TacomaLibrary_NW_History

In March of 1942, the Skookum Slope coalmine, which had been closed since 1883, was re-opened by the Wilkeson Coal & Coke Co. The U.S. Defense Plant Corp. had signed an agreement with the Wilkeson Products Company to develop a mine near Wilkeson to produce coal for the industries in the Pacific Northwest. Named for…

Waldo S. Chase - The Sage of Union. Waldo Chase, 81 at the time of this March, 1976 News Tribune interview, lived a simple life in the small community of Union in Mason County. The silver-haired, self-educated "teacher of life" drew many young people when discussing the destiny of man. He had quietly earned the…

This photograph from March 1938 shows the crew members of the 3rd Balloon Company at Fort Lewis struggling with ropes to position a helium filled blimp in its specially constructed hanger. Considered the latest in observation balloons, it was equipped with a manned, motorized undercarriage that held both a pilot and co-pilot. The 105 foot…

Nicki Adams serves the Rev. Kenneth Anderson of St. Mary's Episcopal Church a bowl of soup to accompany his bread. This March, 1976 photograph accompanied an article on the Lenten season in the News Tribune's March 10th edition. Recipes highlighted in the article were split pea soup and cheesy broccoli. See more featured images and…

Seventh-day Adventist Disaster Emergency Unit. In this photograph from March of 1953, nurse Roberta Sharley gently wraps the arm of her young "patient" Joyce Shubert, as she lies on a cot located at the Tacoma Seventh-day Adventist Junior Academy, designated as a civil defense emergency hospital. They took part in a mock atomic air raid…

New York Jets quarterback Joe Willie Namath, along with a man believed to be San Diego Chargers quarterback John Hadl, shops at the Stanley Shoe store in mid-February, 1969, soon after leading the New York Jets to victory over the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III. Joe Namath had something in common with the shoe…

Stacks of Tacoma Times "Special Edition" swamp the mailing room, nearly obscuring newspaper workers with tall stacks of newspapers. On February 27, 1940 the Times heralded their move to new quarters with a daily edition that ran 92 pages in 5 sections. It was the largest edition of the Times published to that date. More…

In February of 1946, when this photograph of three teenage boys from Clover Park was taken, the Red Cross was just starting its 1946 fund drive. Tacoma's hospitals were overcrowded, and there was a shortage of nurses. These boys are getting ready to help by learning home nursing skills. See more featured images and posts…

On February 17, 1949 Morris Kleiner and Edwin Weller reenacted their investigation of a burglary at the Model Lumber Company. Morris Kleiner, owner of the company, and Edwin Weller, merchant patrolman, are pictured opening the door to enter the office. Mr. Kleiner had used Weller's merchant patrol service for 20 years. The merchant patrol worked…

It was a very sweet Valentine's Day for lucky Albert Lee (2nd from right), winner of the Central Area Progressive Improvement Association raffle held in 1969. He is shown accepting the keys to a brand new 1969 Volkswagen outside the association's 922 South "K" (now Martin Luther King Jr. Way) Street headquarters. Pictured alongside Mr…