On April 13, 1930, mine and state officials pose outside the Pacific Coast Coal Co.'s Carbonado mine prior to entering to start their investigation into one of the worst mining disasters in Washington history. On Saturday, April 12, 1930, a few hours after the the afternoon shift was lowered to their work, a blast wracked the south chute #5 of the Douty seam, 1500 feet underground, killing 17 mine workers. Posed on one of the carts used to ferry the workers into and out of the mine are, standing left to right, George T. Wake, deputy mine inspector; William R. Reese, chief state mine inspector; and H.A. Wilson, general manager of the Coal Co. In the back seated are John G. Schoning of the US Bureau of Mines and Robert Simson, superintendent of the mine. Although the cause was officially "unknown," it was felt that the explosion was caused by a too heavily charged first blast which uncovered a second charge and ignited coal gas. TPL-6266 (TNT 4-14-1930 p.1; TDL 4-14-1930, pg. 1; TNT 4/16/1930, pg. 1)

Pacific Coast Coal Co. (Carbonado); Coal mining; Mine accidents--Carbonado; Explosions; Schoning, John G.; Reese, William R.; Simson, Robert; Wilson, H.A.; Wake, George T.;

Mt. Rainier from the Ohop Valley

ca. 1918. Photograph by Albert Henry Barnes of the Mazama party making its way on horseback across Paradise Park, Mount Rainier National Park, circa 1918. Mazama is a Spanish word for "mountain goat" and also the name of the climbing club of Portland, Oregon. The Mazama climbing club was organized on the summit of Mount Hood on July 19, 1894. It was the second climbing club to be organized on the Pacific Rim, the first being the Sierra Club which was founded by John Muir in 1892.The Mazamas had many outings on Mount Rainier beginning in 1897. (ORIGIN OF GEOGRAPHIC NAMES OF TACOMA/PIERCE COUNTY WASHINGTON by Gary Fuller Reese; www.mazamas.org)

Mount Rainier National Park (Wash.); Packtrains--Mount Rainier; Pack animals--Mount Rainier; Horses; Mazama Climbing Club (Mount Rainier);

ca. 1910. The 41st annual session of the Grand Lodge of Washington I.O.G.T. Chautaugua was held on Vashon Island in 1910. Many of the men and women are wearing I.O.G.T. regalia. Included in the group are Bertha Penberthy (front row, 4th from left) and Effie and Merton Brewer (front row, 9th & 10th from left) I.O.G.T. stood for the Independent (now International) Order (now Organization) of Good Templars which promoted the ideals of temperance, peace and brotherhood. It was one of the first organizations with no distinction between race, color, creed and sex. The Grand Lodge of Washington would hold the 1911 annual session again on Vashon Island. (www.iogt.us-article on organization)

Independent Order of Good Templars (Wash.); Meetings--Vashon Island;

Undated photograph of Mount Rainier.

Rainier, Mount (Wash.); Mountains--Washington;

All Aboard! On June 16, 1927, members of the 148th Field Artillery, Tacoma's own National Guard unit, crowded into three coaches at Union Station. They would be shoving off at 8:30 a.m. for the National Guard encampment at Camp Murray for summer training. (TNT 6/16/1927, pg. 1) BGN-687

Washington National Guard, 148th F.A. (Tacoma); Military uniforms; Military personnel; Railroad cars;

ca. 1913. This circa 1913 group portrait of the Pierce County Treasurer's staff was taken in the old Pierce County Court House at South 10th and G Streets during an inspection by the Washington State Examiner. Calvin J. Carr, seated in the center of the first row, was County Treasurer.

Undated photograph of the Washington Air College hangar at Mueller Harkins Airport. According to studio notes, Mayor Melvin G. Tennent was the man standing next to the training plane. Tennent was first elected Mayor in 1926 and served two terms. Photograph ordered by the Daily Ledger.

Airports--Lakewood; Mueller-Harkins Airport (Lakewood); Hangars--Lakewood; Washington Air College (Lakewood); Tennent, Melvin Green;

ca. 1927. Legislative Building. Olympia's Legislative Building as seen circa 1927. This view is mainly of the right wing which included the House chambers. Both the House and Senate chambers would be finished in imported marble. The marble used in the House chamber was of French Escalette whose creamy look and blends of yellow, pink and red gave the chamber a warmer, lighter look than the more somber tones of the Senate chamber. (Johnston: Washington's Audacious State Capitol and Its Builders)

Legislative Building (Olympia);

ca. 1924. West side of Gig Harbor in the 1920s. The Skansie Shipbuilding Co. buildings are in the center of the circa 1924 photograph. The company was formed by four Yugoslavian brothers, Pete, Mitchell, Andrew and Joe Skansie, in 1912. Skansie Shipbuilding was building ferries at the time, having completed the motor ferry "Elk" in 1921 and probably in the process of constructing the ferry "Wollochet" which would be put into service in 1925. TPL-2546

Skansies Shipbuilding Co. (Gig Harbor); Boat & ship industry--Gig Harbor;

ca. 1920. Aerial view of the north side of Lakeview (now Lakewood) area, looking east, as photographed by Barnes Aviation in 1920. Building at left edge near center is Lakeview School. The road running left to right though the image is Pacific Highway with Northern Pacific Railroad tracks next to the road. This part of Lakewood was not highly developed at the time.

Aerial photographs; Aerial views; Lakeview School (Tacoma); Streets--Lakewood; Railroad tracks--Lakewood;

ca. 1931. An automobile drives down the road in front of the Bar-B-Q Inn and Kennedy's Garage, probably in Tillicum (Lakewood), circa 1931.

Bar-B-Q Inn (Lakewood); Kennedy's Garage (Lakewood); Automobile service stations--Lakewood--1930-1940; Automobiles--1930-1940;

Grainy December, 1929, photograph of the U.S.S. Lexington tied up at Baker Dock. After much discussion and negotiation, the U.S. Navy ordered the aircraft carrier to help the City of Tacoma by supplying auxiliary power. Severe drought conditions had rendered hydro plants inoperable and conservation methods employed were simply not enough to stave off a power crisis. The Lexington's monthlong stay would generate enough power for 25% of the city's needs. It allowed the city to turn on its streetlights, store lighting, and resume night shifts. (Tacoma Public Utilities Story: the First 100 Years: 1893-1993, p. 91-93)

U.S.S. Lexington (United States Navy); Aircraft carriers--United States; Power shortages--Tacoma;

Undated photograph of the stern-wheeler "Telegraph" docked at The Sumner Iron Works in Everett, Washington. She was built in Everett in 1903 for use in the Seattle-Tacoma run. The "Telegraph" was one of the last stern-wheelers built in Puget Sound. The slender vessel was 153.7 feet long. She was purchased by the Puget Sound Navigation Co. in 1910 and used regularly in routes from Seattle to Bremerton. On April 25, 1912, she was sunk by an errant steamer, the "Alameda," while docked at Seattle's Colman Dock. The "Alameda" had struck the dock, knocking its famous 72-foot tower into Elliott Bay and driving the "Telegraph" as far as the Grand Pacific Dock before sinking the stern-wheeler. The "Telegraph" would live to float another day; it was raised and repaired and remained in service for two more years before laying up. (Dorpat, "Steam Rolled," Seattle Times 3-17-2002; Findlay, Mosquito Fleet of South Puget Sound, p. 107)

Stern wheelers; Steamboats; Sumner Iron Works (Everett);

ca. 1955. Site preparation, excavation and demolition for construction of the new County-City Building began in 1955. In this elevated view, the Central Lutheran Church (originally First Presbyterian) is still standing at 1001 So. G St., at center. The old Pierce County Court House is just west of the church.

County-City Building (Tacoma); Central Lutheran Church (Tacoma); Pierce County Courthouse (Tacoma);

ca. 1904. U.S.S. Tacoma on maiden voyage to Tacoma after being commissioned on January 30, 1904. She was laid down on September 27, 1900, at Mare Island, California by Union Iron Works and launched on June 2, 1903. The ship was the second "Tacoma" and was Cruiser No. 18. She was under the command of Comdr. R.F. Nicholson. After her visit to Tacoma she voyaged to Hawaii in the spring of 1904 and then, after returning to San Francisco, proceeded to sail for Cape Horn. In the next couple of years the busy "Tacoma" voyaged to Hispaniola, Europe and the Mediterranean. She spent the next ten years providing service on the east coast and cruising the Caribbean and West Indies to protect American interests there. More cruising involving the Canal Zone, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Honduras followed. After a short spell in reserve, she once again began patrolling in 1912 where she cruised the Gulf of Mexico, Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala. The "Tacoma" cruised the Mexican coast in 1914 and then to Haiti. After another stint in reserve in 1916 she was fully commissioned for patrol duty. The warship made five round trips to Europe protecting US convoys once the United States entered World War l. The "Tacoma" ran aground on January 16, 1924 near Vera Cruz. She was unable to be freed and her name was struck from the Navy list in February of 1924. (Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, p.7-8-article)

Cruisers (Warships)--United States--1900-1910;

Undated photograph of an unidentified pilot and what appears to be an experimental aircraft at the Washington Air College, located at Mueller-Harkins Airport. Photograph ordered by the Daily Ledger.

Airports--Lakewood; Mueller-Harkins Airport (Lakewood); Washington Air College (Lakewood); Airplanes; Monoplanes;

ca. 1927. Legislative Building. Great curving walkways connected the Legislative Building with other parts of the Olympia complex. This view of the massive building focuses on the large expanse of sidewalks and includes the sight of three 1920s automobiles parked at the foot of the wide steps. Apparently after much discussion of the campus' landscaping, the clearance, grading, paving, and planting was mostly completely by 1930. (Johnston: Washington's Audacious State Capitol and Its Builders)

Legislative Building (Olympia); Sidewalks--Olympia;

ca. 1907. This promotional illustration, circa 1907, advertised the Regents Park housing development which had already been subdivided into lots and was ready for sale. The firm of Bowes - Irwin Co., headed by Edward "Major" Bowes of Amateur Hour fame, was in charge. Regents Park was one of Tacoma's first suburbs, located west of the city, and was built on 200 acres of woodland. It had its own water system, sidewalks, sewers, and an artificial lake. Residents could hop onto a streetcar and get to work in downtown Tacoma in a mere 20 minutes. Regents Park would become the Town of Fircrest in 1925.

Real estate development--Fircrest; Regents Park (Fircrest); Maps; Advertising--Fircrest; Advertising--Regents Park;

ca. 1890. "scenery of Oregon and Washington Territory" Northern Pacific Railroad Brewery in the 1880s from an early stereopticon slide. (From the collection of Dan Kerlee, Seattle, Washington.) A driver is waiting, along with his team of horses, to transport barrels and bottles of brew. Another cart is empty next to a yard filled with lumber and possibly bottles. A empty cask lies on its side in the foreground. This brewery was built in Steilacoom on Starling Street in 1873 by Wolf Schaefer. It was acquired by the Northern Pacific Railroad shortly after the death of Mr. Schaefer in 1889. Two years later, the company closed the brewery. (Meier: "Breweries of Steilacoom," Brewed in the Pacific Northwest, p. 110-112)

Northern Pacific Railroad Brewery (Steilacoom); Brewing industry--Steilacoom--1880-1890;

On board the U.S.S. Lexington, aircraft carrier known as the "Queen of the Flattops,"in mid-December, 1929, were those instrumental in bringing emergency power to Tacoma. L-R, Chief Engineer Lt. Cdr. H.L. White, General Electric (maker and owner of the generators) representative Robert E. Lee, Utilities Commissioner Ira S. Davisson, City Light Supt. Llewellyn Evans, Tacoma Mayor James G. Newbegin (appointed in March of 1929 to replace the resigning Melvin G. Tennent), and ship commander, Frank D. Berrien. Tacoma experienced a severe shortage of electricity due to drought conditions; the Lexington, with its enormous generators, would deliver over 4 million kilowatts or about 25% of the city's power. TPL-1775. ALBUM 16.

U.S.S. Lexington (United States Navy); Aircraft carriers--United States; White, H.L.; Lee, Robert E.; Davisson, Ira; Evans, Llewellyn; Newbegin, James G.; Berrien, Frank D.; Power shortages--Tacoma; Mayors--Tacoma--1920-1930;

ca. 1929. U.S.S. Lexington, aircraft carrier, who came to the aid of the City of Tacoma and provided electricity from mid-December, 1929, to mid-January, 1930. The ship was berthed at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton with Capt. Frank D. Berrien in command. The fourth Navy ship to bear that name, she had been built by the Fore River Shipbuilding Corporation of Quincy, Mass. Her overall length was 888 feet and she had four turbo-generators. TPL-1937

U.S.S. Lexington (United States Navy); Aircraft carriers--United States;

Moonlight on Puget Sound - U.S.S. Nipsic in fore ground.

ca. 1905. This drydock is believed to be the Dockton drydock on Vashon Island circa 1905. It was the only drydock in the south Puget Sound at that time for large boats. See TPL 1007 for another view of the drydock.

Boat & ship industry; Piers & wharves;

ca. 1929. Wooden ramp built at the Tacoma Field to be used by Harold Bromley to help get his monoplane "City of Tacoma" airborne during its attempt at a transPacific Tacoma to Tokyo flight. Tacomans were so enthused with Bromley's proposed flight that they voted a $300,000 bond to build a 5,400 foot airstrip at the Tacoma Field, now part of McChord Air Force Base. The ramp was 100 feet and built of wood. It was designed to add enough speed to be the equivalent of 1,000 feet of additional runway. Bromley's huge monoplane weighed 8,850 pounds when loaded and would need the extra lift.

Bromley, Harold--Associated objects; Tacoma Field (Lakewood); Airports--Lakewood--1920-1930; Aeronautics--Tacoma--1920-1930;

ca. 1927. Legislative Building. The stately Legislative (Capitol) Building in Olympia looks complete in the above photograph taken about 1927. The building had Doric-colonnaded wings to the north and south and central colonnaded and pedimented entrance porticoes between. Its walls were thick, 12 inches of stone facing together with brick or concrete backing with an overall thickness of 2 feet, 5 inches. The large oval in front of the massive steps appears to be a lush grass lawn. (Johnston: Washington's Audacious State Capitol and Its Builders)

Legislative Building (Olympia);

ca. 1924. Progress photograph - State Legislative (Capitol) Building. Although construction on the Legislative Building in Olympia had begun in 1923, it was not the first attempt at the creation of a new state capitol building. Ernest Flagg of New York City had won a national competition in 1894 to become the project's architect. His design called for a compact structure facing south with "rusticated" ground floor, two main floors and an attic. The dome would have a "Gilded Age" appearance. Excavation and construction of foundations and basement, of brick and exterior gray Tenino stone, followed. However, a change of administration delayed the construction of a permanent state capitol building and the legislature instead moved into the Thurston County Courthouse in downtown Olympia until 1927. The lack of space in the courthouse instigated a call for the resumption of plans to build a new state capitol building. A richer, larger scale plan was sought which would include the Temple of Justice and future buildings grouped as necessary. Only 30 entries were submitted in 1911 with another New York City twosome, Walter Robb Wilder and Harry Keith White, emerging as the winners. The Temple of Justice and Insurance Building would be completed first, in 1920 and 1921 respectively. The Legislative Building would be constructed on the site of the Flagg foundations. Pictured above ca. 1924 are the foundations and monumental steps. The stone facing is of Wilkeson stone from quarries in Pierce County; lighter in color than Tenino or Chuckanut stone, it was felt that the off-white tones with cream and pink hints would provide a warmer appearance on cold, rainy days. Durable, Wilkeson stone was available in vast quantities and would be used during the years of construction. (Johnston: Washington's Audacious State Capitol and Its Builders)

Building construction--Olympia--1920-1930; Legislative Building (Olympia);

ca. 1927. View of State Capitol buildings after 1925. L-R are the Insurance Building, Legislative (Capitol) Building, and the Temple of Justice. All buildings utilized Wilkeson stone, a durable sandstone, from the quarries of Pierce County. The Temple of Justice was accepted by the state in August of 1920 at a total cost of $942,230. Located east of the Legislative Building, the Insurance Building was constructed in response to the increasing office space needs of the state government. Using elements of the Roman Doric order, the Insurance Building was occupied in 1921 by a variety of state offices including the governor's office. The Insurance Building cost more than the Temple of Justice - at slightly over a million dollars. ($1,032,000.) The Legislative Building was the last of the three to be officially completed in 1928 with its total cost $7,385,768.21, including nearly $600,000 in furnishings. Landscaping of the complex would follow. (Johnston: Washington's Audacious State Capitol and Its Builders)

Legislative Building (Olympia); Insurance Building (Olympia); Temple of Justice (Olympia);