As planes from the 91st and 116th observation squadrons buzzed overhead, eight army mules pulled an equal number of mounted machine guns and ammunition boxes across an open field at Fort Lewis. On August 21, 1937 the Governors of Washington, Oregon, and Montana joined Major General George A. White on the viewing stand at Fort Lewis to watch 14,000 regular army and national guard troops pass in formal review. Troops from five Northwest states had poured into Fort Lewis and Camp Murray over the previous week to prepare for joint training with the Fourth Army. "War games" were scheduled to begin on Monday August 23rd. (T. Times, 8-21-37, 8-23-37)

Mules--Fort Lewis; Military parades & ceremonies--Fort Lewis; Artillery (Weaponry)--Fort Lewis;

Sepia 1937 photograph of Tacoma City Officials at (Old) City Hall. L to R: Frank Callender - public safety commissioner, C. Val Fawcett - finance commissioner, Tom Swayze - city controller, Mayor George Smitley, Genevieve Martin - city clerk, Abner Bergersen - public works commissioner, Ira Davisson - public utilities commissioner, and Howard Carothers- corporation counsel. Group is seated at a glass-top table with two spittoons on floor. Furnishings, including wood floor, appear plain and utilitarian. ALBUM 11.

Municipal government--Tacoma; Mayors--Tacoma--1930-1940; Smitley, George A., 1872-1956; Callender, Frank T.; Fawcett, Clarence Valdo, 1900-1965; Swayze, Tom; Martin, Genevieve; Bergersen, Abner R.; Davisson, Ira; Carothers, Howard;

Tacoma City Council at (Old) City Hall. Photographed in April of 1937 for the Tacoma Times but apparently not used. (T. Times)

Municipal officials--Tacoma--1930-1940; Meetings--Tacoma--1930-1940; Old City Hall (Tacoma);

ca. 1937. A nurse in the hospital nursery holds up Mr. Naccarato's new baby son, Stan, for the camera. The newborn babies lie in metal containers in bassinets. An oxygen tank can be seen beside the nurse.

Naccarato, Stan; Nurseries; Maternity hospitals--1930-1940; Infants--1930-1940;

Coast Artillery from Fort Worden were photographed landing from the Artillery cutter Chelan for tactical maneuvers at the Bremerton Navy Yards on March 23, 1936. The men are wearing heavy coats, ammunition belts, and helmets. The Navy Yard is in the background. (Bremerton Sun).

Naval yards & naval stations--Bremerton; Puget Sound Navy Yard (Bremerton); Military personnel--Bremerton--1930-1940;

Tacoma's Norwegian community hosted a trip to Mount Tacoma (Rainier) on August 9, 1936 for several hundred delegates to the Sons of Norway and Daughters of Norway Convention which had just concluded in Seattle. After the trip to The Mountain, the group came to Tacoma for a banquet at Normanna Hall. The group, which was comprised of Norwegian-Americans from all parts of the United States, is pictured on a rise at Paradise Valley with the Nisqually Glacier in the background. (T. Times 8/10/1936, pg. 10)

Norwegian Americans; Rainier, Mount (Wash.); Sons of Norway (Tacoma); Daughters of Norway (Tacoma);

Norwegian Americans from the Eastern and Pacific Coasts on a sightseeing trip to Mount Rainier, after concluding their national convention in Seattle. Ten women standing and reading in a meadow with the mountain and trees framing the background. (T. Times 8/10/1936, pg.3)

Norwegian Americans; Rainier, Mount (Wash.); Sons of Norway (Tacoma); Daughters of Norway (Tacoma);

Edith (Mrs. Reno) Odlin with her three children, Mary Lee, 6, Reno William, 4, and Richard Bingham, 2, at Easter time in 1937. The children have large, stuffed toy rabbits. Mrs. Odlin was Edith Murphy before her marriage; the daughter of Mrs. Anna Murphy and an alumnae of Annie Wright Seminary. Mr. Odlin was the president of Puget Sound National Bank. (T. Times, 3/27/1937 p. 7)

Odlin, Reno--Family; Odlin, Edith; Odlin, Mary Lee; Odlin, Reno William; Odlin, Richard; Odlin, Reno, 1897-1979--Homes & haunts; Families--Tacoma--1930-1940;

DeMolay Eleventh Annual Conclave, held in Tacoma in August of 1935. A parade was held on August 31st, participating in the parade were 7 DeMolay patrols, 25 floats, the Shrine Band and Patrol and the Tacoma Rainbow Girls. A band group was photographed marching up 13th Street, Tacoma. Buildings and smoke stacks visible on the left.

Order of DeMolay--Meetings--Tacoma; Parades & processions--Tacoma--1930-1940;

The Century Ballroom, with rooftop sign advertising dancing to the strains of Slim Martin and his Orchestra, known as the "Maestro of Mirth and Melody." During the defense industry boom of the World War II years, the Century Ballroom was one of the hottest venues in the Northwest. All of the big bands played there, the Dorseys, Kay Kyser, the Lombardo brothers and Ted Fio Rito. The ballroom was built by developers Rocco (Mac) Manza and Emilio James (Jimmy) Zarelli in 1934. It was their second business venture, the first being "a little hamburger stand in Fife" called the Poodle Dog, now a recognized landmark. The Century Ballroom was located just north of the Dog. It was built by contractor Bonnie MacDonald and the new developers paid him back as they could. The building had 20,000 square feet of floor space and cost $28,000. It consistently lost money for the first eight years. With the boom in wartime industry, the pair struck pay dirt. The ballroom sometimes ran two shifts of dances with the second starting at 1:30a.m. for the swing shift workers. With the 1950's, big band music was out and rock was in. A fire in January of 1964 gutted the interior of what was once the Century Ballroom. The flames swept the length of the building just under the roof and then burst to heights of 20 to 30 feet and were visible for miles. Nine businesses were housed at this siteΓÇöincluding Toppers IGA Market, FujiΓÇÖs Ten Cent Store, and the Fife City Hall. Toppers IGA and Fuji's Ten Cent Store never resumed business in Fife. (TNT 3/23/1980, pg. D9)

Century Ballroom (Fife); Ballrooms--Fife--1930-1940; Musicians--Fife--1930-1940;

Mayor Harold Tollefson exchanged smiles with Julie Reihm in March of 1965, as she was made an honorary citizen of Tacoma. Ms. Reihm, 20, had just presented the mayor with a proclamation making him an honorary citizen of Disneyland. She was a special Disneyland Ambassador who was touring the country to publicize the amusement park's 10th anniversary. Ms. Reihm also made Mayor Tollefson an honorary member of the Anaheim City Council and bestowed upon him a free one-year pass to Disneyland and an official Disneyland color book. In return, the mayor made Ms. Reihm an honorary Tacoma citizen. G67.1-154 (TNT 3-24-65, A-10-article & alternate photograph)

Mayors--Tacoma--1960-1970; Tollefson, Harold M., 1908-1985; Reihm, Julie; Guests--Tacoma--1960-1970;