Muskoka. British. 300ft. Hull: Steel. (Gibbs, Jim. Pacific Square-Riggers : Pictorial History of the Great Windships of Yesteryear. 1987. Pg. 220.)

Sailing ships; barques; barks;

The four masted steel barque 'Springburn', 2655 tons, under sail [steel 4 mast barque, 2655 tons, ON98318, 296.0 x 45.6 x 25.7. Built 1892 (2) Barclay, Curle and Co. Glasgow. Owners: R Shankland and Co., registered Greenock, 1906 sold to AD Bordes et Fils, and renamed 'Alexandre'. Sunk during WW1. State Library of South Australia, B 3456, PRG 1218/3 or OH 456/1, Digital Collections, South Australiana Collection, Photographs, A. d. Edwardes Collection, https://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/PRG+1373/11/90

Sailing ships; Barques; Barks;

Bark Gatherer.

Sailing ships;

Grenada. The four-masted steel barque 'Grenada', 2268 tons, anchored in an unidentified port [steel 4 mast barque, 2268 tons. ON104591, 278.4 x 42.0 x 24.1. Built 1894 (11) Russell and Co. Greenock. Owners: P Denniston and Co. registered Glasgow c.1900 Lang and Fulton then Gwalia Shipping Co. (Roberts, Owen and Co. ) Captured by German submarine 32 miles SW by S from Beachy Head, Nov. 22, 1916 and sunk by gunfire. (State Library of South Australia, B 3456, PRG 1218/3 or OH 456/1, Digital Collections, South Australiana Collection, Photographs, A. D. Edwardes Collection, https://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/PRG+1373/17/60)

Sailing ships; barks; barques;

Abner Coburn. Built 1882 by William Rogers in Bath, ME. Tonnage 1,972, length 225', beam 43'2", depth 18'5". Managed by builder, later by Pendelton, Carver & Nichols. Sold in 1900 to California Shipping Co., San Francisco, and in 1912 to Libby, McNeill & Libby, salmon canners. Burned about 1929 for her metal. (William Armstrong Fairburn. Merchant Sail. Fairburn Marine Educational Foundation, Inc., Center Lovell, Maine, 1945-1955, III: 1685; V: 3223)

Sailing ships;

Antigone. Iron bark, built 1889 in Kiel, Germany. Lenght 236', tonnage 1,490. Operated out of Hamburg, Germany, under the ownership of M. G. Amsinck. (Gibbs, Jim. Pacific Square-Riggers. West Chester, Pa. : Schiffer Pub., c1987. Pg. 116)

Sailing ships; Barks; Barques;

Bark Gatherer.

Sailing ships;

Unknown bark

Sailing ships; Barks, Barques;

Clipper Flying Cloud.

Sailing ships;

Ship name: Challenger

Sailing ships;

Ship name: M. P. Grace

Sailing ships;

Ship name: Skagit

Sailing ships; Barkentines;

Unknown sailing ship

Sailing ships;

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

ca. 1888. Two ships sit at dock next to the Tacoma coal bunkers while three more ships lay at anchor in Commencement Bay in this photograph from 1888. The enormous bunkers along the waterfront enabled Tacoma to become, briefly, the leading coaling station on the Pacific Coast. In 1879-180, the Northern Pacific built a branch railroad up the Puyallup River valley and opened the Pierce County field in Wilkeson, Carbonado, and Fairfax. The first commercial coke plant was established and put into operation by the Tacoma Coal and Coke Company in 1888. TPL-8327

Ore industry--Tacoma--1880-1890; Coal--Tacoma--1880-1890; Cargo ships--Tacoma--1880-1890; Sailing ships--1880-1890

ca. 1907. Dorcas Spalt rides through Wright Park in her 1906 Cadillac, driven by her son, Worthy Morris. Purported to be the first Cadillac in Tacoma. Man standing next to car was not identified except as a friend of Mr. Morris. (Original print owned by Allen Morris. No print copy on file.)

Cadillac automobile; Spalt, Dorcas; Morris, Worthy; Wright Park (Tacoma);

ca. 1929. Harold Bromley, on the right, and a second man, probably his benefactor John Buffelen, stand next to Bromley's Lockheed Vega monoplane, the "City of Tacoma." Between them they hold a map on which has been drawn the course that Bromley intended to fly, non-stop from Tacoma to Tokyo, a continuous trip of 4,700 miles. Buffelen and a group of Tacoma businessmen had funded the design and manufacture of the Lockheed plane, hoping to make Tacoma as famous as Lindbergh's "Spirit of St. Louis." The plan ended in disaster. The first plane crashed on take off in front of a crowd of 25,000 at the Tacoma Field. The second and third planes crashed during test flights, the third crash killing test pilot H. W. Catling. The fourth plane was manufactured by Emsco; the plan adjusted to fly from Tokyo to Tacoma, taking advantage of tail winds. It flew for 24 hours, before exhaust fumes forced Bromley and co pilot and navigator Harold Gatty to return to Japan. The plane was stored in a Japanese hangar and the Tacoma money men were stopped by the Depression from ever funding another attempt at the record.

Bromley, Harold; Airplanes--Tacoma--1920-1930; Aeronautics--Tacoma--1920-1930;

ca. 1929. Harold Bromley's airplane, the "City of Tacoma," being viewed at Tacoma Field by citizens in July of 1929. During the spring and summer of 1929, newspapers carried front page stories filled with the exciting news of Bromley's planned flight across the Pacific Ocean from Tacoma to Tokyo. Bromley and his backers had planned the flight for two years. The plane was being built by Lockheed in California, a bright orange low wing Vega monoplane. The final testing of the plane was done at the Muroc dry lake bed, 200 miles northeast of Burbank, but its flight to Tacoma was delayed. Finally on July 19, 1929, Bromley landed at Tacoma Field after a 8 hour and 17 minute flight from Los Angeles. Thousands cheered as the plane landed safely in Tacoma. Over 59,000 people made the trip out to the airstrip to view the plane prior to its July 28, 1929 inaugural flight.

Bromley, Harold--Associated objects; Airplanes--Tacoma--1920-1930; Aeronautics--Tacoma--1920-1930;

ca. 1928. A young woman wearing a flyers jacket, boots and flight cap is helped into a parachute while standing next to a Bergen Bromley Flying Service bi-plane. Photo probably taken at Mueller Harkins Airport. For more images of the same woman, see TPL images 7034 and 7035.

Airplanes--Tacoma--1920-1930; Bergen Bromley Flying Service (Tacoma);

Members of Tacoma's Drama League spend a lazy August day in 1925, paddling an Indian dug-out at the Olympus Manor on Hood Canal. A float plane rests on the water behind them. The Olympus Manor was begun in 1918 by local art instructor, world traveler and friend of the famous Orre N. Nobles. It was located on Hood Canal two miles northeast of Union. By the 1920's, the 16 room retreat was frequented by the local summer art colony and scores of the famous. It was decorated with Nobles' invaluable collection of Tibetan and Oriental art, furniture and artifacts. The two story retreat was destroyed by fire in 1952. No one was hurt, but the building and its priceless collection was destroyed and never rebuilt. (Shelton-Mason County Journal 7/31/1952; 8/7/1952) (photograph from the Erna Tilley Collection)

Olympus Manor (Hood Canal); Tacoma Drama League (Tacoma); Canoes; Nobles, Orre--Homes & haunts;

Undated photograph of gas powered ship the "Fossberg" in City Waterway (now Foss Waterway.) 11th Street bridge at left. This is believed to be the largest of Foss Launch & Tug Co.'s launches, a 15 ton, 100-hp engine and 64-feet in length. She was built in 1912 in Gig Harbor as a combination passenger and freight boat. Passengers and freight were able to be transported to and from ships. In addition, excursion parties and groups of workers were carried to destinations around the Tacoma area. The "Fossberg" also put in extra duty as a tug. (Skalley, Foss Ninety Years of Towboating, p. 32-article)

Foss Launch & Tug Co. (Tacoma); Launches--Tacoma; Boats--Tacoma; 11th Street Bridge (Tacoma);

ca. 1920. Foss launch identified by William L. Case as the "Tyee." The Foss family rowboat rental business, started by Thea Foss in 1889, was thriving at the turn of the century. With an eye for opportunity, Thea branched out into the business of supplying anchored and arriving ships in Tacoma with provisions. With the purchase of the family's first launch, sons Arthur and Wendell Foss were able not only to bring supplies, but also to ferry ship's personnel to land. By 1912, the company owned seven launches, the "Tyee" being one of the smallest. (photograph courtesy of the William T. Case collection) ("Foss: A Living Legend" by Bruce Johnson and Mike Skalley)

Launches--Tacoma; Foss Launch & Tug Co. (Tacoma);

ca. 1935. It's break time outside the floating office of the Foss Launch & Tug Co. at 400 Dock St. On the left is William T. (Bill) Case, company dispatcher, and on the right skipper Thomas Sadler. In November of 1932, the company's original floating office at this location was destroyed in an early morning fire. Due to the quick actions of Mr. Case, the twenty people inside were saved, but the building was a total loss. It was replaced by a floating airplane hangar converted into offices (seen in the background.) The building is emblazoned with the green and white Foss logo with the slogan "Always ready." The second floor window on the left leads to the rooms of company accountant Oscar Iverson. Living quarters for the Case family were also on the second floor. (photograph courtesy of the special collection of William T. Case)

Case, William T.; Foss Launch & Tug Co. (Tacoma);

Lynden's canned chicken and chicken with noodles were among the first Tacoma-made products carried in the inaugural air express service flight from Tacoma on March 1, 1930. Varney Air Lines, piloted by Al Davis, made a brief stop in his large cabin Boeing plane at Mueller-Harkins Airport, 4500 Steilacoom Blvd. S.W., before he flew on to Portland and Pasco. R.E. Darling, manager of the Washington Cooperative Association, is pictured handing a can of Lynden Brand chicken to pilot Davis; it and the larger can of chicken and noodles were destined for New York. San Tex cigars for President Hoover, Brown & Haley chocolates for the First Lady, shipments from Rhodes Bros. bound for New York, and packages to Chicago (from Wheeler-Osgood) and to Utah (from the smelter), were just some of the express cargo on the first flight from Tacoma. The cargo was transferred upon arrival in Pasco to planes heading eastward via Salt Lake City. (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 3-2-30, p. 1) TPL-5544

Varney Air Lines; Airline industry; Airplanes--Tacoma--1930-1940; Davis, Al; Darling, R.E.; Canned foods;

On September 7, 1927, direct airmail and passenger service was inaugurated at Tacoma's Mueller-Harkins airport. After the first bag of air mail arrived, Postmaster Clyde J. Backus, right, turned it over to department employee Alfred Bottiger, left, who carried it to the city by automobile. Pictured in the center is R. A. Mueller. Over 2500 people waited two hours at the airport to cheer the arrival of the first airmail plane of the Pacific Air Transport Co. (TDL 9/8/1927, pg. 1 & pg. 3- picture) (photograph courtesy of Ted Bottiger, Port of Tacoma Commissioner)

Backus, Clyde J.; Bottiger, Alfred; Mueller, Rudolph A.; Mueller-Harkins Airport (Lakewood); Air mail service--Tacoma--1920-1930;

ca. 1929. Navy bi-plane with identification number 1SD (or O)-P-1 sits in field with crowd in background. Photograph probably taken at Tacoma Field.

Airplanes--Tacoma--1920-1930;

ca. 1905. The steamer Fairhaven is in drydock for repairs at Quartermaster Harbor, Vashon Island, circa 1905. Built in Tacoma in 1889 and launched from the yards of Cpt. John Holland, the stern-wheeler was 130 feet long with 26-foot beam. She was built at a cost of $30,000 for the Fairhaven Land Co., of which Nelson Bennett was president. The wooden stern-wheel steamer was used by more than one company including the La Conner Trading & Transportation Co. and the Island Transportation Co. She had suffered several accidents during her long tenure on local waters including sinking in ten feet of water after striking a rock near Utsalady in 1902 and smashing her bow while caught by strong gales at Coupeville in 1907. Here the Fairhaven is undergoing repairs circa 1905 at Quartermaster Harbor, a nearly five-mile-long inlet which is formed by Vashon Island on the west and Maury Island on the east. The drydock was one of the largest in the Puget Sound. It could lift several large ships at a time and was in place until 1909. The Fairhaven was beached in 1918 after a fire and ended her days as a quasi-houseboat. (Carlaw, 'The Pickrell Brothers recall the Fairhaven,' The Sea Chest, XV1 (Dec. 1982-article)

Stern wheelers; Steamboats; Boat & ship industry; Quartermaster Harbor (Wash);

The Foss #12 caught in the act of fighting a waterfront fire. In 1914, the #12 was the first vessel designed and built for Foss exclusively for towing. The 43 foot #12 was used primarily as a steamer assist; it helped the large vessels turn about in the narrow City Waterway by tying up to their bow and pulling them to face the other way. The #12 achieved fame, however, as the City of Tacoma's fireboat. The city entered into an agreement to hire the vessel for $8.20 a day to be on call to fight fires. The ship was fitted with a pump that could throw 1200 - 1300 gallons of water per minute at a waterfront blaze. In 1929 Tacoma had a full-fledged fireboat built, the Fireboat #1; but for a number of years Foss #12 faithfully provided that service for the city. (Photograph courtesy of the William T. Case Collection) ("Foss: A Living Legend" by Bruce Johnson and Mike Skalley)

Foss Launch & Tug Co. (Tacoma); Fireboats;

ca. 1906. A small crowd scattered on the sidewalk pauses to admire a fleet of new Fords lined up outside the Washington Automobile Co., 710-12 Pacific Ave., circa 1906. The Washington Automobile Co. was the first car dealership in Tacoma. It was operated by car enthusiast and entrepreneur W.W. Pickerill. The brick building housing the dealership had previously been home to the Chas. W. Langert Liquor Co. and the Tacoma Athletic Club and later became the Odd Fellows Lodge. The Washington Automobile Co. was in business there from 1905-1909.

Ford automobile; Washington Automobile Co. (Tacoma);