ca. 1920s. Buses of the Sumner Tacoma Stage Co. parked in front of the bus depot on Main St. and Ryan Ave. in Sumner, Washington in the 1920's. The bus company was owned by Peter "P.O." Conlon and his brother John W. Conlon. The people who can be identified in this picture are (l to r) Pete Gratzer, Frank Conlon, Peter Conlon, John W.Conlon, Charley Marquardt, and Mac Wilson. The small buses at the far right in the picture were tourist buses that were used to take riders to Wilkeson and Carbonado, Washington. (Photograph courtesy of the Jack Conlon collection)

Buses--Sumner; Bus drivers--Sumner; Sumner Tacoma Stage Co. (Sumner); Gratzer, Pete; Conlon, Frank; Conlon, Peter; Conlon, John W.; Marquardt, Charley; Wilson, Mac;

A sleek Blue Line bus, operated by Peter Conlon and his brother John W. Conlon, is parked outside the 12-unit Electric Apartments, 2510 Fawcett Avenue, in the early 1930s. The Conlons owned the Sumner Tacoma Stage Co. which carried passengers between Sumner and Tacoma. A small American flag is jauntily attached to the hood perhaps in honor of a holiday. (Photograph courtesy of the Jack Conlon collection)

Buses--Tacoma--1930-1940; Buses--Sumner; Sumner Tacoma Stage Co. (Sumner); Electric Apartments (Tacoma); Apartment houses--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Three drivers and four trucks in this undated photograph believed to have been taken post-1925 at the Sumner Garage. The trucks are part of the Conlon Bros. fleet of vehicles. The firm handled long distance moving and appeared based in Sumner. John W. Conlon and his brother Peter also operated the Sumner Tacoma Stage Co. in the 1920's and 1930's. John Conlon would pass away in March of 1935. (Photograph courtesy of the Jack Conlon collection)

Trucks--Sumner; Moving & storage trade--Sumner; Sumner Garage (Sumner);

Accident at South 15th Street and Tacoma Avenue, intersection. J.B. Evans, adjuster. A view of the intersection of South 15th Street and Tacoma Avenue South looking east along South 15th. The Tacoma tideflats can be seen in the distance. Pangis Grocery is on the corner at 1501 Tacoma Avenue South. A Jordan Baking Company Truck is stopped before the cross-walk. The photograph would have been taken for insurance purposes.

Traffic accidents--Tacoma--1940-1950; Insurance companies--Tacoma; Commercial streets--Tacoma--1940-1950; Crosswalks--Tacoma--1940-1950; Trucks--Tacoma--1940-1950; Pangis Grocery (Tacoma);

Washington Steel and Welding Company advertised steel ship building, tanks, ornamental work, acetylene welding, electric welding, portable welding and steel fabricating. The company had two plants, the main plant was located at 701 East D Street, their other plant was at 1601 Taylor Way. View of large "Oshkosh" truck with logging equipment at Washington Steel and Welding Company.

Trucks--Tacoma--1940-1950; Oskosh trucks; Industrial facilities--Tacoma; Machinery; Equipment; Steel industry--Tacoma; Metalworking--Tacoma; Welding--Tacoma; Washington Steel & Welding Co. (Tacoma);

View of large "Oshkosh" truck getting ready to transport newly fabricated steel logging equipment from Washington Steel and Welding Company, two unidentified men seem to be checking the machinery and the making sure it is securely loaded on truck.

Trucks--Tacoma--1940-1950; Oskosh trucks; Industrial facilities--Tacoma; Machinery; Steel industry--Tacoma; Welding--Tacoma; Shipping--Tacoma; Metalworking--Tacoma; Washington Steel & Welding Co. (Tacoma);

Truck at plant, Standard Oil, Mr. Wiegle. A side view of the Studebaker delivery truck for Chevron Gasoline. The hood is long and the windshield has a split-glass. Rear-view mirrors are added on both sides of the cab. She has her spare tire hung from the back portion of the side panels. Painted in two tones and she is parked outside a garage for delivery trucks.

Studebaker trucks; Petroleum industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Gasoline--Tacoma--1940-1950;

View of cars parked along A Street and So. 13th, business signs are posted for the Home Electric Company, Glass and Union Commissary; building in background has a fire escape; photo ordered by L. Ray Shute Company, local insurance adjusters.

Automobiles--Tacoma--1940-1950; Traffic accidents--Tacoma; Signs (Notices); Fire escapes--Tacoma; Vehicle maintenance & repair--Tacoma; Parking--Tacoma; Insurance companies--Tacoma; L. Ray Shute Co. (Tacoma);

View of James Loveland's car parked on A Street and So. 13th, needing fender and hood repairs, possibly for a car accident. The automobile is parked on A Street near South 13th Street. Photo ordered by L. Ray Shute Company, insurance adjusters, the company was owned by L. Ray Shute, their offices were located on 950 Pacific Avenue in the Rust Building, office space number 1121-22.

Automobiles--Tacoma--1940-1950; Traffic accidents--Tacoma; Vehicle maintenance & repair--Tacoma; Parking--Tacoma; Insurance companies--Tacoma; L. Ray Shute Co. (Tacoma);

Company truck and trailer, Titus Manufacturing, Jim Cutler. Titus Motor Company had begun rebuilding Ford engines during World War II and when the engine rebuilding department became independent of the Ford dealership it became known as the Titus Manufacturing Company. The truck would have been used to haul parts to the engine rebuilding facility and move the rebuilt engines to automobile repair shops.

Ford trucks; Titus Manufacturing Co. (Tacoma);

Compton's Distributing Company was owned and operated by Roy J. Compton; the company distributed groceries throughout Tacoma markets and businesses. The company was located at 4513 South M Street. Roy was married to Ethel Compton, they lived at 1527 South 41st Street. View of new Durkee product's refrigerated truck featuring "Durkee's mayonnaise, margarine and salad dressing"; photo ordered by Compton's Distributing Company.

Trucks--Tacoma--1940-1950; Dodge trucks; Margarine; Food--Tacoma; Signs (Notices); Food industry--Tacoma; Shipping--Tacoma; Compton's Distributing Co., Inc. (Tacoma); Durkee's Products (Tacoma);

The City of Tacoma invested money on warning signs to help ensure the safety of pedestrians. The Tacoma Times photographer strolled through busy intersections and found many signs that were not placed where they should be, and many were severely damaged by automobiles. Police officers are instructed to remove signs from the busy intersections during rain, fog and in the evenings, to avoid the signs being hit by cars; these same signs tend to not be placed back in their appropriate area once the weather has cleared up. View of pedestrian crossing sign behind a lamppost and a parked car, this traffic warning sign should have been placed on busy Pacific Avenue by a police officer (T. Times, 12/27/48, p. 1).

Automobiles--Tacoma--1940-1950; Municipal services--Tacoma; City & town life--Tacoma; Traffic regulations--Tacoma; Traffic signs & signals--Tacoma; Crosswalks--Tacoma; Pedestrians--Tacoma;

In January of 1949, almost a year before Volkswagen introduced its Transporter (VW bus) to the world's press, people in Tacoma were viewing a strikingly similar vehicle, the Mustang "Teardrop," at Fisher's department store. Made by Mustang Engineering Corporation in Renton, the streamlined, aerodynamic vehicle featured a 4-cylinder Hercules rear engine, hydraulic 4-wheel brakes, swivel seats, split front window with dual windshield wipers, round Mustang logo, protective front bumper grill, and projecting driver's side mirror. Young Ronnie Warter, at the wheel, and passenger Elizabeth Fynboe envision what it would be like to take the Teardrop on the road with its cruising speed of 65 m.p.h. TPL-6191 (T. Times, 1/2/49, p. 6).

Automobiles--Tacoma--1940-1950; Prototypes; Mustang; Mustang Engineering Corp. (Renton); Department stores--Tacoma--1940-1950; Fisher's Department Store (Tacoma); Walter, Ronnie; Fynboe, Elizabeth;

Automobile and two streetcars collide at 8th and North I Streets. Wreckage of automobile suspended from wrecking truck crane. Small crowd viewing wreck from the lawn below a large house. (T. Times).

Accidents - Traffic Accidents

By November of 1935 Tacoma's merchants were demanding that something be done about "parking hogs." Even with diagonal parking there was little room on the streets for shoppers to park their cars. All the available space in front of the stores was being taken by business employees. As the streets like Commerce, in this photograph, became jammed with cars, some merchants started demanding parking meters to force cars off the streets. After years of fighting in city hall, 1,200 meters were installed during the summer of 1941. (For Corky Maybin, T.Times).

Automobiles--Tacoma--1930-1940; Parking--Tacoma--1930-1940; Commercial streets--Tacoma--1930-1940; Old City Hall (Tacoma);

ca. 1925. A woman poses in a new 1925 automobile.

Automobiles--1920-1930;

ca. 1926. Men gather along the side of the road to cheer on the 1926 Moon Jubilee 6-60 as it powers its way up the So. K St. hill. The Moon Jubilee was manufactured in 1926 to celebrate 20 years of car manufacturing by the Moon Motor Co. of St. Louis, Mo. The automobile, according to advertising at the time, featured European styling adapted to American driving needs and sold for under $1,000. The dealer for the automobile in Tacoma was the Bye Thompson Motor Co., R. Bye Thompson president, at 3320 So. G St. The So. K St. Hill climb started at Center St. and headed north. It was closed around 1960. (filed under Argentum)

Automobiles--1920-1930; Bye Thompson Motor Sales Co. (Tacoma); Automobile dealerships--Tacoma--1920-1930; Moon automobiles; Dirt roads--Tacoma--1920-1930;

ca. 1926. Young man at wheel of a touring car parked sideways across dirt road, three teenage boys sit on running board, three younger boys sit on ground. The dirt road in the background is believed to be So. K St. For years Tacoma drivers tested the stamina of their cars and the grit of the driver by motoring up the K St. hill, from Center St. due north, straight uphill. The road was closed in 1960. For Kohl Advertising Agency. (filed with Argentum)

Automobiles--1920-1930; Dirt roads--Tacoma--1920-1930;

ca. 1926. A new 1926 Moon Jubilee 6-60 grinds up the steep So. K Street hill, showing off the strength of the new automobile. The Moon Jubilee was created to celebrate 20 years of automobile manufacturing by the Moon Motor Co. (1905-1929) of St. Louis, Mo. The vehicle, which sold for under $1,000, had European styling with a Continental motor. The local agent for Moon cars was the Bye Thompson Motor Sales Co., 3320 So. G St. The So. K St. hill, heading north from Center St., was often used to test the prowess of new cars. This portion of the road closed around 1960. A residence and the spire of Holy Rosary church can be seen in the background. (filed under Argentum)

Automobiles--1920-1930; Bye Thompson Motor Sales Co. (Tacoma); Moon automobiles; Automobile dealerships--Tacoma--1920-1930; Dirt roads--Tacoma--1920-1930;

ca. 1926. Pair of automobiles, a sedan and a touring car, perhaps Jordans, near a park. For Chamber's Auto Supply House. (filed with Argentum)

Automobiles--1920-1930; Jordan automobiles;

ca. 1925. Automobile circa 1925. Sign in the windshield reads "Now count the stars." This sign may refer to the Durant Star Cars, manufactured from 1922- 28 to compete with Ford's Model T. (WSHS- negative A656-0)

Automobiles--Tacoma--1920-1930;

ca. 1926. Sedan Automobile, perhaps a Jordan, near a park. For Chamber's Auto Supply House. (filed with Argentum)

Automobiles--Tacoma--1920-1930; Jordan automobiles;

ca. 1925. A large log has been loaded behind a truck. May possibly be the same truck as A-1451. (WSHS)

Logs; Trucks--Tacoma--1920-1930;

ca. 1925. The wheels are falling off an old pickup truck. Another truck with built-up wooden sides is parked in front of the broken down truck; it has a rope dragging behind it and it appears to have been towing something. What is attached to the rope is blocked from view by the pole. (WSHS)

Trucks--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Raudenbush Motor Co. Mrs. DesLys with Whippet. Raudenbush Motor Co. was an automobile dealer located at 314 Puyallup Ave. Mrs. Norah DesLys was the vice president of the Bon-Des-Lys Candy Makers, 2407 Pacific Ave. The Whippet automobile was manufactured from 1926-1931 by Willys Overland. On June 4, 1927, 25 year old actress and entertainer Norah Elizabeth Deslys married Tacoma candy manufacturer John T. Bond. She gave up the stage, after 18 years, to work with her husband in their recently incorporated Bon-Des-Lys (invented from the compound of both last names) candy company. Both Norah and her performance partner, her sister Essie, would maintain a home in Tacoma as well as Hollywood. (TNT 6/6/1927, pg.5) (WSHS)

Whippet automobile; Deslys, Norah;

ca. 1932. Front view of an automobile parked in front of the Edward B. Rhodes Post, American Legion Memorial Building, an art deco structure designed by Heath, Gove and Bell, Architects in 1929. Since 1991, this building has been home to the Karpeles Manuscript Library. (filed with Argentum)

Automobiles--1930-1940; American Legion Edward B. Rhodes Post No. 2 (Tacoma); Patriotic societies--Tacoma--1930-1940;

ca. 1935. Three trucks with drivers parked in front of Davis Motor Truck Company. Davis Motor Co. manufactured Diamond T trucks. (filed with Argentum)

Davis Motor Truck Company (Tacoma); Trucks--Tacoma--1930-1940; Diamond T trucks;

ca. 1936. An O. B. King company truck loaded with large logs waits by the railroad tracks at the edge of the commercial district of a small town. A young woman, holding school books and reaching up to a log, stands beside the unattended truck.

Lumber industry--Tacoma--1930-1940; Trucks--Tacoma--1930-1940; O.B. King Co. (Tacoma); Logs;

In June of 1927, Seattlite and frequent Tacoma visitor Esther Landstrom (in coat) was pictured with her new Willys-Knight 70-A coupe in front of the First Presbyterian Church at 20 Tacoma Avenue South. Her small dog stands on the running board. Her friend Dolly Wescott, a bookkeeper at Manley Motors, was at the wheel. Mrs. Landstrom had recently purchased her car from Manley Motor Company, 956-58 Fawcett Avenue, in Tacoma. Manley Motors were the authorized dealers of Overland, Willys-Knight, and Whippet automobiles. (TDL 6/19/1927, pg. G2) (WSHS)

Automobiles--Tacoma--1920-1930; Presbyterian churches--Tacoma; First Presbyterian Church (Tacoma); Landstrom, Esther; Wescott, Dolly; Willys-Knight automobile; Dogs--Tacoma--1920-1930;

ca. 1927. Carnival vehicles and wagons for Pacific States Shows and Levitt- Brown- Huggins Shows. For C.W. Wells Inc., Seattle. (Argentum)

Automobiles--1920-1930; Trucks--1920-1930; C.W. Wells Inc. (Seattle);