1939 Commerce Street Business Men's Club Dog Parade. Judges pose for portrait on the flatbed of a truck. Prizes, including a "Hi Speed" wagon, are lined up on the front of the wagon. The Red Rooster Cafe's neon sign is prominent in background. (T. Times, 4/24/1939, p. 1)
Commerce Street Business Men's Club (Tacoma); Dogs--Tacoma--1930-1940; Judges--Tacoma; Parades & processions--Tacoma--1930-1940; Children & animals; Toys; Red Rooster Cafe (Tacoma); Electric signs--Tacoma--1930-1940;
The Commerce Street Business Men's Club Dog Parade, held April 22, 1939. Girls and their dogs walk in one line, boys and their dogs walk in another. Two of the boys are dressed in matching cowboy outfits. Crowds watch from 9th and Commerce. (T. Times, 4/24/1939, p. 1)
Commerce Street Business Men's Club (Tacoma); Dogs--Tacoma--1930-1940; Parades & processions--Tacoma--1930-1940; Children & animals;
1939 Commerce Street Dog Parade. Clowns carry a banner announcing "Dog Show, Sat. Sun. April 29th. 30th." This was an advertisement for the upcoming all breed dog show to be held on those dates. A large parade of children and dogs follow behind the banner along Commerce St., south of Ninth St. (T. Times 4/24/1939, p. 1)
Commerce Street Business Men's Club (Tacoma); Dogs--Tacoma--1930-1940; Parades & processions--Tacoma--1930-1940; Children & animals;
Commerce Street Business Men's Dog Parade. A cluster of girls walk with their dogs in the April 22, 1939, parade. One, wearing a nurse's costume, is pushing her pet in a doll buggy. Smiles on faces in the crowd show it was a fun day for all. Several of the girls wear the baseball caps given to each participant. (T. Times, 4/24/1939, p. 1)
Commerce Street Business Men's Club (Tacoma); Dogs--Tacoma--1930-1940; Parades & processions--Tacoma--1930-1940; Children & animals;
Commerce Street Businees Men's Club Dog Parade. Lining-up and receiving last minute instructions, adults and children with their dogs are backed-up on Commerce Street north of the Winthrop Hotel for the dog parade. 1000 dogs were entered and marched before crowds estimated in the thousands. (T. Times, 4/24/1939, p.1)
Commerce Street Business Men's Club (Tacoma); Dogs--Tacoma--1930-1940; Parades & processions--Tacoma--1930-1940; Children & animals;
1939 Commerce Street Dog Parade. Children and their dogs follow a marching band and "Dog Show" banner in front of Jacks Griddle Restaurant at 912-14 Commerce St. Two children wear signs on their backs: "Berg's Tavern" and "Booths for Ladies." (T. Times, 4/24/39)
Commerce Street Business Men's Club (Tacoma); Dogs--Tacoma--1930-1940; Parades & processions--Tacoma--1930-1940; Children & animals; Jacks Griddle (Tacoma);
The Commerce Street Dog Parade was held on April 22, 1939. A young girl with her puppy, tagged number 73, receives a Tacoma policeman's admiration. Another girl holds her sleeping puppy and does not seem to approve of the attention. Any child 16 and under could parade with their dog and over 1,000 turned out to compete for over 75 special prizes. (T. Times, 4/24/1939, p. 1)
Commerce Street Business Men's Club (Tacoma); Dogs--Tacoma--1930-1940; Parades & processions--Tacoma--1930-1940; Children & animals; Tacoma Police Department (Tacoma);
The Commerce Street Business Men's Club Dog Parade was held on April 22, 1939. The grand prize winner, Shirley King poses with 14-year-old Bummer and runner-up Donald Grassfield, right. A man announces the winner of the dog parade over a microphone. (T. Times, 4/24/1939, p. 1).
Commerce Street Business Men's Club (Tacoma); Dogs--Tacoma--1930-1940; Parades & processions--Tacoma--1930-1940; King, Shirley; Grassfield, Donald; Children & animals; Awards;
Margaretbelle Leslie holds Cocker Spaniels from her father John C. White's kennels at Alderton. Left to right:Toby, Western Girl, White's Carmen Glo, and White's Aggravating Aggie will be entered in the December 11 dog show. The Tacoma Cocker Club Speciality Show was held at the Greenwich Coliseum. More than 70 Cocker Spaniels were on display. (T. Times, 12/2/38, p.14).
Cocker Spaniels from the John C. White's kennels at Alderton. Left to right:Toby, Western Girl, White's Carmen Glo, and White's Aggravating Aggie will be entered in the December 11 dog show. The Tacoma Cocker Club Speciality Show was held at the Greenwich Coliseum. More than 70 Cocker Spaniels were on display. (T. Times, 12/2/38, p.14).
Gunnar Anderson, pianist, with his German shepherd, Duke. The two will ride in Anderson's Austin convertible from Tacoma to Cincinnati where he will study at the Cincinnati Conservation of Music under Dr. Karol Liszniewski. Mr. Anderson is considered one of the superior young pianists on the Pacific Coast. He has worked in Hollywood, on radio and as an organist. His goal is a career as a concert pianist. (T. Times, 7/13/1938, p. 2).
In July of 1938, Gunnar Anderson and his German shepherd, Duke, were preparing to drive to Cincinnati where Gunnar was to study at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. A popular radio pianist and organist, and member of the KVI staff, Mr. Anderson had won a scholarship to study under Dr. Karol Liszniewski. Later, while serving in the Navy in San Diego, he played the organ for services and special occasions, and assisted in the chaplains office. Gunnar Anderson was a member of the American Theater Organ Society, and he died June 5, 1984 in Bellingham at the age of 76. (T. Times, 7/13/1938, p. 2).
On April 26, 1938, Humane Society officer H. A. Dennison presented a medal to "Frisky" Bedford, 6-month-old German Shepherd dog, who saved 2-year-old Leon Bedford from drowning in a small pond near his home at 5112 So. 10th St. Leon, seated in front of the Humane Society's "Be Kind to Animals" panel truck, accepted the medal for his friend. The medal originally read "To Frisky Bedford, for saving his master's life." When Leon pointed out to the Society that his dog was a lady, the red faced Humane Society had it re-engraved. (T.Times 4/26/1938, p. 3).
Dogs--Tacoma--1930-1940; Animal shelters--Tacoma; Tacoma-Pierce County Humane Society (Tacoma); Trucks--Tacoma--1930-1940; Dennison, Harold A.; Bedford, Leon; Lifesaving--Tacoma;
To Frisky Bedford the medal reads, "for saving her master's life." Pierce County Humane Society uniformed officer H. A. Dennison holds 2-year-old Leon Bedford while petting "Frisky" Bedford. The 6-month-old German Shepherd saved Leon from drowning in a small pond near the Bedford home at 5112 So. 10th St on April 8, 1938. Leon gratefully accepts the medal for his friend while she sits inside the back of the society's panel truck. (T.Times 4/26/1938, pg. 3)
Dogs--Tacoma--1930-1940; Animal shelters--Tacoma; Tacoma-Pierce County Humane Society (Tacoma); Trucks--Tacoma--1930-1940; Dennison, Harold A.; Bedford, Leon; Lifesaving--Tacoma;
Toy Terrier standing on its hind legs with its paws around a bottle of beer that it's drinking or opening. Woman seated at kitchen table holding beer bottle for dog. (T. Times).
Toy Terrier dog drinking beer from a bottle. Dog is standing on his hind legs with his paws around the beer bottle. A young woman is seated at a kitchen table holding the beer bottle for the dog. (T. Times).
ca. 1938. Dogs were apparently welcome at this eating establishment as a large black Cocker Spaniel gets a treat from a man stting on a soda fountain stool. Begging on his hind legs appeared to have paid off for the pooch in a 1938 stock photograph. Although a touch of elegance is present with the rattan counter stools which slope back, hamburgers were still an affordable 10 cents each.
In September of 1937 the Tacoma Humane Society was able to purchase a new ambulance with donations by a number of generous Tacoma animal lovers including Mrs. Norton Clapp and the estate of Sarah J. Mink. Harold A. Dennison, the caretaker at the society's shelter, gave the first ride in the new truck to a little white dog that had been found beaten and tied in a gunny sack lying in a ditch. The truck was equipped with four metal cages of various sizes and a monoxide chamber that could be used to put badly injured animals to sleep. (T.Times, 9/22/1937 p.4)
Dogs--Tacoma--1930-1940; Dogcatching--Tacoma; Animal shelters--Tacoma; Tacoma-Pierce County Humane Society (Tacoma); Trucks--Tacoma--1930-1940; Dennison, Harold A.;
Humane Society officer Harold A. Dennison and the little white dog that he rescued; the dog had been beaten, tied in a gunny sack and left in a ditch. The little dog was the first to ride in the Society's new ambulance made possible by generous donations from animal lovers. (T.Times, 9/22/1937 p.4) TPL-8399
Dogs--Tacoma--1930-1940; Dogcatching--Tacoma; Animal shelters--Tacoma; Tacoma-Pierce County Humane Society (Tacoma); Trucks--Tacoma--1930-1940; Dennison, Harold A.;
In September of 1937, Vivian Sherman was pictured having a talk with her "lucky dog" Sport. The three year old setter was lucky to be alive. The year before in the winter, he caught his right front paw in a trap. He was stuck for eight days in the frozen trap until he broke the chain and crawled over a mile home. The Shermans had the leg operated on and Sport made a full recovery. He was an excellent hunting dog, despite the fact that he was left with only one toe on the damaged foot. Mrs. Sherman and her husband Frank were the owners of Tapps Fishing Tackle on South Tacoma Way. (T. Times 4/6/1937, pg. 13)
The Tacoma Spaniel Club held their field trials for 1937 in the prairie lands west of the Northern Pacific car shops in South Tacoma on March 21st. The "prairie lands" were just south of the South Tacoma Swamp. "High class" cocker and springer spaniels, including Pepper the defending champion, a red male cocker owned by Robert Wadsworth (center), competed for the prize trophy. Club members, with their dogs, are: (l to r) Crist Keffler, Ralph Lougheed, C.J. O'Connor, Robert Wadsworth, William J. Lonergan, Everett Metzger and Robert Sloat of Puyallup. (T. Times 3/21/1937, pg. 12)
ca. 1937. Ed Griffin's champion English Mastiff "Broomcourt Nell" and her litter of puppies. The puppies were born in September of 1936, 7 females and 3 males. The puppies and their sires were the only English Mastiffs in the NorthWest.
ca. 1937. The puppies of Ed Griffin's champion English Mastiff "Broomcourt Nell." In the beginning of September of 1936, there was only one mastiff in the Northwest. By Sept. 9, 1936, there were 11 with the addition of 10 puppies. The father was Roxbury Boy. Seven of the pups were female and 3 were male.
ca. 1936. Five Scottish Terrier puppies in a box on a high-back, winged, over-stuffed leather chair. The black pups are peering over the edge of the cardboard box in this circa 1936 photograph. (Studio stock negative).
A young woman in a tweed coat reaches to pet her dog's head. The dog rests its front paws on her coat and stands at full length on his hind legs. Photograph ordered by the Bremerton Sun.
In June of 1935, Champion Bulldog Sir Bolivar Buckshot poses steadfastly with his many trophies. Bred and owned by Mr. and Mrs. Frank W. Bjorklund of Spanaway, Sir Bolivar Buckshot was an English Bull, with a champion rating. He was declared both International and Pacific Coast Champion Bulldog. At four years of age, he was ranked second to none in this country or Canada. The famed champion died in 1942 at the age of 14, having sired many offspring around the country. (T. Times 6/22/1935, pg. 11; TNT 2/5/1942, pg. 16-memorial article)
Along with daffodils and April showers, children and their pets have been a sure sign of spring in the Puget Sound area for generations. Photographer Chapin Bowen captured young Bobby David with his beloved dog, "Rags," seated in front of the Rialto Theater in 1931. Bob and Rags attended Tacoma's pet parade, held April 9, 1931.
Along with daffodils and April showers, children and their pets have been a sure sign of spring in the Puget Sound area for generations. Photographer Chapin Bowen captured young Bobby David with his beloved dog, "Rags," seated in front of the Rialto Theater in 1931. Bob and Rags attended Tacoma's pet parade, held April 9, 1931.
