut-faced plywood interiors. Douglas fir plywood panels were used in the gently arched roofline. The plant totaled 8000 square feet and included showrooms, general and adminstrative offices, warehouse and shop. Architects Swedberg and Anderson designed the project and it was built by Purvis Construction. Photograph ordered by Redi-Gas. (TNT 4-25-58, B-1,2)

Redi-Gas Service (Parkland); Fuel trade--Parkland;

Exterior- Selden's. Selden's, a home furnishings store featuring floor coverings and appliances, moved their main downtown store from Broadway, where they had been located since 1942, to 11th & A St in the spring of 1958. View of store with row of delivery trucks and large Selden's signage. Selden's had been in business in various Tacoma locations since 1940. The downtown store would remain the main store; five branches would be scattered throughout the state from Olympia to Moses Lake. The store would undergo extensive remodeling by G. Kirkebo & Son, contractors, using the design of Lea, Pearson & Richards, architects, in 1964. Eleven years later, in late 1975, the building would be demolished. Photograph ordered by Selden's. (TNT 4-6-58, B-2)

Seldens, Inc. (Tacoma); Home furnishings stores--Tacoma--1950-1960; Signs (Notices); Trucks--Tacoma--1950-1960;

ca. 1957. Copy of customer print. Construction continues on the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City in 1957. Workers swarm busily about the huge structure. Plywood forms are in place and one level of the steel-reinforced concrete ramp has already been built. Industrialist and patron of the arts Guggenheim commissioned noted architect Frank Lloyd Wright to design an original building for the display of the growing collection of contemporary art which he had bequeathed to the public. The circular shape of its galleries and the gently sloping ramp which winds its way around the building will be symbolic of a new era in the display of art. It was Wright's intention to have architecture appear plastic, one floor flowing into another, more like sculpture, rather than be superimposed in stratified layers. Thus having walls which slant gently outward forming a giant spiral would provide a new unity between the viewer, painting and architecture. Guggenheim died in 1949 but was able to approve Wright's design before his death; Frank Lloyd Wright's only major work in New York City was very nearly completed before he passed away. View of building construction taken possibly in the spring or summer of 1957; a glimpse of the Central Park West reservoir can be spotted beyond the ridge of trees on Fifth Avenue. Copy of print was made on March 25, 1958. Photograph ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association. (Wright: The Solomon Guggenheim Museum)

Building construction--New York--New York City; Samuel R. Guggenheim Museum (New York City, NY); Plywood; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma);

Former World Heavyweight Boxing Champions Joe Louis, second from left, and Max Baer, far right, signed autographs during a special appearance at Tacoma's B&I Circus Store, 8012 South Tacoma Way, on Saturday May 3, 1958. Joining them at the autograph tables were Frank Stojack (far left), professional wrestling standout and Pierce County Sheriff, and a fourth unidentified man. Boxers Louis and Baer had been flown by helicopter to the B&I from the Lakewood Villa Plaza where they had signed autographs earlier the same day. ALBUM 9.

Boxers (Sports)--Tacoma--1950-1960; Baer, Max, 1909-1959--Public appearances; Louis, Joe, 1914-1981--Public appearances; Stojack, Frank; B&I Circus Store (Tacoma); Autographing--Tacoma--1950-1960;

A man sets his sights on something, perhaps a bird, in the distance as he stands in heavily forested terrain. He is wearing a hard hat but no other apparent hunting garb. He appears very tiny in comparison to the enormous trees. Photograph ordered by the Condon Co., an advertising firm.

Forests; Hunting;

Ribbon cutting ceremonies at the "Blue Flame" home in Glenwood Acres were held on May 18, 1958. The planned community in Lakewood was comprised of 60+ houses built by Stromberg Construction. It was the first housing development to feature natural gas for home heating. View of Mrs. America of 1957, Cleo Maletis, cutting the ribbon with a giant pair of scissors; she is assisted by a smiling Dick Stromberg, president of Stromberg Construction. Standing next to Mrs. Maletis is believed to be Gretchen Brockhoff, 1958 Daffodil Queen, and next to Miss Brockhoff, Judith Williams, Miss Tacoma. For additional view of home, see A114469-18. Photograph ordered by Stromberg Construction.

Houses--Lakewood--1950-1960; Housing developments--Lakewood--1950-1960; Dedications--Lakewood; Maletis, Cleo; Stromberg, Dick; Williams, Judith; Scissors & shears;

National Transportation Week was around the corner when Col. Harry T. Meyers, post transportation officer at Fort Lewis and Harry D. Smith, western division traffic manager for Weyerhaeuser Sales Co., pointed out various modes of transportation to Mayor John Anderson in May of 1958. Models of a United Airlines airplane, Pacific Intermountain Express (PIE) semi-truck and trailer, and Milwaukee Road train are displayed before the mayor. Publicity for Tacoma Chamber of Commerce. ALBUM 14. (TNT 5-11-58, B-4)

Mayors--Tacoma--1950-1960; Anderson, John H.; Meyers, Harry T.; Military officers; Smith, Harry D.; Model airplanes; Model vehicles; Model railroads;

Ed Miller posed for a series of informal photographs at his Skyline Drive office on May 28, 1958. Mr. Miller is shown kneeling beside a giant wall display of homes he has designed and built and multiple awards he has been received. He is holding a recent Practical Builder trophy awarded to his company, Miller Construction. He has been a longtime member of the Tacoma Master Builders Association and held national and regional offices. His Skyline Terrace housing development, which was pictured on the wall display, featured innovative houses built on view lots. Mr. Miller is also proud of his fishing abilities; a recently awarded sea fishing trophy and a plaque from the Sailfish and Tarpon Club of Mexico adorn the wall. Photograph ordered by Miller Construction Co.

Miller, Edward P.; Awards; Plaques--Tacoma;

Customers peruse the outdoor displays at the newly opened Eric Hayes Nursery in Purdy. Plants are neatly organized in large rectangular boxes or a more open array of greenery. Architect Marshall Perrow designed both the covered outdoor sales building (not pictured here) and the layout of trees and shrubs. The nursery held its grand opening on March 22, 1958. It is run by part-owner Eric Hayes, a professional English gardner and member of the Royal Horticultural Society of England. It is possible that the large two-story Dutch colonial home shown in the background is the Hayes residence. Photograph ordered by the Eric Hayes Nursery. (TNT 3-21-58, A-9)

Nurseries (Horticulture)--Purdy; Eric Hayes Nursery (Purdy);

A dog and his master seem to enjoy a chuckle after a hunting trip in an April 30, 1958, photograph. The dog appeared to have enjoyed his ride in the station wagon while ensconced in an airy pet carrier. The plywood carrier had several large holes on each side for ventilation in addition to the screened doors. The animal would be able to see out of the carrier easily. Photograph ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association.

Plywood; Cages; Dogs; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma);

These little girls lounging on the grass at Annie Wright Seminary were probably part of the Lower School. They were waiting to participate in the school's annual May Day festival. It is likely that they would be performing a dance, perhaps ballet, for the enjoyment of parents and fellow students. Sepia photograph ordered by Annie Wright Seminary.

Private schools--Tacoma; School children--Tacoma--1950-1960; Annie Wright Seminary (Tacoma)--1950-1960;

Models Helene Williamson and Dani Rae Sweet examine one of the many safe deposit boxes in the vault at the Pacific First Federal Savings & Loan. Ponytailed Dani Rae helps to pull out the rectangular metal box. Safe deposit boxes came in many shapes and sizes; each was individually marked and two keys were necessary to open the mini-vault. Tacoma was the savings & loan's home office although it had branches in Western Washington and Oregon. Photograph ordered by Pacific First Federal Savings & Loan Association.

Safe-deposit boxes--Tacoma; Vaults (Strong rooms)--Tacoma; Pacific First Federal Savings & Loan Association (Tacoma); Williamson, Helene; Sweet, Dani Rae;

A woman assumes the diving position as she stands at the edge of the diving board in a May, 1958, photograph. Other women lounge on the concrete surrounding the large swimming pool or take a dip in the refreshing water. A concrete block dressing area for both men and women is adjacent to the pool. The pool facilities appear to be nestled among a tall strand of trees. This was the 1600 square foot heated and filtered swimming pool at the Glenwood Acres housing development. The water was a balmy 75 degrees at all times. A Hi-fi music system provided entertainment for the swimmers. Swimming was permitted at night since the pool had special night lighting. A clubhouse, wading pool and tennis courts were planned to be built later. The pool was designed by Sitts & Hill, engineers, and the cost born by area residents. Developer of the Glenwood Acres planned community was Fanning-Starkey Co. with Stromberg Construction as the contractor. Photograph ordered by Stromberg Construction. (TNT 3-30-58, A-17, TNT 5-18-58, B-10)

Swimming pools; Swimming; Bathing suits;

A wide driveway, flanked by two small street lamps, leads to a charming one-story home in Lakewood's Glenwood Acres neighborhood. A planned community of 60+ homes constructed by Stromberg Construction, Glenwood Acres was the first to feature natural gas for home heating. This home is built low to the ground and appears nestled under the tall trees. The sweeping shake roofline and crossed framed windows gives the house a cottage-like appearance, French Provincial in design. This was the "Blue Flame" home which was open to the public in mid-May, 1958. All appliances and heating used gas. Glenwood Acres was located on 104th St. S.W. near Hipkins Rd. Photograph ordered by Stromberg Construction. (TNT 5-18-58, B-4-B-11)

Houses--Lakewood--1950-1960;

Gentle landscaping and a modest sign were located at the entrance to the New Tacoma Cemetery on Chambers Creek Road. The gates to the cemetery are opened wide with a building, possibly the visitors center, to the right. The New Tacoma Cemetery, along with the Tacoma Cemetery, was operated by the Tacoma Cemetery Association, a mutual, non-profit association which had served the community since 1884. The New Tacoma Cemetery was the newer of the two locations; it began helping Tacoma families in 1932. Ponds, bridges, waterfalls and an urn garden helped create a peaceful, quiet atmosphere for reflection and mourning. A Lutheran section and a Veterans section were available along with a special Lullaby Land for children. Free bus service was available on Sundays from downtown Tacoma with enough time to spend strolling the cemetery grounds before departure. Photograph ordered by Johnson Cox Co.

New Tacoma Cemetery (Tacoma); Tacoma Cemetery Association (Tacoma); Cemeteries--Tacoma;

Work proceeds steadily on the new County-City Building being constructed on Tacoma Avenue South, next door to the Tacoma Public Library. The massive, multi-storied central structure will be one of the very few in the country with exterior aluminum paneling. The two-story court building shown above is made of reinforced concrete. Although the interior court rooms are soundproof and windowless, there appear to be windows on the exterior walls. A. Gordon Lumm, A.I.A., is the architect of the project; Macdonald Building Co. is the contractor. There is a large sign at the site listing the names of the County Commissioners, Tacoma City Council, Architect, Engineers and Contractor. The County-City Building would be formally dedicated on April 10, 1959. Photograph ordered by Fentron Industries, Seattle.

Progress photographs; County-City Building (Tacoma); Building construction--Tacoma--1950-1960;

The Public Safety Building on Pacific Avenue was also known as the City Hall Annex. Originally built for Northern Pacific Railroad for use as its headquarters in 1887, the City of Tacoma purchased the building in 1922 . The south wing of the Italianate, stucco-covered stone structure was later rebuilt to house the jail. The Old City Hall was directly across the street on Pacific. View of the Public Safety Building taken on May 9, 1958, indicates that this was Police Headquarters, with separate entrances for the detective division and for traffic violators. With the completion of the County-City Building in 1959, the Public Safety Building was vacated. An art center was proposed to occupy the empty space and in 1962, the Allied Arts Center began a remodeling project. A few years later, the Public Safety Building escaped total demolition, although the jail wing was destroyed, and was placed on historic registries. Photograph ordered by Alan Liddle, architect. TPL-6491. (Tacoma Rediviva, p. 27)

Public Safety Building (Tacoma); City Hall Annex (Tacoma); Tacoma Police Department (Tacoma);

Placed on the City, State and National Registry of historic buildings, the French chateau styled Stadium High School opened as a school in 1906. Intended originally for use as a hotel, and damaged by fire, the building was saved and remodeled to be used as a high school. View of Stadium High School; the unusual spires, turrets and towers would have been a challenge for roofers to maintain and replace. Nevertheless, $850,000 was spent in the summer of 1958 for renovations to the school. A new roof, rewelded and repainted fire escapes, replacement windows and sashes and a 50 foot steel beam lowered across the top of the gym to make the basketball court regulation sized and turned around were just some of the projects. Photograph ordered by Chase Brass & Copper Co., Waterbury, Conn. (TNT 7-20-58, B-11) TPL-8668

Stadium High School (Tacoma); Public schools--Tacoma--1950-1960;

This side view of Stadium High School was taken on a sunny spring day in 1958 from the corner of N. 2nd and "E" Sts. Fire escapes are attached to the outside of the buildings so that students could exit in case of emergencies. These fire escapes would be removed, rewelded and painted during the $850,000 renovation project at the school during summer, 1958. Hipped and pitched roofs, spirals, and dormers blend in with the French chateau architecture but would have been difficult to repair and maintain. Besides a new roof, 500 windows and sashes were replaced during renovations. Photograph ordered by the Chase Brass & Copper Co., Waterbury, Conn. (TNT 7-20-58, B-11)

Stadium High School (Tacoma); Public schools--Tacoma--1950-1960;