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);

Cargo handling at the Milwaukee Dock. A large wooden crate is being either unloaded or loaded onto the unidentified vessel at the Milwaukee Dock in March of 1919. The shipment is either headed for or came from Yokohama, Japan, according to printing on the crate. G49.1-204

Cargo ships--Japanese; Shipping--Tacoma--1910-1920; Containers; Crates;

Waldren Flying Machine Hoquiam This three-wheeled flying contraption was piloted by a Mr. Waldren in Hoquiam on the 4th of July in 1910. Among those standing near the "flying machine" was John A. ("Jack") Croston, who is believed to be second on the right of the pilot. Mr. Croston operated a garage and Chevrolet agency at 1135 Tacoma Avenue South, across the street from the Tacoma Public Library, during the years 1917-19. Copy of photograph made on February 19, 1928. TPL-2688; G71.1-141

Airplanes--Hoquiam; Croston, John A.;

Ambassador ready for launching. The motorship "Ambassador" was built for the Chichagof Mining Co. of Alaska in 1919. She was 112-feet long and would be used by the company for transport between Chichagof, Juneau, and Tacoma. In 1924 she would be sold to Alexander & Baldwin Ltd. for service in the Hawaiian coastal trade. The "Ambassador," launched on September 11, 1919, was built by the Tacoma Shipbuilding Co. She was the only boat built by the firm since the cancelling of contracts by the Emergency Fleet Corporation. G37.1-119 (Newell: " Maritime Events of 1924;" T.Times 9-13-19, p. 14-article)

Launchings--Tacoma--1910-1920; Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1910-1920; Tacoma Shipbuilding Co. (Tacoma);

ca. 1886. Several long boats (Indian canoes) rest on the beach at about Fifth and Pacific in Tacoma in this photograph from the mid 1880s. Long boats could transport a whole family with supplies for a season of fishing. This group of boats is probably preparing to head upstream on the Puyallup River where members of the Puyallup tribe worked in the hop fields of the Puyallup Valley. The Puyallups are part of the Puget Sound Salish original peoples. They were hunters, gatherers and fishermen, although they inhabited permanent houses along the riverbanks and along the Sound. Salmon was their main food and figured strongly in their culture. Under the Treaty of Medicine Creek, the tribe ceded much of their territories but retained fishing rights. Rutter Collection TPL-564

Longboats--Tacoma--1890-1900; Indians of North America--Tacoma--1890-1900;

ca. 1888. In this circa 1888 photograph, the ship "Republic" is discharging tea at the railroad wharves of Northern Pacific Railroad , Tacoma, W.T. The "Republic" was a three-masted clipper. Photograph is courtesy of the John Ogden Collection. TPL-10170

Shipping--Tacoma--1880-1890; Sailing ships--1880-1890; Cargo ships--Tacoma--1880-1890; Piers & wharves--Tacoma--1880-1890;

ca. 1901. Ships at dock on Tacoma waterway (Copy). Masted vessels are waiting on the City Waterway to take on cargo in this circa 1901 photograph. The buildings on the water's edge are wheat warehouses. The Northern Pacific Railroad Headquarters building is at far left upper edge, with its commanding view of the busy marine activities. TPL-1344

Sailing ships--Tacoma--1900-1910; Cargo ships--Tacoma--1900-1910; Shipping--Tacoma--1900-1910; Warehouses--Tacoma--1900-1910; Piers & wharves--Tacoma--1900-1910; City Waterway (Tacoma); Northern Pacific Headquarters Building (Tacoma);

ca. 1928. The ship "President Jefferson" lies at dock next to the Sperry Mill probably in July or August of 1928

ca. 1930. Harold Bromley's fourth airplane, NR153W also called the "City of Tacoma," preparing for his Tokyo to Tacoma flight. The red Emsco single engine monoplane roared off on September 14, 1930 from a 6,800 foot strip of hard packed sand at Sabishiro Beach, 350 miles north of Tokyo. Twenty four hours and 52 minutes later, it landed about 35 minutes north of its starting point. About 1200 miles out, 12 hours after taking off, the plane's exhaust system failed. Sickened by the fumes, Bromley turned the plane back to Japan. With his navigator Harold Gatty comatose, Bromley fought to keep consciousness and land the plane. The pair were discovered on the beach unconscious by Japanese fishermen. Both recovered, but Gatty refused to make the flight again. Bromley recalculated the flight and determined that it could not be made with this slow, heavy plane without refueling. His Tacoma backers, their money flow stalled by the Depression, abandoned the project. TPL-216

At dawn on July 28, 1929 Harold Bromley climbed into his Lockheed monoplane, perched at the top of a ramp, preparing for takeoff on his proposed 4,762 mile "hop" to Tokyo. A crowd of 25,000, some of whom had waited since 2a.m., gathered to see the plane take wing. The wooden vessel carried 904 gallons of gasoline and not much else, a flying gas tank. The new Tacoma airport, built with a $30,000 bond issue, had a 5,400 foot airstrip. An additional ramp was added at the beginning of the strip; when the plane rolled off the ramp it would gain momentum equivalent to another 1,000 feet of runway. At 6:08 a.m., the plane roared down the ramp and continued down the runway before swerving sharply and crashing. BGN-310I

Harold Bromley's Lockheed monoplane, the "City of Tacoma, " poised at top of the ramp at Tacoma Field prior to take off. The ramp was designed to give the large plane more lift. The huge orange Vega had a 48 foot wingspan, a open cockpit near the tail and a cruising speed of 150 miles per hour. Bromley was proposing to make a solo, nonstop 4,762 mile "hop" Tacoma to Tokyo. His flight ended in disaster when the overfilled tanks spewed gasoline, blinding him and he crashed the plane. Bromley, unhurt, oversaw the production of three more "City of Tacoma" planes. Two were designed by Lockheed and crashed during test flights. The final plane, designed by Emsco Aircraft of Downey, California, flew for 1,200 miles until fumes forced Bromley to turn back. BGN-310G

Harold Bromley's airplane the "City of Tacoma" poised at the top of the ramp prior to its July 28, 1929 take off. Bromley and his plane were financed by a group of Tacoma businessmen, the most voluble being lumber magnate John Buffelen, who wanted to put Tacoma on the map, in the same way that Lindberg made "St. Louis" a household world. The whole city of Tacoma supported the dashing Bromley, even voting a $300,000 bond to build a 5,400 foot air strip. A 100 foot wooden ramp was constructed at the beginning of the runway. The plane was placed at the top of the ramp. When the plane rolled off, it would gain momentum equivalent to another 1,000 feet of runway. At 6:08a.m., the huge monoplane roared down the ramp, veered sharply and crashed about 1,500 feet after its take off.

The "Point Judith" was built by J.M. Martinac Shipbuilding in Tacoma, launched on March 16, 1966, and commissioned that July. She is pictured above undergoing sea trials in mid-July of 1966. "Point Judith" was the first of 26 new Point Class 82-foot Coast Guard cutters built to replace similar cutters sent to Vietnam. This patrol boat was designed to have light steel hulls and aluminum superstructures. The "Point Judith" would spend her life stationed in California, at San Pedro and Santa Barbara. She was used for law enforcement and search-and-rescue operations until being decommissioned in January, 1992, and transferred to Venezuela. "Point Judith" was the first cutter built outside the Coast Guard's own shipyards in Curtis Bay, MD. Costs for the 26 cutters averaged approximately $400,000 apiece. Ordered by J.M. Martinac Shipbuilding. (TNT 10-30-66, A-17); (www.uscg.mil/hq/g-cp/history/WEBCUTTERS/Point_Judith.html; Newell, Gordon: Maritime Events of 1966, McCurdy: Marine History of the Pacific N.W.1966-1976);

Ship trials--Tacoma--1960-1970; Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1960-1970; J.M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corp. (Tacoma); Government vessels--Tacoma;

Broadside view of the "Point Lobos." Built by the J.M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corp., the "Point Lobos," CG 82366, was commissioned on May 29, 1967. She was a Point Class 82-foot patrol boat built for the Coast Guard. The boat had a mild steel hull and aluminum superstructure. She had two Cummins 800-hp diesels. Photograph ordered by the J.M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corp. while ship was undergoing sea trials. (www.uscg.mil/hq/g-cp/history/WEBCUTTERS/Point_Lobos.html)

Ship trials--Tacoma--1960-1970; Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1960-1970; J.M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corp. (Tacoma); Government vessels--Tacoma;

May, 1967, view of Airways Rent-A-Truck with lift at Titus-Will Ford building construction site, 3606 So.Sprague. This rented truck came equipped with a hoist capable of lifting heavy pallets or wrapped building materials. It appears that the wrapped packages, possibly roofing material, could therefore be moved onto rooftops with ease due to the truck's lifting capabilities. Titus-Will had opened a used car mall on So. Sprague north of the Tacoma Mall and west of I-5 the previous year. The construction pictured above was part of the new 10.5 acre Ford Center where new cars and a complete service department would be situated. Photograph ordered by First National Auto Leasing.

Trucks--Tacoma--1960-1970; Building construction--Tacoma--1960-1970; Titus-Will Ford (Tacoma); Lease & rental services--Tacoma;

Keeping pace with the new tuna seiner , the J.M. Martinac as she was underway on July 18, 1967, was the Richards Studio photographer on a Harbor Marina charter boat. The Martinac, built for skipper Lou Brito by J.M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corp., was heading for Southern California. She was 154 feet long and had a payload of 540 tons. Photograph ordered by the J.M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corp. TPL-9133a

Fishing boats--Tacoma--1960-1970; Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1960-1970; J.M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corp. (Tacoma);

Five men pose by three Northwest Gas Supply trucks carrying Doxol compressed gas on April 22, 1968. The trucks measure 65 feet in length and are 10 feet high. Signs on the tanks warn that the contents are flammable. They are parked outside Redi-Gas and Northwest Gas facilities at 14012 Pacific Ave. Photograph ordered by Transportation Equipment.

Trucks--Parkland; Northwest Gas Supply (Parkland); Redi-Gas Service (Parkland); Fuel trade--Parkland;

Sea trials. The "Cabrillo," elegant in its blue, white, and red coloring, quietly completes sea trials in late May, 1968. Water is being released through the scupper. She had been launched by J.M. Martinac Shipbuilding on February 17, 1968, with Gale Marie Soares as sponsor. The large vessel was built to carry 650 tons of tuna and would be used for fishing in Puerto Rican waters. Photograph ordered by J.M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corp. (TNT 2-11-68, A-26, TNT 2-18-68, C-21) TPL-9134b

Ship trials--Tacoma--1960-1970; Fishing boats--Tacoma--1960-1970; Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1960-1970; J.M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corp. (Tacoma);

Boat sponsor. Cradling the traditional spray of long stem red roses, Mrs. Edmund A. Gann poses in front of her husband's new fishing boat, the "Cape San Vincent" on March 20, 1969. Mrs. Gann was the ship's sponsor and performed the christening duties upon the 165-foot tuna seiner. The vessel had a 650-ton frozen tuna capacity and was scheduled for delivery later in the spring. J.M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corp. built the "Cape San Vincent;" it was one of five tuna seiners under construction at the Martinac yard. Photograph ordered by J.M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corp. (TNT 3-9-69, C-27; TNT 3-20-69, C-16) TPL-9395

Launchings--Tacoma--1960-1970; Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1960-1970; Fishing boats--Tacoma--1960-1970; J.M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corp. (Tacoma); Gann, Edmund A.--Family; Roses--Tacoma;

A different kind of launching than what is usually photographed occurred at the "Trap Servicing" boat launching held at the Port of Tacoma's industrial yard. Instead of immense fishing boats or Navy gunboats, this launching featured a small 36-foot workboat built for use at Tacoma City Light's Mossyrock Dam. A large crane steadily lowers the vessel on November 13, 1968. Peterson Boatbuilding Co. was the prime contractor of the $61,400 craft; Star Marine Industries subcontracted the hull. Photograph ordered by Star Marine Industries. (TNT 11-14-68, C--8)

Launchings--Tacoma--1960-1970; Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1960-1970; Hoisting machinery; Star Marine Industries (Tacoma);

View of the tuna seiner "Conquest" prior to launching. A crew member peers over the bunting-decorated bow. Built by the J.M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corporation, the 165-foot fishing vessel was ready to be launched on October 23, 1968. She was powered by a 2800-horsepower diesel engine and had a frozen fish capacity of 650 tons. The "Conquest" would be delivered to her owner, Joseph Madruga, in early 1969. The ship's captain was Richard Madruga, Joseph Madruga's brother. Photograph ordered by the J.M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corp. (TNT 10-24-68, A-3) TPL-9193

Launchings--Tacoma--1960-1970; Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1960-1970; J.M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corp. (Tacoma); Fishing boats--Tacoma--1960-1970;

Terri Louise Bale, wearing her crown as Miss Tacoma, closes her eyes against the spray of champagne as she christens the new Martinolich built tugboat, the "Betsy L," on December 21, 1968 at Martinolich Shipbuilding's Taylor Way shipyard. The tug was built for Knappton Towing Company of Portland, Oregon. Miss Bale was crowned Miss Tacoma for 1969 by the Tacoma Jaycees in November, 1968. (Photograph ordered by Martinolich Shipbuilding Corp.) (TNT 12-22-68, p. C-19)

Launchings--Tacoma--1960-1970; Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1960-1970; Tugboats--Tacoma--1960-1970; Martinolich Shipbuilding Corp. (Tacoma); Bale, Terri Louise; Beauty contestants--Tacoma--1960-1970;

Cheryl Marie launching party. The 176-foot tuna seiner, "Cheryl Marie," was launched on December 7, 1968, at 7:45 a.m., at the Port Industrial Yard. Standing beside the vessel are the Silveira family and Father Gerard Morin. L-R: Cheryl Silveira, Gary Silveira, Father Gerald Morin, Denise Marie Silveira, ship's sponsor Mary (Mrs. John) Silveira, Skipper/owner John Silveira, John Silveira, Jr., sponsor's attendant Mary (Mrs. Joe) Silveira, Mrs. Joe Silveira, Sr., and Joe Silveira, Sr. The "Cheryl Marie" was one of three federally subsidized fishing boats being built at Tacoma Boatbuilding. Each boat cost $1.8 million. Photograph ordered by Tacoma Boatbuilding. (TNT 11-24-68, B-19, TNT 12-7-68, p. 3) TPL-9446

Launchings--Tacoma--1960-1970; Fishing boats--Tacoma--1960-1970; Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1960-1970; Tacoma Boat Building Co., Inc. (Tacoma); Silveira, John; Silveira, John--Family; Morin, Gerald; Silveira, Joe; Silveira, Joe--Family;