The whaleboat crew of the USS Salt Lake City posed, holding oars straight up, on October 27, 1936 before the starter's gun sent them to victory in the Navy Day boat race. The pictured crew finished a length and a half ahead of the crews from the USS Colorado and Texas, winning the Bremerton Sun trophy. (Bremerton Sun 10/28/1936, pg. 1)

Naval yards & naval stations--Bremerton; Puget Sound Navy Yard (Bremerton); Boat racing; Rowboats--Tacoma--1930-1940; Rowing races--Tacoma--1930-1940; Rowers;

In honor of Navy Day, October 27, 1936, the crews of the USS Salt Lake City, Colorado and Texas competed in a whaleboat race in the waters of the Puget Sound at the Bremerton Naval Yard. The Salt Lake City finished a length and one half before its nearest competitor, clinching the Bremerton Sun trophy. (Bremerton Sun 10/28/1936, pg. 1).

Naval yards & naval stations--Bremerton; Puget Sound Navy Yard (Bremerton); Boat racing; Rowboats--Tacoma--1930-1940; Rowing races--Tacoma--1930-1940; Rowers;

In honor of Navy Day, October 27, 1936, an engineer's whaleboat race was held at the Bremerton Navy Yard. Competing for the win were crews from the USS Salt Lake City, Colorado and Texas. One of the crews was photographed in their whaleboat with oars up prior to the starter's whistle. The race was won by the crew from the Salt Lake City, who claimed the Bremerton Sun trophy for the race. (Bremerton Sun 10/28/1936, pg. 1).

Naval yards & naval stations--Bremerton; Puget Sound Navy Yard (Bremerton); Boat racing; Rowboats--Tacoma--1930-1940; Rowing races--Tacoma--1930-1940; Rowers;

The United States fleet visiting Tacoma. View of two battleships in Commencement Bay from Northeast Tacoma looking toward the city. Ships seen in the distance over the druins of a wharf and log boom. (T. Times).

Battleships--1930-1940; Celebrations--Tacoma--1930-1940;

United States fleet visit to Tacoma. Four battleships in Commencement Bay near the Port of Tacoma. View is taken from Northeast Tacoma and shows Mount Rainier in the background. (T. Times).

Battleships--1930-1940; Celebrations--Tacoma--1930-1940; Rainier, Mount (Wash.);

United States fleet visits Tacoma. Four battleships in Commencement Bay near the Port of Tacoma. Mount Rainier is visible in the distance. (T. Times).

Battleships--1930-1940; Celebrations--Tacoma--1930-1940; Rainier, Mount (Wash.);

Fleet Week, July 5 through 11 1938, Tacoma. Four U.S. Navy Battleships in Commencement Bay, tideflats in background. Taken from a high bluff, framed by trees.

Battleships--1930-1940; Celebrations--Tacoma--1930-1940;

During Fleet Week, July 5 through 11, 1938, Tacoma played host to 5200 officers and men of the visiting battleships, the USS California, West Virginia, Tennessee and Maryland. In return, the Navy thrilled Tacoma with a military parade, boat races and nighttime searchlight displays. Pictured are five Navy battleships anchored in Commencement Bay.

Battleships--1930-1940; Celebrations--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Fleet Week 1938 began in Tacoma with the arrival of 4 battleships of the US fleet and their 5200 officers and men. In Tacoma for the week of July 5- 11 were the USS California, West Virginia, Tennessee and Maryland. Pictured are five U.S. Navy battleships which have dropped anchor in Commencement Bay. Northeast Tacoma can be seen in the background. During Fleet Week, officers and enlisted men will be wined and dined, a military parade will feature 3,000 troops and 4 military bands, the ships will be open for tours and boating contests will take place. (T. Times 7/5/1938, pg. 1; 7/7/1938, pg. 1) TPL-9110

Battleships--1930-1940; Celebrations--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Fleet Week. Four U.S. Navy Battleships in Commencement Bay, tideflats, city and Mount Rainier in background. (Argentum)

Battleships--1930-1940; Celebrations--Tacoma--1930-1940;

On July 20, 1939, as part of Tacoma's Washington State Golden Jubilee celebration, six Navy dreadnoughts, the powerhouses of the Pacific Fleet, entered Commencement Bay at 8:30 in the morning and dropped anchor at the mouth of the Puyallup River. The ships and their 8,000 men and officers would be in Tacoma for the Jubilee celebration and depart on Monday, July 24th. The six battleships, the USS California, USS Pennsylvania, USS Arizona, USS New Mexico, USS Mississippi and the USS Idaho, were available for tours 1-4 p.m. through Sunday. They also provided searchlight shows in the evening and their crews took part in the water carnival races. On December 7, 1941, the California, the Pennsylvania and the Arizona were stationed at Pearl Harbor. The California and the Pennsylvania were damaged; the Arizona was destroyed, with the loss of 1,104 personnel. TPL-9081 (TNT 7/20/39, pg 1-article)

View of the Grand Rapids' stern taken on March 3, 1970. Tacoma Boatbuilding was nearing an end to the 12-boat contract with the Navy to build aluminum gunboats for the US Navy. The Grand Rapids would be launched on April 4, 1970, with then-House Minority Leader and future President Gerald R. Ford and family in attendance. The Grand Rapids, the second ship of that name in the Navy, was named for the city in Michigan, the hometown of Gerald Ford. She would be commissioned five months later in September, 1970, and decommissioned in 1977. (www.navsource.org/archives; Marine Digest, April 11, 1970) Photograph ordered by US Steel.

Gunboats--United States; Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1970-1980; Tacoma Boat Building Co., Inc. (Tacoma);

This is the Grand Rapids PG-98 gunboat about a month before her launch date of April 4, 1970. She was the 11th of 12 gunboats built for the US Navy by Tacoma Boatbuilding. Susan Ford, young daughter of Rep. (later President) and Mrs. Gerald R. Ford of Michigan, was the ship's sponsor. The Grand Rapids was named after the hometown of Rep. Ford. The vessel would be commissioned the USS Grand Rapids on September 5, 1970 and be decommissioned on October 1, 1977. Photograph ordered by US Steel. (www.navsource.org/archives)

Gunboats--United States; Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1970-1980; Tacoma Boat Building Co., Inc. (Tacoma);

ca. 1908. Battleships in what is probably Commencement Bay - off Tacoma with the tree covered cliffs of Browns Point in the background.