ca. 1890. This photograph of the Cascade Steam Laundry, 2124 A Street, was taken sometime in the 1890's. The laundry's fleet of delivery wagons, harnessed to horses, is lined up in front of the business. Cascade Steam Laundry employed 36 men and women in 1891 with a monthly payroll of $1800. Proprietor H.A. Durr had recently remodeled the building to increase the width by 12 feet and increase the height by one story. Appliances included six washing machines, one large mangler (ironer) with a new one to be installed shortly, one extractor (wringer) and one 18-rack dry room. The Cascade Steam Laundry was established in 1886. (copy of original) Bi-Centennial Project # 75346-33 BU-12654 G35.1-167 (TDL 10-9-1891, p. 3-article)

Cascade Steam Laundry (Tacoma); Cleaning establishments--Tacoma--1890-1900; Carts & wagons--Tacoma--1890-1900;

ca. 1890. It seems to be a slow business day at the Charles Berger Carriage Manufacturing & Supply Company at 15th and Commerce in Tacoma around 1890. Employees, some in leather aprons, pose outside of the blacksmith and wagon making company. The company also does carriage painting and trimming. Board sidewalks run down the hill beside the building and the Waverley Hotel can be seen in the right background. (Copy of original)

Charles Berger Carriage Manufacturing & Supply Co. (Tacoma); Waverley Hotel (Tacoma); Forge shops--Tacoma--1890-1900;

ca. 1890. It seems to be a slow business day at the Charles Berger Carriage Manufacturing & Supply Company at 15th and Commerce in Tacoma around 1890. Employees, some in leather aprons, pose outside of the blacksmith and wagon making company. The company also does carriage painting and trimming. Board sidewalks run down the hill beside the building and the Waverley Hotel can be seen in the right background. (Copy of original)

Charles Berger Carriage Manufacturing & Supply Co. (Tacoma); Waverley Hotel (Tacoma); Forge shops--Tacoma--1890-1900;

ca. 1909. Tobie J. Anderson in coat and hat, gloves in hand, selecting a cigar at the Miners Trading Co. general store in Wilkeson, WA. The shelves and display cases of the store are filled with merchandise, and there is a victrola sitting on the counter. From the collection of N. P. Anderson TPL-9750

Miners Trading Co. (Wilkeson); General stores--Wilkeson--1900-1910; Anderson, Tobie J.;

ca. 1911. South Tacoma Drug Store, 5401 South Tacoma Way Fred Ludwig, proprietor. This circa 1911 photograph shows the interior of the drugstore along with employees and customer(s). Frederick Andrew Ludwig, University of Washington School of Pharmacy graduate, is in the foreground, far left. Others in the photograph (order unknown) are: Lee Jewell, Erny Bittner, J.A. Dague, and Dr. Carlsen (possibly E.L. Carlsen). Mr. Ludwig partnered with pioneer pharmacist J.A. Dague to buy Tacoma's oldest pharmacy, Yuill & McKenzie, in 1910. The pharmacy was moved to 5401 South Tacoma Way in 1911. In 1916 Mr. Ludwig acquired sole ownership of the drugstore which now bore his name. Mr. Ludwig, founder of the Tacoma chain of Ludwig Drug Stores, died on February 4, 1976, at the age of 88. (TNT 2-5-76, D-9-obituary)

South Tacoma Drug Co. (Tacoma); Ludwig Drugs (Tacoma); Drugstores--Tacoma--1910-1920; Ludwig, Frederick Andrew; Dague, J.A.; Jewell, Lee;

ca. 1913. This photograph of the Eggers Fish Co., located at the City Dock at the foot of South 15th St., was taken circa 1913. The company had previously been known as the American Fish Co. which had long been operated by Theodore F. Eggers. By the 1913 City Directory, its listing had been changed from American Fish to Eggers Fish, "Successor to American Fish Co." Mr. Eggers remained as president/manager. The group of people in front of the store are probably employees. The horse-drawn cart was probably used for deliveries.

Eggers Fish Co. (Tacoma); Seafood stores--Tacoma; Carts & wagons--Tacoma--1910-1920;

In July of 1919, the Ideal Tea Co. at 927-29 Tacoma Ave. So. made its deliveries with a horse drawn wagon. Milton H. Hoch, who had moved to Tacoma from Omaha around 1915, was manager of the tea and coffee shop. These buildings on Tacoma Avenue South were later demolished to make way for modern office buildings across from the County City Building. BU 12,939; Boland # B1998

Ideal Tea Co. (Tacoma);

Edward C. Hill, an officer of the South Tacoma Mill, was president of the Water Power Furniture Co. on Steilacoom Lake, listed in the Tacoma City Directory from 1917 through 1922. The furniture factory was located at Custer Station, now Lakewood, at approximately 8700 Edgewater Drive S.W. An elevated walkway connected the two buildings on the property. It is believed to have occupied the site previously used by the Coops Piano Company. J. Carr was the General Manager of Water Power Furniture for the early years. By 1922, the company also listed J.M. Smith, W.C. Miller and A.H. Fischer as officers. G35.1-013

Water Power Furniture Co. (Lakewood); Furniture industry--Lakewood;

A clever advertising stunt by the Auto Delivery Co. spelled out the word "Service" using one letter per delivery truck lined up in a row in mid-August of 1919. According to the 1920 City Directory, transfer and storage along with long distance hauling were the company's specialties. The firm was located at 722 Commerce St. The trucks were probably participating in the "Ship by Truck" parade of 500+ trucks held on Saturday, August 16, 1919. Nearly every truck offered for sale in Tacoma was represented in the parade that rolled through Tacoma's downtown business district. The day of the horse and cart was just about over and truck and tire companies were eager to show the public the benefits of this improved means of transportation. G66.2-129 (TDL 8-14-19, p. 2-article on parade)

Auto Delivery Co. (Tacoma); Moving & storage trade--Tacoma--1910-1920; Trucks--Tacoma--1910-1920;

Additional view of the Water Power Furniture Co. on Steilacoom Lake circa August of 1919. A wooden ladder dangles from the fifth floor of the plant to possibly serve as a fire escape in lieu of actual stairs. Edward C. Hill was listed as the president of the firm in the 1920 City Directory. See Boland B2187 for alternate view of company site including additional building. G21.1-159

Water Power Furniture Co. (Lakewood); Furniture industry--Lakewood;

ca. 1920. A raft of logs being brought by early day tug "The Black Prince" to the Sedro Box and Veneer Co. plant at Sedro Woolley, Washington. A group of well dressed people stand calmly on this precarious log perch on the Skagit River. The Sedro plant went out of business after a devastating fire in December of 1924, but the individuals involved in its formation and management became the leaders in the growing Northwest plywood industry. ("The Plywood Age" by Robert M. Cour)

Sedro Box and Veneer Co. (Sedro-Woolley); plywood; Lumber industry--Sedro-Woolley--1920-1930; Mills--Sedro-Woolley--1920-1930;

ca. 1920. The Sedro Box and Veneer Co. plant at Sedro Woolley, Washington. Stacks of completed fir panels sit waiting shipment to door companies such as Wheeler Osgood of Tacoma. By 1920, William J. "Cottonwood Bill" Royse, a legendary millwork veteran with a hearty handshake and a flamboyant air, and Clyde D. Lloyd, the consummate businessman, eased off the production of boxes and crates at their plant to begin manufacturing plywood panels. Business took off and by 1924 orders were piling up. Business boomed until the plant was destroyed by fire on December 4, 1924. ("The Plywood Age" by Robert M. Cour)

Sedro Box and Veneer Co. (Sedro-Woolley); plywood; Lumber industry--Sedro-Woolley--1920-1930; Mills--Sedro-Woolley--1920-1930;

ca. 1920. A forest of logs waits for processing at the Sedro Box and Veneer Co. plant at Sedro Woolley, Washington. Around the time that the company began gluing fir panels, wages were a dollar a day for 10 hours of work and peelers were available for $3 a thousand. The plant produced fir panels for doors and one-side good panels for drawer bottoms. By 1924, orders were piling up and the plant was running at full capacity. ("The Plywood Age" by Robert M. Cour)

Sedro Box and Veneer Co. (Sedro-Woolley); plywood; Lumber industry--Sedro-Woolley--1920-1930; Mills--Sedro-Woolley--1920-1930;

ca. 1920. The "veneer canal at Sedro-Woolley", part of the Sedro Box and Veneer Co. plant at Sedro Woolley, Washington. The Douglas fir peeler logs were floated on the Skagit River to the area of the plant and brought to the mill by this canal. The same river that brought in the logs also frequently flooded the plant, including a major flood in January of 1918 that cost the plant $20,000. ("The Plywood Age" by Robert M. Cour)

Sedro Box and Veneer Co. (Sedro-Woolley); plywood; Lumber industry--Sedro-Woolley--1920-1930; Mills--Sedro-Woolley--1920-1930;

ca. 1920. The mill and some employees of the Sedro Box and Veneer Co. at Sedro Woolley, Washington. This photograph was taken in the early 1920's before the plant burned to the ground. The plant began plywood panel production in 1919 and by 1924 business was booming. Wages were a dollar a day for 10 hours and peelers were available at $3 a thousand. The plant employed 125 men and operated 24 hours a day. Then on December 4, 1924, the entire plant was destroyed by fire. There was little insurance and that went to the bank that supplied the money for the rebuild after the 1918 fire. The owners thanked the volunteer firemen for their valiant effort to save the plant and went out of business. ("The Plywood Age" by Robert M. Cour)

Sedro Box and Veneer Co. (Sedro-Woolley); plywood; Lumber industry--Sedro-Woolley--1920-1930; Mills--Sedro-Woolley--1920-1930;

ca. 1920. The Sedro Box and Veneer Co. plant at Sedro Woolley, Washington. One of the pioneering companies in plywood production, the plant was started in 1905 by William J. "Cottonwood Bill" Royse, Clyde D. Lloyd and Charles Peterson. The plant originally made spice and coffee drums and berry baskets from the veneer made of the surrounding cottonwood trees. A fire destroyed the original plant in February of 1918 and the new, improved and larger plant included a panel department for the production of Douglas fir plywood panels. ("The Plywood Age" by Robert M. Cour)

Sedro Box and Veneer Co. (Sedro-Woolley); plywood; Lumber industry--Sedro-Woolley--1920-1930; Mills--Sedro-Woolley--1920-1930;

ca. 1920. The mill and some employees of the Sedro Box and Veneer Co. at Sedro Woolley, Washington. This photograph was taken in the early 1920's before the plant burned to the ground. Begun with an initial investment of $18,000, the Sedro plant was opened by William J. (Cottonwood Bill) Royse, Clyde D. Lloyd and Charles Peterson in 1905. The plant was jinxed from the very beginning. It was frequently flooded by the unpredictable Skagit River and the first plant burned to the ground on February 3, 1918. Local bankers put up $90,000 to rebuild, taking a mortgage on the plant. The new plant was larger and had a panel department. By 1924, business was booming. They employed 125 men and operated 24 hours a day. ("The Plywood Age" by Robert M. Cour

Sedro Box and Veneer Co. (Sedro-Woolley); plywood; Lumber industry--Sedro-Woolley--1920-1930; Mills--Sedro-Woolley--1920-1930;

On May 8, 1920, six employees of the Postal Telegraph Cable Company at 1105 A Street were mounted on their bicycles and ready to deliver messages to local businesses and residents. The messengers are all dressed in uniform including caps. The man standing in the doorway of the firm is possibly L.L. Craft, manager. The Postal Telegraph Cable Co. was located across the street from the Federal Building whose reflection can be spotted on the large store window.

Postal Telegraph Cable Co. (Tacoma); Messengers--Tacoma; Bicycles & tricycles--Tacoma--1920-1930; Cyclists--Tacoma; Delivery boys--Tacoma;

Coils of wire are spread out on display outside the American Wood Pipe Co., 3200 South Cedar St., in August of 1920. The wire will be used to wrap wooden irrigation pipe. American Wood Pipe, established in January of 1913, was located on six acres in the Center St. manufacturing district. By 1921, it was considered the largest single wood pipe factory in the world. G36.1-107 (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 12-4-21, p. 7-article)

Wire; American Wood Pipe Co. (Tacoma);

J.B. Flory, the president of Bismarck Fuel Company located at 5624 McKinley Avenue, sang the praises of the company's Day-Elder delivery trucks in the September 19, 1920, Daily Ledger. The trucks were Model C, 2.5 to 3 ton capacity with the first delivered in mid-May of 1920. The company was pleased with their performance, rigid construction, pulling power and serviceability. They found the trucks to be very economical in running expense and upkeep. West Coast Steel Company was the Tacoma dealer for the truck which retailed for $2,850 apiece. West Coast Steel was able to handle Bismarck's request to have a special cab and windshield installed on one of the trucks. (TDL 9/19/1920, pg. C-7; Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 5-9-20, C-5-West Coast Steel ad; Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 5-23-20, C-6) TPL-1502; G35.1-062.

Bismarck Fuel Co. (Tacoma); Trucks--Tacoma--1920-1930; Day-Elder trucks;

In October of 1920, Al McCoy, one of the last farriers working in Tacoma posed beside "Big John," the veteran fire horse of the Tacoma Fire Department and one of McCoy's steady customers for 20 years. Mr. McCoy worked at the John A. Andrews Blacksmith Shop, located at 1330-32 Commerce St. "Big John" waited patiently for Mr. McCoy to fit his new shoes. He was no longer needed to pull Tacoma's fire wagons and Mrs. W.R. Rust and the Tacoma Humane Society had narrowly saved him from being sent to a glue factory. (TDL 10/3/1920 p.B-4) G66.1-119

Blacksmiths--Tacoma; McCoy, Al; John A. Andrews Blacksmith Shop (Tacoma); Forge shops--Tacoma; Horses--Tacoma--1920-1930;

In September of 1920, work was begun on the Consumers Central Heating Co., a huge steam heating plant on Dock St. at the foot of 11th St. By the end of October, the last brick had been laid in the 200 foot stack, second only in size to the one located at the Tacoma Smelting Co. Boilers had been installed, and the tunnel excavated for the pipe from the plant that would connect to the piping system of the city. The new plant was needed to supply heat to the new construction in downtown Tacoma - the Rust Building, Scandinavian American Bank and the National Bank of Tacoma. In an innovative move, it would run on refuse wood from Tacoma's many mills. The plant was expected to be fully operational by mid-November. The city liked the location of the plant so much that in 1922 they erected their own plant at 1145 Dock St. (The site of Dutho Rubber Co. and Pacific Machine Shop in the picture.) In September of 1979, 59 years later, the Cental Heating plant shut down permanently. The stack was dismantled brick by brick in 1980. (TDL 10/31/1920, pg. 5- picture, TDL 9/5/1920, pg. B6, 10/17/20, pg. B7) Boland B3347, TPL-9503

Consumers Central Heating Co. (Tacoma); Steam;

In the early 1900's,Tacoma boasted 40 farriers; by 1920 when this photograph was taken, with the advances of the automobile, there were only three left within the Tacoma city limits. The Pioneer Blacksmith Shop, located at 107-09 So. 24th St., was owned by M. Komp and W.C. Dittman. They specialized in horse shoeing. Automobiles were also repaired on occasion, but only in an adjoining structure. Two men pose in the doorway of the structure built around 1890 as a blacksmith's shop. It has since been demolished. (TDL 10/3/1920 p.B-4) BU-14101, G66.1-121 TPL-9821

Pioneer Blacksmith Shop (Tacoma); Blacksmiths--Tacoma;

An unidentified worker was photographed in November of 1920 in the corner of the Northern Novelty Manufacturing Co., 2909-13 So. Wilkeson, where the alder timber was sorted. Just in time for the holidays, the eight month old company was diversifying its production from tables to include wooden toys. They used the local alder to manufacture their patented specialties: the hubless and spokeless toy wheel and the "shimmy dog." (TDL 11/28/1920, pg. B6) G36.1-022 (also cataloged under G36.1 image 068)

Northern Novelty Manufacturing Co. (Tacoma); Toy industry--Tacoma--1920-1930; Cabinetmaking--Tacoma;

An example of tables built by the Northern Novelty Manufacturing Co. was displayed outdoors in early November of 1920. The fold-down table was compact enough to fit in small places. Northern Novelty had opened for business in January of 1920 and by October of that year, had expanded their plant on South Wilkeson in order to manufacture wooden toys. G35.1-025

Northern Novelty Manufacturing Co. (Tacoma); Tables;

Jewelers at work at Mahncke & Co. By 1920, Mahncke & Co. had been in business at 914 Pacific Avenue for ten years. The pioneer jewelry firm, established in 1883, was owned and operated by Franz, William G., and Louis A. Mahncke. In 1923 the store would move a short distance away to 919 Broadway where it would remain for decades. Mahncke & Co. would be taken over by Friedlanders in 1956.

Mahncke & Co. (Tacoma); Jewelry stores--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Silver display at Mahncke's. Rows of sterling silver and silver plate vases, tea sets, plates, trays and coffee pots were attractively displayed at pioneer jewelers, Mahncke & Co., in November of 1920. Mahncke & Co. was located at 914 Pacific Avenue. Established in 1883, it was "The Store That Quality Built." (TNT Ad -11-5-20, p. 4)

Mahncke & Co. (Tacoma); Jewelry stores--Tacoma--1920-1930; Merchandise displays--Tacoma--1920-1930; Tableware;

For many, 1920 was the beginning of a "New Era," one of prosperity. For others, such as these three unidentified boys pictured in front of Burnett Brothers Jewelers, 934 Broadway, times were not so good. All three boys wear clothing that is torn and patched. This photograph was taken in December of 1920 in conjunction with a Red Cross Drive. Following the conclusion of World War I, the Red Cross expanded its health and welfare services, offering assistance locally to those in need. While the well publicized Hoover European Relief fund focused on the starving overseas, the Red Cross quietly helped those at home. G2.1-107; TPL-937

Burnett Brothers Jewelry (Tacoma); American Red Cross Pierce County Chapter (Tacoma); Boys--1920-1930;

January 1, 1921 brought with it the proud news that the Tacoma branch of the Standard Oil Company had the enviable record of being 100 per cent accident free in their tank truck department. The eight trucks plus proud drivers and company officials were photographed lined up in front of what appear to be numbered garage doors. This record was especially notable since the trucks operated every day and night, delivering gasoline to the garages and service stations of the city. Their combined mileage was around 4,221 miles per month. They held the best record on the Pacific Coast. (TDL 1/9/1921, pg. 4-C) G66.2-137

Standard Oil Co. of California (Tacoma); Trucks--Tacoma--1920-1930; Fuel trade--Tacoma--1930-1940;

ca. 1921. Ole B. Lien, pioneer pharmacist on Tacoma Avenue since 1894, and partner Harry B. Selvig opened this drug store in 1901 in the 1888 Greer Building. The Queen Anne-style structure was designed by architects Farrell & Darmer and built by contractor H. M. Matheson. It was torn down in 1951 to make way for a modern addition to the Tacoma Public Library. B8252.

Drugstores; Pharmacists; Lien & Selvig (Tacoma);