Standing next to his newly purchased Dodge standard six sedan and close to his company airplane in April of 1928 is R.N. Bergen, pilot and owner of the Bergen Bromley Flying Service located at the Tacoma Municipal Airport (leased by the city from Mueller-Harkins on November 28, 1927). Mr. Bergen had established his business in the spring of 1927. Prior to his entry into the aviation business, he had had five years of experience as a Tacoma automobile salesman. He was the state agent for the "International Airplane," manufactured then in Cincinnati. Mr. Bergen was the first Tacoman to be named state distributor for any make of airplane. Pupils attending his flying school were given instruction in commercial flying. The Bergen Flying Service had 20 students in April of 1928. (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 1-8-28, A-11-article; TDL 4-10-28, p. 1, Section 2-article on flying schools; Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 5-6-28, G-9) G12.1-081

Bergen, Robert N.; Bergen Bromley Flying Service (Tacoma); Airplanes--Tacoma--1920-1930; Dodge automobile;

Maj. Gen. Robert Alexander (r) extends a warm welcome via handshake to Col. Edward E. Spafford, national commander of the American Legion, upon Col. Spafford's April 10, 1928, arrival at Fort Lewis. Maj. Gen. Alexander was the state commander of the Legion. This was Col. Spafford's first visit to Washington state. He was honored with a luncheon at the Winthrop Hotel and spent time visiting the American Lake and Cushman veterans hospitals. G12.1-009 (TNT 4-10-28, p. 1) TPL-10317

Spafford, Edward E.; Alexander, Robert; American Legion; Shaking hands--Fort Lewis;

Pacific Telephone & Telegraph employees at the Longmire Inn. Posed in front of the cafeteria sign of the Longmire Inn in the Mount Rainier National Park are 16 Pacific Telephone & Telegraph employees, including longtime "pioneers." These men were believed to have been members of the Telephone Pioneers of America who had more than 20 years of active service with telephone companies. G64.1-009

Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Co. (Tacoma)--Employees; Longmire Inn; Mount Rainier National Park (Wash.);

Roller equipment at a gravel pit believed to be the Glacier Pit located along Puget Sound at Chambers Creek in University Place. Railroad tracks are at left center and water on right center. This photograph was taken on June 18, 1928. G33.1-104 (Additional identification provided by a reader)

Quarrying; Equipment;

This photograph of wooden roller equipment at the Glacier Pit along Puget Sound at Chambers Creek was taken on June 18, 1928. For a close-up view of equipment, see Boland B18778. G33.1-103 (Additional identification provided by a reader)

Quarrying; Equipment;

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;

Posed with Flying Cloud and Wolverine automobiles from the Winthrop Motor Co., Reo distributors, are the Maylon Players theatrical troupe. They are enjoying a sunny July day in 1928 at Point Defiance Park. The actors presented plays for appreciative Tacoma audiences including "Rain" and "Naomi of the North." G41.1-052 (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 7-15-28, B-3-article; Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 7-22-28, 8-G, article & alternate photograph)

Actors--Tacoma--1920-1930; Maylon Players (Tacoma); Reo automobile; Point Defiance Park (Tacoma);

Frigidaire display. The refrigerated food on display at this July, 1928, Frigidaire exhibit was representative of the types of food, including milk, honey, cheese, vegetables, fruit and meat, used by a typical family. Signs posted indicated that food would remain fresher and more wholesome with refrigeration and both merchants and consumers would save money and remain healthier in the long run. Over 200 establishments in Tacoma were equipped at that time with Frigidaire. G34.1-153

Merchandise displays--Tacoma--1920-1930; Refrigerator industry--1920-1930; Refrigerators; Signs (Notices);

An Insley excavator, operated by the Bill Rogers firm, has paused during its excavation of this hillside near Puyallup on September 1, 1928. One of the three heavy equipment workers is perched on the crane portion while the earthmover's shovel remains still. The excavator is balanced on a stack of lumber. Photograph ordered by City Truck Co. G34.1-005

Excavation--1920-1930; Digging;

Two employees of the Bill Rogers excavation firm are photographed on and near their Insley excavator on September 1, 1928. The men were working on a hillside near Puyallup. The Insley earthmover is balanced on a stack of lumber with its shovel extended. See Boland B19259 for another view of the Bill Rogers team of workers and machine. Photograph ordered by the City Truck Co. G34.1-004; TPL-1899

Excavation--1920-1930; Digging;

Two pages helping out at the United Daughters of the Confederacy's annual convention posed together on October 10, 1928. Their names were not listed. The convention was held at the Tacoma Hotel with Tacoma's Dixie Chapter as host. Members were joined by the Robert E. Lee Chapter of Seattle and the Mildred Lee Chapter of Spokane. G24.1-002 (TNT 10-9-28, p. 16-article on convention)

United Daughters of the Confederacy; Meetings--Tacoma--1920-1930;

The Central Bank, located at Sixth & Pine, was one of the main occupants of the Hendry Block in 1928. William Hendry built the brick building in late 1924 and Central Bank opened its doors in March of the following year. Other tenants included a dentist, a physician, a printing firm and radio shop. TPL-8201; G18.1-042; BU-10,803;

Central Bank (Tacoma); Banks--Tacoma; Hendry Block (Tacoma);

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);

This view is that of the intersection of Meridian and Valley Road near Puyallup as it appeared on February 25, 1929. The Charles Service Station, dealer in Texaco products, is on the right. Photograph taken for court evidence. G73.1-044

Streets--Puyallup; Charles Service Station (Puyallup);

On February 25, 1929, the Boland Studios were asked to take photographs of the intersection of Meridian and Valley Road near Puyallup to be used as court evidence. This view is just beyond the Charles Service Station. House on the left of the curving road; sign on the right indicates the presence of a "private road -use at your own risk." See Boland B20388 for additional view of intersection. G73.1-046

Streets--Puyallup; Signs (Notices); Houses--Puyallup--1920-1930;

View of the Narrows on a clear spring day in March of 1929. This is prior to the construction of the Narrow Bridge. A bill had been signed into law by Governor Roland Hartley on February 25 of that year to build and operate a toll bridge over the Narrows west of the City of Tacoma. The bill also granted the necessary right of way over state lands. G15.1-051 (TNT 2-26-29, p. 1-article on bridge)

Bodies of water--Tacoma--1920-1930;

This is what the Narrows looked like in March of 1929 from a Day Island perspective. The photograph was taken prior to any bridge construction. Interest was rising in the anticipated building of a bridge spanning the Narrows that would link Tacoma and the Peninsula area. Governor Roland Hartley had just signed into law a bill that authorized the building of a toll bridge over the Narrows west of the City of Tacoma. The multi-million dollar project would make travel easier between the Peninsula and Tacoma and increase business between the two locales. G15.1-052 (TNT 2-26-29, p. 1-article on bridge bill; TDL 4-9-29, Section 3, industrial section, p. 1-article on bridge)

Bodies of water--Tacoma--1920-1930;

This March 22, 1929, photograph was taken 75-feet from the intersection of these two residential streets to be used as court evidence. The names of the streets were not listed. The visible houses appear to be modern for the time and the streets were wide, paved, with curbs and sidewalks. Several feet, planted with grass and shrubs, separated the sidewalks from the street. G57.1-015

Streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Houses--Tacoma--1920-1930;

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);

Students attending the Tacoma Airways school were photographed taking a hands-on interest in aviation on May 10, 1929. Tacoma Airways was located at 1702 Sixth Avenue, sharing the space with the LeCrone-Coleman Motor Clinic. G12.1-049

Tacoma Airways (Tacoma); Airline industry; Vocational education--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Annoucer Bert McGrath, showing a bit of his suit and knickers, smiles as he grips his microphone. He is partially emerging from a Fokker USA trimotor airplane, believed to be the same one shown in Boland B20871, at Mueller-Harkins airport on May 12, 1929. Mr. McGrath was part of the "Voice of the Sky," aviation's first talking airplane, that paid a visit to Tacoma that day and astounded the city with music and chatter emerging from the giant passenger plane while it was hundreds of feet in the air. Mr. McGrath was stationed in a heavily insulated cabin within the plane, his speech amplified and then broadcast through huge horns from the plane. G44.1-001 (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 5-12-29, A-7-article; TDL 5-14-29, p. 1-article & alternate photograph)

McGrath, Bert; Men--Tacoma--Clothing & dress; Airplanes--Tacoma--1920-1930; Microphones;

Flowers and ferns on display, courtesy of the Tacoma Garden Club, at the Winthrop Hotel, on May 25, 1929. This was the fifth annual spring flower show sponsored by the group. G26.1-118

Flower shows--Tacoma--1920-1930; Exhibitions--Tacoma--1920-1930; Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma);

Members of the Tacoma Sangerbund (Saengerbund) pose with their group banner on June 2, 1929, in front of an imposing stone building. A sangerbund was a German singing society. The Tacoma Sangerbund was organized in 1890 and would celebrate its 40th anniversary in March of 1930. There were only two original members alive then and both, Erick Siburg of Tacoma and Hans Fraehmke of Auburn, were invited to the celebration. In 1930 there were 44 active and 125 associate members. The organization was headed by Henry Kloepper. (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 3-16-30, A-11-article on association)

Tacoma Sangerbund (Tacoma); Singers; Banners;

The first graduation of Bellarmine scholars occurred in June of 1929. The nineteen young graduates posed with church dignitaries under the banner "Ad Omnia Paratus, " ( "Prepared for All Things" ) in the St. Leo's school auditorium. Right Rev. Edward J. O'Dea, Bishop of Seattle, presided over the exercises. Others in attendance on stage included Tacoma Mayor James Newbegin and principal speaker, Camille Pessemier. The Catholic high school for boys, then called Bellarmine College, was founded in 1928 with an enrollment of 150. (www.bellarmineprep.org; TDL 6-5-29, p. 12-article with graduates' names; TNT 6-7-29, p. 21)

Bellarmine High School (Tacoma); Students--Tacoma--1920-1930; Graduation ceremonies--Tacoma--1920-1930;

In June of 1929 Robert F. Bown, the principle of Stewart Jr. High, declared his school's baseball team "the best athletic team ever produced at the south side intermediate." It is easy to understand the pride he held for his team. Not only had Stewart won the city crown with a 5-0 record, they had also defeated Fife Junior High, Clover Park Junior High and Stadium High School. The Stewart team captured their title with a resounding defeat of rival Gray, 21-1. Posed in front of the school on June 7, 1929, as listed in the News Tribune are: third row (rear), coaches H.A. Post, W.C. Cohoon and S.S. Todd, physical director; second row, Howard Berry, Ernest Holm, Clarence Zachow, Clyde Olsen, Verne Kampbell and Arnold Doersam; first row, Howard Converse, Louis Mazza, Charles Mazza, (Capt.) Tommy Mazza, Leonard Brunstad, Albin Semion and Harvey Christlaw. (TNT 5-29-29, p. 12-article; TNT 6-14-29, 6-B) G46.1-023

Baseball players--Tacoma--1920-1930; Stewart Junior High School (Tacoma);

The staff of Central Realty & Mortgage Co. posed in the doorway of their brick building on June 7, 1929. The firm, located at 1207 South "K" St. (now Martin Luther King Jr. Way) provided service in real estate, loans and insurance. Lettering on the two windows indicated that J.S. Taylor was president, Roy Armacost, vice-president, and Charles L. Westcott, attorney and notary for Central Realty.

Central Realty & Mortgage Co. (Tacoma); Real estate business--Tacoma--1920-1930;

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;

Piledriver in operation as a house for Tacoma Fire Boat No. 1 is being constructed during the summer of 1929. Boat morring and quarters for crew were being built at the east end of the 11th St. Bridge on the City (now Thea Foss) Waterway. Tacoma's first fire boat was launched in early June of 1929 and was expected to be fully operational in August of that year. The fire boat actually passed official tests on September 10, 1929, and saw first action in quelling an early morning blaze on September 28, 1929. G26.1-024 (TNT 8-13-29, p. 1-article; TNT 9-10-29, p. 1-article; TNT 9-28-29, p. 9-small article on fire)

Building construction--Tacoma--1920-1930; Pile drivers; Boathouses--Tacoma;

Summer and fall blossoms surround the Wakefield gravesite on September 4, 1929. The grave was apparently located at Mountain View Cemetery (now Memorial Park). This is believed to be the resting place of Olive Wakefield, wife of Emerson Wakefield, owner of the Carlton Hotel. She passed away on August 30, 1929, at her home in the Young Apartments, 25 North Stadium Way. Mrs. Wakefield had resided in Tacoma for 40 years. (TNT 8-31-29, p. 1-article)

Flower arrangements; Graves--Lakewood; Cemeteries--Lakewood;