The Tacoma Mall Thriftway supermarket had its grand opening on October 13,1965. The store was decorated throughout with wooden panels and murals that, through color and design, imitated Pacific Northwest Indian art motifs without reproducing actual design elements from any particular tribe. In the Bakery Department, shelves offered a variety of freshly baked goods and apparently offered wedding cakes as well since a variety of bride-and-groom ornaments were displayed. The supermarket became part of the Lucky's chain in the early 1970's and was converted later into the Mall's food court. (Photograph ordered by Associated Grocers.) (TNT 10-12-65, C-8, C-9 Ad, C-13)

Bakeries--Tacoma--1960-1970; Baked products--Tacoma; Supermarkets--Tacoma--1960-1970; Tacoma Mall Thriftway (Tacoma); Merchandise displays--Tacoma--1960-1970;

Jordan's Baking Co. at 54th and So. Washington. The bakery was celebrating its 23rd business birthday in 1959. Jordan's began in 1936 in Old Tacoma with 3 employees and one delivery truck. They moved in 1939 to this location in South Tacoma. In 1959, Jordan's employed 110 persons with a payroll exceeding $600,000 annually. Their number 1 product was Jordan's white bread. (TNT 4/7/1959, pg. C-20)

Jordan's Baking Co. (Tacoma); Bakeries--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Continental scenes. Since 1928 Continental Baking Co., bakers of Wonder Bread and Hostess Cakes, have been baking Wonder Bread products at their bakery at 701 S. Sprague Ave. Continental has been producing Tacoma products for Tacoma residents in one of the most modern bakeries in the Northwest. There is an oven with a capacity of over 3,500 loaves per hour, a new proof box and other equipment to give the plant a capacity of 90,000 loaves a day. Employees number 95, with an annual payroll of nearly a million dollars. The bakery operates 45 vehicles, distributing as far south as Olympia, Centralia and Chehalis. (TNT 09-01-1961 B5)

Continental Baking Co. (Tacoma); Bakeries--Tacoma--1950-1960; Baking--Tacoma; Bread--Tacoma;

Continental Baking Co. had been in Tacoma for decades and used the most up-to-date methods and equipment for their baked goods. Known widely for their Wonder Bread, the bakery turned out thousands of loaves on a daily basis. Bakery employees are pictured here on August 27, 1958, placing loaves in the massive new 40 foot long oven for baking and then putting the finished products on large racks. The bread emerges from the ovens and then is cooled. Other new equipment purchased were a new proof box, divider, slicing and wrapping machines. The men all wear caps to keep stray hairs from contaminating the bread. Approximately 100 local residents worked at the bakery. It would be celebrating its 30th anniversary here in Tacoma as part of Continental Baking Co. Sepia photograph ordered by Continental Baking Co. (TNT 9-7-58, B-2)

Continental Baking Co. (Tacoma); Bakeries--Tacoma--1950-1960; Baking--Tacoma;

Dark clouds drift over the Continental Baking Co.'s plant on August 27, 1958. The Romanesque brick buildings had arched doorways and windows. Built in 1913, it had undergone several remodelings since then, including a new addition built in 1958. Continental Baking was the home of Wonder Bread and a large banner with the brand name and familiar polka dotted wrapping was wrapped around a rooftop tower. The newly remodeled bakery now had 40,000 square feet and the capacity of 90,000 loaves of bread a day. Approximately 100 people were employed at the Wonder Bread bakery which was the oldest major bakery in Tacoma to be operated continuously by one concern. It was celebrating its 30th anniversary in Tacoma under the Continental Bakery ownership. Photograph ordered by Continental Baking Co. (TNT 9-7-58, B-2)

Continental Baking Co. (Tacoma); Bakeries--Tacoma--1950-1960; Facades--Tacoma--1950-1960; Signs (Notices);

The days when fresh bread had to be wrapped by hand were apparently gone by the 1950's. Continental Baking Co. used modern equipment to efficiently wrap the multitude of baked goods it produced daily. Loaves of bread enter a wrapping machine and emerge on a roller completely wrapped in the familiar polka dotted Wonder Bread design. View of wrapping machines taken on August 27, 1958; one man is placing wrapped loaves of bread onto racks. There are several racks completely filled with Wonder Bread while others wait on a table to be shelved. Photograph ordered by Continental Baking Co.

Continental Baking Co. (Tacoma); Bakeries--Tacoma--1950-1960; Baking--Tacoma; Bread; Machinery;

The Continental Baking Company, makers of Wonder Bread, would be celebrating its 30th anniversary with a series of photographs taken by the Richards Studio showing a typical day at Continental. Here an employee, wearing a Hostess Cake cap, is measuring bread dough prior to baking. He is using a Toledo Speedweigh scale for precise weight. Once weighed, the bread dough would be placed in separate trays in preparation for baking. The bakery would be holding an open house in early September, 1958, to allow the public to see the new addition built to their Sprague Ave. property. Photograph ordered by Continental Baking Co.

Continental Baking Co. (Tacoma); Bread--Tacoma; Baking--Tacoma; Scales;

Buchan's Baking Co. employees stand beneath a newly erected sign mounted on the exterior of the bakery's brick building on South 38th & Yakima Ave. Buchan's heavily advertised their "Bonnie Good Bread Baked in Tacoma" in its familiar tartan wrapping. It was white enriched bread. These men pictured on October 11, 1958, were in all likelihood part of the Buchan's delivery staff. They are neatly dressed in dark uniforms with bowties and white shirts. The man on the extreme right, front row, is probably Alan G. Buchan, bakery owner. Photograph ordered by Buchan's Baking Co.

Buchan's Baking Co. (Tacoma); Bakeries--Tacoma--1950-1960; Signs (Notices);

Buchan's Baking Co. had recently erected a new sign on their brick building at South 38th & Yakima Ave. Twenty-two men assembled beneath the sign on October 11, 1958, for a group portrait. All the employees, with the exception of the man on the extreme right first row, wore neat uniforms, white shirts and bowties. Each uniform had the company name on a label above a chest pocket. The suited man may have been Alan Buchan, company owner. Buchan's had a large fleet of delivery trucks; it is likely that these men were the bakery's drivers. Photograph ordered by Buchan's Baking Co.

Buchan's Baking Co. (Tacoma); Bakeries--Tacoma--1950-1960; Signs (Notices);

Alan Buchan and his large staff of delivery truck drivers posed outside the Buchan's Baking Company bakery at 3802 Yakima Avenue South on October 11, 1958. The Buchan family had been in the bakery business in western Washington since 1913. The Buchan bakery in Tacoma opened in 1955 when they purchased the Morning Fresh Bakery at the corner of 38th and Yakima Avenue South. The building was originally built in 1919. The patriarch of the Buchan family business became a baker at the age of 14 in his native Scotland. The bakery was known for their "Bonnie Good Bread Baked in Tacoma" which was made of the choicest Northwest wheat and enriched with protein and vitamins. The Tacoma Buchan's was owned and operated by Alan G. Buchan; it closed in 1968 and the building has since been demolished. (Photograph ordered by Buchan's Baking Co.) TPL-9897

Buchan's Baking Co. (Tacoma); Bakeries--Tacoma--1950-1960; Trucks--Tacoma--1950-1960;

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;

Tacoma Bread Co.'s main product appeared to be their Kream Krust Bread. It was heavily advertised on both the wholesale bakery's building and on their fleet of delivery trucks. Employees of Tacoma Bread stand proudly alongside the neatly aligned row of trucks on a foggy August, 1954, morning. The company was owned and operated by the Manthou family, with Mrs. Irene Manthou listed as president-treasurer in the 1954 City Directory. They had been at their (then) Center St. location for over 20 years. Begun as a small one-man shop by owner Chris Manthou, Tacoma Bread had expanded to a 37-employee bakery by 1954. It was Tacoma's oldest bakery. (TNT 8-30-54, p. 9) TPL-9774

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

ca. 1930. Copy of customer print. Employees of the Tacoma Bread Co. stand proudly in front of their fleet of delivery trucks in a photograph possibly taken in the 1930's. This was a far cry from the horse and buggy used to deliver bread to South Tacoma families when the bakery first started in the 1920's. The Tacoma Bread Co. was a long-time local bakery that was well-known for Manthou's Kream Krust Bread. Run by the Chris Manthou family, it expanded its facilities many times through the years. This old print was copied for the Tacoma Bread Co. on August 23, 1954; actual date of print is unknown.

Tacoma Bread Co. (Tacoma); Bakeries--Tacoma--1950-1960; Trucks--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Mother's Day in 1931 was rapidly approaching as the Federal Bakery, 1107 So. "K" St. (now Martin Luther King Jr. Way) showcased a mouthwatering display of Betty Crocker's "Mothers' Day" cakes. The cakes sold for as low as 65 cents apiece. Photograph ordered by Sperry Flour.

Federal Bakery (Tacoma); Bakeries--Tacoma--1930-1940; Cakes--Tacoma--1930-1940; Window displays--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Employees of the U.S. Bakery posed alongside their fleet of delivery trucks in April of 1923. The bakery had just signed a contract with Sutherland Co., Inc., to operate their trucks only on General Tires. They chose to limit tires only to the General brand despite the fact they had never used them before. Good reports by others on the tires prompted them to do so. The United States Bakery was located at So. I St. and Center St. from 1921 to 1930. Chris Manthou, with partners John Kokotos and John Efandis, operated the wholesale bakery. Manthou remained as president when the Tacoma Bread Company took over operations in 1931. The building was demolished during urban renewal, about 1967. G33.1-010; TPL-909 (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 5-6-23, C-7)

United States Bakery (Tacoma); Bakeries--Tacoma--1920-1930; Trucks--Tacoma--1920-1930; Tires;

ca. 1907. This building at 3636 E. "H" Street (now McKinley Avenue) was built by William J. Goellner and was the home of the McKinley Park Bakery from 1906 through 1914. Mr. Goellner also lived at this location. In 1915, he had moved his bakery to Pacific Ave, although his home was still listed at this address. By 1917, he had moved his home to North 25th Street. Mr. Goellner died June 27, 1942 in Sumner at the age of 64. He had been a resident of Tacoma for 53 years. He was the owner of the Northwestern Bakery and operated a chain of retail stores. He was survived only by his sisters. (TNT 7/14/1942, pg. 13; Tacoma City Directory)

McKinley Park Bakery (Tacoma); Goellner, William John; Bakeries--Tacoma--1900-1910;

Group at Continental Baking Company, M. Hook. The wholesale bakery was first built as Matthaei Bread Company in 1913. Continental took over the location in 1934. W.E. Taylor served as manager of the bakery. Nineteen employees stand together on the steps of the bakery. A sign advertising Wonder Bread is on the door behind them.

Continental Baking Co. (Tacoma); Bakeries--Tacoma--1940-1950; Employees--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Group at Continental Baking Co., M. Hook. Vincent Hook was the chief clerk at Continental at this time. A policeman and one of the men from Continental Baking Co. stand near a sign advertising Wonder Bread with a Multi-band radio.

Continental Baking Co. (Tacoma); Bakeries--Tacoma--1940-1950; Employees--Tacoma--1940-1950; Police--Tacoma--1940-1950; Radios;

In this photograph from December of 1948, Ernie Rice, the owner of Hoyt's Doughnut Shop at 2412 6th Ave., holds a tray of freshly deep fried doughnuts. Ernest A. (Ernie) Rice and the Hoyt Doughnut Co. shop were synonymous, and the two were legendary in the history of the Sixth Avenue Business District. Mr. Rice started working at Hoyt's in 1911, the business was originally owned by Jim and Hoyt Lesher, Ernie later married Jim and Hoyt's sister. He purchased the business in 1947. After making donuts for 48 years, he retired in 1959 (T. Times, 12/19/48, p. 2). TPL-10187

Bakeries--Tacoma; Doughnuts; Cooks; Cookery--Tacoma; Confections--Tacoma; Confectioneries--Tacoma; Hoyt Doughnut Co. (Tacoma); Rice, Ernest A.;

ca. 1924. Advertising for products from the Tacoma Biscuit & Candy Co. On the left is a bag of "Eat-Mor Mammy's Sugar Cookies" and on the right is a container of "Everybody's Cracker Meal." The Tacoma Biscuit & Candy Co. was located at the corner of East F and 25th. Charles Hotchkiss was president and J.G. Bassett was manager. (WSHS)

Tacoma Biscuit & Candy Co. (Tacoma); Baked products;

ca. 1924. Tacoma Biscuit and Candy Company. Boxes of Skookum, Graham, and Snowflake crackers. The company was located at the corner of East F and 25th. Charles Hotchkiss was the president and J.G. Bassett was the manager. (WSHS)

Tacoma Biscuit & Candy Co. (Tacoma); Crackers;

View of Rhodes Department Store Building, Fredrick Heath and A.J. Russell, Architects, 1903. View from across street, pedestrians and traffic in foreground. Publicity for three day sale.

Business Enterprises - Department Stores - Tacoma - Rhodes Brothers

Model Bakery truck for International Harvester Co. The vehicle is parked along side of Washburn's Market at 2602 No. Proctor. It appears that some baked goods, probably Model's Star Loaf brand, are being delivered to the I.G.A. grocery on February 1, 1939.

Model Bakery (Tacoma); Trucks--Tacoma--1930-1940; Washburn's Market (Tacoma);

Model Bakery truck for International Harvester Co. The delivery truck is parked directly in front of Washburn's Market at 2602 No. Proctor on February 1, 1939. The driver has the rear door open and is in the process of taking out goods sent from the bakery. Model Bakery advertised its "Star Loaf" as Tacoma's finest bread.

Model Bakery (Tacoma); Trucks--Tacoma--1930-1940; Washburn's Market (Tacoma);

Melo-Cream Bakery, interior of new store on North Tacoma Avenue. Glass cases filled with baked goods and counters adorned with bouquets of flowers, indicating a Grand Opening celebration. Polk's City Directory shows this address as vacant in 1938 and as Tacoma Pastry Shop in 1939. (filed with Argentum)

Melo-Cream Bakery (Tacoma); Bakeries--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Model Bakery trucks photographed with their drivers for International Harvester in February of 1939. The delivery trucks have signs advertising the bakery's Star Loaf bread. (filed with Argentum)

Model Bakery (Tacoma)--Associated objects; Trucks--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Model Bakery trucks photographed for International Harvester in February of 1939. The delivery trucks have signs advertising the bakery's Star Loaf bread. (filed with Argentum)

Model Bakery (Tacoma)--Associated objects; Trucks--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Continental Bakery employees in Western clothes and hats pose in front of the bakery. Two delivery trucks behind the employees have signs that read "Picnic days are here again." The tower at the top of the building proudly states that Continental is the home of "Wonder Bread." The employees are taking part in the city wide celebration of Washington State's Golden Jubilee July 16-23, 1939.

Continental Baking Co. (Tacoma); Cowboy hats; Washington State Golden Jubilee, 1939--Tacoma;

The Continental Baking Company building at 703 So. Sprague Ave. dates to 1913 when it was built for the Matthaei Bread Co., the makers of Matthaei's Honey Bread. For this photograph, taken in 1939, the Continental Bakery employees are dressed in western clothes and hats as part of the Washington State Golden Jubilee celebration. Continental, "The Home of Wonder Bread", is still at 703 So. Sprague.

Continental Baking Co. (Tacoma); Cowboy hats; Washington State Golden Jubilee, 1939--Tacoma;

Home of "Wonder Bread"; the Wonder Bakery at 703 S. Sprague. Continental opened its Wonder Bread Bakery here in 1934.

Continental Baking Co. (Tacoma); Bakeries--Tacoma--1930-1940;