Automobiles reflect in the plate glass windows at the new location of International Business Machines, 12 Tacoma Ave. No. The IBM store displays clocks in the window and typewriters. What appears to be fluorescent lighting hangs from the ceiling inside the store.

International Business Machines (Tacoma); Office equipment & supplies;

A sign affixed to the exterior of the old Tacoma Transit property. The sign reads, "Site of First Tacoma Building in the Street Car Industry, 1888, Erected by Tacoma Women's Club, June 7, 1927". Ordered by Rinaldo Keasal.

Tacoma Transit Co. (Tacoma); Tacoma Women's Club (Tacoma); Plaques--Tacoma; Street railroads--Tacoma;

Four men are inspecting electric motors at Westinghouse Electric Supply. Arthur F. Sheean was manager of the manufacturing company at this time. Ordered by Verne Hodgins.

Westinghouse Electric Supply Co. (Tacoma); Engines;

The back of the old Tacoma Transit property. Several buses are seen inside the building being serviced. Ordered by Rinaldo Keasal.

Tacoma Transit Co. (Tacoma); Mass transit--Tacoma; Bus terminals--Tacoma; Transportation facilities--Tacoma;

Exterior of Sears store at the corner of South 13th Street and Broadway as pictured on November 15, 1950. The Coliseum Bowling Alley is seen up the hill along South 13th Street and the Savon Rexall Drug store is across Broadway. Ordered by Herb Moore.

Sears, Roebuck & Co. (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma--1950-1960; Coliseum Bowling Alley (Tacoma);

This building, which used to stand at 13th and A St., was originally built in 1889 as the power house for the Tacoma Railway and Motor Company. On June 2, 1920 is was destroyed by a major fire. After being rebuilt, it was used by Tacoma Transit until a fire in February of 1950 destroyed it for the second time. The building was razed in July of 1959 to make way for a parking lot.

Tacoma Transit Co. (Tacoma); Mass transit--Tacoma; Bus terminals--Tacoma; Transportation facilities--Tacoma;

The window display at Kress includes candy from Thompson's Candy House in Seattle: chocolate covered cherries, nut clusters, and chocolate malted milk balls for 69 cents per pound and salted nuts for 10 - 15 cents per 1/4 pound. Goslings are featured with a large poster. Paper napkins and tablecloths are hung against the back wall anticipating the holiday season and see-through plastic toys and snowmen fill the upper shelves.

S.H. Kress & Co. (Tacoma); Window displays--Tacoma--1940-1950; Candy--Tacoma--1940-1950; Variety stores--Tacoma;

Stebner's Floor Covering's new building was formally opened in December 1950. A large showroom extended across the entire front of the building, affording an opportunity to display the many nationally advertised lines of broadloom, carpets, linoleums and tile. A new department featured electrical appliances. The full basement was used for the firm's storage, workrooms and truck space. August Stebner started his floor covering business in Tacoma in 1948 with three employees. With this move to larger quarters, Stebner's had 19 employees. (TNT, 12/8/1950, p.C-5)

Stebner's, Inc. (Tacoma); Floor coverings;

Newly remodeled 2nd floor at Harold E. Dahl Company. The company sold office supplies and furniture, Mosler safes, typewriters, adding machines, and duplicators. This view features metal and wooden desks, desk chairs, visitor chairs, tables, file cabinets, coat racks and lamps.

Harold E. Dahl Co. (Tacoma); Office furniture; Stores & shops--Tacoma--1950-1960; Desks; Chairs;

A tractor and implements are displayed in Buck & Sons showroom with Christmas decorations suggesting a gift for Christmas 1950. The tractor has been covered with plastic wrap.

Buck & Sons Tractor & Implement Co. (Tacoma); Tractors--Tacoma; Merchandise displays--Tacoma--1950-1960; Showrooms--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Consolidated Freightways' annual awards dinner was held at the Country House again in 1950. Four couples are shown at the head table that has been decorated for the holiday season. A banner with Santa Claus wishes "Fellow Freighters a Merry Christmas." Maynard Mayfield was the company's agent at this time.

Consolidated Freightways, Inc. (Tacoma)--Employees; Christmas decorations; Banquets--Tacoma--1940-1950; Country House (Tacoma);

A group of 34 employees pose for their group portrait at Western Furnace. The company had moved into spacious, new shops and showrooms at 2801 South Tacoma Way in July 1949. The company was founded in 1912 and the firm offices were formerly located in the Fidelity Building. The new building covered approximately 10,000 square feet and included offices, showrooms, and repair shops for the nearly 40 employees. One of the longtime employees has been identified as Terence Patrick Francis Rossiter, 50, who would retire from the company about 1960. He is standing with his arms crossed in the top row, second from the left. (TNT, 7/8/1949, p.3) (Additional identification provided by a reader) TPL-10101

Western Furnaces, Inc. (Tacoma)--Employees; Rossiter, Terence Patrick Francis;

Mayberry Motor Parts, Inc. and Oxygen Sales & Service Co. were owned and operated by members of the Mayberry family. Roy B. Mayberry is listed as president of both companies in the 1951 City Directory. Angled view of exterior of businesses; photographed on September 28, 1950. Both Mayberry Motor Parts and Oxygen Sales & Service occupied the same long rectangular building on Market Street.

Mayberry Motor Parts, Inc. (Tacoma); Oxygen Sales & Service Co. (Tacoma); Mayberry, Roy B.;

Exterior view of Lakewood Community Center just prior to its grand re-opening in November, 1951. An extensive addition to the center added 34,000 square feet to the original 25,000 square foot structure. Parking was expanded to accomodate 650 cars. Over twenty stores and businesses would provide goods and services to suburban dwellers in a one-stop shopping concept. The original Lakewood Center was opened in July 1937 under the guidance and ownership of Norton Clapp and his Lakewood Development Company. (TNT 11-14-51, C-19)

Shopping centers--Lakewood--1950-1960; Stores & shops--Lakewood--1950-1960; Lakewood Community Center (Lakewood);

View of Lakewood Colonial Center in November of 1951. Tradewell Supermarket with parking lot and automobiles in foreground. Lakewood Theater under clocktower at rear.

Shopping centers--Lakewood--1950-1960; Tradewell Stores, Inc. (Lakewood); Lakewood Theatre (Lakewood);

Phares Advertising of Seattle commissioned the Richards Studio to take several photographs of model homes in the city's southend in early December, 1951. View of small bedroom; attention is focused on double bed with hunting motif bedspread. Large chest of drawers has attached mirror, smaller drawers of similar design with lamps flank the bed. Floor is wooden to blend in with furniture. Photograph ordered by Phares Advertising.

Phares Advertising Agency (Seattle); Model houses--Tacoma; Bedrooms--Tacoma--1950-1960; Bedspreads; Clothes chests--Tacoma; Lamps;

The new Selden's of Lakewood opened in November, 1951, in the recently expanded Lakewood Community Center. Selden's had a well-established reputation as a leader in floor coverings; their original store was located on Broadway. Their new Lakewood location, in addition to carrying rugs, linoleum, carpets and draperies, also carried household appliances and televisions. View of floor coverings section of Selden's of Lakewood, including massive rolls of flooring contained in two large open cabinets, rolled carpets on floor, and piles of small rugs. (TNT 11-14-51, C-18)

Selden's of Lakewood, Inc. (Lakewood); Stores & shops--Lakewood--1950-1960; Floor coverings; Rugs;

Selden's, specialists in floor coverings, opened a Lakewood branch location in the newly expanded Lakewood Community Center in November, 1951. Selden's of Lakewood, Inc., sold televisions and household appliances in addition to providing the traditional Selden's expertise in interior decorating and floor coverings. Sydney C. Selden, Jr., was the president of the Lakewood store and it was managed by LeRoy Walton. View of four televisions in wooden cabinets, stoves and Crosley Shelvador refrigerators. (TNT 11-14-51, C-18)

Selden's of Lakewood, Inc. (Lakewood); Stores & shops--Lakewood--1950-1960; Televisions--1950-1960; Stoves--Lakewood--1950-1960; Refrigerators;

Selden's Lakewood Store. Rolls of floor covering on left side with wall of draperies and curtain samples hanging in the back. Tables of drapery material on bolts with some being upright and some laying down. Photograph was taken in November of 1951.

Seldens of Lakewood, Inc. (Lakewood); Floor coverings; Draperies;

Two small tables with jewelry and a purse. Gloves, dress, and a suit are hanging by the closets. Also includes a small table with telephone and chair. Two chairs are by a table in another room. These tasteful items were part of the newly renovated Lou Johnson's located in the Lakewood Center as pictured on November 13, 1951. Lou Johnson's had been located in Lakewood since 1944 as the first of its kind to open in the district, specializing in fine apparel for women. The renovation added new lighting and soft colors to the shop. Mrs. Earl Fraser was the manager of the Lakewood Lou Johnson's. The store's parent company had been located at 755 Broadway since the mid-1920's. (TNT 11-14-1951, C-10)

Lou Johnson, Inc. (Lakewood); Clothing stores--Lakewood;

Baker's Men's Shop celebrated their grand opening of their new branch location at the newly expanded and remodeled Lakewood Community Center in November, 1951. Baker's was owned by brothers Donald T. Baker and Le Roy F. Baker; their Lakewood store was managed by Darrell Sanders. "Personal service with nationally advertised brands" was Baker's sales slogan. View of interior of Baker's Lakewood Center store; store featured large clothing display of suits and topcoats, also Stetson hats and casual wear. (TNT 11-14-51, C-12)

Clothing stores--Lakewood; Stores & shops--Lakewood; Baker's Men's Shop (Lakewood); Hats--1950-1960; Clothing & dress--Lakewood--1950-1960;

Lakewood Pharmacy, view of interior taken from soda fountain. Founded in 1937, the Lakewood Pharmacy gone undergone its fourth store enlargement by November, 1951. The last remodeling added an additional 50% in floor space. Jack C. Lowe and Daniel W. McDowell were the owners and registered pharmacists. The pharmacy ran a full page ad in the November 14, 1951, News Tribune which entreated customers to purchase items ranging from Medosweet ice cream to baby supplies. (TNT 11-14-51, C-20, C-21) TPL-9168

Drugstores--Lakewood; Pharmacists--Lakewood; Lakewood Pharmacy (Lakewood); Soda fountains--Lakewood;

Lakewood Pharmacy was not a new tenant of the expanded Lakewood Community Center but it had recently undergone its fourth remodeling in 1951 and added 50% more floor space to the business. Owned and operated by registered pharmacists Jack C. Lowe and Daniel W. McDowell, the drugstore not only dispensed medicines but also sold a variety of useful items. View of interior of pharmacy, showing card racks and tables laden with candy, tissues, baby items and stationery. The soda fountain, to the rear of the store, was one of the busiest in the area. Customers could even take home some delicious Medosweet Ice Cream in brick form due to the modern walk-in storage facilities. (TNT 11-14-51, C-20,C-21)

Drugstores--Lakewood; Pharmacists--Lakewood; Lakewood Pharmacy (Lakewood); Soda fountains--Lakewood;

Heavy wire screens served not only to keep insects at bay but also provided additional security features. The California Wire Cloth Corporation, located in Seattle, sold heavy screens to the National Guard; view of wooden building at Camp Murray with doorway and three windows all screened. Photograph ordered by California Wire Cloth Corporation.

California Wire Cloth Corp. (Seattle); Screens--Camp Murray; Camp Murray (Wash.);

The California Wire Cloth Corporation manufactured heavy wire screens. They were located in Seattle at 3434 - 2nd Avenue South. They sold their products to the Washington State Department of Military, which outfitted their buildings at Camp Murray. Daylight longshot view of building at Camp Murray with screens; photograph taken on November 5, 1951. Photograph ordered by California Wire Cloth Corporation.

California Wire Cloth Corp. (Seattle); Screens--Camp Murray; Camp Murray (Wash.);

Interior of Ghilarducci's Floral Shop, Lakewood. Cool room on right with floral arrangements inside, cash register and counter at the rear with shelves above and beside it with plants and planters. Known as "Gilly's," it was a small scale reproduction of the downtown Ghilarducci's California Florist store. Located next to the new Town & Country shop, Gilly's aim was to serve suburbanites. The 30 X 24 foot interior had one wall of cork, one of red brick and one of glass. It opened on November 5, 1951 and was managed by Margaret Moritz. (TNT 11-14-1951, C-6)

Gilly's (Lakewood); Florist shops--Lakewood;

Exterior view of Selden's of Lakewood. Large plate glass windows display Selden's merchandise in the Selden's of Lakewood new store located in the new addition to the Lakewood Community Center. The November, 1951, photograph shows floor coverings, stoves and refrigerators in the Colonial style brick building. Sydney C. Selden, Jr., son of Selden's Inc. founder, Sydney C. Selden, Sr., was the president of Selden's of Lakewood. He began his career in the family business as an apprentice before becoming credit manager. Selden, Sr., saw the business expand from five employees to 180 with stores in Tacoma, Longview, Chehalis, Olympia, and now Lakewood. (TNT 11-14-51, C-18)

Selden's of Lakewood, Inc. (Lakewood); Stores & shops--Lakewood--1950-1960; Floor coverings; Rugs; Refrigerators;

Lakewood Shops. The "Lakewood Shops" on Gravelly Lake Drive was one of the earliest modern business structures in the area. The shops were home to Pitman Hardware, DeKoven Cleaners, Jo Christensen's Style Center, Lakewood Radio-Television, Pentimonti's Lakewood, and the Circus Toy shop. Customers enjoyed convenient parking and were able to easily walk between the various stores. (TNT 11-14-51, A-13)

Shopping centers--Lakewood--1950-1960; Stores & shops--Lakewood--1950-1960;

In this September 18, 1951, photograph, a man has a dynamometer attached to a Tacoma Transit bus and appears to be studying the readings from it. This dynamometer is manufactured by the Clayton Manufacturing Company of El Monte, California, and is an apparatus that measures the mechanical power of an engine. The bus is parked in the Tacoma Transit garage at 13th and Sprague. The tranit garage was built in 1950. TPL-7632

Tacoma Transit Co. (Tacoma); Buses--Tacoma--1950-1960; Electrical apparatus;

Northwest Radio, Inc. celebrated the grand opening of its second Tacoma store at 3009 Sixth Avenue on November 1, 1951. According to the two full page ads in the Tacoma News Tribune, Northwest Radio was offering specials such as a brand new Philco 17 inch console TV with 3-speed record changer for $412.45 and a 20 inch Motorola TV for $314.95. Orchids were given to the first 500 women to vist the store and special gifts were promised to all children who came with their parents.

Northwest Radio, Inc. (Tacoma); Televisions--1950-1960