ca. 1940. Boy and girl in front yard. Girl is holding kite as kneeling boy ties tail to kite. Names of the youngsters were not provided for this circa 1940 photograph. (T. Times).

Children; Kites (Toys);

In May of 1940, Ruth Babbit was photographed swinging into the spring golfing season at the Tacoma Country and Golf Club. Every Tuesday was Ladies' Day at the Club, and over 50 female members took the opportunity to practice their follow through on the links. Ruth Kennedy Babbit was the wife of Alexander Babbit, then assistant manager of the Bank of California National Association. Mrs. Babbit also excelled in figure skating, later becoming an international skating judge, and was a well known water color artist. She passed away on August 31, 1992, at the age of 89. (T. Times 5/18/1940, pg. 5; TNT 9-2-92, B-4-obituary)

Clubwomen--Tacoma--1940-1950; Golfers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Babbit, Ruth Kennedy; Tacoma Country & Golf Club (Tacoma); Country clubs--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Every Tuesday in May of 1940 was Ladies' Day at the Tacoma Country & Golf Club. Teeing up on the practice green in front of the Clubhouse are, left to right, Mrs. Thomas Curran, Mrs. Harry Andrews, Mrs. O.A. Tucker, Mrs. Lowell T. Murray, Mrs. Fred Davis, Mrs. Charles Peterson and Mrs. Henry Foss. ( T. Times 5/18/1940, pg. 5- photograph reversed in paper)

Clubwomen--Tacoma--1940-1950; Golfers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Tacoma Country & Golf Club (Tacoma); Country clubs--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Co-Ed Club barn dance at Dash Point Community House. (T. Times).

Co-Ed Club (Tacoma);

College of Puget Sound Advanced Journalism class gets a front line view of the world of newspaper publishing in the office of veteran publisher Sydney Albert Perkins on November 22, 1939. The students spent an hour interviewing Mr. Perkins on opportunities in the field of journalism and methods of story development. Standing, left to right, are Tacoma Times columnist E.T. Short, students Betty Thralls, Mary Mladinov, James Clymont, Carl Lindgren, Virginia Marinoff, Mr. Perkins (seated) and Betty Cleary. Seated left are William Melton, Eleanor Weaver, Clarice Ross and Helen Gassaman. One topic of conversation was the many autographed photos of Presidents, Supreme Court Justices, Congressmen and national political figures on the walls, a souvenir of Perkins' days in Washington, D.C. where he served as private secretary to Senator Mark Hanna. Mr. Perkins had probably the finest collection of signed photographs in the country, including portraits of the most prominent men of the nation over the past two decades. (T. Times 11/22/1939, pg. 18)

College of Puget Sound (Tacoma)--1930-1940; Students--Tacoma--1930-1940; Perkins, S.A.; Short, Edgar T.;

Here are the four lads who were crowned district marbles champions at the end of the city wide competition held at the Central playfield, near what is now So. 11th and Yakima, on June 4, 1940. Sharp shooting Jimmy Collins (third from left), a 12-year-old pupil at Sacred Heart parochial school, won the trophy for city champ and the title of Marble King. The other district champs were (l to r): Vernon Keister, of Gault, junior high champion; Dale Henderson, of Sherman school, North End champion; and Dave Strandley, far right, South End champion. Collins was eligible to compete with the Marble Kings of 300 other American cities at the National matches June 17-22th in New York City. (T.Times 6/5/1940 p.1 &10)

Collins, Jimmy; Keister, Vernon; Henderson, Dale; Strandley, Dave; Marbles (Game); Awards; Contests--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Street scene in Buckley, Washington. Good view of business district with White Front Grocery and other businesses on left, Warren Dry Goods, Rexall Drugs, Puget Sound Power and Light Company on right. Automobiles parked along street. (T. Times).

Commercial streets--Buckley; White Front Grocery (Buckley);

Street scene in Buckley, Washington, showing White Front Grocery, an angled-corner building, with Stanley's Tavern, Buckley Cafe, and other businesses. A Queen Anne style building with turret, on left, carries Guy Wilson Associated sign. The townsite of Buckley was platted in 1888 and named after J.M. Buckley, division superintendent of Northern Pacific and a coal mine promoter. TPL-538 (T. Times Special Edition for Mr. Short).

Commercial streets--Buckley; White Front Grocery (Buckley); Stanley's Tavern (Buckley); Buckley Cafe (Buckley);

Business district in Gig Harbor, Washington. View of Uddenberg Grocery on right, Peninsula Hotel, Pastime Pool Hall, Elinor's Fountain and other businesses. Automobiles parked along street. (T. Times, Special Edition 2/27/1940, pg. 17). TPL-512

Commercial streets--Gig Harbor; Uddenberg Grocery (Gig Harbor); Peninsula Hotel (Gig Harbor); Pastime Pool Hall (Gig Harbor); Elinor's Fountain (Gig Harbor);

Roy Archer was the jockey for "Sure Shot", the turkey entered by the Archer's Olympic Store, in the First 38th Street Boosters' Turkey Derby. Held on Saturday December 16, 1939, 3,000 cheering spectators watched as 30 turkeys, controlled by their jockeys, raced down 38th Street from G Street to Yakima. Archer's candy store was at 3817 So. Yakima. (Ryan's Weekly). (TNT 12/15/1939 p.6)

Confectioneries--Tacoma--1930-1940; Turkeys; Archer's Olympic Store (Tacoma)

Copy of a postcard made in China for R. H. Scott, Fort Lewis. The postcard shows a soldier being pulled in a rickshaw by a Chinese man. The scene is posed in front of a curtain backdrop representing the outdoors.

Costumes--Chinese; Rickshaws;

Mud Mountain. Two men are pictured on April 9, 1940 dumping a load of soil and rocks from a rail car over a steep embankment at the edge of railroad tracks. Fallen trees in background. This was the dumping operation at the "waste" pit about three miles from the construction camp for Mud Mountain Dam. The tracks shown were part of the nine miles of railroad that were used by four trains with Shay-type engines to move the tons of dirt. Men working above were involved in the excavation spillway project that would prevent any chance of water overtopping the dam. Mud Mountain Dam, seven miles southeast of Enumclaw, was being constructed by the federal government at a cost of some six million dollars. It was considered at that time the world's highest earth-filled dam. For Harold Shaw. (T.Times 4-15-1940, p. 1, 16)

Dams--Mud Mountain; Dam construction; Railroad tracks; Dirt;

Mud Mountain. Steam shovel loading excavated soil into railroad car. Engine No. 371 and crew in foreground, cut hillside in background. This was a typical scene occurring during the 24-hour workday at Mud Mountain Dam in April of 1940. 600 men were employed in the construction of the earth-filled dam, tunnels, spillway and reservoir. Engine No. 371 was one of four trains operating on the nine-mile railroad with a total of 12+ train crews. (T.Times 4-9-1940, p. 1, 16-various photographs & article)

Dams--Mud Mountain; Dam construction; Steam shovels; Railroad locomotives; Dirt;

Posed against a snowy background with skis and crown, is pretty Snow Queen Wyona Diemer. She is Queen of the 9th annual Winter Sports Carnival to be held at Paradise Valley, Mount Rainier, on January 27-28, 1940. Unlike some previous queens, she actually knows how to ski on those things she's holding. She is a student at the College of Puget Sound. ( T. Times 1/18/1940, pg. 1)

Diemer, Wyona; Snow;

Charlotte Doud (at left) and Catharine Strong leaving for trip to California. Boarding train at Union Depot on January 8, 1940 with group of well-wishers or others waiting to board the railroad car. The women were going there to attend the Beverly Hills wedding of Mary Roberts and Alexander Baillie Ripley, former Tacomans, and Miss Strong would be the maid-of-honor. After the wedding Miss Strong and Miss Doud would take an apartment in San Francisco for the season. (T.Times 1-13-1940, p. 5-alt. photo)

Doug, Charlotte; Strong, Catharine; Union Station (Tacoma); Travel--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Dick Bevington's new Triple XXX Barrel drive-in restaurant. Six waitresses and six carhops lined up in front of building with neon trim and giant barrels on roof. The restaurant offered booths, counter service, car side service and XXX root beer on draft. TPL-1514 (T. Times 6/4/1940, pg. 7)

Drive-in restaurants--Tacoma; Bevington's Triple XXX Root Beer Restaurant (Tacoma); Waitresses--Tacoma--1940-1950;

In January of 1940, an unidentified model attempts to feed a heaping spoonful of Arm & Hammer baking soda to a dead American Merganzer duck. The duck died trying to swallow a large perch, still in his bill, which was too large for its mouth. The dead duck was found on the shore of Elbow Lake by Charlie Miller of McKinley Hill. (T. Times 01-11-1940 p.16)

Ducks;

New house at Five Mile Lake to be raffled off by Kit Russell. Interior of kitchen looking through alcove to dining room.

Dwellings - Houses - King County - Federal Way

Jack Beardswood (left) and Bob Collins prop up a 150-lb. cornice section that fell from the top of the National Bank of Washington during the November 12, 1939, earthquake. The masonry fell 30 feet to the sidewalk in Court A. Occurring shortly before midnight, shocks were felt from Portland to Vancouver, B.C. It was thought to be the most severe tremor since the earthquake of 1880. Hundreds of Tacomans fled from their homes but no injuries were reported. Damage was believed to be relatively minor with cracked plaster as a common aftermath. There was a $1000 fire at the St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. mill that evening and 200 feet of track was carried away when a huge section of Tacoma Smelter's slag dump broke away. (TNT 11-13-39, p. 1-article; T.Times 11-13-39, p. 1)

Earthquakes--Tacoma--1930-1940; Disasters--Tacoma--1930-1940; Collins, Bob; Beardswood, Jack;

The key to the city of Tacoma is formally presented to Santa Claus at the Peoples Store by Safety Commissioner Holmes Eastwood, holding a small girl, on November 24, 1939. It is being broadcast live by the man to the left with the KVI microphone. Santa had previously arrived in Tacoma at the Mueller Harkins Airport, direct from the North Pole, by airplane. He had then travelled by Packard automobile to the Peoples Store, making five stops enroute to greet the children of Tacoma. (T. Times 11/28/1939, pg. 9)

Eastwood, Holmes; Santa Claus--Tacoma; Holidays--Tacoma--1930-1940; Keys (Hardware); Arrivals & departures--Santa Claus--1930-1940;

Tacoma Elks handball team. Most men are wearing white Tshirts with the Elk logo and the Lodge number, 174 along with shorts, court shoes and special gloves in this January 5, 1940 photograph. There were apparently more than one handball team among the Elks members. In June of 1940, the News Tribune in a special Elks insert, paid tribute to a Tacoma Elks handball team who had gone undefeated in Class B Puget Sound league that season. Although not the team pictured above, the victorious Elks proved the popularity of the sport. (TNT 6-13-1940, p. 8-special insert)

Elks Club (Tacoma); Clubs--Tacoma--1940-1950; Handball--Tacoma--1940-1950; Sports & recreation facilities--Tacoma--1940-1950; Sport clothes; Athletes--Tacoma;

In order to stir interest in shopping on South 38th Street, the 38th Street Boosters Club decided to sponsor a turkey derby on December 16, 1939. Thirty turkeys, spurred on by their jockeys, trotted down 38th Street from South "G" to Yakima. Each bird wore a sign identifying its sponsoring business and "name." The novel promotional event attracted some 3,000 excited spectators. The turkeys were given away to lucky spectators. How the live turkeys got home with their new owners was apparently up to the owners themselves.

Events--Tacoma--1930-1940; Racing--Tacoma; Turkeys; 38th Street Boosters Club (Tacoma);

Enthusiastic members of the newly formed (South) 38th Street Boosters Club wanted to let prospective customers know that they were ready to "talk turkey" (sales lingo meaning to "make a deal"), so they held a turkey derby in December of 1939. Members attempted to coax 30 turkeys to race to a feed bag at the end of a set course. At the event's conclusion, birds were to be given free to spectators. Ordered by "Ryan's Weekly." (T. Times 12/7/1939, p. 5).

Events--Tacoma--1930-1940; Racing--Tacoma; Turkeys; Costumes; 38th Street Boosters Club (Tacoma);

Narrows Bridge - McChord Field Parade, Tacoma Central Labor Council automobile. 1940 was a political campaign year; the Central Labor Council made its presence known in the parade with its late model sedan, flags stuck in the grill, and large banner. Four people are pictured in this July 1, 1940, photograph, perched on the car's running board. Civic, fraternal and labor organizations worked together to put forth a massive celebration of the new Narrows Bridge and the opening of the country's latest airbase, McChord Field. (T. Times, 7-2-40, p. 1)

Events--Tacoma--1940-1950; Narrows Bridge/ McChord Field Parade; Parades & processions--Tacoma--1940-1950; Automobiles--Tacoma--1940-1950; Signs (Notices); Flags--United States;

The Carstens Packing Company was represented in the Tacoma Narrows Bridge/McChord Field Parade of 1940 by two company princesses and "Ham Head." They rode on a large float during the 1 1/2 hour parade that passed through downtown Tacoma streets. Crowds were apparently delighted with the bowing Ham. Carstens was founded in 1897, and was one of the early Tacoma businesses to locate on the tideflats. In 1952 the company was sold to Hygrade Food Products Corp. Hygrade closed its Tacoma plant in 1990. (T. Times 7-2-1940, p. 1)

Events--Tacoma--1940-1950; Narrows Bridge/ McChord Field Parade; Tacoma Narrows Bridge (Tacoma); Meat industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Carsten's Packing Co. (Tacoma);

Ferry boats. The "Defiance" steamer on the Sound. Island in background. Ordered by Mr. Peterson.

Ferries--1940-1950;

Ferryboats for Mr. Peterson. The ferry "Vashonia" in front, with two other ferries docked behind in this late January, 1940, photograph.

Ferries--1940-1950;

1940 Y.M.B.C. Water Carnival at Point Defiance. Four men in Narrows Bridge / McChord Field Jubilee Hats with souvenir hatbands selling "Last Ferry Boat Ride" tickets. The ferry Kalakala would be making its last trip across the Narrows on July 2, 1940. Tickets for nearly 1400 would be available through the Young Men's Business Club membership. Voyagers were asked to dress in costume to compete for prizes; dancing would be provided by Louis Nomellini's orchestra. (T. Times, 7-1-40, p. 5)

Festivals--Tacoma--1940-1950; Organizations--Tacoma; Young Men's Business Club (Tacoma); Point Defiance Park (Tacoma);

1940 Y.M.B.C. Water Carnival at Point Defiance. Racing boats lined up at pier. Many races held during the one-day water carnival sponsored by the Young Men's Business Club including inboard motor, hydro, sailboats. The event drew thousands to Point Defiance to bask in the sun, watch races and air shows, and view the city fireboat perform an exhibition. (T. Times, 7-1-40, p. 12)

Festivals--Tacoma--1940-1950; Organizations--Tacoma; Young Men's Business Club (Tacoma); Point Defiance Park (Tacoma); Boats--Tacoma--1940-1950; Racing--Tacoma--1940-1950; Regattas--Tacoma;

YMBC Water Carnival 1940. An unidentified man in a naval costume looks out to sea with a spy glass. He is possibly viewing the planned boat parade or races. (T.Times, 7-1-40, p. 12)

Festivals--Tacoma--1940-1950; Organizations--Tacoma; Young Men's Business Club (Tacoma); Point Defiance Park (Tacoma); Point Defiance Boat House (Tacoma);