Tacoma Railway and Power group in Curtiss Hill's office. Mr. Hill is seated at a desk with office staff gathered around him in this photograph from March of 1938. His association with the company spanned many years and he played a major role in Tacoma/Pierce County public transportation. (filed with Argentum)

Hill, Curtiss; Tacoma Railway & Power Co. (Tacoma); Tacoma Railway & Power Co.--Employees (Tacoma);

Thelma Derrickson was one of the many women hired by the Tacoma Transit Company to drive the cities busses during WWII. She was hired in September of 1942. The Transit Department was looking for women 21 to 40, preferably with a high school education, some previous driving experience and an aptitude for mechanics. They fully expected that within a short time 3/4 of their drivers would be women. (T.Times, 9/10/1943, p.1; 9/13/1943, p.5) TPL-4559

World War, 1939-1945--Women--Tacoma; World War, 1939-1945--Economic & industrial aspects--Tacoma; Buses--Tacoma--1940-1950; Bus drivers--Tacoma;

Women bus drivers at Tacoma Transit. A man and two women bus drivers were photographed on September 7, 1943, at the transit yard. The man is unnamed. The women are, L-R, Octa L. Girard and Thelma Derrickson. (T.Times, 9/10/1943, p.1; 9/13/1943, p.5) TPL-3205, TPL-1381

World War, 1939-1945--Women--Tacoma; World War, 1939-1945--Economic & industrial aspects--Tacoma; Girard, Octa L.; Derrickson, Thelma; Bus drivers--Tacoma; Tacoma Transit Co. (Tacoma); Buses--Tacoma;

Ten people were taken to local area hospitals on January 11, 1946 after a military police truck crashed into a Tacoma Transit Company bus while on its scheduled evening run to Fern Hill. The truck was traveling east on Puyallup Avenue when it struck the west bound bus which was attempting to turn left onto East G. Street. The bus driver, Eugene H. Robinson, told police that his vehicle was loaded with Todd Pacific shipyard workers at the time of the accident. None of the passengers was seriously injured. The two men in the military truck were taken into custody by M.P.s from Fort Lewis.(T.Times, 1/12/1946, p.1) TPL-3192

Tacoma Transit Co. (Tacoma); Buses--Tacoma--1940-1950; Traffic accidents--Tacoma--1940-1950;