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);

Lord Templeton. Vessel Type: Sailing Ship. Built: Harland & Wolff Ltd. Belfast. Hull: Steel. Launch Date: 5 May 1886. Owner. Irish Shipowners Co. In 1924-1932 she was owned by Coastwise Steamship & Barge Co. Ltd., Vancouver BC. As a barge she carried ore from Anyox to Tacoma WA USA. (MacFarlane, John M. ΓÇ£The Nauticapedia.ΓÇ¥ Kisbee Ring Kisbey Ring, or Kisbie Ring, 2018, www.nauticapedia.ca/dbase/Query/Shiplist4.php?&name=Lord%2BTempleton&id=9365&Page=1&input=Lord%2BTempleton)

Sailing ships;

Susie M. Plummer. Four-masted schooner. Built 1890 in Thomaston, ME. Gross tonnage 920, net tonnage 808, length 181'6", breadth 37'6", depth 17'6". Home port San Francisco. (Department of Commerce and Labor, Bureau of Navigation. Merchant Vessels of the United States. 1907. Pg. 139)

Sailing ships; Schooners;

Meteor

Sailing ships;

Courtney Ford, Portluck, and Eric pulled by the tug Tacoma. The Courtney Ford (originally a skysail brig, but rerigged late in 1901 as a three -masted schooner) was wrecked September 7, 1902 on Glen Island, Izembek Bay, her hull being still fairly intact after more than 60 years on the beach. (Gordon Newell, Maritime Events of 1902, H.W. McCurdy Marine History of the Pacific Northwest. Seattle : Superior Pub. Co., 1977, p. 84.) Eric, four-masted schooner of 574 tons and 750 M capacity, was built by Hall Bros. In 1917, the Eric was sold for $65,000 to Burns Philp Co., the Australian copra merchants, but retained U. S. registry. In December, 1923, she put into Honolulu, waterlogged, on a voyage from Clallam Bay, B. C., to Brisbane, Australia; but was repaired and completed the voyage. On her return to San Francisco, the Eric was sold to J. E. Shields of Seattle, and in January, 1925, was towed to that port. There she was sold to Sir Guy Gaunt, and went under British registry for a world cruise. John Lyman, "Pacific Coast-Built Sailers, 1850-1950" The Marine Digest. April 5, 1941, p. 2.

Sailing ships; Schooners;

Crown of Germany. The four masted steel barque 'Crown of Germany', 2241 tons, 284.4 x 41.9 x 24.5. Built 1892 Workman, Clark and Co. Belfast. Owners Crown SS Co. Ltd. (J Reid and Co) registered Belfast c.1902/3 Crown of Germany Ship Co. Potter Bros. registered London. In 1910 sold to Hamburg and renamed Fischbek. On her first voyage was wrecked in Le Maire Straits near Cape Horn, August 1910. (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+1373/5/90)

Sailing ships; barks; barques;

Benjamin F. Packard 244-foot square-rigged sailing ship launched in Bath on November 15, 1883. Originally built by Goss, Sawyer & Packard, Bath, Maine for transporting cargo between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans around Cape Horn. "BenjaminF.Packard.ΓÇ¥ BenjaminF.PackardHouse, 2018, benjaminfpackardhouse.com/history

Square-rigged sailing ships;

Schooner Premier. Built in 1876 in Port Ludlow by Hall Brothers. Wrecked in May 13, 1919 near Unimak Island, Alaska. (Windjammers of the Pacific Rim : the coastal commercial sailing vessels of the yesteryears by Jim Gibbs, p. 178)

Sailing ships;

Clan Graham. A four-masted steel barque built in 1893 by Russell & Co., Port Glasgow. Dimensions 86,17×12,29×7,46 meters [282'9"×40'4"×24'6"] and tonnage 2147 GRT and 1976 NRT. Rigged with royal sails above double top- and topgallant sails. Sistership to the same owner's four-masted barque Clan Galbraith. Renamed Asheim 1917, scuttled on 8 July 1917 by the German submarine U-53 (Hans Rose), 20 miles northwest of Inistrahull. Asheim was on a voyage from Dublin to New York in ballast. 1 crew member was killed. (Wrecksite, https://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?163242)

Sailing ships; Barques; Barks;

A. J. Fuller. Built in 1881 in Bath, Maine, the 1849 ton, 229 foot, square rigged ship, A.J. Fuller was originally a notable Down east sky sail-yarder for the Flint & Company fleet. Purchased at the turn of the century by the California Shipping Company and subsequently by Capt- Dermot, she was engaged for several years in the Puget Sound-Australian timber trade. After the outbreak of World War I the A.J. Fuller sailed under the Northwestern Fisheries Company in the Alaskan salmon trade. On October 30, 1919 she arrived in Seattle with a full load of salmon and salt. While sitting at anchor in a dense fog, the steamship Mexico Maru entered the port on a regular trans-Pacific run and collided with the A.J. Fuller. The ten foot hole torn in the bow of the wooden ship caused her to rapidly sink. Although salvage was deemed possible the underwriters decided against it. The approximate position of the A.J. Fuller is 2000 ft offshore of Harbor Island at a depth of 240 feet. (Newell, Gordon

Sailing ships;

A. J. Fuller. Built in 1881 in Bath, Maine, the 1849 ton, 229 foot, square rigged ship, A.J. Fuller was originally a notable Down east sky sail-yarder for the Flint & Company fleet. Purchased at the turn of the century by the California Shipping Company and subsequently by Capt- Dermot, she was engaged for several years in the Puget Sound-Australian timber trade. After the outbreak of World War I the A.J. Fuller sailed under the Northwestern Fisheries Company in the Alaskan salmon trade. On October 30, 1919 she arrived in Seattle with a full load of salmon and salt. While sitting at anchor in a dense fog, the steamship Mexico Maru entered the port on a regular trans-Pacific run and collided with the A.J. Fuller. The ten foot hole torn in the bow of the wooden ship caused her to rapidly sink. Although salvage was deemed possible the underwriters decided against it. The approximate position of the A.J. Fuller is 2000 ft offshore of Harbor Island at a depth of 240 feet. (Newell, Gordon R. he H. W. McCurdy marine history of the Pacific Northwest.Seattle Superior Pub. Co., 1966, 163, 300)

Sailing ships;

Four-masted barque built by Messrs. A. Sewall and Co. in 1892 on the Kennebec River at Bath, Maine, in the United States. With the exception of Great Republic, she was the largest wooden ship ever built in an American yard. Her gross register tonnage was 3,347, but on a draft of 27 feet (8.2 meters) she could stow away 2,000 additional tons.[1] Her length was 311 feet (94.8 meters), her beam 49 feet (14.9 meters), and her hold depth 29 feet (8.8 meters).[2] Her lower yards were 95 feet (29 meters) long, and her foremast truck was 180 feet (54.9 meters) from the deck. The keel was in two tiers of 16-inch (40.6- cm) white oak, her garboards were eight inches (20.3 cm) thick, and her ceiling in the lower hold was 14 inches (35.6 cm). Into her construction went 1,250,000 board feet of yellow pine, 14,000 cubic feet (396.4 cubic meters) of oak, 98,000 treenails, and 550 hackmatack knees.[1] Roanoke left New York City on her final voyage in June 1904 and was involved in a serious collision with the British steamship Llangibby off the coast of South America in August 1904, requiring repairs for three months in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.[3] After delivering cargo to Australia, Roanoke was loading chromium ore near Nouméa, New Caledonia, when she was destroyed by fire on the night of August 10, 1905.[2] ( Wikipedia contributors. (2019, January 4). Roanoke (ship). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 02:16, January 10, 2019, from <https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Roanoke_(ship)&oldid=876789663&gt;)

Sailing ships;

Prussia. American transport clipper (ex-barque - bark) sailing ship. Built by Houghton Brothers, Bath, ME in 1869. Tonnage: 1212 nrt, dimensions: 56.1 x 11.1 x 7.3 m. Wood rigged, 3 masts (full-rigged). Lost: 06/19/1907 in Flinders Bay, Isla de los Estados, Argentina. (Wrecksite, https://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?172298)

Sailing ships; Clippers; Barques; Barks;

J. D. Peters. The merchant vessel registry describes the Peters as a 182ft sailing bark built in 1875 in Bath, Maine, and operating out of Port Townsend, Washington. It had a crew of 15 and a gross tonnage of 1,085. Registry number was 75809, and call numbers were J.R.L.F. It was owned by the Northwestern Fisheries Co during that time, and probably transported fish from multiple canneries in Alaska. In 1912 it was listed as a schooner, vs a bark. The Peters remained on the registry until at least 1928, when it had a crew of 5 and was hauling freight for the Booth Fisheries Co. (Emerson, Gabe. Funter Bay History: Ships Part IV, Saveitforparts, 04/16/2014. https://saveitforparts.wordpress.com/2014/04/16/funter-bay-history-ships-part-iv/)

Sailing ships; Barques; Barks;

Tweedsdale. Four masted iron barque 'Tweedsdale', 1460 tons, under sail iron 4 mast barque, 1460 tons, ON76767, 244.4 x 37.4 x 22.6. Built 1877 (4) Barclay, Curle and Co. Glasgow. Owners: J&A Roxburgh, registered Glasgow, later Hatfield, Cameron and Co. Said to have been the first iron hulled sailing ship [and also the smallest ever built] rigged as a four mast barque. (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+1373/18/43)

Sailing ships;

Muskoka. Four-masted steel bark, built 1891 by Richardson, Duck & Co., Stockton, England. Lenght 316', breath 40', depth 26'6", tonnage 2,350. (Industries and Iron, V. 11, October 9, 1891, p. 352)

Sailing ships; Barks; Barques;

The Everett G. Griggs was a Canadian six-masted barkentine, built 1883 at Harland & Wolff, Belfast, as the four-masted ship Lord Wolseley. Lord Wolseley delivered to Irish Shipowners Co. (T. Dixon & Sons), Belfast. 1898 sold to J.C. Tidemann & Co., Bremen, was reduced to barque rig and renamed Columbia. 1904 sold to C.E. Peabody, Vancouver, was remasted and rerigged to a six-masted barkentine and renamed Everett G. Griggs. 1910 sold to E.R. Stirling, Blaine, WA, and was renamed E.R. Sterling. Broken up at Sunderland in 1928. (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Everett_G._Griggs_(ship,_1883). Captured 02/14/2019)

Sailing ships; Barkentines; Barques; Barks;

The iron ship 'Brynhilda', 1502 tons, 240.5 x 38.0 x 221.7. Built 1885 Brynhilda Ship Co. (JW Carmichael) reg. Glasgow: c.1906 Harvard Shipping Co. (River Plate Co. Ltd) reg. Glasgow during WW1 she passed to American owners without change of name. It is said that her chief claim to fame was an exceptionally fast run from the River Plate to the Semaphore, Port Adelaide in 1905. ((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+1373/24/80, retrieved 02/15/2019)

Sailing ships; Iron ships;

The iron barque 'Pass of Leny', 1316 tons, under sail, 233.5 x 36.4 x 31.4. Built 1885 London and Glasgow Iron Shipbuilding and Engineering Co., Glasgow. Owners: Gibson and Clark, registered Glasgow. c.1910 sold to Italians and renamed 'Minerva'. (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+1373/17/41, retrieved 02/19/2019)

Sailing ships; Iron ships; Barks Barques;

Ship name: George Skofield

Sailing ships;

Ship name: Cutty Sark

Sailing ships;

Steam schooner Julia H. Ray lost on Coos Bay Bar

Sailing ships; Schooners; Steam Ships;

ca. 1946. Henry Foss (left) and William T. (Bill) Case held a discussion circa 1946 while leaning on the water pump of the Foss #12, used both as a fireboat and a tug. As the Foss Launch & Tug Co. expanded into new markets, Henry remained in Tacoma to run the local office. He served in World War II and returned once again to the company. He retired as president of the maritime company in the Northwest. Bill Case loyally worked for Foss from 1915 until his death in 1956. He started out as a deckhand and later skippered the Foss #12 during its tenure as Tacoma's fireboat. He was the Chief Dispatcher for the company when he retired due to illness. (Photograph courtesy of the William T. Case Collection)

Foss, Henry O., 1891-1986; Foss Launch & Tug Co. (Tacoma); Case, William T.;

Sunday, April 15, 1928, saw the inauguration of the new American Railway Express Co. air transport service, provided for Tacoma in conjunction with the Pacific Air Transport Co. fleet of mail carriers. It would be the first outgoing air parcel service under this new arrangement. The pilot pictured above smilingly accepts delivery of a slender box from an unidentified official before his northbound departure. Hundreds of people had gathered at the Mueller-Harkins Airport to celebrate this new service. (TNT 4-16-28, p. 7, TDL 4-15-28, 8-A) BGN-186, TPL-1597

Transport planes--Tacoma; Air pilots--Tacoma; American Railway Express Co. (Tacoma); Shipping--1920-1930; Air mail service--1920-1930;

ca. 1930. Birds eye view of Harold Bromley's fourth airplane, NR153W, also called the "City of Tacoma." Bromley planned to fly from Tokyo to Tacoma in this red Emsco single engine monoplane. His September 14, 1930 attempt at the flight with Harold Gatty as navigator was foiled by a failed exhaust system on the plane. The fumes forced the pair to land and almost cost them their lives. The plane was abandoned by Bromley for this flight as too heavy and slow. TPL-8799

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

ca. 1928. A Texaco fuel truck is parked in front of a tri-motor airplane with a Texaco logo on its wing. Two men appear to be fueling the airplane.

Airplanes--Tacoma--1920-1930; Trucks--Tacoma--1920-1930; Fuel tanks;