A South Sound history through words and pictures
100 YEARS AGO TODAY: OCT. 17, 1912
A freight car that burst through a pile of gravel and 20 feet beyond, wrought damages to the El Oso Paving plant on lower Dock Street this morning and, incidentally, caused at least two days’ delay on the I Street paving job. Working against heavy handicaps in the way of bad weather, lack of men and tardiness of the street railway company, City Engineer W.C. Raleigh was just congratulating himself on the progress made by the many city contractors when the tidings of the freight car’s feat was brought to the office. “This is fine weather, too, and every day means a lot of this time of the year,” was his comment.
75 YEARS AGO TODAY: OCT. 17, 1937
The problem of how properly to plan their winter decorating and painting program will be answered for many homeowners of the Tacoma vicinity with the announcement today that the nationally known W.P. Fuller & Co. demonstration trailer is now in the Pacific Northwest and will be shown in Tacoma on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. On Monday it will be in front of W.P. Fuller & Co. at 1121 A St. all day. On Tuesday and Wednesday it will be on a demonstration tour of the city, stopping for a limited time in front of the stores of Fuller dealers.
50 YEARS AGO TODAY: OCT. 17, 1962
Except for about 2,200 telephones and some street lights, most utilities services had been restored in Pierce County today. John Benfield, district manager for Pacific Northwest Bell Co. said that the phones out of service were expected to number only 1,000 by tonight and that service is expected to be completely restored by Thursday or Friday.
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