Where our Dads Grew Up

For the first fourteen years of their marriage, Arthur and Edyth were renters, and they never lived anywhere more than a few years. Arthur's income as minister, educator and university professor was probably never enough to build up a savings -- especially while raising three boys -- and a good house in Tacoma's North End would have cost more than four times Arthur's annual salary. That sounds like a bargain compared to Seattle's current (2016) housing market -- where the average house is valued at more than ten times the annual salary of a typical university professor -- but housing values at the time, and for most of the remaining century, corresponded much more closely to one's income.

Their first home was in Cedar Rapids, where Walker was born just ten months after they were married in Beaver Dam on June 27th, 1923. The only record of their stay there is a photograph of the house. Perhaps Walker's birth certificate would have its address, but they weren't in Cedar Rapids long enough to be listed in the phone directory, and I've found no record of what Arthur and Edyth may have doing there. [Addendum, 8/14/21: Walker's birth certificate has the address as 219 S 17th Street, and I've since learned that Arthur was the educational director and supervisor of boys' work at St. Paul's Methodist Episcopal Church while there in 1924.]

The house in Cedar Rapids where Walker was likely born, on April 14th, 1924

The house as it appears today (2021) at 219 17th Street Southeast, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

In 1925, they moved to South Bend, Indiana, where Arthur was employed as the Director of Religious Education at the First Methodist Episcopal Church. The South Bend City Directory provides Arthur's employer and position, and their home address: 1003 Sherman Avenue.

The house at 1003 Sherman Avenue in South Bend, Indiana, where Arthur and Edyth lived from 1925 to 1927.

The house in South Bend as it appears today (2016). This is where David was born May 14th, 1927.

David was born in South Bend in May of 1927. By the Fall of the same year, Arthur had taken a position as Professor of Religious Instruction at the College of Puget Sound.

Their first house in Tacoma was just north and west of campus, at 3225 North 20th Street. Edyth called it "Bell's House", so we can assume that was the name of their landlord. They were living here when Richard was born, on October 28th, 1928.

3225 N 20th, Tacoma, where Arthur and Edyth lived from 1927 to 1929. Walker is visible left of center.

3225 and 3219 N 20th in Tacoma, as they look today (2016) 

Walker with an unidentified dog in the front yard of 3225 N 20th, Tacoma

Walker with the newborn Richard, and Dave, at 3225 N 20th, Tacoma.

In 1929, they moved a few blocks south and west to 3016 N 16th.

3016 N 16th, Tacoma, where Arthur and Edyth lived from 1929 to 1931

They were here for two years, but the only pictures we have were all taken in the back yard.

The boys (David, Walker and Richard) in the backyard at 3016 N 16th, Tacoma

In 1932 they've moved again, eight blocks south to 1114 N Alder Street. The house is just one block west of campus, but Arthur had to walk just as far to reach his office in Jones Hall. There's a photo that was taken about this time with the boys standing on the rear bumper of an impressive new automobile. But Arthur wouldn't have needed a car, and Edyth never learned to drive. So I doubt it belonged to them.

1114 N Alder, Tacoma, where Arthur & Edyth lived from 1932 to 1936

We have many pictures of the boys from these years. It's been fun comparing the photos against the existing structures and landmarks in the neighborhood today, and surprising to see how little has changed.

In 1936, they moved again, briefly, to 3201 N 9th Street. Their migration along the west side of the CPS campus had been a steady progression from its north to its south end, a few blocks every few years. But in 1937 that pattern would change when they purchased property in Tacoma's north end and Edyth began exercising her architectural ambitions. The three spectacular homes she designed and helped to build for the family will be the subject of a future post.