Blond Hollywood actress Ruth Taylor is pictured shaking hands with Mayor M.G. Tennent while the mayor is aboard the "City of Tacoma" airplane at the Mueller-Harkins airport (site of the present day Clover Park Technical College) on February 8, 1928. Miss Taylor, star of the silent film "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes," was briefly in Tacoma while on a nationwide tour promoting the film. She would make a personal appearance at the Broadway Theater where her film would be shown shortly. The other three men in the photograph were not identified although one of them is believed to be J. Barton ("Jack") Story, pilot, and president of the newly organized Olympic Aeronautical Corporation. On January 31, 1928, Olympic Aeronautical announced plans to fly tourists around Mt. Tacoma (Rainier) beginning May 1st. Photograph ordered by the Olympic Aeronautical Corporation. (TNT 1-31-28, p. 1-article on Olympic Aeronautical; TDL 2-8-28, p. 2-article on Miss Taylor) TPL-5030; G12.1-082

Airplanes--Tacoma--1920-1930; Tennent, Melvin Green; Mayors--Tacoma--1920-1930; Olympic Aeronautical Corporation (Tacoma); Taylor, Ruth; Actresses;

A cordial invitation for "Hotel-Men" to meet in Tacoma, the "lumber capitol of the world," on May 8-9, 1928, was attached to the rear of a black sedan in early April of 1928. "Al" (Albert C.C. Gamer) was listed as the "official scout" and was preparing to depart for California to invite other hotel executives to the two-day convention at the Winthrop. The 20th annual convention of the Washington State Hotel Association with Oregon State Hotel Association participating, opened on Tuesday, May 8th. Pointing to the vehicle's advertisement are managers: (l-r) Ray Clark of the Winthrop Hotel, A.C.C. Gamer of the Olympus Hotel, and Emerson Wakefield of the Carlton Hotel. G24.1-026 (for another view of men and car, see Boland B18312) (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 5-6-28, 4-A, article & alternate photograph)

Automobiles--Tacoma--1920-1930; Signs (Notices); Gamer, Albert C.C.; Wakefield, Emerson; Clark, Ray;

Mack truck and trailer on display. This Mack truck had recently been put into service by the Olympia-Tacoma Auto Freight Co. in July of 1928 for quick freight service to Seattle-Tacoma-Olympia-Aberdeen and Shelton. The heavy duty Mack truck had a sterling reputation for reliability and durability. Trucking goods was becoming more popular and the Mack company, who had already received accolades during WWI, was at the foreground in developing larger capacity vehicles capable of higher highway speeds. The Olympia-Tacoma Auto Freight Co., bonded carrier and member of the Washington Motor Freight Assn., had a large trailer hitched to the main truck body. Both the truck and trailer were equipped with Booster brakes in addition to regular braking equipment. Goodyear balloon tires provided extra carrying capacity. G66.2-105 (www.macktrucks.com) (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 7-22-28, 4-G)

Mack trucks; Olympia-Tacoma Auto Freight Co.; Shipping--1920-1930;

Prominent businessman John S. Baker has bought the first set of General dual balloon tires from the Sutherland Co., local General distributors, for his 1928 Packard "8" sedan. Mr. Baker was reportedly pleased with the smooth ride and enhanced appearance of his already striking automobile. Previous tires on the car only lasted 6,000 miles before showing extensive wear. Photograph ordered by the Sutherland Co. G11.1-033 (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 11-25-28, 4-G)

Packard automobile; Tires; Baker, John S.--Associated objects;

These fishing boats were photographed while moored at a Port of Tacoma dock in November of 1928. The fishing vessels were returning to Tacoma after seasonal salmon pursuit in the northern waters. Fishermen were reportedly pleased with the new haven at the Port of Tacoma which included more protection against storms for their boats. 22 stalls for boats were built with an additional eight more berths to be constructed shortly. The long houses on the right were used for stowing nets and gear. TPL-447; G34.1-058 (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 11-11-28, p. 1-article) See Boland B19714 for long distance view of boats.

Fishing boats--Tacoma--1920-1930; Port of Tacoma (Tacoma); Piers & wharves--Tacoma--1920-1930;

The "Lillian Luckenbach" was in town on February 8, 1929, to take on a load of pulp from the Union Bag & Paper Co. plant. She was one of the largest in the Luckenbach fleet and was able to load nearly 1000 tons of paper pulp bound for Union Bag's Hudson Falls, N.Y. location. It was the company's first shipment sent from Tacoma by water. Built in 1919 by the Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. of Chester, Pennsylvania, the freighter was sunk in a collision with Cape Henlopen in March of 1943. G49.1-096 (TDL 2-8-29, p. 1-article; TDL 2-9-29, p. 1-article)

Cargo ships--Tacoma--1920-1930; Shipping--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Twenty-four years and going strong ran the headline in the Tacoma Sunday Ledger on May 12, 1929, referring to this 1905 five-passenger Reo touring car. Although the vehicle was certainly "old enough to vote," it performed well with a full load, pulling up steep Saint Helens Avenue in high gear. Mayor James G. Newbegin (standing left) shook hands with driver George W. Miller, vice-president of Winthrop Motor Co. The Reo's passengers included salesman Oscar Seabloom, Reo truck department assistant manager Jimmy Gilchrist, and salesman Bob Scott. The car had been on display in the showrooms of the Winthrop Motor Co., local Reo distributors, and inspected by many Tacomans who had fond memories of the car. Photograph ordered by Winthrop Motor Co. (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 5-12-29, p. 13) G32.1-087

Reo automobile; Newbegin, James G.; Mayors--Tacoma--1920-1930; Miller, George W.; Signs (Notices); Shaking hands--Tacoma; Winthrop Motor Co. (Tacoma);

Aviation's first talking airplane, "The Voice of the Sky," visited Tacoma on May 12, 1929. The crew posed next to the the Fokker USA trimotor passenger airplane parked at Mueller-Harkins airport: (L-R): Lew Gower, pilot; H.E. Wendt, mechanic; B. Knapp, crew chief; Bert McGrath, announcer. The plane, C-1661, has large advertising for Standard Ethyl gasoline painted on its side. This was the first Pacific Coast visit by the "Voice of the Sky" which amazed listeners and viewers with animated audible chatter and music from 2500 feet up in the air. TPL-2020; G12.1-029 (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 5-12-29, A-7-article; TDL 5-14-29, p. 1)

Airline industry; Airplanes--Tacoma--1920-1930; Gower, Lew; Wendt, H.E.; Knapp, B.; McGrath, Bert;

Standard Fuel Co. recently added the Model A Ford truck and the Ford coupe shown above to their fleet of vehicles. The firm's proprietors, Bernard F. and R.B. Christian, purchased the vehicles from Leonard's, a South Tacoma Ford dealer. Their sister Mary, a bookkeeper for the company, posed between the two Fords on May 17, 1929. She is in the industrial Tideflats around E. 11th St., near Standard Fuel operations. Photograph ordered by Leonard's of South Tacoma, authorized dealers of Ford and Fordson. TPL-2693; G35.1-071 (T.Times, 5-25-29, p. 20)

Ford automobile; Ford trucks; Christian, Mary; Standard Fuel Co. (Tacoma);

This is one of five Sterling-Viking gasoline engines installed on the new Tacoma Fire Boat No. 1. Tacoma Fire Boat No. 1 was successfully launched on June 8, 1929, from the plant of the Coast Line Shipbuilding Co. Hundreds had gathered to witness the launching of the speedy and powerful boat where an absence of speeches and brevity of ceremony marked the occasion. Tacoma Fire Boat No. 1 had a 95 1/2 foot hull, beam of 21 1/2 feet and a 6-foot draft. (TDL 6-8-29, p. 1-article; Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 6-9-29, p. 1-article) G26.1-041

Boat engines; Fireboats--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Theatrical performers, the Maylon Players, pose with a new Reo Flying Cloud from the Winthrop Motor Co. on June 19, 1929. The car silently appeared on the Heilig Theater stage while the actors were rehearsing and they could not resist remarking about its fine features. They are: Maurice Penborn (on car), Will Maylon at the wheel, Joyce Booth (in car), Margaret Nixon, Paul Bardsley, Caroline Edwards and Arthur Siegrist, seated. G11.1-060 (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 9-23-29, 8E)

Reo automobile; Maylon Players (Tacoma); Actors--Tacoma--1920-1930; Winthrop Motor Co. (Tacoma); Penborn, Maurice; Maylon, Will; Booth, Joyce; Nixon, Margaret; Bardsley, Paul; Edwards, Caroline; Siegrist, Arthur;

Storefront window featuring Plymouth accolades. On August 23, 1929, the large glass window of this automobile dealership was plastered with complimentary remarks about the smooth performance of Plymouth cars. The dealership welcomed passersby to stop and read what people had to say about the Chrysler Motors product. Photograph ordered by A. H. McConnell, Plymouth distributor in Tacoma and Pierce County. He also represented the Dodge Bros. line. The Plymouth agency and Dodge Bros. agency were once under the same roof but the Plymouth agency had recently moved to separate quarters adjacent to its former home. (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 8-18-29, 4-E-article on Plymouth distributorship)

Plymouth automobile; Merchandise displays--Tacoma--1920-1930; Window displays--Tacoma--1920-1930; Automobile dealerships--Tacoma--1920-1930;

A shining black hearse from the Allen Motor Co. was parked in front of the Mellinger funeral home on April 17, 1931. A black-clad driver is waiting patiently at the wheel of the sleek Studebaker. The C.C. Mellinger Co. colonial-styled mortuary, located at 510 Tacoma Avenue South, was built in 1909 for $65,000 by noted architects Heath & Twichell. The firm was established by Ohio native Charles C. Mellinger who first began on a small scale in Tacoma in 1897. The company grew quickly to become one of the largest in the city. G26.1-135; TPL-1743 Hunt: "Charles C. Mellinger," History of Tacoma, p. 580-582)

C.C. Mellinger Funeral Directors (Tacoma); Morgues & mortuaries--Tacoma--1930-1940; Hearses--Tacoma--1930-1940; Studebaker automobile;

The USS West Virginia at anchor in Commencement Bay in July of 1931. The ship, under command of Rear Admiral R.H. Leigh, was in town to participate in Fleet Week. The battleship had been commissioned in 1923 and was the most recent of the "super-dreadnoughts." She would be heavily damaged during the attack on Pearl Harbor but was completely rebuilt at the Puget Sound Navy Yard in Bremerton. Although missing much of the war, the West Virginian would still earn five battle stars. She was decommissioned in January of 1947. (www.usswestvirginia.org; TDL 6-30-31, p. 5-article) G71.007

Battleships--1930-1940; Commencement Bay (Wash.);

S. Shumate & Sons of Olympia lined up a small fleet of Kenworth trucks plus a trailer while in Tacoma on April 18, 1932. The trucking firm's drivers carried along a small dog as a passenger in truck #4. Photograph ordered by Tacoma Kenworth. G66.2-103

Trucks--1930-1940; S. Shumate & Sons (Olympia); Dogs--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Undated photograph of a ship docked at the Port of Tacoma.

Port of Tacoma (Tacoma);

View of the Steilacoom-Longbranch ferry. Copy of photograph made on May 23, 1927, per the request from the Washington Navigation Co. Date of original print is unknown. Ferry is clearly labeled "City of Steilacoom" in several places aboard ship. G66.1-088

Ferries;

On October 17, 1926, the Tacoma Sunday Ledger ran a picture of the Peninsula Stage Company's 17-passenger coach parked outside the First Baptist Church, 902 Market St. The new bus chassis was built by the Studebaker Company which already had a fine reputation in passenger cars. The Peninsula Stage Company had three buses on the Bremerton-Tacoma run, with stops in Gig Harbor, Purdy, Burley, and Port Orchard. Owner R.L. Stubbs indicated that his prior experience with Studebaker cars prompted him to purchase the new bus. Photograph ordered by the B.H. Kennedy Co. (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, October 17, 1926, G-7) G66.1-078

Buses--Tacoma--1920-1930; Studebaker automobile; First Baptist Church (Tacoma);

Biplane with its pilot is parked adjacent to a Franklin automobile at Camp Lewis on October 8, 1926. All three men in the photograph were not identified. Photograph ordered by the Tacoma Franklin Co. TPL-6483; G12.1-053

Airplanes--Camp Lewis; Biplanes; Franklin automobile;

Mt. Tacoma (Rainier) is barely visible in the background as boats bob along the Gig Harbor waterfront during the Christmas season in 1926. Harbors in this area are protected making waters calm. TPL-690; G72.1-126

Harbors--Gig Harbor; Waterfronts--Gig Harbor; Rainier, Mount (Wash.);

This view of fishing boats entering Gig Harbor's protected waters is very similar to a previous Boland photograph, B16128, and taken on the same December day in 1926. Mount Tacoma (Rainier) stands out clearer from the hovering gray clouds. The photograph has been damaged with white spots. TPL-874; G72.1-125B

Harbors--Gig Harbor; Waterfronts--Gig Harbor; Fishing boats--Gig Harbor--1920-1930; Rainier, Mount (Wash.);

The Kitsap Co. Transportation Co. ferry, believed to be called "Kitsap of Seattle," as viewed on May 13, 1927. This ferry would provide reliable service linking Seattle and the Kitsap peninsula. The Kitsap Co. Transportation Co. would be forced out of business in 1935 due to a strike. Photograph requested by the Washington Navigation Co. G78.1-110 (ws.dot.wa.gov/ferries--article)

Ferries--1920-1930;

Using both hands, actress Ruth Taylor holds onto the propeller of the "City of Tacoma" aircraft on February 8, 1928. She is wearing protective goggles and headgear. Additional photographs in this series show Miss Taylor as a passenger aboard the plane; the goggles and headgear would be necessary since the passenger seat was not under cover. (See B18045, B18049) The plane was parked at the Mueller-Harkins airport on Steilacoom Blvd., current site of Clover Park Technical College. Miss Taylor was making a brief stop in Tacoma while on a nationwide tour promoting her new movie, "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes." TPL-8077; G12.1-048B. Photograph ordered by the Olympic Aeronautical Corporation. (TDL 2-8-28, p. 2-brief article on Miss Taylor's visit)

Airplanes--Tacoma--1920-1930; Women--Clothing & dress--Tacoma--1920-1930; Taylor, Ruth; Actresses;

Hollywood actress Ruth Taylor cheerfully waves as she is seated in the passenger seat of the "City of Tacoma" aircraft on February 8, 1928. The plane is parked at the Mueller Harkins airport outside the Olympic Aeronautical Corporation hangar. Miss Taylor, a product of Portland schools, was chosen to star as "Lorelei" in the silent film "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" after a nationwide search. The petite blonde was in town to make a personal appearance at the Broadway Theater where her film would be showing in the near future. She was known for her trademark spit curls and had been a Mack Sennett Bathing Beauty. Her son, Buck Henry, born in 1930, would become a well known actor and writer. Photograph ordered by the Olympic Aeronautical Corporation. G12.1-048A (TDL 2-8-28, p. 2-article on Miss Taylor's visit; Imdb.com-information on Miss Taylor)

Airplanes--Tacoma--1920-1930; Taylor, Ruth; Actresses;

Gesturing toward an oval advertisement on the back of a parked sedan in April of 1928 are three well known hotel managers: (l-r) Emerson Wakefield of the Carlton Hotel, A.C.C. ("Al") Gamer of the Olympus and Ray Clark of the Winthrop. The sign invites "Hotel-men" to convene in Tacoma, the "Lumber Capitol of the World," May 8-9th. "Al" is the "official scout." He would be making a tour throughout California in the vehicle to invite other hotel managers to the convention. The gathering will take place at the Winthrop Hotel. G31.1-103 (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 5-6-28, 4-A)

Automobiles--Tacoma--1920-1930; Signs (Notices); Gamer, Albert C.C.; Wakefield, Emerson; Clark, Ray; Meetings--Tacoma--1920-1930;

A Dodge Victory Six from Burns-Campbell Motors, South Tacoma dealers, is parked adjacent to a Bergen Bromley Flying Service airplane on June 23, 1928 that had Tommy Burns in the rear cockpit. The other man was not identified but may have been Harold Bromley, Mr. Burns' flight instructor. Tommy Burns had just completed his solo flight that day. The Bergen Bromley Flying Service operated out of the Tacoma Municipal Airport in Lakewood. TPL-1667; G12.1-040 (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 7-8-28, 2-G)

Dodge automobile; Airplanes--Tacoma--1920-1930; Bergen Bromley Flying Service (Tacoma); Burns, Tommy;

The freighter "Lillian Luckenbach," part of the Luckenbach Steamship Co. fleet, was dockside on February 8, 1929 at the St. Paul mill dock #2. She was here to pick up the first shipment of paper pulp sent by water by the new Union Bag & Paper Co. Tacoma plant which had commenced operations in January. The nearly 1000 tons were loaded onto the ship through four hatches. The cargo was headed to Hudson Falls, N.Y., the location of a Union Bag plant. The ship was commanded by Captain G.C. Bown of Tacoma. G49.1-110 (TDL 2-8-29, p. 1-article; TDL 2-9-29, p. 1-article)

Cargo ships--Tacoma--1920-1930; Shipping--Tacoma--1920-1930; Piers & wharves--Tacoma--1920-1930;

"Working Broadway" was the caption given to this February 13, 1929, scene of ice and snow. Two unidentified businessmen are prepared to shovel the chunks of ice and snow along Broadway. They are across the street from the A.H. McConnell Co., 728-30 Broadway, dealers in Dodge Bros. cars and Graham trucks. Tacoma was just emerging from three weeks of heavy snow and icy conditions about the time this photograph was taken. The cost to the city of (street) repairs and loss of business may have run as high as $100,000, a huge expense in 1929. G59.1-019 (TNT 2-19-29, p. 1-article on economic loss)

Shovels; Ice--Tacoma; A.H. McConnell Co. (Tacoma);

Fleischmann's Yeast vehicle parked outside of Mutual Motors, then at 816-24 South "K," on May 8, 1929. The shiny Ford, recently purchased from the agency, was decorated with the familiar yeast box as advertisement along with the saying "Eat it for health." Photograph ordered by Mutual Motors. G11.1-017

Ford automobile; Mutual Motors (Tacoma); Fleischmann's Yeast (Tacoma);

Two unidentified men are gazing upon the operating equipment aboard the new Tacoma Fire Boat No. 1, recently launched and now undergoing installation of five gasoline engines and four pumps. Once operational, the vessel could generate speeds of 18 mph and be able to throw out 10,000 gallons of water per minute. Tacoma's waterfront could be assured that help would come quickly in case of fires. G26.1-040 (TDL 6-8-29, p. 1-article; Tacoma Sunday Ledger 6-9-29, p. 1-article)

Boat engines; Fireboats--Tacoma--1920-1930;