Well-known for its ability to haul heavy loads, a 5-ton White heavy duty truck carries equipment meant for installation at the $150,000 Cushman sub-station being constructed at 19th & Washington in late April of 1925. The large unit on the trailer was one of six 15-ton transformers to be installed. E.S. Frietch and William E. Becker, owners of two White trucks, were responsible for the hauling. The truck is parked with one man aboard and another kneeling nearby. Photograph ordered by the Hickey Motor Co., local distributors of White trucks. G43.1-044 (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 12-7-24, 8-E-article on Cushman sub-station; TDL 5-4-25, p. 3-article on transformers; Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 5-24-25, G-3)

White trucks--Tacoma; Power plants--Tacoma;

G.A. Southwell and his grandson Harold Southwell were ready to ride on April 28, 1925. At the age of four, Harold was believed to be the youngest cyclist in Pierce County. He rode a special bicycle that was built for him by his father, A. George Southwell. The Southwells lived on American Lake. The pair were photographed for National Bicycle Week. The event ran from April 26 - May 2nd, with April 30th designated as Bicycle Day in Tacoma. It would mark the official opening of the bicycle riding season. The U.S. had approximately 3 million bicycles in 1925. (TNT 4/30/1925, pg. 28) TPL-6165; G66.1-003

Bicycles & tricycles--Tacoma--1920-1930; Cyclists--Tacoma; Southwell, G.A.; Southwell, Harold;

The"Wheatland Montana" was docked at the Port of Tacoma on April 30, 1925, to discharge a shipment of 12-foot mahogany logs from the Philippines. The logs were transferred to the Buffelen Lumber Co. plant to be used in fine doors and panels. 12 flat cars were loaded with the logs since they were too heavy to be transported locally the usual way, by water. This was the first mahogany shipment received in Tacoma in some time. In addition to the logs, the "Wheatland Montana" also unloaded a 100-ton shipment of peanuts. She would carry as cargo upon departure 250,000-feet of short-length flooring. G49.1-198 (TNT 4-30-25, p. 23-article only)

Cargo ships--1920-1930; Logs; Shipping--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Another cargo ship in town at the end of April, 1925, was the "Lochkatrine" of the Royal Mail Steam Packet Line. She is pictured dockside at the Port of Tacoma awaiting loading of lumber. The "Lochkatrine" had arrived on Tuesday morning the 28th and docked at the smelter to take on a load of 1,150 tons of copper. That evening she shifted over to the Port of Tacoma piers for a two-day stay where she would take on lumber and miscellaneous cargo. G49.1-069 (photograph has been cropped) (TDL 4-29-25, p. 10-article only)

Cargo ships--1920-1930; Shipping--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Members of the Tacoma Railway & Power Company baseball team and their "mascot" stare stoically at the camera in an April 30, 1925, photograph. L-R back row (last names only given): Bonney, Rice, Kaperick, Pyfer, Hull, Fagon, James, Gordon (Captain). Middle row (L-R): Pryor, Arnold, Kendziora, Hendry, Berry, Billsborrow. Front row (L-R); Mynhier, Williams, Kennedy, "Jargo Jr."-mascot, Purcell, Wharton, Berg. Behind them are the covered stands of Athletic Park, located on Sprague Avenue between 14th & 15th Streets, where fans could watch games in comfort. The TR & P team competed in the 6-team Commercial League in 1925; they were joined by teams from the Rhodes Bros., City Lumber, American Institute of Banking, Harmon & Co. and Washington Coop. Egg. The Commercial League opened their 1925 season at Athletic Park on April 27th, matching up the previous year's champs, the TR & P with the league runner-up, Rhodes Bros. This time Rhodes Bros. came up winners in seven innings with a 5-2 score. (TDL 4-26-25, C-2, 5-2-25, p. 6; TNT 5-19-25, p. 17) G53.1-038 TPL-10076

Baseball players--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Four unidentified men gaze at a long line of railroad flat cars stacked with mahogany logs on May 1, 1925. The log train was bound for the Buffelen Lumber & Mfg. Co. The logs had arrived at the Port of Tacoma on the "Wheatland Montana" and were a product of the Philippines. The arrival of the logs marked a transition to direct transactions between the overseas grower and a Tacoma manufacturer. Prior to this, mahogany used in fine furniture, cabinets and other uses was brought here in board form. G36.1-030 (TNT 5-4-25, p. 6)

Logs; Railroad cars--Tacoma--1920-1930; Shipping--Tacoma--1920-1930;

This two-story Colonial with basement, located at 1315 North 5th St., was on the market in May of 1925 with a reduced price of $7,750, including $1500 cash and $75 a month payments. The home apparently had alley access and garage. An ad placed in the Tacoma Sunday Ledger's May 3, 1925 edition listed the home as having a 20+-foot long living room, oak flooring, unique fireplace and French doors leading to the dining room. Three bedrooms were located on the second floor along with a bath. Interested buyers were asked to contact Gilmour Nicholls, realtor. G28.1-130; BU-10,145 (Tacoma Sunday Ledger Ad, 5-3-25, p. 7E)

Houses--Tacoma--1920-1930;

In May of 1925, J.B. Ness posed with his new Overland Blue Bird touring car in front of his Ness Service Station No. 1, 3802 Pacific Ave. He recently purchased the auto from the Raudenbush Motor Co., Overland and Willys-Knight dealers, through their salesman W.A. Court. Mr. Court was pictured here beside an Overland coupe sedan. Mr. Ness tested the power of his new auto up the infamous South K St. hill climb from Center Street. Mr. Ness also operated a second service station at South 60th St. & Union Ave. (TDL 5/17/1925, pg. G-3)

Ness Service Station No. 1 (Tacoma); Automobile service stations--Tacoma--1920-1930; Overland automobile;

Gig Harbor-area chicken ranch. The C.M. Seely poultry and cattle ranch was located in Glen Cove, on the west shore of Carr Inlet. This view of the property was taken in late May of 1925, when a group consisting of representatives of Tacoma's social and business clubs had formed a caravan to check out routes of proposed roads connecting Tacoma to the Hood Canal area. The Seely chicken ranch was one of the stops during the day-long excursion. (TDL 6-9-25, G-1)

Chicken industry; Cattle ranches;

In late May of 1925, a caravan of interested Tacomans spent a day at Rocky Bay on the Peninsula going over the routes of proposed roads to connect Tacoma with the Hood Canal, shortening the current distance by 30 miles. The photograph shows the first stop, the home farm of Edwin Dewey (E.D.) Nichols at the junction of the Vaughn-Longbranch-Gig Harbor Road, near Glen Cove. The Tacoma caravan is shown after its arrival. It was made up of representatives of Tacoma's various business and social clubs, headed by County Commissioner Frederick Shaw. The group was met by Mason County Commissioners who assured the group that the 17 miles of graveled roads and 3 miles of paved roads between Gig Harbor and the Hood Canal would be under construction within the month. The roads would connect some areas such as Victor, formerly completely shut off, with other Peninsula towns and eventually Tacoma. (TDL 6/7/1925, pg. G-1) TPL-2543; G72.1-164

Nichols, Edwin Dewey--Homes & haunts; Caravans;

On January 25, 1888, the Sheet Metal Workers Union was organized in Toledo, Ohio as the Tin, Sheet-Iron and Cornice Workers Association. Current members of the union posed in front of the Tacoma Public Library (now known as the Carnegie Building) in May of 1925. They were participants in the Sheet Metal Workers' Convention being hosted by Tacoma. The men were dressed in suits, ties and a variety of hats. The sign by the entry door of the library stated that this building is the "Tacoma Free Public Library" open "Weekdays 9 a.m-9 p.m., Sundays 2-9 p.m." G38.1-035

Meetings--Tacoma--1920-1930; Tacoma Public Library (Tacoma); Public libraries--Tacoma; Sheet Metal Workers (Tacoma); Labor unions--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Automobile dealers of the 1920s built palaces of prestige to showcase their latest models. Architect C.F. W. Lundberg designed the Mutual Motors Building for pioneer Tacoma automobile dealer Edward P. Leonard. The Lincoln dealership opened in June 1925. Later, a giant milk bottle was installed on the building's roof to identify it as the Olympic Dairy Products plant. As of 2000, Washington Tent & Awning, Inc. occupies this building on Martin Luther King Way. B12455, BU-10023, TPL-5683

Automobile dealerships--Tacoma; Mutual Motors (Tacoma); Building construction;

Stenographer LaVilla J. Cutter, manager A.H. Banwell and assistant manager Claire M. Priestley (L-R) were photographed outside the doors of the Tacoma Tourist Information Bureau on May 7, 1925. The staff had just concluded a very busy first year of operation whereby they sought to help visitors with information and also promoted local activities and establishments. The Tourist Information Bureau had distributed 98, 191 pieces of literature, sent 4,000 letters to prospective visitors and interviewed 2,435 tourists among other duties. G42.1-127 (TNT 5-8-25, p. 13)

Tacoma Tourist Information Bureau (Tacoma); Cutter, LaVilla J.; Banwell, A.H.; Priestley, Claire M.;

Vaal Stark, regional director of Girl Scouts from Palo Alto, California, awarded Golden Eaglet insignia to Margaret Miller (center) and Winifred Tuft (r) of Tacoma at the spring Court of Awards ceremony held at Jason Lee Intermediate School in May of 1925. The Golden Eaglet was then the highest award given by the Girl Scouts. Recipients had to possess at least 21 merit badges, been a scout for at least three years and meet other obligations. Margaret Miller had earned 42 merit badges, achieved 100% attendance in four years at Scout meetings and won many honors. Winifred Tuft also had won honors in all branches of Scout work and had 100% attendance over two years at Scout meetings. G23.1-117 (TNT 5-8-25, p. 7, 10-articles; TNT 5-9-25, p. 1)

Girl Scouts (Tacoma); Awards; Stark, Vaal; Miller, Margaret; Tuft, Winifred;

Tree dedication. On May 10, 1925, a tree was dedicated on the grounds of the new American Lake Veterans Hospital in memory of former President Woodrow Wilson. Members of the American Legion are pictured gathered around the newly planted tree. G30.1-009

Tree planting ceremonies--Lakewood;

Albert H. Gamin posed outdoors with his new Ford delivery truck decorated with a painted mural on May 11, 1925. He operated Mt. Tacoma Cleaners, 1138 Court C, which dealt in cleaning, pressing and dyeing. Mr. Gamin had been in the cleaning business for six years and this was his third Ford truck. He was well satisfied with the excellent job Ford had provided. Photograph ordered by R.E. Bennatts, Inc., Ford dealership. (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 6-7-25, 2-G)

Ford trucks; Mt. Tacoma Cleaners (Tacoma); Gamin, Albert;

Construction continues on the James P. Stewart Intermediate School, 5010 Pacific Avenue, in May of 1925. Scaffolding surrounds the multi-storied structure which cost over $400,000. Tacoma's school population had been increasing and six intermediate schools were planned to alleviate overcrowding. Stewart Intermediate was the second to be completed, after Jason Lee. The school, designed by architect Roland Borhek and built by John Biehn & Co., contractors, was originally called the South Central Intermediate School. By the time the school was opened in September of 1928, the name had been changed to honor Tacoma's first school teacher, James P. Stewart. The school is still being used today with a slight name change to the James P. Stewart Middle School. G47.1-082; BU-11,440 (TNT 5-16-25, p. 20)

Stewart Junior High School (Tacoma); Public schools--Tacoma--1920-1930; Building construction--Tacoma--1920-1930; Progress photographs;

Cargo moving. An unidentified worker is perched aboard equipment believed to have been manufactured by Dallas Machinery. The vehicle is transporting lumber from one of Tacoma's docks. G49.1-214

Shipping--Tacoma--1920-1930;

View looking up Saint Helens Ave. This photograph was taken from the top of the Winthrop Hotel, 773 Broadway, on May 15, 1925, the day before its grand opening. The view is of Saint Helens Avenue, just beyond the Bostwick Block (755-71 Saint Helens), the triangular shaped building next to the Winthrop. Visible businesses included the Montelius Music House (736 Saint Helens), the Gilliam & Steven Motor Co. (735 Saint Helens -street renamed Court C), and the Caswell Optical Co.(752-66 Saint Helens), on the far left edge. In the distance at the far left is Central School. G8.1-013

Business districts--Tacoma--1920-1930; Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Central School (Tacoma); Montelius Music House (Tacoma); Gilliam & Steven Motor Co. (Tacoma); Caswell Optical Co. (Tacoma);

This view of South 9th Street looking west from the corner of Broadway and Saint Helens was taken on May 15, 1925 from the top of the Winthrop Hotel. At the bottom left is a part of the old Tacoma Theater. The ornate white building on the same side of 9th is the Rialto Theater, 310 So. 9th. Up the street is the First Baptist Church at 902 Market Street with its bell tower still under construction. On the north side of 9th is the Caswell Optical building, 752-66 St. Helens, in the foreground, followed by the white Exley Apartments at 309 So. 9th, originally the oldest existing house in Tacoma and later converted into apartments. The taller Rhodes Apartments, 311 So. 9th (now the Rialto Apartments), are next. Rising in the background are the Gothic towers of the Pierce County Courthouse, left, and the Central School building, right. G57.1-101

Business districts--Tacoma--1920-1940; Tacoma Theatre (Tacoma); Rialto Theatre (Tacoma); First Baptist Church (Tacoma); Caswell Optical Co. (Tacoma); Exley Apartments (Tacoma); Rhodes Apartments (Tacoma); Rialto Apartments (Tacoma);

Over 300 telephones scheduled to be installed at the new Hotel Winthrop posed around the two person switchboard. A desk telephone will stand on a table in each guest room. The Winthrop is the first hotel in Tacoma to have this type of instrument furnished throughout. The installation will require over 71 miles of lines, running through a 2 ft x 4 ft shaft extending perpendicularly from the basement to the private branch switchboard on the roof garden floor. These phones will bring the total number of phones in Tacoma to over 23,000. TPL-460 (TNT 5/16/1925, pg 3) print filed under A 1003

Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma); Telephones--1920-1930; Telephone switchboards;

Genevieve Brophy (left) and Anna Fuchs, employees of the main central office of the Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Co., sit at the new Hotel Winthrop switchboard surrounded by 300 desk telephones. After the telephones and switchboard were installed, the Hotel Winthrop became the first Tacoma hotel to have a telephone in every room. The switchboard was located on the roof garden floor of the hotel in a private room set apart from public view. It was staffed by four young women and chief operator Mrs. Johanna Hicks, who maintained the hotel's service 24 hours a day, seven days a week. (TNT 5/16/1925, pg 3) negative A1001-0, TPL-9971

Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma); Telephones--1920-1930; Telephone switchboards; Brophy, Genevieve; Fuchs, Anna;

Genevieve Brophy (left) and Anna Fuchs, employees of the main central office of the Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Co., show off the new switchboard at the Hotel Winthrop. They are surrounded by a few of the 300 telephones being installed at the Winthrop. When the installation was complete, the Winthrop became the first Tacoma hotel to have a telephone in every room. The switchboard was located on the roof garden floor of the hotel in a private room set apart from public view. (TNT 5/16/1925, pg 3) (WSHS, also Argentum)

Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma); Telephones--1920-1930; Telephone switchboards; Brophy, Genevieve; Fuchs, Anna;

When the Tacoma "suburb" of Regents Park was designed in 1907, a manmade spring-fed lake, aptly named Spring Lake, was at its center. By 1925, just prior to when the area incorporated as Fircrest, the lake area was showing signs of neglect. This large crew of Regents Park residents called a work day on May 17, 1925 to clean up and rehabilitate the area. Included in the picture are: Earl Libby, Norma Pickering, Mrs. Ernie Fox, Jack Pickering, Ernie Fox, Oscar Ellison, Joe Baker, Owen Ellison, H.D. Baker, Bob Rasmussen, Dr. Caswell, Ernie and Harold White, Robert Freeman, Grady Hume, Bruce Hume, a Mr. Glen, John and Bob Van De Mark, Lewis Ellison, Mayor Woodkirk, Bill Brock, Irene Edwards and Mr. and Mrs. Frank Boyd. The volunteers would clean the lake's bed and landscape the area. The lake was drained of water and all mud removed from the gravel bottom before refilled. The large cement block in this photograph's background was used as a base for one of the Fircrest Lions at the time of early development. Eventually, the lake dried up and its location is now the site of Fircrest Park. (TNT 5/18/1925, pg. 5) ("Of Lions and Dreams, Of Men and Realities," Osness, pg. 110) G72.1-109

Real estate development--Fircrest; Lakes & ponds--Fircrest; Urban beautification--Fircrest--1920-1930; Regents Park (Fircrest);

Regent Park residents of all ages pitched in and helped to spruce up the Spring Lake area of their community on May 17, 1925. New shrubs and flowers were planted and watered and vegetation trimmed. Regents Park and its 306 residents would incorporate as the Town of Fircrest in September of 1925. G72.1-117 (TNT 5-18-25, p. 5-article on beautification project)

Regents Park (Fircrest); Real estate development--Fircrest; Urban beautification--Fircrest--1920-1930;

The cornerstone of the new Epworth Methodist Church was laid in ceremonies held on Sunday, May 17, 1925. The church congregation and friends gathered at the site of the new church at 710 South Anderson; the old church is in the background. The cornerstone was donated by Robert Walker of Walker Cut Stone who had given cornerstones for all the churches erected in Tacoma in recent years. The finished $90,000 Epworth Methodist was dedicated a year later in May of 1926. G22.1-128 (TNT 5-16-25, p. 14-article; TNT 5-18-25, p. 4)

Epworth Methodist Church (Tacoma); Methodist churches--Tacoma--1920-1930; Cornerstone laying--Tacoma--1920-1930;

View of Hylebos Bridge on May 18, 1925. Standing on two planks above the Hylebos Waterway, a surveyor is himself framed in a plywood form. A pipe-smoking worker pauses in the process of nailing down plywood. Both may be unaware that they are being photographed. A single leaf bascule drawbridge, using 240,000 pounds of steel, and having an 80-foot horizontal clearance, would replace the old wooden drawbridge pictured above. Costing $80,000, it would open on October 15, 1925. It would be ordered closed just ten years later by the War Department due to insufficient clearance for waterborne traffic into the Port of Tacoma. Photograph is misdated "5-18-24;" it was actually taken on 5-18-25. Photograph ordered by Hart Construction Co. TPL-6512; G15.1-024 (NWR clipping file: TNT 11-3-25)

Bridges--Tacoma--1920-1930; Hylebos Bridge (Tacoma); Drawbridges--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Indian cemetery. This was the Puyallup Indian cemetery located next to the Cushman Veterans Hospital, 2002 E. 28th St, as pictured in May of 1925. Indians under the direction of H.C. Sicade of Fife had spent the month cleaning and renovating the old cemetery. They graded, sown grass seed, planted new shrubs, installed a 600-foot wire fence, repaired 300-feet of old fence, and erected 500 marble monuments. Henry Sicade had secured a $3000 appropriation from the U.S. government for the complete renovation and restoration of the cemetery. There were about 2000 graves but many had been obliterated. Among those buried there were Chief Salatat, Chief Thomas Stolyer, Chief Sitwell, Chief Tommy Lane and Chief Leschi. The low-lying white fences surround the tribal cemetery have since been replaced by high stone walls. The small church next door was a Presbyterian mission founded in 1881 and since rebuilt. The Cushman Veterans (later Tacoma Indian Hospital) Hospital has been demolished. TPL-8741; G5.1-021 (photograph has black marks) (TNT 5-19-25, p. 11)

Puyallup Indian Cemetery (Puyallup); Cemeteries--Puyallup; Indian reservations--Puyallup;