ca. 1926. Dressed in pinstriped uniforms are the Cammarano Bros. baseball team, circa 1926 or 1927. The Cammarano Bros. were Tacoma bottlers and distributors of carbonated beverages and beer. They sponsored employee baseball teams for many years who competed in local leagues. Names of the above players were not given. (Photograph courtesy of the William Cammarano Collection) TPL-10407

Cammarano Bros. (Tacoma); Baseball players--Tacoma--1920-1930; Uniforms;

The cargo ship "Tacoma" takes on lumber at the Defiance Mills dock in January of 1927

N Yakima Avenue at N Carr Street, looking west up the small hill, taken on January 16, 1927. Grassy strip on the right with small bare trees and lamppost. Paved street at center turns up an incline; houses on both sides.

Employees of the Skansie Shipbuilding Company, in Gig Harbor, posed around a Fairbanks Morse engine intended for the "Defiance," the Pt. Defiance to Gig Harbor ferry which had been launched on January 16, 1927. By the mid 1920's, ferries were being designed to carry automobiles. The Skansie Brothers yard in Gig Harbor was one of the first to build the auto ferries. The "Defiance" had an 70-car capacity. Mitchell Skansie pioneered the use of diesel engines in ferries and the "Defiance" had a 360 hp engine which could travel with a speed of 10 knots. (Neal & Janus "Puget Sound Ferries") G66.1-091 (TNT 1-15-27, p. 14-article; TNT 1-17-27, p. 15-article)

Ferries--1920-1930; Skansies Shipbuilding Co. (Gig Harbor); Boat engines;

Rex McCargar and his Orchestra at the Hotel Winthrop. The tuxedoed musicians have their instruments on display in this January 20, 1927, photograph. The singers and entertainers, advertised as the "most popular orchestra in the city," went on to appear at the Hotel Tacoma the following week. The Hotel Tacoma provided dancing every Friday night with a 50 cent cover charge. (TNT 1-31-27, p. 8-ad) G40.1-034

McCargar, Rex; Musicians--Tacoma--1920-1930; Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma);

Scene of an automobile wreck on the Mountain Hwy. in the Loveland area. This photograph was taken in January of 1927. The accident apparently occurred at the railroad crossing. There are three buildings in the immediate area, two of which sold gas, and Loveland Park is in the distant background. G77.1-142

Neighborhoods--Loveland; Railroad crossings; Roads--Washington;

Washington State Associated Master Barbers of America banquet held January 1927 at the Hotel Winthrop. (WSHS)

Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma); Washington State Associated Master Barbers of America (Tacoma); Banquets--1920-1930;

9A Class, Franklin B. Gault School, Jan. 1927 Franklin B. Gault intermediate school opened in February of 1926. The school was designed by Hill & Mock. It was intended to serve Tacoma's East Side. It was named after Dr. Gault, superintendent of Tacoma's schools from 1888-1892. The school, with additions, is still in use in 2006. (WSHS)

Public schools--Tacoma; Gault Junior High School (Tacoma); School children--Tacoma--1930-1940; Portraits;

Several unidentified members of Tacoma's Chamber of Commerce paid a visit to the Danish motorship "Tacoma" when she docked at the Defiance Lumber Mill on her maiden voyage January 14, 1927. They posed with members of the crew for this portrait. The "Tacoma" was built in Copenhagen for the Orient Steamship Company of Copenhagen. She was loading Northwest lumber enroute to Japan. She was 400 feet in length with a beam of 55 feet. She ran under the power of two diesel engines with a crew of 15 officers and 34 crewmen. (TNT 1/14/1927, pg. 20) (WSHS)

Lumber industry--Tacoma--1920-1930; Cargo ships; Shipping--Tacoma--1920-1930; Orient Steamship Co. (Copenhagen); Commerce--Tacoma--1920-1930; Chamber of Commerce (Tacoma)--1920-1930;

Tacoma's grand opera house, the Tacoma Theater was built at 902 Broadway in 1889. It was converted into a motion picture theater in 1927 and renamed the Broadway Theater (or Theatre, as on its marquee). Workmen are seen preparing the new marquee in January of 1927. Over 20,000 people attended the grand opening on Feb. 4, 1927. Renamed the Music Box Theater in 1933, the building was destroyed in a spectacular fire on April 30, 1963.

9A Class Robert Gray School, January 1927. The school designed by E.J. Bresemann opened for classes in February of 1926. It was intended to serve the South Tacoma community and was named the Capt. Robert Gray Intermediate School. Gray was an American naval officer and explorer who, in 1792, was the first to sail a ship into the Columbia River. This was the first group of students to graduate from the intermediate course of study at the school. They for the most part would continue with their studies at Lincoln High School. (WSHS) (TNT 2/2/27, pg. 13)

School children--Tacoma--1920-1930; Public schools--Tacoma--1920-1930; Gray Junior High School (Tacoma);

Seattle Surgical Society Banquet, Olympic Hotel, January 1927. (Argentum)

Seattle Surgical Society (Seattle); Olympic Hotel (Seattle); Hotels--Seattle; Banquets--Seattle;

On display at the Union depot, 1717 Pacific Avenue, in early February of 1927 was the giant Great Northern electric locomotive #5007. It had made its way from East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Washington State, a distance of 2600 miles. This unidentified group of men, some of the hundreds in attendance, took the opportunity to have their photograph taken with the latest "Iron Horse" before it left town. #5007 weighed in at 715,000 pounds and had an overall length of 94'4". G44.1-097; G44.1-069 (TNT 2-3-27, p. 14-article)

Railroad locomotives--Tacoma--1920-1930; Union Station (Tacoma);

Mayor Melvin G. Tennent and several Tacoma commissioners joined the hordes of Tacomans on February 2, 1927, in viewing the giant Great Northern electric locomotive #5007 on display at the Union depot. The latest and greatest "Iron Horse" had an overall length of 94'4" and a total weight of 715,000 pounds. It was built jointly by Baldwin Locomotive and Westinghouse Electric. A banner on the locomotive proclaimed it to be the "most powerful motor-generator electric locomotive ever built." It had traveled from East Pittsburgh, Pennyslvania to Skykomish, Washington, a distance of 2600 miles, hitched to the end of a through freight. After stops in Portland and Everett, it would be put into service. From L-R above are: Mayor Tennent (on steps), Commissioners Jesse Silver & Dyer Dyment, Commissioner Ira S. Davisson, and Llewellyn Evans, superintendent of City Light. The two men standing on the ground were not identified. (TDL 2-3-27, p. 12; TNT 2-3-27, p.14-article) G44.1-069; TPL-675; TPL-5813

Railroad locomotives--Tacoma--1920-1930; Mayors--Tacoma--1920-1930; Tennent, Melvin Green; Silver, Jesse; Dyment, Dyer; Davisson, Ira; Evans, Llewellyn; Municipal officials--Tacoma--1920-1930; Banners--Tacoma; Union Station (Tacoma);

On February 3, 1927, T.F. McGettigan, left, test engineer, and his helper E.R. "Red" Randolph, in doorway, pose with the great electric locomotive #5007 that they accompanied from Pittsburgh to Tacoma. The locomotive was constructed for the Great Northern Railroad by Baldwin Locomotive Works and Westinghouse Electric Co. working together. On completion, it was hitched to a through freight train, destination Everett, Wa. Although the engine was not working, it still needed care during the trip and McGettigan and Randolph were assigned that task. Freight trains make few stops and do not usually carry passengers, so the pair packed a ham and 13 dozen eggs and set up a small stove on the engine. They slept on planks suspended over the machinery and endured temperatures of 40 degrees below zero when crossing the Rockies. The behemoth locomotive was on display in Tacoma on February 2 (see G44.1-069) and then proceeded on to Portland, then Everett, where it was placed into service. (TNT 2/3/1927 p.14)

This is how the corner of South 9th & Broadway appeared in February of 1927. The Broadway Theater, 902-14 Broadway, was preparing for its grand opening on February 4th. It had previously been well known as the Tacoma Theater before being purchased for $450,000 in December of 1925, at that time the largest single realty transaction in the city's history. Extensive remodeling, including the loss of the familiar red exterior, cost the new owners another $150,000. There was a huge new sign, 40 feet high, with 3,000 bulbs that was visible for three miles. The theater would retain the "Broadway" name until 1933 when it became the Music Box Theater. Another of Tacoma's landmarks is clearly visible at right rear, the unusually shaped Bostwick Building with the Smith Flower Shop on the lower level. TPL-1602; G59.1-002 (TDL 12-19-25, p. 1-article on sale of theater; TDL 12-1-26, p. 1-article on remodeling; TNT 2-2-27, p. 9-article on signage)

Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Broadway Theater (Tacoma); Tacoma Theater (Tacoma);

H.C. Weaver Productions electrical apparatus at the opening of the Broadway Theater on February 4, 1927. Staff from the film studio were pictured along with their portable generator at 7 p.m. All of the studio's lights were on loan to light up the night for the Grand Opening of the Broadway Theater and the street party to follow. The theater had been built in 1889 as a grand opera house; it was reopened as the Broadway from 1927-33. The remodel included a new neon marquee. The theater changed names again in 1933 to the Music Box and remained the Music Box for 30 years until destroyed by fire in April, 1963. H.C. Weaver Productions made three movies in their studio on Titlow Beach in Tacoma between 1924 and 1928. G36.1-213 (TDL 2/5/1927, pg. 1- picture, 2/4/27, pg. 1 & 1/30/1927, pg. H5- story only)

Broadway Theater (Tacoma); H.C. Weaver Productions, Inc. (Tacoma); Electrical apparatus;

On the same night as the grand opening of the nearby Broadway Theater (formerly the Tacoma Theater), the Pantages decided to also draw a large crowd with the appearance of a Bell Line Stages' railroad car. The Pantages was currently showing "Dancing Mothers" staring Clara Bow and Alice Joyce but the railroad car was promoting an upcoming dance contest and a free all expense round trip to Hollywood. Adults, small children and even a curious dog surrounded the exhibit.

Pantages Theater (Tacoma); Crowds--Tacoma--1920-1930; Railroad cars--Tacoma--1920-1930; Signs (Notices);

Broadway Theater. The grand opening of the new Broadway Theater (formerly the Tacoma Theater) on Friday, February 4, 1927, drew thousands of Tacomans who jammed the streets surrounding the downtown palace. It was officially opened at 4 p.m. with the first performance at 4:45. Crowds began gathering about 3 p.m. on the streets two blocks around the theater which had been closed to traffic. By the time of this approximately 8 p.m. photograph above, most of Tacoma seemed to have taken advantage of the free one-hour street car ride to downtown to gaze upon the bright banners, bunting and flags which decorated the buildings and were ready for the celebratory jubilee. A big street dance on Market near 9th, a songfest on 9th near Broadway, an informal ball at the Hotel Winthrop and four bands playing contributed to all the excitement. The streets were illuminated by huge lights advertised as two million candlepower. The Broadway's bill that evening promoted the first-run production of Harold Lloyd's "The Kid Brother," Fanchon & Marco's "Pyramids" revue and Oliver Wallace and his "Broadway Revelers" as musical accompaniment. Evening prices were 15 cents per child and 50 cents per adult with lower matinee prices: 10 cents a child and 35 cents for adults. (TDL 2-4-27, p. 1-article; TDL 2-5-27, p. 1 - photo & article)

Broadway Theater (Tacoma); Motion picture theaters--Tacoma--1920-1930; Crowds--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Lt. Commander Richard E. Byrd (later Rear Admiral), the "Conqueror of the North Pole," poses with a Franklin car on February 5, 1927 during his stay as Tacoma's guest. Commander Byrd stands beside the car with Gus Ledbetter at the far right. The man in the center is not identified. He would be speaking on February 5th at the First Baptist Church about his career as a noted aviator and explorer. He was riding a crest of fame created when he and Floyd Bennett proclaimed to the world that they had flown over the North Pole on May 9, 1926. The remainder of his life, after 1928, would be devoted to his exploration of Antarctica. He died in 1957. (TNT 2/5/1927 p.1; Ledger 2/6/1927, pg. 1)