The 1946 Daffodil Parade proved to be a great success and lived up to its pre-war standard of excellence. View of parade entries, possibly the Veterans of Foreign Wars marching through South Meridian Street in Puyallup. Crowds of people are gathered on both sides of street to watch the Daffodil Parade. TPL-833

Daffodils--Puyallup; Parades & processions--Puyallup; Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1946 : Puyallup);

Puyallup Girl Scouts proudly march down the street following their float in the 10th annual Daffodil Parade, held on March 30, 1946 in Puyallup. The Daffodil Planning Committee was not going to have a parade, due to a post war shortage of trucks and decorators, until the Puyallup Chamber of Commerce stepped in and put together the first parade in three years. The first post World War II parade was a great success. TPL-8694 (TNT 3/31/1946, pg. 1)

Daffodils--Puyallup; Parades & processions--Puyallup; Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1946 : Puyallup); Floats (Parades)--Puyallup; Girl Scouts (Puyallup);

Thirty thousand spectators, three times the population of Puyallup, were estimated to have attended the 1946 Daffodil parade on March 30, 1946 in that city. The first post war Daffodil parade was 90 minutes long. On of the first groups to pass was Governor Mon C. Wallgren sitting on the back of a convertible. Young uniformed guards march on either side of the vehicle. Parade spectators line both side of Meridian Street in Puyallup. (TNT 3/31/1946, pg. 1)

Daffodils--Puyallup; Parades & processions--Puyallup; Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1946 : Puyallup); Floats (Parades)--Puyallup; Wallgren, Mon C., 1891-1961;

Gloria Dinwiddie of Sumner, Queen of the 1946 Daffodil Festival, was photographed preparing for her coronation on March 29, 1946. Helping her with her crown of golden daffodils were her attendants, Patricia McPherson (far right) of Tacoma and Maxine Barth of Puyallup. The coronation ceremony took place in Sumner. The three day Daffodil Festival began with the coronation and would end with the annual sailboat races. TPL-10152

Daffodils--Sumner; Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1946 : Sumner); Dinwiddie, Gloria--Coronations; McPherson, Patricia; Barth, Maxine; Crowns;

Mayor Harry P. Cain crowns Gloria Dinwiddie of Sumner, Queen of the 1946 Daffodil Festival, with a crown made of golden daffodils. Attendants Patricia McPherson of Tacoma, right, and Maxine Barth of Puyallup look on. The little crown bearer is Caryn Chervenka, age 4. The coronation took place at Guill Hall in Sumner. The three day event began with the coronation and would end with the annual sailboat races. ALBUM 13.

Daffodils--Sumner; Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1946 : Sumner); Dinwiddie, Gloria; Crowns; McPherson, Patricia; Barth, Maxine; Chervenka, Caryn; Cain, Harry P., 1906-1979; Mayors--Tacoma--1940-1950;

The 1946 Daffodil Queen Gloria Dinwiddie (center) stands, with her attendants Patricia MacPherson, left, and Maxine Barth, on a daffodil covered platform that was built in front of the Tacoma totem pole. The 1946 Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival was the first to be held since 1942. The Daffodil committee originally did not plan to have a parade in 1946 because of a shortage of decorators and truck chassis. The Puyallup Chamber of Commerce stepped in to sponsor the parade, and managed to organize a top rate show in just a few short weeks. Although the court was presented to the people of Tacoma on this totem pole stage, the parade was only held in Puyallup along Meridian. (TNT 3/31/1946, pg. 1)

Daffodils--Tacoma; Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1946 : Tacoma); Totem poles; Stages (Platforms);

Girl Scouts of America float in an unidentified parade. Girl poses with bow and arrow on a truck bed decorated as a camp site with tent and logs. Building appears to be downtown due to a parking garage but no address numbers are identifiable .

Thousands gathered on Broadway in Tacoma to see the impressive Jubilee Parade. The parade went on as planned in spite of the heavy rainfall that fell upon Tacoma's parade-goers for a good part of the festivities. View of unidentified bathing beauty smiling as her float goes through the streets of Tacoma (T. Times, 6/26/46, p. 1).

Parades & processions--Tacoma--1940-1950; Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1940-1950; Bathing beauties; Bathing suits;

The Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine were joining many other Northwest Temple Shriners for a Shrine parade in Tacoma. Public Safety Commissioner, Robert S. Temme will act as illustrious potentate. View of Shriners marching in their parade, Roxy Theatre and Motoramp Garage in background.

Parades & processions--Tacoma--1940-1950; Fraternal organizations--Tacoma; Marching--Tacoma; Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (Tacoma); Afifi Temple (Tacoma);

A carriage pulled by twin butterflies is the Rhodes Bro. Department Store entry in the 1952 Daffodil Parade and winner of first place in the commercial division. More than one million sunshine yellow blossoms were used to decorate the 70 floats, many of them carrying out the 1952 "King Alfred" theme. The weather dawned warm and sunny, swelling Tacoma parade crowds to over 200,000. (TNT 4/6/1952, pg. 1)

Parades & processions--Tacoma--1950-1960; Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1952 : Tacoma); Festivals--Tacoma; Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1950-1960; Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma);

A float sponsored by Buck & Sons, Tractor & Implement Co., in the 1952 Daffodil Parade crosses down Pacific Ave. in front of the closed Riviera movie theatre. Two young women clad in shorts stand behind rototillers on this Daffodil covered float pulled by a tractor. Three young men perch on the narrow awning of the Riviera marquee to view the parade. Small children sit on the curb at the front of the crowd to watch the spectacle. The crowd estimated at 200,000, the largest in parade history, waited patiently for the parade which began 1/2 hour after scheduled start time.

Parades & processions--Tacoma--1950-1960; Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1952 : Tacoma); Festivals--Tacoma; Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1950-1960; Buck & Sons Tractor & Implement Co. (Tacoma);

Float #30, entitled "Springtime," won the Sweepstakes Award in the 1951 Daffodil Festival parade. The float had two large robins in the front and enormous butterfly wings at the rear with a young lady as part of its "body." Two other young misses carry metal watering cans as they pose next to a flowering arbor. This float was the creation of the St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co.

Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1950-1960; Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1951 : Tacoma); St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma);

Float #37 in the 1951 Daffodil Parade had as its theme, "Safety First." A small house, created out of daffodils and topped with shrubbery, was escorted by both a woman "fireman" and a smiling "devil." It was parked outside the Oxygen Sales & Service Co., sellers of oxygen and welding products.

Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1950-1960; Puyallup Valley Daffodil Parade (1951 : Tacoma); Oxygen Sales & Service Co. (Tacoma);

Waving to the crowds lined up on Pacific Avenue for the 1951 Daffodil Festival Parade are three Elks officials motoring along in a convertible decorated in blossoms. Driving is secretary Erling O. Johnson and in the back seat are Harold Duncan at left and Lloyd L. Wynans, right. Mr. Wynans was the current Exalted Ruler of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, Tacoma Lodge No. 174. Mr. Duncan, as Leading Knight, was to succeed Mr. Wynans as Exalted Ruler later in the year.

Parades & processions--Tacoma--1950-1960; Convertible automobiles--Tacoma; Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1951 : Tacoma); Johnson, Erling O.; Duncan, Harold; Wynans, Lloyd L.; Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, Tacoma Lodge No. 174 (Tacoma);

The Packard Bell float motored merrily along Pacific Avenue past the Washington Hardware Co. store on April 7, 1951, in the 18th annual Daffodil Festival Parade. An unidentified woman smilingly displays a handful of daffodils to the teeming crowds. A Packard Bell television set aboard the float has the photograph of the 1951 Daffodil Queen, Elaine Chipps of Puyallup, on the screen. Packard Bell was celebrating its 25th anniversary in 1951.

Parades & processions--Tacoma--1950-1960; Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1950-1960; Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1951 : Tacoma); Packard Bell Co. (Tacoma); Washington Hardware Co. (Tacoma);

As shadows edge out into Pacific Avenue, they blend with the marching military units and vehicles during the 1951 Armed Forces Day parade. Everyone has paused, perhaps for the start of the parade. Honor guard is at front, followed by large groups of soldiers and other servicemen.

Military parades & ceremonies--Tacoma--1950-1960; Armed Forces Day; Commercial streets--Tacoma--1950-1960;

The annual Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival Parade would go through Pacific Avenue in downtown Tacoma, view of the Puyallup Lodge No. 32 Ancient Order of United Workmen float attached to a Commercial Distributing truck, before it proceeded onto the parade on Pacific Avenue. This float received third place in the floats among organizations and lodges (T.N.T., 3/29/47, p. 1).

Floats (parades)--Tacoma--1940-1950; Parades & processions--Tacoma--1940-1950; Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1947 : Tacoma); Ancient Order of United Workmen Puyallup Lodge No. 32 (Tacoma);

Daffodil Festival Parade along Pacific Avenue in downtown Tacoma, view of the Puyallup Lodge No. 32 Ancient Order of United Workmen float being pulled by a Commercial Distributing truck. Young ladies and children are riding on the float and greeting the crowd. This float received third place among the floats in the organizations and lodges division (T.N.T., 3/29/47, p. 1).

Floats (parades)--Tacoma--1940-1950; Parades & processions--Tacoma--1940-1950; Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1947 : Tacoma); Ancient Order of United Workmen Puyallup Lodge No. 32 (Tacoma); Daffodils--Tacoma;

The annual Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival parade was a great success. With more than sixty entries in the Tacoma parade, the judges had a hard time selecting which ones should be sweepstakes winners. An estimated 600,000 daffodils were used on parade floats. View of the Titus Ford float, decorated by Fisk Flag and Decorating Company, four people ride in a daffodil covered Ford (T.N.T., 3/30/47, p. 1).

Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1947 : Tacoma); Daffodils--Tacoma; Titus Motor Co. (Tacoma); Fisk Flag & Decorating Co. (Tacoma); Parades & processions--Tacoma--1940-1950; Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Daffodil Parade, Times. The Junior Chamber of Commerce reminded the crowd that it will require research and education to "Fight to Conquer Cancer".

Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1948 : Tacoma); Parades & processions--Tacoma--1940-1950; Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1940-1950; Daffodils--Tacoma; Tacoma Junior Chamber of Commerce (Tacoma); Cancer--Tacoma;

Carsten's float turns the corner from Broadway to 9th St. in the 1950 Daffodil parade. The parade route in Tacoma started from the line up area on 17th to Broadway, turned on 9th and continued down Pacific back to 17th. Crowds are in places ten people deep to watch the parade, with some standing on ladders for a better view. The best viewpoint belongs to those watching from the upper windows and the fire escape. A large group of people watch the parade from the top of Rhodes department store. To the right of the picture stands the Junior Chamber of Commerce's "Safety First" sign, noting the number of deathless days in Tacoma traffic.

Celebrations--Tacoma; Festivals--Tacoma; Spectators--Tacoma; Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1950-1960; Parades & processions--Tacoma--1950-1960; Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1950 : Tacoma); Carstens Packing Co. (Tacoma);

Daffodil court members stand between the wings of floral doves in this tribute to the "American Way" produced by St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Company, winner of the first place commercial entry award. A huge floral daffodil dominates the center of the float, followed by a fountain at the rear of the float. The float had just turned the corner from 9th onto Pacific. The Daffodil parade has been held annually since 1934 except for World War II years, and was suggested as a use for the blooms of the Puyallup Valleys' Daffodil bulb crop that were either thrown away or used as fertilizer before the parade's inception.

Celebrations--Tacoma; Festivals--Tacoma; Spectators--Tacoma; Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1950-1960; Parades & processions--Tacoma--1950-1960; Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1950 : Tacoma); St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma);

Tacoma Seed Company, 805 Pacific Ave., sponsored this entry- a Sunbeam Greenhouse pulled by an automobile. The greenhouse is full of hot house flowers including some daffodils. The crowd on Pacific Ave. bundled up in coats, hats and blankets against the brisk spring weather look longingly at the warmth inside the greenhouse. Tacoma Seed Co. was also featured prominently at the Flower Show that was part of the Daffodil Festival celebration.

Celebrations--Tacoma; Festivals--Tacoma; Spectators--Tacoma; Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1950-1960; Parades & processions--Tacoma--1950-1960; Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1950 : Tacoma); Tacoma Seed Co. (Tacoma);

The crowd disperses from the 900 block of Pacific Avenue after the completion of the enormously successful 1950 Daffodil Parade, leaving a large job for the street cleaning crew. One man descends from the Federal Finance Co. awning, where he had scrambled up to better view the parade. The Daffodil Festival and its parade were the brainchild of the cities of Tacoma, Puyallup and Sumner. A volunteer Board of Directors from these cities, representing Chambers of Commerce, businesses and growers, toiled throughout the year without pay to plan the festivities. Ski and yacht clubs planned events in conjunction, and professional growers worked with womens' garden clubs on the Flower Show. The whole Festival was ruled over by a teenage Daffodil Queen elected from one of the three sponsoring cities.

Celebrations--Tacoma; Festivals--Tacoma; Spectators--Tacoma; Parades & processions--Tacoma--1950-1960; Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1950 : Tacoma);

This "hooked" and flower bedecked King Salmon is one half of the float sponsored by the Young Mens Improvement Club in the 1950 Daffodil Parade, the other half is the boat and fisherman pulling it down Pacific Avenue. This ingenious two part float was the third place winner in class 3. The float celebrated the dominance of King Salmon in Northwest commercial and game fishing. (TNT 4/2/1950, pg. A-8)

Celebrations--Tacoma; Festivals--Tacoma; Spectators--Tacoma; Parades & processions--Tacoma--1950-1960; Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1950 : Tacoma); Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1950-1960;

This float by Tacoma City Lights carried Queen Nancy Jean Davis (at rear) of Sumner, Princess Audrey Rentsch (left) of Puyallup, and Princess Betty Hurlong (right) of Stadium High in Tacoma down Pacific Avenue during the 1950 Daffodil Parade. The float was decked with thousands of daffodils and tulips befitting the royal trio. The trio were very busy during the Festival and throughout the Spring attending functions and representing the Puyallup Valley area.

Celebrations--Tacoma; Festivals--Tacoma; Spectators--Tacoma; Parades & processions--Tacoma--1950-1960; Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1950 : Tacoma); Floats (parades)--Tacoma--1950-1960; Davis, Nancy Jean; Rentsch, Audrey; Hurlong, Betty;

This floral tribute to the daffodil, Puyallup Valley's bright yellow herald of Spring, won the first prize commercial entry award for St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Company in the 1950 Daffodil Parade. The daffodil industry was established in the Valley in 1926. The area's farmers were dealing with the failing hops industry brought on by Prohibition and a hops virus that decimated the crop. The U.S. Department of Agriculture was looking for a location to establish a bulb industry, for daffodils, tulips and irises, to rival that of Holland. The Valley had the perfect growing conditions for daffodils and soon established itself as the leader in the industry, producing bulbs that bested those of Holland, being larger and earlier.

Celebrations--Tacoma; Festivals--Tacoma; Spectators--Tacoma; Parades & processions--Tacoma--1950-1960; Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1950 : Tacoma); Floats (parades)--Tacoma--1950-1960; St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma);

Armed Forces Day was created in 1949 to allow citizens to come together on a single holiday to thank our men in uniform for their service to our country. In this photograph of the May 1950 Armed Forces Day parade military units from Fort Lewis are marching south on Pacific Avenue. The camera's image offers a view of the facades of the buildings in the 900 block of Pacific. The Rust Building with 12 stories is at the end of the block. Awnings and fire escapes hang from many of the buildings. All the buildings in the 900 block of Pacific were demolished in the late 1960s to make way for the Park Plaza North Parking Garage.

Military parades & ceremonies--Tacoma--1950-1960; Soldiers--Tacoma--1950-1960; Marching--Tacoma--1950-1960; Commercial streets--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Elks, Emmett T. Anderson, Grand Exalted Ruler of the Elks.The "Scotch Kilties" band of Fort Lewis were featured during the parade welcoming Emmett T. Anderson home from the National Elks Convention. The parade has stopped at the intersection of 9th and Broadway by the Roxy Theatre to allow the Scotch Kilties to perform intricate maneuvers. Band members wear traditional Scottish attire and play drums and bag pipes. The theater was showing "The Girl from Jones Beach" starring Ronald Reagan. (TNT, 7/28/1949, p.1)

Parades & processions--Tacoma--1940-1950; Scotland--Clothing & dress; Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, Tacoma Lodge No. 174 (Tacoma); Marching bands--Tacoma--1940-1950; Pipes (Musical instruments); Roxy Theatre (Tacoma);

Members of the Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (Shriners) march down Pacific Ave. during the 22nd annual Daffodil Parade April 16, 1955. The marching group is followed by floats representing the Afifi Patrol and the Tacobat Grotto. Over 200,000 viewers jammed sidewalks, hung from windows and perched on fire escapes to experience the 2 mile long parade. The parade was over 2 hours long from start to finish. In 1955, the parade was also televised by both local Tacoma stations with another estimated 1,000,000 viewers watching from the comfort of their living rooms throughout the Northwest. Overcast skies opened up and pelted the crowd with rain just before the start of the parade, but alternating mist and sunshine were the norm for the duration of the parade. Viewers wore jackets to ward off the spring chill.

Parades & processions--Tacoma--1950-1960; Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1955 : Tacoma); Festivals--Tacoma; Fraternal organizations--Tacoma; Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (Tacoma);