ca. 1896. A two-masted sailing ship is docked on Tacoma's waterfront circa 1896 at the Northern Pacific Railroad's Ocean Freight warehouse to take on cargo. In the background to the left is the Crescent Creamery at what is now 100 Schuster Parkway. The creamery was built in 1890 and demolished about 1920.

Shipping--Tacoma--1890-1900; Sailing ships--Tacoma--1890-1900; Warehouses--Tacoma--1890-1900; Crescent Creamery (Tacoma); Waterfronts--Tacoma--1890-1900;

Spartan. Wrecked at Spreckelscille on the island of Hawaii August 17, 1905. The Spartan was first owned on the Pacific Coast by P. B. Cornwall of San Francisco. She was built 1874 in Boston by R. E. Jackson. (Gibbs, Jim. Pacific Square-Riggers : Pictorial History of the Great Windships of Yesteryear. 1987. Pg. 87.)

Sailing ships;

Muskoka. British. 300ft. Hull: Steel. (Gibbs, Jim. Pacific Square-Riggers : Pictorial History of the Great Windships of Yesteryear. 1987. Pg. 220.)

Sailing ships; barques; barks;

The four masted steel barque 'Springburn', 2655 tons, under sail [steel 4 mast barque, 2655 tons, ON98318, 296.0 x 45.6 x 25.7. Built 1892 (2) Barclay, Curle and Co. Glasgow. Owners: R Shankland and Co., registered Greenock, 1906 sold to AD Bordes et Fils, and renamed 'Alexandre'. Sunk during WW1. State Library of South Australia, B 3456, PRG 1218/3 or OH 456/1, Digital Collections, South Australiana Collection, Photographs, A. d. Edwardes Collection, https://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/PRG+1373/11/90

Sailing ships; Barques; Barks;

Bark Gatherer.

Sailing ships;

Grenada. The four-masted steel barque 'Grenada', 2268 tons, anchored in an unidentified port [steel 4 mast barque, 2268 tons. ON104591, 278.4 x 42.0 x 24.1. Built 1894 (11) Russell and Co. Greenock. Owners: P Denniston and Co. registered Glasgow c.1900 Lang and Fulton then Gwalia Shipping Co. (Roberts, Owen and Co. ) Captured by German submarine 32 miles SW by S from Beachy Head, Nov. 22, 1916 and sunk by gunfire. (State Library of South Australia, B 3456, PRG 1218/3 or OH 456/1, Digital Collections, South Australiana Collection, Photographs, A. D. Edwardes Collection, https://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/PRG+1373/17/60)

Sailing ships; barks; barques;

Abner Coburn. Built 1882 by William Rogers in Bath, ME. Tonnage 1,972, length 225', beam 43'2", depth 18'5". Managed by builder, later by Pendelton, Carver & Nichols. Sold in 1900 to California Shipping Co., San Francisco, and in 1912 to Libby, McNeill & Libby, salmon canners. Burned about 1929 for her metal. (William Armstrong Fairburn. Merchant Sail. Fairburn Marine Educational Foundation, Inc., Center Lovell, Maine, 1945-1955, III: 1685; V: 3223)

Sailing ships;

Antigone. Iron bark, built 1889 in Kiel, Germany. Lenght 236', tonnage 1,490. Operated out of Hamburg, Germany, under the ownership of M. G. Amsinck. (Gibbs, Jim. Pacific Square-Riggers. West Chester, Pa. : Schiffer Pub., c1987. Pg. 116)

Sailing ships; Barks; Barques;

Bark Gatherer.

Sailing ships;

Unknown bark

Sailing ships; Barks, Barques;

Clipper Flying Cloud.

Sailing ships;

Ship name: Challenger

Sailing ships;

Ship name: M. P. Grace

Sailing ships;

Ship name: Skagit

Sailing ships; Barkentines;

Unknown sailing ship

Sailing ships;

Moonlight on Puget Sound - U.S.S. Nipsic in fore ground.

ca. 1888. Two ships sit at dock next to the Tacoma coal bunkers while three more ships lay at anchor in Commencement Bay in this photograph from 1888. The enormous bunkers along the waterfront enabled Tacoma to become, briefly, the leading coaling station on the Pacific Coast. In 1879-180, the Northern Pacific built a branch railroad up the Puyallup River valley and opened the Pierce County field in Wilkeson, Carbonado, and Fairfax. The first commercial coke plant was established and put into operation by the Tacoma Coal and Coke Company in 1888. TPL-8327

Ore industry--Tacoma--1880-1890; Coal--Tacoma--1880-1890; Cargo ships--Tacoma--1880-1890; Sailing ships--1880-1890

ca. 1907. Dorcas Spalt rides through Wright Park in her 1906 Cadillac, driven by her son, Worthy Morris. Purported to be the first Cadillac in Tacoma. Man standing next to car was not identified except as a friend of Mr. Morris. (Original print owned by Allen Morris. No print copy on file.)

Cadillac automobile; Spalt, Dorcas; Morris, Worthy; Wright Park (Tacoma);

ca. 1929. Harold Bromley, on the right, and a second man, probably his benefactor John Buffelen, stand next to Bromley's Lockheed Vega monoplane, the "City of Tacoma." Between them they hold a map on which has been drawn the course that Bromley intended to fly, non-stop from Tacoma to Tokyo, a continuous trip of 4,700 miles. Buffelen and a group of Tacoma businessmen had funded the design and manufacture of the Lockheed plane, hoping to make Tacoma as famous as Lindbergh's "Spirit of St. Louis." The plan ended in disaster. The first plane crashed on take off in front of a crowd of 25,000 at the Tacoma Field. The second and third planes crashed during test flights, the third crash killing test pilot H. W. Catling. The fourth plane was manufactured by Emsco; the plan adjusted to fly from Tokyo to Tacoma, taking advantage of tail winds. It flew for 24 hours, before exhaust fumes forced Bromley and co pilot and navigator Harold Gatty to return to Japan. The plane was stored in a Japanese hangar and the Tacoma money men were stopped by the Depression from ever funding another attempt at the record.

Bromley, Harold; Airplanes--Tacoma--1920-1930; Aeronautics--Tacoma--1920-1930;

ca. 1929. Harold Bromley's airplane, the "City of Tacoma," being viewed at Tacoma Field by citizens in July of 1929. During the spring and summer of 1929, newspapers carried front page stories filled with the exciting news of Bromley's planned flight across the Pacific Ocean from Tacoma to Tokyo. Bromley and his backers had planned the flight for two years. The plane was being built by Lockheed in California, a bright orange low wing Vega monoplane. The final testing of the plane was done at the Muroc dry lake bed, 200 miles northeast of Burbank, but its flight to Tacoma was delayed. Finally on July 19, 1929, Bromley landed at Tacoma Field after a 8 hour and 17 minute flight from Los Angeles. Thousands cheered as the plane landed safely in Tacoma. Over 59,000 people made the trip out to the airstrip to view the plane prior to its July 28, 1929 inaugural flight.

Bromley, Harold--Associated objects; Airplanes--Tacoma--1920-1930; Aeronautics--Tacoma--1920-1930;

ca. 1928. A young woman wearing a flyers jacket, boots and flight cap is helped into a parachute while standing next to a Bergen Bromley Flying Service bi-plane. Photo probably taken at Mueller Harkins Airport. For more images of the same woman, see TPL images 7034 and 7035.

Airplanes--Tacoma--1920-1930; Bergen Bromley Flying Service (Tacoma);

Members of Tacoma's Drama League spend a lazy August day in 1925, paddling an Indian dug-out at the Olympus Manor on Hood Canal. A float plane rests on the water behind them. The Olympus Manor was begun in 1918 by local art instructor, world traveler and friend of the famous Orre N. Nobles. It was located on Hood Canal two miles northeast of Union. By the 1920's, the 16 room retreat was frequented by the local summer art colony and scores of the famous. It was decorated with Nobles' invaluable collection of Tibetan and Oriental art, furniture and artifacts. The two story retreat was destroyed by fire in 1952. No one was hurt, but the building and its priceless collection was destroyed and never rebuilt. (Shelton-Mason County Journal 7/31/1952; 8/7/1952) (photograph from the Erna Tilley Collection)

Olympus Manor (Hood Canal); Tacoma Drama League (Tacoma); Canoes; Nobles, Orre--Homes & haunts;

Undated photograph of gas powered ship the "Fossberg" in City Waterway (now Foss Waterway.) 11th Street bridge at left. This is believed to be the largest of Foss Launch & Tug Co.'s launches, a 15 ton, 100-hp engine and 64-feet in length. She was built in 1912 in Gig Harbor as a combination passenger and freight boat. Passengers and freight were able to be transported to and from ships. In addition, excursion parties and groups of workers were carried to destinations around the Tacoma area. The "Fossberg" also put in extra duty as a tug. (Skalley, Foss Ninety Years of Towboating, p. 32-article)

Foss Launch & Tug Co. (Tacoma); Launches--Tacoma; Boats--Tacoma; 11th Street Bridge (Tacoma);

ca. 1920. Foss launch identified by William L. Case as the "Tyee." The Foss family rowboat rental business, started by Thea Foss in 1889, was thriving at the turn of the century. With an eye for opportunity, Thea branched out into the business of supplying anchored and arriving ships in Tacoma with provisions. With the purchase of the family's first launch, sons Arthur and Wendell Foss were able not only to bring supplies, but also to ferry ship's personnel to land. By 1912, the company owned seven launches, the "Tyee" being one of the smallest. (photograph courtesy of the William T. Case collection) ("Foss: A Living Legend" by Bruce Johnson and Mike Skalley)

Launches--Tacoma; Foss Launch & Tug Co. (Tacoma);

This is an undated photograph of the towboat, "Vigilant," prior to being purchased by the Foss Launch & Tug Co. and renamed the "Anna Foss." She was a wood two-deck boat with 75-hp steam engine with a 69-foot length and 18-foot beam when built in 1907 in Tacoma for the WallaceTowboat Co. The "Vigilant" put in thirteen years of hard work for Wallace before being sold to the Cascade Tugboat Co. in 1920. Cascade sold her two years later to the Gilky Bros. of Anacortes for log towing in northern Puget Sound and British Columbia. Once more ownership changed hands when Cpt. C.C. Croft traded his tug for her about 1925. Now part of the Vigilant Towing Co. of Seattle, she substituted her steam plant for a 200-hp 2-cycle Worthington diesel in 1926, enabling her to tow heavy gravel scows. In 1930 the "Vigilant" was sold to the Anchor Tugboat Co. of Portland for use on the Columbia River. The Foss Co. acquired her in 1933 for $5,300 at a U.S. Marshal's sale. Her primary job was to bring down millions of feet of Canadian logs for mills operating in Salmon Bay and Elliot Bay. In 1938 the "Vigilant" became the "Anna Foss" after the wife of Peter Foss, Andrew Foss' brother. She would complete more than 50 years of service before being retired on August 2, 1968. The boat would have one final owner, former Chief Engineer Everett Atkinson, who purchased her in May of 1969. Her name reverted back to the "Vigilant" and she was anchored in Colvos Passage in front of Mr. Atkinson's Vashon Island home. She sank in 40 feet of water on September 16, 1969 when her pump apparently failed. (Skalley, "Foss Ninety Years of Towboating," p. 90-92)

Tugboats;

ca. 1948. Three deep sea Foss tugs based out of Port Angeles, left to right, the Arthur Foss, Mathilda Foss and Foss No. 21. These three ships were used periodically for deep sea tows to Alaska, but after the end of World War II that duty was taken over by Miki class tugs purchased as surplus from the military. The three were then used for log tows out of Port Angeles. The Arthur Foss is probably the most famous Foss tugboat. It began its life in 1898 in Portland Oregon as the steam tug "Wallowa." The 110 foot tug became a star when it appeared in the 1933 motion picture classic "Tugboat Annie" as the "Narcissus." The movie was based on Saturday Evening Post short stories written by University of Washington writing teacher Norman Reilly Raine and loosely based on the Foss family business legend. The vessel was overhauled in 1934 and renamed the "Arthur Foss." It served in World War II, returned to Port Angeles in 1948 and was retired in 1968. Donated in 1970 to the nonprofit "Save Our Ships," it was lovingly restored. The "Mathilda Foss" was built in 1909 as a US Army passenger and freight vessel, the "Captain Gregory Barrett." The 91 foot vessel was retooled in 1937 as an ocean going tug and renamed the "Mathilda Foss." It also served in World War II and entered Port Angeles service in 1946. It was sold in 1963 and sunk in 1978 as an eyesore. The "Foss 21" began life as the Tacoma built "Fearless." Built in 1900, the 80 foot tug was one of the most powerful tugs at the turn of the century. It was based out of Port Angeles and used primarily for tows on the Quillayute River. (photograph courtesy of the William T. Case collection) ("Foss: A Living Legend" by Bruce Johnson and Mike Skalley)

Foss Launch & Tug Co. (Tacoma); Tugboats--Port Angeles--1940-1950;

ca. 1915. Sepia photograph of a man, possibly J. Frank Hickey, standing next to Tacoma Transit Co. bus parked outside the Donnelly Hotel, 9th & Pacific, ca. 1915. The small bus apparently had a Puyallup-Tacoma route. Tacoma Transit was the first bus line in Tacoma and was started by J. Frank Hickey in 1913. Mr. Hickey would also become the president of the elegant Tacoma Hotel.

Buses--Tacoma; Tacoma Transit Co. (Tacoma);

ca. 1930s. Several of the Blue Lines buses that operated from Sumner in the 1930s. The bus company in Sumner, at this time, was owned by Peter Conlon. He sold the business in 1939. The buses are parked in front of the bus depot on Main St. and Ryan Ave. in Sumner. The men in this picture are: (l to r) John Kuss, Bob Parks, unknown, Bill Gill, Cliff Whitcomb, Moe Wilson, Buster Wilson, Gus Bordson, Ben Lemon, Frank Poch, Peter Conlon, and Ray Tuttle. From the collection of Jack Conlon.

Buses--Sumner; Bus drivers--Sumner; Conlon, Peter; Kuss, John; Parks, Bob; Gill, Bill; Whitcomb, Cliff; Wilson, Moe; Wilson, Buster, Bordson, Gus; Lemon, Ben; Poch, Frank; Tuttle, Ray;

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);