Lt. Col. Tex Robert's pit crew surround race car 76, the "Gordy", and its driver Gordy Livingston. Robert's team made a "clean sweep" at the first meet of the racing season which opened at Athletic Park at the end of April. Weekly midget car races are held on Saturdays at the park which is located at South 14th and Sprague Streets. (T.Times, 5/2/1947, p.15) TPL-5482

Automobiles--Tacoma--1940-1950; Racing automobiles--1940-1950; Automobile racing--Tacoma--1940-1950; Racetracks--Tacoma--1940-1950; Livingston, Gordy;

Commercial Distributing Company had its own complete machine shop and they did their own rigging, painting and steam cleaning. Their hauling equipment included: semi-flat bed trucks, flat beds, semi-vans, vans and four different types of trucks with mounted cranes. Exterior view of facilities and the four trucks with the different types of hoisting machinery available through Commercial Distributing (T, Times, 10/27/47, p. 2).

Trucks--Tacoma--1940-1950; Shipping--Tacoma; Industrial facilities--Tacoma; Hoisting machinery; Commercial Distributing Co. (Tacoma);

Engineers' Union, truck, crane and trailer. Men are unloading 56" pipe from a railroad car using a mobile crane on back of truck from Commercial Distributing Company. More culvert conduit is stacked on a railroad car behind the emply truck from Cooney Transfer Company. (T.Times, 2/26/1947, p.3-B)

Trucks--Tacoma--1940-1950; Shipping; Hoisting machinery; Culverts; Railroad freight cars--Tacoma;

In April of 1946, a milk truck attempted to cross under the gas station canopy at Weir's Electric and Hardware at 8419 Portland Ave. Unfortunately, the truck was too tall and the canopy came crashing to the ground, taking the store's neon sign with it. The Mac's Super Service truck was at Weir's to begin repairs. Mac's was located at 4003 McKinley Ave. During World War II, the Weir family lived in the housing above the store and gas station. The accident was a memorable one for the family. (story courtesy of a Weir family member.) TPL-8742

Accidents--Tacoma; Wreckers (vehicles)--Tacoma; Automobile service stations--Tacoma; Electric signs--Tacoma--1940-1950; Weir's Electric & Hardware (Tacoma); Mac's Super Service (Tacoma);

Weir's Electric & Hardware store sign appear to have fallen on top of gas pumps and a tow truck. The store appears to have been located adjacent to Mac's Service Station, it later moved to 2815 Sixth Avenue. Louis Weir was an electrician at Seattle Tacoma Shipbuilding Corp. before he opened up Weir's Electric & Hardware store.

Accidents--Tacoma; Wreckers (vehicles)--Tacoma; Automobile service stations--Tacoma; Weir's Electric & Hardware (Tacoma); Mac's Super Service (Tacoma);

Carl Sohmers. The new street striper built and designed by Carl Sohmers for the Tacoma Police Department, Department of Public Safety. A side view of the vehicle. The machine has made painting traffic stripes on streets efficient and has speeded up painting of traffic lines through the city. Three men man the outfit. One drives the vehicle and the other two operate the stripers.

Trucks--Tacoma--1940-1950; Painting--Tacoma--1940-1950; Tacoma Police Department (Tacoma);

Ace Furnace & Steel Company. A truck, stacked with tanks, is parked in a warehouse. The name painted on the truck's door is Birchfield Boiler, Inc., Shipbuilding Division. Ace Furnace's major output was tanks, large and small, making 400-800 per month. It was owned and operated by Alvin T. Davies who also operated Birchfield Boiler and Tacoma Boiler Works Company. (T.Times, 9/4/1946)

Trucks--Tacoma--1940-1950; Birchfield Boiler, Inc. (Tacoma); Ace Furnace & Steel Co. (Tacoma); Storage tanks--Tacoma; Warehouses--Tacoma; Loading docks--Tacoma;

On December 20, 1946, Loretta Boehm (later Griffin) of the Sanford-Nash, Inc. automobile dealership in Tacoma was sent to rouse Santa from a sound sleep so he could hand out the presents at the company's Christmas party. Santa had a comfortable bed in the convertible back seat of a 1946 Nash Ambassador on the dealership's showroom floor. After the party, Santa was allowed to resume his sleep, undisturbed, until Christmas eve. Sanford-Nash, Inc. was at 445-51 Tacoma Avenue South. (Photo ordered by O'Connell and Ragan, an advertising company.) TPL-9842

Automobiles--Tacoma--1940-1950; Santa Claus--Tacoma; Sleeping; Sanford-Nash, Inc. (Tacoma); O'Connell-Ragan Co. (Tacoma); Boehm, Loretta;

In May of 1948, Leo Dobry posed in his Champ car, the "City of Tacoma," parked in front of its windowed traveling trailer. Dobry, a racing enthusiast, had the maroon and cream car built at the Kurtis-Kraft plant in South Gate, California, to exacting specifications. After six months and an expenditure of approximately $20,000, the car was ready to run in the Indianapolis 500 race on Memorial Day. The racer was on display April 28, 1948, on the "island" at 9th and Broadway and April 30th at the midget auto races at Athletic Park, South 14th Street and Sprague Avenue. The Champ car was much larger and more powerful than a midget. It ran the 500 twice, finishing sixth in 1948 and qualifying outside the front row in 1949 before mechanical problems forced it out of the race. (T.Times, 4/27/1948, p.1; TNT, 4/27/1948, p.15) TPL-5446

Dobry, Leo; City of Tacoma (Race car); Racing automobiles--1940-1950; Automobile racing--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Jack Evans, adjuster, insurance, Highway 99 and Rainier Ord. intersection. Pontiac B-51385 and Plymouth B-5639. A view of the intersection where an automobile crash occurred used for insurance evaluation of claims. Telephone poles line the right hand side of the highway, a stop light hangs over the intersection and railroad tracks run parallel to the highway on the right.

Traffic accidents--Puyallup; Roads--Puyallup; Traffic signs & signals--Puyallup; Signal lights--Puyallup; Utility poles--Puyallup; Railroad tracks--Puyallup;

Alfred E. Hill of Olympia was thrown 42 feet from his motorcycle, when he collided into the rear end of a vehicle driven by Fort Lewis soldier, Andrew Prevuznak at the Highway 99 and Sales Road intersection in June of 1948. Hill was rushed to Pierce County Hospital, but was pronounced dead on arrival; Prevuznak was not injured. View of motorcycle that was involved in the automobile accident; photo ordered by Farmers Insurance Company (T. Times, 6/17/48, p. 1).

Traffic accidents--Tacoma; Motorcycles--Tacoma; Hill, Alfred E.--Death & burial; Vehicle maintenance & repair--Tacoma; City & town life--Tacoma; Insurance companies--Tacoma; Farmers Insurance Group (Tacoma);

A large Coast semi-truck has rolled over on its side after an automobile accident at 24th and D Streets. Nalley's neon signs can be seen above the truck. Ordered by the Tribune, City Desk.

Traffic accidents--Tacoma; Trucks--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Truck and automobile accident at 24th and D Streets. Large truck turned on side on top of automobile.

Traffic accidents--Tacoma; Trucks--Tacoma--1950-1960;

More than 20 new Ford trucks for Jordan Baking Company are lined up in front of the bakery. The new fleet of 45 Jordan Baking Company trucks, painted blue and white, had already begun distribution of the firm's new and improved loaf, "Sunbeam Bread". Art Jordan, owner of the company, is standing on the far left. Ordered by Mallon Motors, Inc. (TNT, 3/6/1952, p.16)

Jordan Baking Co. (Tacoma); Trucks--Tacoma--1950-1960; Ford trucks; Jordan, Arthur K.; Bakeries--Tacoma;

Griffin Fuel Co. delivery truck in front of company headquarters at 1910 Commerce St. Fred L. Griffin began business in Tacoma with a horse and wagon hauling wood, ice, furniture, pianos and other commodities. The senior Griffin did most of the wood cutting and hauling himself; even after the business expanded he continued to work with the hired hands. In 1904, the company moved from 15th and Dock St. to 1910 Commerce Street and gradually ceased all sidelines and concentrated on fuel dealing. By the 1950s, the firm was the oldest and largest exclusive fuel dealing concern west of Chicago and operator of the largest and most modern fleet of trucks on the West Coast. TPL-9961

Griffin Fuel Co. (Tacoma); Trucks--Tacoma--1950-1960; Fuel--Tacoma--1950-1960;

For George Boldt. Blood stains on highway at Sixth Avenue and Stevens. Chevrolet two-door coupe with rear skirts parked in residential neighborhood. License plate is B66235. Photograph taken on November 24, 1951.

Chevrolet automobile;

A new Dodge truck is on display at the Irwin-Jones Motor Company's truck department at 1625 South Tacoma Way. The Dodge is emblazed with the A.J. Corwin Dist. Co.'s name on the driver's door and Stordor Wholesale on the side panel. The Dodge was one of several new trucks ordered for the Corwin Company in the summer of 1950.

Dodge trucks; Automobile dealerships--Tacoma; Irwin-Jones Motor Co. (Tacoma); Trucks--Tacoma--1950-1960;

In 1943, Tacoma was bustin' at the seams with war workers, most of whom used mass transit. The Tacoma Transit Co. took this opportunity to run an advertisement in the Tacoma Times asking people to be courteous and exit through the back door of the bus, leaving the front door for entering passengers. (T.Times 2/25/1943, pg. 25)

Mass transit--Tacoma; Buses--Tacoma--1940-1950; Tacoma Transit Co. (Tacoma);

ca. 1943. An emergency ambulance is parked by a large wooden building circa 1943. Ordered by (Harry) Satterlee, secretary of the Teamsters, Chauffeurs, Warehousemen & Helpers Union No. 313.

Ambulances;

ca. 1943. Electric automobile. Man stands beside open door of classy electric automobile in pristine condition. It's parked in front of Puget Sound Battery Company. Bergh-Griggs Company building on right. (T. Times).

Electric automobiles; Puget Sound Battery Co. (Tacoma);

Ray Langdell accident picture of skid marks. View of skid marks left on South 13th Street and South Tacoma Way intersection, after an automobile accident. Photograph ordered by Ray Langdell.

Traffic accidents--Tacoma; Streets--Tacoma; Crosswalks--Tacoma;

Powell Hauling Co., truck at commercial moving. View of a hauling truck from Powell Hauling Co., in foreground and Northern Pacific train car in background.

Trucks--Tacoma--1940-1950; Wreckers (Vehicles)--Tacoma; Powell Hauling Co. (Tacoma);

Robert D. O'Neil, Tacoma Utilities Commissioner, Amos Booth, the Beltline superintendent, and Walter Frankland, local transportation administrator (l to r) were photographed in December of 1942 inside one of the U.S. Navy busses that had just been brought from Bremerton to be used on the Tacoma tideflats. At the end of 1942, Tacoma did not have enough busses to efficiently move all the employees working at the various businesses located on the tideflats; and they didn't have sufficient parking if all the employees drove their own cars. Mr. Frankland made arrangements with the Navy to lease eight diesel-electric busses each of which could carry 43 seated passengers - or 95 passengers if riders stood in the extra wide aisles. (T. Times 12/28/1942 p.1)

Mass transit--Tacoma; Buses--Tacoma; World War, 1939-1945--Transportation--Tacoma; ONeil, Robert D.; Booth, Amos; Frankland, Walter;

Inter-city Auto Freight started up in March 1938 with just two trucks and no facilities. They primarily do hauling between Seattle and Tacoma, but they have done heavy hauling throughout the state. They have set up ideal facilities, including having their own railroad siding which facilitates unloading, storage and distribution. View of Inter-city Auto Freight 60 ft. retort on truck.

Trucks--Tacoma--1940-1950; Moving & storage trade--Tacoma; Inter-City Auto Freight, Inc. (Tacoma); Tacoma GMC Truck Co. (Tacoma); Mack trucks;

Side view of a Ford manufactured delivery truck for Rainier beer, photographed for an accident case. The founder of Rainier beer Andrew Hemrich was a first generation American of German descent who learned the brewers trade at his father's brewery in Wisconsin. At 14, he left home and roamed the mining towns of the west. In February of 1883, he arrived in the wide open frontier lumber town of Seattle. With John Kopp, a German immigrant, he opened the Kopp and Hemrich Brewery south of town (now 3100 Airport Way South), nestled near a hill with a view of Mount Rainier. He named his first batch of beer after that mountain- Rainier Beer. ("Brewed in the Northwest" by Gary and Gloria Meier)

Trucks--Tacoma--1950-1960; Brewing industry--Seattle; Beer--Seattle;

W. F. English, employee of Jensen Fuel Company at 6238 South Tacoma Way, responds to a radio telephoned message in the cab of his oil delivery truck. In March of 1950, Jensen Fuel installed modern two way radios in their trucks, aiding communication between the office and the oil delivery trucks. This enabled the drivers to make emergency deliveries in the areas they serviced and Jensen to guarantee that any order received in the morning would be delivered before evening. Jensen Fuel Co. was founded by Robert Jensen in 1891. (TNT 3/2/1950 pg. 23)

Trucks--Tacoma--1950-1960; Fuel supply; Jensen Fuel Co. (Tacoma); English, W. F.; Jensen Fuel Co. (Tacoma)--Employees; Communication devices; Radiophones;

Two loaded Chevrolet trucks at General Beer Distributing Company. Tacoma was a leading distribution center for the Pacific Northwest. Ordered by Clark Richardson Advertising Agency.

Trucks--Tacoma--1950-1960; Chevrolet trucks; General Beer Distributing Co. (Tacoma); Columbia Breweries, Inc. (Tacoma)--1950-1960; Richardson Advertising Agency (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);

View of South Tacoma Way and South 90th Street area; Motel El Rancho, New and Used Trailer dealership, on left side of street, Norm's Repair, Texaco, Marta's Coffee Shop and many other businesses are located on the right side of street. Photo ordered by Metzger, Blair, Gardner and Boldt Law Firm, possibly for a traffic accident, skid mark are visible on the left side of South Tacoma Way.

Traffic accidents--Tacoma; Law & legal firms--Tacoma; Lawyers--Tacoma; Law offices--Tacoma; Streets--Tacoma; City & town life--Tacoma; Metzger, Blair, Gardner & Boldt Law Firm (Tacoma);

Kelly Furniture Company built their store building in 1924 with a warehouse added in 1940, they were located at 5428 South Tacoma Way and were owned by L. Q. Kelly and Robert D. Kelly. Kelly's advertised Hotpoint appliances, Simmons Beautyrest mattresses, Sealy mattresses, Zenith radios and many other items. View of Kelly Furniture Company employees standing in front of their new delivery truck. The two gentlemen in the dark suits are (from left to right) Robert D. Kelly and Laurence Q. Kelly, owners of the company. The gentleman in the white coverall to the right of Laurence Kelly is James Gunther, Laurence's brother-in -law. Additional information provided by patron.

Trucks--Tacoma--1940-1950; Business people--Tacoma--1940-1950; Furniture stores--Tacoma; Home furnishings stores--Tacoma; Kelly Furniture Co. (Tacoma)--Employees;