Albert H. Gamin posed outdoors with his new Ford delivery truck decorated with a painted mural on May 11, 1925. He operated Mt. Tacoma Cleaners, 1138 Court C, which dealt in cleaning, pressing and dyeing. Mr. Gamin had been in the cleaning business for six years and this was his third Ford truck. He was well satisfied with the excellent job Ford had provided. Photograph ordered by R.E. Bennatts, Inc., Ford dealership. (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 6-7-25, 2-G)
Ford trucks; Mt. Tacoma Cleaners (Tacoma); Gamin, Albert;
13 National Park buses parked compactly inside Stadium Bowl in June of 1925, just in time for the 26th opening season of Mount Tacoma and Rainier National Park. Each vehicle had four rows of seats where passengers could get plenty of fresh air and unrestricted views of The Mountain. The park buses were equipped with General Tires. Photograph ordered by General Tires. TPL-6199; G70.1-130
South Tacoma location of Dodge Brothers cars. Griffith Motor Co., Dodge Brothers dealership, opened a new outlet for Dodge vehicles at 5210-14 South Tacoma Way (then called South Union) in 1925. View of one-story concrete building originally constructed in 1924 and now housing the South Tacoma Home of Dodge Brothers Motor Cars. Recently opened next door was the San Tex Cigar Co. The South Tacoma location of Dodge Bros. paid special attention to parts and accessories for Dodge vehicles. 150 cars every month were sold along this automotive row by various dealerships. The 1926 Polk Directory showed new ownership of the Dodge Brothers dealerships, both at 728-30 Broadway and the South Tacoma location, with Fred B. Walker, Inc., replacing Griffith Motors. Griffith Motors had been purchased by Mr. Walker, former assistant general sales manager of Dodge Brothers, Inc., in January of 1926. G32.1-079 (TNT 9-16-25, p. 24; Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 1-17-26, G-2-article on Walker purchase) TPL-10452
Dodge automobile; South Tacoma Dodge Agency (Tacoma); Automobile dealerships--Tacoma--1920-1930; San Tex Cigar Co. (Tacoma);
ca. 1925. The wheels are falling off an old pickup truck. Another truck with built-up wooden sides is parked in front of the broken down truck; it has a rope dragging behind it and it appears to have been towing something. What is attached to the rope is blocked from view by the pole. (WSHS)
ca. 1925. Automobile circa 1925. Sign in the windshield reads "Now count the stars." This sign may refer to the Durant Star Cars, manufactured from 1922- 28 to compete with Ford's Model T. (WSHS- negative A656-0)
Staff Sgt. Nicoll (no first name given in Tacoma Sunday Ledger article) posed with his two-door Ford coupe near the gates of Camp Lewis in June of 1926. He is standing with one foot on the running board and partially concealed by the open driver's door. Sgt. Nicoll had bought his car from the Edward P. Leonard Co., South Tacoma Ford dealers, and had recently completed a 6000 mile trip to San Antonio. He camped out nightly and slept in his car, removing the back cushion for a comfortable resting spot. A new timer was the only repair needed for the entire trip. G69.1-158 (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 7-11-26, 10-G) TPL-10314
Ford automobile; Military personnel--Camp Lewis; Camp Lewis (Wash.);
Four of Dairy & Producers Market fleet of "Step-In-And-Shop" trucks on display on July 6, 1926. The market itself was located at 1117 Market St. in downtown Tacoma but these rolling stores would "Stop-At-Ur-Door" for more convenient shopping. Customers would find the some of the same items on sale as in the market itself. G6.1-074
Unidentified Carstens Packing Co. employee stands in front of a heavy duty truck with trailer on July 10, 1926, at the company plant, 1623 East J St. in the Tideflats. The truck and accompanying trailer are labeled "Carstens Products" and state that the U.S. government has inspected meats processed by the firm. Customers could be assured that the meat was safe to eat, no small worry after the horrors of the meat packing industry uncovered decades before by novelist Upton Sinclair.
On July 14, 1926, Vaudeville performer "Countess Sonia," at the wheel of her new Hudson Brougham, posed with her fellow thespian Alex Sherer outside of the Pantages Theater, 901 Broadway. Their act entitled "Countess Sonia in the Revue Satiricon with Alex Sherer" was packing them in at the theater through Sunday. They purchased the Hudson in Seattle the previous week and continued the rest of their trip over the vaudeville circuit in it, ending up back in New York City in the fall. The 1926 Hudson sold over 228,000 units and was the first vehicle to introduce the starter button on the instrument panel. By 1929, the company was third in sales, behind General Motors and Ford. The local distributor for the Hudson was the Allen Motor Co. Photograph ordered by Allen Motor Co. (Tacoma Sunday Ledger 7/18/1926, pg. G-4) G67.1-140
Two C.S. Barlow & Sons Mack trucks parked at wooded site in Gig Harbor in August of 1926. Barlow & Sons was an old Tacoma firm, established in 1882, which dealt in building material and supplies including coal, sand, gravel and blasting powder. The sturdy Mack trucks were capable of heavy duty hauling work, which often included plowing through thick muddy terrain. G66.2-148
Old Mack truck at South 23rd and Pacific in August of 1926. This empty truck was probably used as a bus for the South Tacoma area. One of the front tires is flat. Another photograph of the same vehicle was taken a few days later at the same location, see Boland B15463. The tire has been repaired. Photograph ordered by Mack Truck. G66.1-027
A Tacoma bus, utilizing a Mack body, is parked near the North Star Mfg. Co., 2317-19 Pacific Ave., on August 13, 1926. A sign on the bus indicates that it travels to South Tacoma. Some of the windows are open on the steel bus; the driver does not appear to be present. Photograph ordered by Mack Truck. G66.1-028
Shown at the rear of their two-ton White truck with attached 800-gallon tank are Thompson Lubricating Co.'s owners, H.E. Thompson (left) and his father H.A. Thompson, on August 31, 1926. The delivery truck was built 18 months ago for the firm and purchased from the J.F. Hickey Motor Co., the second White owned by the Thompsons. The company used Red Hat Gasoline for its customers and a retouched photograph of this gasoline truck with heavy use of emblems was used for national advertising. In 1926, Thompson Lubricating had four service stations in Tacoma. G35.1-043 (T.Times, 9-4-26, p. 10)
On October 17, 1926, the Tacoma Sunday Ledger ran a picture of the Peninsula Stage Company's 17-passenger coach parked outside the First Baptist Church, 902 Market St. The new bus chassis was built by the Studebaker Company which already had a fine reputation in passenger cars. The Peninsula Stage Company had three buses on the Bremerton-Tacoma run, with stops in Gig Harbor, Purdy, Burley, and Port Orchard. Owner R.L. Stubbs indicated that his prior experience with Studebaker cars prompted him to purchase the new bus. Photograph ordered by the B.H. Kennedy Co. (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, October 17, 1926, G-7) G66.1-078
Buses--Tacoma--1920-1930; Studebaker automobile; First Baptist Church (Tacoma);
The Tacoma Grain Co. had recently taken delivery of a new Reo two-ton heavy duty Speed Wagon. The vehicle, advertising Pyramid Flour, was parked outside of local Reo dealer Winthrop Motor Co., 201-07 Saint Helens Ave. on October 1, 1926. The Speed Wagon had a special body built by Standard Auto Works of Tacoma. Tacoma Grain superintendent P.W. Jochimsen (seated behind the wheel) stated that his company had used Reo equipment for years and when it became necessary to purchase another delivery truck, the firm chose this capable vehicle. The man standing behind the vehicle was not identified. TPL-239; G34.1-131 (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 10-10-26, 6G)
Trucks--Tacoma--1920-1930; Winthrop Motor Co. (Tacoma); Pyramid Flour (Tacoma); Jochimsen, Peter;
This couple seem to be enjoying their new automobile parked outside a wooded area, perhaps South Park, in early October of 1926. The vehicle, with the woman behind the wheel, is a roomy four-door. G11.1-077
Side view of stage from the Motor Transit Co. as photographed on October 8, 1926. Called a "chain car," it provided transportation from LaGrande to Enterprise to Wallowa Lake. Luggage may have been carried on top of the vehicle with a tarp for protection from the weather. Photograph ordered by Modern Auto Body. G66.1-032
ca. 1926. Men gather along the side of the road to cheer on the 1926 Moon Jubilee 6-60 as it powers its way up the So. K St. hill. The Moon Jubilee was manufactured in 1926 to celebrate 20 years of car manufacturing by the Moon Motor Co. of St. Louis, Mo. The automobile, according to advertising at the time, featured European styling adapted to American driving needs and sold for under $1,000. The dealer for the automobile in Tacoma was the Bye Thompson Motor Co., R. Bye Thompson president, at 3320 So. G St. The So. K St. Hill climb started at Center St. and headed north. It was closed around 1960. (filed under Argentum)
ca. 1926. Young man at wheel of a touring car parked sideways across dirt road, three teenage boys sit on running board, three younger boys sit on ground. The dirt road in the background is believed to be So. K St. For years Tacoma drivers tested the stamina of their cars and the grit of the driver by motoring up the K St. hill, from Center St. due north, straight uphill. The road was closed in 1960. For Kohl Advertising Agency. (filed with Argentum)
ca. 1926. A new 1926 Moon Jubilee 6-60 grinds up the steep So. K Street hill, showing off the strength of the new automobile. The Moon Jubilee was created to celebrate 20 years of automobile manufacturing by the Moon Motor Co. (1905-1929) of St. Louis, Mo. The vehicle, which sold for under $1,000, had European styling with a Continental motor. The local agent for Moon cars was the Bye Thompson Motor Sales Co., 3320 So. G St. The So. K St. hill, heading north from Center St., was often used to test the prowess of new cars. This portion of the road closed around 1960. A residence and the spire of Holy Rosary church can be seen in the background. (filed under Argentum)
Lt. Commander Richard E. Byrd (later Rear Admiral), the "Conqueror of the North Pole," poses with a Franklin car on February 5, 1927 during his stay as Tacoma's guest. Commander Byrd stands beside the car with Gus Ledbetter at the far right. The man in the center is not identified. He would be speaking on February 5th at the First Baptist Church about his career as a noted aviator and explorer. He was riding a crest of fame created when he and Floyd Bennett proclaimed to the world that they had flown over the North Pole on May 9, 1926. The remainder of his life, after 1928, would be devoted to his exploration of Antarctica. He died in 1957. (TNT 2/5/1927 p.1; Ledger 2/6/1927, pg. 1)
In June of 1927, Seattlite and frequent Tacoma visitor Esther Landstrom (in coat) was pictured with her new Willys-Knight 70-A coupe in front of the First Presbyterian Church at 20 Tacoma Avenue South. Her small dog stands on the running board. Her friend Dolly Wescott, a bookkeeper at Manley Motors, was at the wheel. Mrs. Landstrom had recently purchased her car from Manley Motor Company, 956-58 Fawcett Avenue, in Tacoma. Manley Motors were the authorized dealers of Overland, Willys-Knight, and Whippet automobiles. (TDL 6/19/1927, pg. G2) (WSHS)
Automobiles--Tacoma--1920-1930; Presbyterian churches--Tacoma; First Presbyterian Church (Tacoma); Landstrom, Esther; Wescott, Dolly; Willys-Knight automobile; Dogs--Tacoma--1920-1930;
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;
A long parade of Washington Co-operative Association trucks is making a turn onto what is believed to be the Western Washington Fairgrounds on September 22, 1927. Advertising on the vehicles state that the co-op sells food, and buys feed. G6.1-092
Trucks--1920-1930; Washington Co-op Egg & Poultry Association (Tacoma);
Raudenbush Motor Co. Mrs. DesLys with Whippet. Raudenbush Motor Co. was an automobile dealer located at 314 Puyallup Ave. Mrs. Norah DesLys was the vice president of the Bon-Des-Lys Candy Makers, 2407 Pacific Ave. The Whippet automobile was manufactured from 1926-1931 by Willys Overland. On June 4, 1927, 25 year old actress and entertainer Norah Elizabeth Deslys married Tacoma candy manufacturer John T. Bond. She gave up the stage, after 18 years, to work with her husband in their recently incorporated Bon-Des-Lys (invented from the compound of both last names) candy company. Both Norah and her performance partner, her sister Essie, would maintain a home in Tacoma as well as Hollywood. (TNT 6/6/1927, pg.5) (WSHS)
