Elevated view of Tacoma's downtown and industrial area. Photographs taken on September 2, 1954, from Room 716 of the Winthrop Hotel show a cluster of downtown Tacoma businesses, the 11th Street Bridge, and a portion of the industrial area in the distance. Tacoma Savings & Loan, the Tacoma Hotel, Lincolnshire Hotel and Security Building (formerly Provident Building) can be clearly seen. Smokestacks billow as Tacoma's lumber and chemical mills operate with full staff. Large billboards, placed on the rooftop of the Lincolnshire Hotel, provide advertising information for consumers interested in liquor, fruit and electrical equipment.

Billboards--Tacoma--1950-1960; Security Building (Tacoma); Lincolnshire Hotel (Tacoma); Tacoma Savings & Loan Association (Tacoma); Tacoma Hotel (Tacoma); Bridges--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Blake, Moffitt & Towne warehouse. Blake, Moffitt & Towne moved their facilities out to Thorne Rd. in the Tideflats in the summer of 1954. They had previously been located on the 1700 block of Jefferson Avenue. Blake, Moffitt & Towne were wholesale distributors of printing and wrapping paper and stationery. Their modern one-story 40,000 square foot building was constructed of reinforced concrete block. It would provide plenty of room for warehouse and office operations. There would also be a large parking lot for customer convenience. A spur track would be available for rail deliveries. (TNT 7-18-54, C-15)

Blake, Moffitt & Towne, Inc. (Tacoma); Paper industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Warehouses--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Exterior brewery. Large lettering on the Silver Springs Brewing Co.'s building proudly proclaimed it as the "Home of Oldstyle Pilsener Beer" in an August 18, 1954, photograph. The Silver Springs Brewing Co. was founded in Port Orchard in 1934 and moved to Tacoma in 1950. After moving to Tacoma and purchasing the site at 105 E. 26th St., former home to Northwest Brewing Co., they added a three-story bottling plant to the complex. They provided Heidelberg Brewing (Columbia Breweries) with competition for Northwest beer drinking tastes with their Oldstyle Pilsener, brewed with artesian water.

Brewing industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Silver Springs Brewing Co. (Tacoma); Signs (Notices);

A man sits perched on a stool polishing his rifle; the open gun cabinet shows several more guns held upright through shelves. The wooden cabinet also has space on the back of the door for fishing equipment; a net, flies, and reels are neatly in place. Several shelves and drawers hold a gun clip, boxes of Super X silvertip Winchester bullets, and assorted bottles. A stuffed bird is mounted on the wall near the cabinet. Photograph ordered by Tom Sias, Douglas Fir Plywood Association.

Cabinets (Case furniture); Rifles; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma);

This view on August 31, 1954, of the Tacoma Day Nursery at 1113 So. I St. showed a large, multi-windowed two-story wooden structure. It had a sturdy staircase with handrails on the left side of the house which led to the second floor so that children could be evacuated safely from the upper level in case of emergencies. The Tacoma Day Nursery was founded in 1918 to provide careful supervision and care for pre-school children of working parents. Youngsters attending the Tacoma Day Nursery were read to, learned music, participated in group play and art work. By the early 1950's, over fifty children a day attended the nursery. Funding was provided by the Community Chest with additional money coming from various fundraisers. The original building at 1113 South I St. was later demolished with a new nursery, designed by Lea, Pearson & Richards, opening in 1963 at the same site.

Day care; Tacoma Day Nursery (Tacoma);

Maxwell Spring Valley home. This may be the home of Horace D. Maxwell who owned the Maxwell Petroleum Company, which later merged with the General Petroleum Corp. of California to form one of the largest gasoline distributors in the country. The Maxwells owned a home in Spring Valley, just north of the Pierce-King County line. Their daughter, Doris, celebrated her wedding reception in the Maxwell family home in June, 1949. View of large rambler style house and grounds located in Spring Valley; photograph taken on July 12, 1954.

Houses--Spring Valley--1950-1960;

Eleven Lincoln High School leaders along with the school's principal stood on the steps of Lincoln High School with a large banner promoting school spirit in September of 1954. Principal Kenneth Flora is flanked by Sally Strobel, senior representative on the student council (on left) and student body president Robert L. Simpson and Ida Kvenild (on the right). Wonderful values were still available through the purchase of an Associated Student Body Membership Card, with admittance to various sporting events and reduced admission rates on plays, shows, bus fares and the school yearbook, the Lincolnian. School had opened earlier in the month so there was still plenty of time to get involved in the numerous activities that Lincoln offered. Photograph ordered by the Lincoln News, school newspaper.

Lincoln High School (Tacoma); Public schools--Tacoma--1950-1960; Students--Tacoma--1950-1960; Banners--Tacoma; Signs (Notices); Flora, Kenneth; School principals--Tacoma--1950-1960; Strobel, Sally; Simpson, Robert L.; Kvenild, Ida;

Exterior hotel. The Lincolnshire Hotel and Tavern occupied the Drury Building at 9th and Pacific very close to the Security Building (Provident Building) in the 1950's. It appears from this August 23, 1954, photograph that the hotel was actually on the long second floor of the brick and wood structure with the tavern just below. A large neon sign with the establishment's name juts out from the second floor. Both businesses were listed in the 1954 City Directory as being owned by Mrs. G. Edna Wegley. The Washington Travel Bureau and Claude Harta Photography Studio were adjacent businesses. According to the Pierce County Buildings Index, the venerable Lincolnshire closed in January, 1995.

Lincolnshire Hotel (Tacoma); Lincolnshire Tavern (Tacoma); Drury Building (Tacoma); Hotels--Tacoma--1950-1960; Electric signs--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Selected members of a Citizens Advisory Committee toured three north end schools in late August of 1954. Three of the members, Don Burbank, Mrs. Robert Myers, and Dr. R.A. Norton (left to right), are pictured in the aging Grant School auditorium which was filled with desks stored for the summer. The Citizens Advisory Committee, which represented 175 civic and service organizations, recommended replacement of both Grant Elementary and Stadium High School to the Tacoma School Board. The Grant auditorium could no longer be insured against earthquake damage. The school's deteriorating floors and heating system, bad frame construction, and badly worn window frames, doors and casings were noted. In contrast, the committee members were delighted with the spacious new Sherman Elementary on North 39th St. which would open for the first time that September. (TNT 9-1-54, B-7-article & alt. photographs)

Public schools--Tacoma--1950-1960; Grant School (Tacoma); Auditoriums; Stages (Platforms); Committees--Tacoma; Desks; Burbank, Don; Myers, Robert--Family; Norton, R.A.;

A Sunnen crane hoists roofing materials to waiting workers on the rooftop of majestic Stadium High School on September 1, 1954. School would begin in a week so repairs would have to be completed by then. In 1954, the high school was nearly fifty years old. Built in the French Chateau style in 1891 and first intended as a hotel, it was converted into a high school and opened on September 10, 1906. The school was placed on the City, State and National Registry. Photograph ordered by Sunnen Auto Freight & Heavy Hauling Co. TPL-10056

Stadium High School (Tacoma)--1950-1960; Public schools--Tacoma--1950-1960; Sunnen Auto Freight & Heavy Hauling Co. (Tacoma); Hoisting machinery;

Staff of the Tacoma Bread Co., a large wholesale bakery, pose in front of a delivery truck at the bakery's (then) location on Center Street on August 18, 1954. Tacoma Bread, owned by the Manthou family, was well-known for their Kream Krust Bread. Signs advertising this product were placed on the company's delivery trucks. Tacoma Bread had greatly expanded from the days of a small one-man shop to a busy 37-employee bakery. A horse and buggy used to deliver fresh bread to South Tacoma neighborhoods in the 1920's; now, a sleek fleet of trucks cover 13 routes ranging from Auburn to Bremerton. Tacoma Bread was celebrating its 35th anniversary as Tacoma's oldest bakery. (TNT 8-30-54, p. 9)

Tacoma Bread Co. (Tacoma); Bakeries--Tacoma--1950-1960; Signs (Notices); Trucks--Tacoma--1950-1960;

A young model demonstrates the usage of wood tape which is being applied to a wooden box, perhaps part of a cabinet, on July 16, 1954. An open pair of scissors, possibly used to cut the tape to fit the dimensions of the box, lies on the bottom of the box. Additional woodworking tools hang on nearby shelves. Photograph ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association.

Woodworking; Scissors & shears; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma);

ca. 1954. Close-up view of product display. The American Biscuit & Cracker Co. baked several varieties of tasty snacks in the 1950's. Samples of their products are displayed on a white tablecloth; these include Graham Crackers, Oyster Crackers, Vanilla & Whole Wheat Fig Bars, Iced Animals, Jelly Tarts, Maid Crackers, Penguin Cremes, Chocolate Eclairs and Sugar Wafers. Most are packaged in see-through bags so the customer can clearly see and almost taste the mouth-watering goodness. The American Biscuit & Cracker Co. was located at 1461-71 Elliott Avenue West in Seattle but had opened a large plant on Durango Street in South Tacoma in 1954. It is possible that these cookies and crackers were baked in the Tacoma plant. The Durango Street location had a 280 foot band oven which could roll, stamp and bake 3.5 million crackers in an eight hour shift or 650,000 cookies during eight hours. (TNT 9-3-54, C-6)

American Biscuit & Cracker Co. (Seattle); Bakeries--1950-1960; Merchandise displays;

Night exposure Heidelberg Brewery. The highway along Pacific Avenue near 30th St. appears surreal as it was photographed at night on August 26, 1954. Highlighted billboards extolling the virtues of Burgermeister Beer, Best Foods Mayo, Chevron oil changes, Connie's Cafe and CH Sugar dot the landscape. Wavy, seemingly-neon stripes decorate the roadway. The Heidelberg Brewing Co.'s buildings, off in the distance, stand out like lighthouses in the night. Photograph ordered by Heidelberg Brewing Co.

Billboards--Tacoma--1950-1960; Heidelberg Brewing Co. (Tacoma); Signs (Notices);

Interior of warehouse. Blake, Moffitt & Towne was a local distributor of printing paper, wrapping paper and stationery. The company's headquarters were in San Francisco; the Tacoma office was established in 1910. In 1954, Blake, Moffitt & Towne moved to new and more spacious facilities on Thorne Rd. in the Tideflats area. Warehouse operations were mechanized and palletized. View of interior of company warehouse showing employees at work on various machinery, shelves and open cabinets full of paper products; photograph taken on July 19, 1954. (TNT 7-18-54, C-15)

Blake, Moffitt & Towne, Inc. (Tacoma); Paper industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Warehouses--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Interior beauty shop. Ladies having their hair done at Eva's Styling Room could observe the procedures in the large rectangular mirror. Closed drapes provided privacy from passing pedestrians on Saint Helens Avenue. Hair drying equipment was located behind the wooden cabinet, not visible in this picture. Eva's Styling Room was owned by Eva Andersen. Photograph taken on September 14, 1954; ordered by Tacoma Beauty Supply Co.

Eva's Styling Room (Tacoma); Beauty shops--Tacoma--1950-1960; Chairs; Mirrors; Tacoma Beauty Supply Co. (Tacoma);

Interior beauty salon. Eva's Styling Room was owned by Mrs. Eva E. Andersen and was located at 757 Saint Helens Avenue, close to the Brant Hotel and Jacob Blechmann's tailor shop. The beauty salon provided its customers with comfortable padded chairs while seated under Rilling hair dryers, with magazines and ash trays close at hand. Potted plants added a homey atmosphere. Photograph ordered by Tacoma Beauty Supply Co.

Eva's Styling Room (Tacoma); Beauty shops--Tacoma--1950-1960; Hair dryers; Tacoma Beauty Supply Co. (Tacoma);

A cleverly titled package of English holly, "Holly-day Pak," was promoted by the Washington State Holly Growers in 1954. Each package contained from ten to twelve full berried selected sprays of holly and buyers were warned to care for the holly as they would fresh cut flowers. A large rectangular shape was cut in the top of the box to allow the prospective buyer to examine the actual holly, which had been dipped in "hormones" to preserve freshness. Holly-day Paks could then be shipped out of state so that holly-less areas might enjoy the vibrant greenery and berries. Photograph ordered by North Pacific Bank.

Holly--Tacoma; Packaging;

Dinette sets were very popular in the 1940's and 50's. Schoenfeld's Furniture carried a wide selection of inexpensive kitchen furniture. Dinette sets were made out of chrome and generally had four chairs, with plastic covers, although some came with only two. Most popular shape appears to have been rectangular. Modern wrought iron styles were also becoming popular. Kitchen sets and televisions were located on the sixth floor close to the appliance section. (TNT 9-12-54, B-9)

L. Schoenfeld & Sons (Tacoma); Home furnishings stores--Tacoma; Dining tables;

Furniture department- Schoenfeld's. Schoenfeld's Furniture, formally known as L. Schoenfeld & Sons, occupied the Sandberg Bldg. on Pacific Avenue since 1924. The 12-story, 180 foot skyscraper was the oldest reinforced concrete skyscraper on the West Coast. It was designed by builder Peter Sandberg and Western Engineering Co., architects, to allow for a 24-story building. Schoenfeld's was well known for its quality furniture and appliances. View of elegant wing chairs and sofas; photograph taken on September 7, 1954. The period and contemporary upholstered furniture was placed in the new Design-For-Living Terrace located on the second floor. (TNT 9-12-54, B-6)

L. Schoenfeld & Sons (Tacoma); Home furnishings stores--Tacoma; Furniture stores--Tacoma--1950-1960; Chairs;

Shoppers could apparently find lots of bargains at Auslander's Bargain Barn. A September 21, 1954, photograph of the building's exterior shows that the work clothes and hardware departments were being closed; money-saving sales were currently going on. A full page ad in the News Tribune on Septembe 23, 1954, advertised a $75,000 furniture stock reduction. Bedroom suites ranging from $97-$267, living room tables at $5.88, and even 77 cent collapsible camp stools were truly bargains; customers were urged to "drive out and save." The Bargain Barn was located on the Seattle-Tacoma Highway at Fife with plenty of free parking. (TNT 9-23-54, A-9 Ad)

Auslander's Bargain Barn (Fife); Furniture stores--Fife--1950-1960; Signs (Notices);

A do-it-yourselfer is getting an early October start on the Christmas holidays by following instructions on how to create his own giant Santa Claus cutout using plywood. More and more people were beginning to discover that they could indeed cut, saw, paint and create useful items themselves without using professional help. Companies were now providing easy-to-follow instructions for the amateur handyman. Photograph ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association.

Christmas decorations; Handicraft; Plywood; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma);

An elegantly dressed Mrs. Wallace Scott is draped with a luxurious fur wrap as she models for the News Tribune's annual fall fashion layout. She is wearing a natural royal pastel mink "tripolero" cape as she poses near Don Harter's drycleaning establishment at South 7th and Saint Helens Avenue on September 23, 1954. Mrs. Scott is also wearing a two-piece beige wool suit and small veiled hat with large side bow; she is carrying a dark leather handbag and clutching black leather gloves. Photograph ordered by News Tribune. (TNT 9-28-54, C-8)

Fur garments; Women--Clothing & dress--Tacoma--1950-1960; Fashion models--Tacoma--1950-1960; Scott, Wallace--Family;

The Jefferson Avenue Serv-Ur-Self gas station was located next door to C & G Radio Supply Co. in 1954. As the large stand-alone sign indicated, they sold Eagle gas, the "gasoline that lubricates." According to the 1954 City Directory, the service station was owned by Clifford L. Hughes and Ferdinand Lucien. Self-service stations were becoming much more common about this time in our area; customers could save money by pumping their own gas. Photograph ordered by Sunset Oil Co.

Jefferson Avenue Serv-Ur-Self (Tacoma); Automobile service stations--Tacoma--1950-1960; Sunset Oil Co. (Tacoma); Signs (Notices); C & G Radio Supply Co. (Tacoma);

A man examines a piece of plywood sheathing marked "Plyscord", as it is being removed from a pickup truck on October 5, 1954. Several sheets remain to be unloaded to join the those already stacked on the ground. Plywood was a versatile product with many uses; first and foremost may have been in construction. Photograph ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association.

Plywood; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma);

A young man looks pleased as he surveys the snacks carried by the approaching young lady in a September 13, 1954, photograph. She is holding a portable TV table made of wood which will be placed on a metal stand. The tray is designed with handles to make carrying easier. There is more than enough space for a large plate and bowl filled with food. Photograph ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association.

Plywood; Tables; Trays--Tacoma; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma);

The Sunset Oil Co. commissioned several photographs of Eagle service stations be taken in one day on September 22, 1954. View of unidentified Eagle service station shows three fuel stations, a separate repair garage and office. A sign on a nearby post indicates that this is "Gas-O-Lene Alley" and U.S. Royal Tires could be purchased here. The sign above the office building states the probable Sunset Oil motto that EAGLE is the gasoline that lubricates. Photograph ordered by Sunset Oil Co.

Sunset Oil Co. (Tacoma); Automobile service stations--Tacoma--1950-1960; Gasoline pumps--Tacoma--1950-1960; Signs (Notices);

View of Eagle service station. Lettering above a fuel station indicate that this was the Gas Island, located at 3640 Pacific Avenue. According to the 1954 City Directory, David Dippolito and Thomas J. McCallum are listed as owners. The Gas Island sold Eagle gasoline, distributed by Sunset Oil Co., and tires and accessories could also be purchased there. Photograph ordered by Sunset Oil Co.

Sunset Oil Co. (Tacoma); Automobile service stations--Tacoma--1950-1960; Signs (Notices);

Albert W. Taylor, manager of Standard Oil Company of California, meets with Edwin Bitterling, owner of Ed Bitterling Chevron Service, on September 15, 1954. Mr. Taylor is standing outside his company car at the Chevron gas station possibly signing an order for gas. Edwin Bitterling and a fellow worker smile as they wait for him to complete the task. Mr. Bitterling was a recent Pacific Northwest winner in a recent sales and service contest conducted among local Chevron dealers. He would be honored along with his wife Dolly at a dinner given by Standard Oil. He, along with other winners, would be guests of the oil company at the University of Washington- University of Michigan football game preceding the dinner. (TNT 9-22-54, p. 25)

Taylor, Albert W.; Bitterling, Edwin; Automobile service stations--Tacoma--1950-1960; Standard Oil Co. of California (Tacoma);