Members of 80 veteran's organizations braved record heat on Memorial Day 1956 to hear an address by U.S. Senator Warren G. Magnuson, Washington Democrat, at Mountain View Memorial Park in Lakewood. "Maggie" defeated Lt. Col., and Tacoma Mayor, Harry P. Cain for the Senate seat vacated by Homer T. Bone in 1944 and served 6 terms, losing in 1980 to Slade Gorton. Senator Magnuson sat on powerful committees while in office, including Commerce, Interstate & Foreign Commerce, and Appropriations. He was a war veteran, attaining the rank of Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy during WWII and claiming membership in the Amvets, Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion. A graduate of the University of Washington and the University of Washington Law School, Senator Magnuson resumed the practice of law following his political loss of 1980; he died in Seattle on May 20, 1989. ALBUM 4.

Magnuson, Warren G., 1905-1989; Legislators--Washington--1950-1960;

On June 7, 1956, the original artwork of the 1956 Tacoma telephone directory was presented to the City of Tacoma by an unidentified representative of Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Co. Mayor John Anderson (left) graciously accepted the framed gift. ALBUM 14.

Mayors--Tacoma--1950-1960; Anderson, John H.; Paintings; Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Co. (Tacoma);

Mayor John Anderson (left) accepts from an unidentified representative of Pacific Telephone & Telegraph the original artwork for the cover of the 1956 Tacoma telephone directory. Illustrated are familiar local sights including Mt. Rainier, downtown Tacoma, ships at dockside and even two fishermen trying their luck. The actual directory cover would be somewhat modified as seen in D99640, image 2. ALBUM 14.

Mayors--Tacoma--1950-1960; Anderson, John H.; Paintings; Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Co. (Tacoma);

North End Radio; Extension truck with antenna. North End Radio was located at 2702 No. Proctor and offered television sales, service and installation. They advertised themselves at Tacoma's Top TV Technicians. This antenna wagon is labelled the "Try-A-Tenna," which could be hooked up to your set to show you how improved reception would be with a "Winegard Interceptor." The Interceptor was an all band TV antenna. According to North End Radio's advertising, it offered the finest and clearest reception available. The demonstration was free. (TNT 6/3/1956, pg. D-14)

North End Radio (Tacoma); Television antennas; Television industry--Tacoma;

This duo from Pacific Telephone & Telegraph can let their "fingers do the walking" as they sit surrounded by a million Tacoma phonebooks awaiting distribution to the public. Tacoma received its very first phones in 1879. Its first directory, published in June of 1886 included a precise run down on how to use the instrument.

Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Co. (Tacoma)--Employees--1950-1960; Telephone directories;

R.W. Paper Co. in Longview, Wa. Photograph ordered by Malcolm McGhie. This is possibly the office for the paper company. As of 1965, the company was still operating in Longview and making specialty, such as waxed, papers.

R. W. Paper Co. (Longview); Paper industry--Longview--1950-1960;

Pulp manufacturing process at R.W. Paper Co. in Longview, Wa. Photograph ordered by Malcolm McGhie. The workers seems diminutive next to the vast circular vats filled with pulp. In the pulp making process, chemicals are used to separate the wood fibers from the lignin that binds it together. The fibers are then bleached and sent through the paper machine for sheeting and drying.

R. W. Paper Co. (Longview); Paper industry--Longview--1950-1960;

Paper quality control testing at R.W. Paper Co. in Longview, Wa. Two white coated lab technicians work in the lab performing tests. Tests are performed on the finished product for water content, smoothness, weight, color, resistance and opacity. Photographs ordered by Malcolm McGhie.

R. W. Paper Co. (Longview); Paper industry--Longview--1950-1960; Product inspection--Longview; Testing--Longview;

Paper quality control testing at R.W. Paper Co. in Longview, Wa. Two technicians in white lab coats perform tests on samples. The man on the right, hands on the controls of the meter, is measuring a quality of the paper square weighted down by the cylinder. The technician on the left is weighing a substance in a glass bottle. Both men jot down their findings in the open ledgers beside them. Photographs ordered by Malcolm McGhie.

R. W. Paper Co. (Longview); Paper industry--Longview--1950-1960; Product inspection--Longview; Testing--Longview;

Tacoma-Pierce County blood bank. A driver exits the building with a delivery of human blood. The carton states "Handle with care. Do not allow to freeze or become overheated. Rush. Deliver immediately upon arrival- day or night." Human blood can only be kept 21 days. Taxi drivers delivered the blood to local hospitals. (TNT 7/22/1956, pg. B-4+)

Tacoma-Pierce County Blood Bank (Tacoma); Blood; Blood donations--Tacoma;

Tacoma-Pierce County blood bank. An individual gives a blood donation, while a blood pressure cuff records any pressure changes. The blood drains by tubing into a bottle. A blood donation could be given quickly, easily and painlessly and the drawing blood process only took 6 minutes. Human blood cannot be manufactured, it must come from donations. The Blood Bank was celebrating its 10th anniversary. The bank was the supplier of blood to all Pierce County hospitals. (TNT 7/22/1956, pg B-4+)

Tacoma-Pierce County Blood Bank (Tacoma); Blood; Blood donations--Tacoma;

Tacoma-Pierce County blood bank. A delivery driver exits the building with a delivery of human blood. Whole blood is stored under refrigerated conditions. It can only be kept for 21 days. The needed blood is rushed by taxi to local hospitals. The Blood Bank was celebrating its 10th anniversary. Founded in 1946, it was the supplier of blood to all Pierce County hospitals. The non profit group depended on the community for donations. (TNT 7/22/1956, pg. B-4+)

Tacoma-Pierce County Blood Bank (Tacoma); Blood; Blood donations--Tacoma;

Birchfield Boiler Inc.; interior shots of the largest boilers built on the coast. Worker seems diminutive beside the massive boilers. These two are the largest of their type ever built on the west coast. They are modern school house boilers designed and built for Yakima Junior and Senior High School. Each is 18 feet high, rated at 400 horse power and weighs 15 tons. (TNT 9/3/1956)

Boiler industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Machinery; Birchfield Boiler, Inc. (Tacoma);

ca. 1956. Combination kitchen and dining room of the 1956 Greater Tacoma Home Show Model Home "The Klahanie," from a Chinook Indian word meaning "out of doors." The dining room sits on a slate floor. The model home was built with an open floor plan, where living room, dining room and kitchen merged together and then flowed out onto a wooden deck. (TNT 5/10/1956, Section C- Home Show feature)

Greater Tacoma Home Show (Tacoma); Exhibitions--Tacoma--1950-1960; Model houses--Tacoma; Tacoma Master Builders Association (Tacoma); Kitchens--University Place--1950-1960; Dining rooms--University Place--1950-1960;

A floor to ceiling cabinet with pull out drawers occupies the hall outside the bedroom door at James Fowler's addition to his house. The drawers provide plenty of storage space for extra linens. The cabinet is built of plywood, the building material of choice for the Douglas Fir Plywood Association's promotion director Fowler.

Houses--Lakewood--1950-1960; Remodeling--Lakewood; Fowler, James--Homes & haunts;

ca. 1956. Kaiser Aluminum plant. The new 420 foot potline at the Tacoma reduction plant; the result of a $2,000,000 expansion. The line contains 18 new "super size" reduction cells that will increase aluminum production by 15%. The Bonneville Power Administration will provide the power to reduce the ore to pure metal by electrolysis. Dissolved in solution in long lines of reduction cells ("pots",) alumina ore is subjected to electrical current. The chemicals recombine, the aluminum separates from the oxygen and settles as pure metal, aluminum. (Kaiser Aluminum News, August 1956)

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

Pulp manufacturing machinery at R.W. Paper Co. in Longview, Wa. Photograph ordered by Malcolm McGhie. Two building engineers work on a piece of machinery. Modern paper machines can produce hundreds of tons of paper each day. Approximately 15 % of our national supply of pulp is manufactured in Oregon and Washington.

R. W. Paper Co. (Longview); Paper industry--Longview--1950-1960;

Pulp manufacturing machinery at R.W. Paper Co. in Longview, Wa. Photograph ordered by Malcolm McGhie. Vats of pulp dwarf the worker at the bottom center of the picture. The pulp fiber, after being extracted from the wood by a chemical process, is about 99 per cent water. The water is removed by pressure and suction being applied to the mixture. The resulting sheet then moves on to the drying machine.

R. W. Paper Co. (Longview); Paper industry--Longview--1950-1960;

Pulp manufacturing machinery at R.W. Paper Co. in Longview, Wa. Photograph ordered by Malcolm McGhie. This picture shows a paper machine. When the pulp mixture arrives at the paper machine headbox, its water content is over 99%. The mixture is sent under pressure onto an immense moving canvas. The action of the canvas and a suction system extract most of the water in the pulp and form a sheet. The sheet then moves onto the drying section where it comes in contact with steam heated cylinders that dry it to the desired degree.

R. W. Paper Co. (Longview); Paper industry--Longview--1950-1960;

Interiors of a model home at Tyee Park housing addition. Photograph ordered by Riconosciuto Advertising Agency. The two twin beds fit comfortably in the large bedroom. Tyee Park was a new $1,500,000 suburban residential community being built in the Lakewood area. Tyee Park was located on Bridgeport Way; 2 miles south of the Lakewood Center and 4 blocks north of the Highway 99 intersection. It was conveniently located near Ft. Lewis and the McChord airbase. At this time, only a dozen of the 99 planned residences were completed. There were five different home designs to choose from. The new homes were created by builder Herman Sarkowsky and based on specifications made by home makers to the leading national magazines House & Home, House Beautiful and Better Home & Gardens. Over 15,000 people showed up for the Open House of the new addition. (TNT 6/20/1956, pg B-2 & 6/24/1956, pg. B1-B9, 6/25/1956, pg. 3)

Bedrooms--Lakewood--1950-1960; Houses--Lakewood--1950-1960; Housing developments--Lakewood--1950-1960; Real estate development--Lakewood--1950-1960;

The new medical office of Burton H. Goodman, D.D.S. The medical building consists of two buildings, with Dr. Goodman's office in the smaller one story building.

Dental offices--Tacoma--1950-1960; Goodman, Burton--Homes & haunts;

ca. 1956. Hairdresser styling woman's hair at #9 St. Helens, ordered by Howard R. Smith Co. The stylist is creating one of the very controlled fifties hairstyles, a pinned and sprayed curl coif.

Hairstyles--Tacoma--1950-1960; Hairdressing--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Exteriors of the Lakewood Ice Arena. Perched on the shores of Steilacoom Lake, the facility had once been the ballroom for the Oakes Pavilion, which also offered a water stadium for competitive swimming where the tryouts for the American Olympic team were held in the mid twenties. After a brief stint as the Towers, a nightclub, the frame building was purchased by developer Norton Clapp in 1936. In 1938, at the urging of his wife who was a fan of ice skating, the building was remodeled into the Lakewood Ice Arena. The lake area around the club was still available for summer swimming and the Figure Skating Club even kept a dock and float available for members. The Arena was demolished in 1982 and replaced by lakeshore condominiums. ("History of Figure Skating in Pierce County, Lakewood Arena") TPL-5672

Ice skating--Tacoma--1950-1960; Lakewood Ice Arena (Lakewood); Lakewood Figure Skating Club (Lakewood); Ice skating rinks--Tacoma--1950-1960; Lake Steilacoom (Wash.);

This baseball team, representing the American Legion Tacoma Post 138 and under the direction of Coach Russ Franzen (at far right), had recently won the 1956 state American Legion Championship by defeating Selah-Naches. It was the first time that Tacoma had won the state junior baseball championship. The team, shown above at Jefferson Park, would next compete in the Northwest Regional. Noted for their right hand pitching, catching, and defensive play, they had held opponents to only 23 runs in 15 games. At the NW regionals, the team was defeated by favored Billings, Montana in a six-hitter, losing 5-1 in the first game. The Tacoma team then regrouped and eliminated Sitka, Alaska from the tournament with a 8-5 win. Tacoma Post 138 was eliminated in the next round by Twin Falls, Idaho, 2-1. Tacoma members of the regional All Star Team were catcher Arley Kangas, pitcher Gene Bronk and outfielder Gary Johnson. (TNT 8/12/1956, pg. C-18-alt. photograph- see article for team names). Photograph ordered by Ford Motor Co.

Jefferson Park (Tacoma); Baseball players--Tacoma--1950-1960; Franzen, Russ; American Legion Tacoma Post No. 138 (Tacoma)--Baseball players;

Interiors of doctors office, believed to be 1002 So. 10th St. Constructed in 1955, the offices were occupied by Drs. Ernest E. Banfield, Lloyd S. Durkin and dentist Burton H. Goodman. The offices are very modern, with a large interior atrium with what appears to be a water feature. The waiting area sits to the right of the atrium, with numerous sofas and chairs.

Medical offices--Tacoma--1950-1960; Atriums--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Family portrait taken at the Bar Mitzvah of Louis Nemetz at the Sinai Temple. Louis was the son of Edith and Hymie Nemetz. The family resided at 702 No. Sheridan Ave. They were the owners of Admiral Furniture Co. located at 8225 South Tacoma Way. The Bar Mitzvah recognizes when a boy obtains his 13 birthday and takes on religious duties.

Nemetz, Louis; Rites & ceremonies--Tacoma--1950-1960; Synagogues--Tacoma; Sinai Temple (Tacoma); Religious services--Tacoma; Judaism--Tacoma;

A portrait of Louis Nemetz at his Bar Mitzvah at the Sinai Temple. "Bar Mitzvah" literally means "son of the commandment." A Bar Mitzvah notes the coming of age for a Jewish boy as he obtains his 13 birthday and becomes obligated to observe the commandments. He obtains the right to take a part in religious services, to count in a minyan, to form binding contracts, to testify before religious courts and to marry. Louis wears the symbolic prayer shawl around his neck that is given to him on his Bar Mitzvah and will accompany him throughout his life and a yarmulke, the skullcap worn on his head. Photograph ordered by Edith (Mrs. Henry, listed in the 1957 City Directory as Hymie) Nemetz of 702 So. Sheridan Ave. Hymie Nemetz owned Admiral Furniture Co. at 8225 South Tacoma Way. (Bar Mitzvah information obtained from the online Jewish Virtual Library)

Nemetz, Louis; Rites & ceremonies--Tacoma--1950-1960; Synagogues--Tacoma; Sinai Temple (Tacoma); Religious services--Tacoma; Judaism--Tacoma;

Members of the Board of Curators of the Washington State Historical Society. Photograph is taken at the home of Reno Odlin, president of Puget Sound National Bank, on a bluff overlooking Commencement Bay. Odlin himself is in the white coat, second from right, in the standing row. Odlin was also president of the Society. (TNT 8/12/1956, pg. C-20--see article for board members' names.)

Odlin, Reno, 1897-1979--Homes & haunts; Odlin, Reno, 1897-1979; Washington State Historical Society (Tacoma);

1956 Richards Studio stock footage. A man in a cowboy hat leans against a split rail fence dwarfed by the awesome bulk of Mt. Rainier in the background. The snow covered mountain looms over the pastureland, forming the perfect backdrop for this picture.

Rainier, Mount (Wash.); Fences;

A worker stands dwarfed by the enormous steel scaffolding being erected for a new structure. Photograph ordered by Bethlehem Coast Steel. The Richards appointment book lists the structure as the Sterling Theatre building, 158th SeaTac Highway. Sterling was a national chain that owned and operated a number of movie theatres in the Seattle area.

Scaffolding; Construction;