ca. 1915. Firestone tire service truck at Tacoma Speedway circa 1915. The location was the Tacoma Speedway, about seven miles from Tacoma. The occasion was probably the three auto races which composed a great part of the summer Montamara Festo. The Firestone service vehicle was there in all likelihood to supply replacement tires to the cars which raced 100, 200, and 250 miles respectively. A new "lattice" track was in use. It had replaced the old dirt track in 1914 but racers still had to deal with unexpected difficulties such as splinters. Two million feet of lumber, board measure, consisting of Washington fir, were used for the new track. Speedway construction was a relatively new process at that time. (speedway construction information: Standard Oil Bulletin, Vol. 3, ca. 1915)

Firestone Tire; Trucks--Lakewood--1910-1920; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1910-1920; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1910-1920;

ca. 1915. Cars in pit area at Tacoma Speedway circa 1915. Grandstands are sparsely filled indicating that the occasion might have been practice time for the racers who had entered in the three races composing part of the Montamara Festo circa 1915. Pit area is still dirt although the track itself was built of split boards consisting of 2 x 4 Washington fir. Filling in the spaces between the planks was 2500 cubic yards of gravel and sand. Over this was poured 500 barrels of hot Richmond road oil after which 400 cubic yards of sand was spread on top of the oil. (information on track construction provided by Standard Oil Bulletin, Vol. 3, ca. 1915)

Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1910-1920; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1910-1920; Grandstands--Lakewood;

Image title: A Haida Chief's tomb at Yan. The North American Indian, suppl. 11, plate 397.

Indians of North America--Haida--1910-1920; Death and burial--Indians of North America; Indians of North America--Tombs and sepulchral monuments;

ca. 1915. Signage decorate the motorized fleet of the Tacoma Fire Department parked outside Station No. 6. Residents are warned not to issue false alarms and to turn off electrical equipment when not used. Another helpful hint provided by the Fire Department was to clean the moss off roofs before dry weather. Regarding the hazards of smoking: thousands of dollars of damage was caused by a lighted cigarette thrown in a pile of oily rags. The vehicles may have been prepped for use in a parade as several flags are mounted on both front and rear fenders.

Tacoma Fire Department (Tacoma); Fire stations--Tacoma--1910-1920; Fire engines & equipment--Tacoma; Signs (Notices);

ca. 1915. Bob Burman sails around a curve at the Tacoma Speedway behind the wheel of his Peugeot, #9. The photograph was probably taken at the July 4, 1915 Montamarathon Classic in which Burman finished fourth. Burman broke into racing as the driver of a Buick, part of a team including Louis Chevrolet and Lewis Strang. The trio won more races and broke more records than any team racing. After Chevrolet retired and Strang was killed, Burman struck out on his own. He set the speed record on Daytona Beach, one mile in 25 2/5 seconds at 141 mph, earning the title "Speed King." His most prominent characteristic as a driver was his fearlessness. He was killed in a crash in Corona, California in 1916. TPL-2949 (Tacoma Tribune 7/4/1915, pg. 12)

Burman, Bob; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1910-1920; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1910-1920;

ca. 1915. Harry O'Brien and his "mechanician" zipping around the $100,000 Tacoma Speedway in their "Great Big Baked Potato Special" during the July, 1915, Montamara Festo races. #33 was believed to be in reality a Stutz. Mr. O'Brien had planned to race both the InterCity Century 100-mile and Golden Potlatch 200-mile events on July 5th. How he placed in the InterCity was not known but his "Baked Potato" did not run in the Potlatch. Only eight cars started in the Potlatch, the final race of the festival, as the others were too damaged by the previous races to compete. The InterCity was won by Jim Parsons for the third time in 1:15:27 while Mercer ace Eddie Pullen shattered Earl Cooper's chances of repeating as champion in the Potlatch. (TNT ad 7-4-15, p. 2; TDN 7-6-15, p. 5-results)

O'Brien, Harry; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1910-1920; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1910-1920; Racing automobiles--1910-1920;

Back of Photo:
Photo Rcv'd 05/26/1968 - Article date, 11/28/1976 - Article date
This Picture is 'Twin" to 'Mystery Photo'
The files at the News Tribune contained this picture identified only as the Woman's Club House, until the publication two weeks ago of a 'mystery photo' with a plea for identification. Now the date and subject of the photo are somewhat established.
The Woman's Club House stood at 426 Broadway until 1961. It had been a gathering place for Tacomans, containing large halls, sitting rooms and dining areas for teas and luncheons and had belonged to the Tacoma Woman's Club House Association since 1915.

ca. 1915. This undated photograph is of the first dump truck purchased by the Tacoma Public Works Department in 1915.

Trucks--1910-1920; Dump trucks; Public Works Department (Tacoma);

Image title: Fastening the Harpoon Point. The North American Indian, v.11, pg. 30.

Indians of North America--Nootka--1910-1920; Men--Indians of North America; Indians of North America--Portraits;

Image title: Stlĭná of Massett - Haida. The North American Indian, v. 11, p. 148.

Indians of North America--Haida--1910-1920; Men--Indians of North America; Indians of North America--Portraits;

Image title: Costume of a woman Shaman - Clayoquot. The North American Indian, v. 11, p. 54.

Indians of North America--Nootka--1910-1920; Women--Indians of North America; Indians of North America--Portraits;

ca. 1915. At the wheel of the "Great Big Baked Potato Special" is driver Harry O'Brien. The #33 car was entered in both the InterCity 100-mile and Golden Potlatch 200-mile races at the Tacoma Speedway during the 4th of July holiday weekend in 1915. The "Baked Potato" was believed to be a Stutz and the Stutzs and Mercers entries had withdrawn from the InterCity race. The car also did not run in the Potlatch on July 5th as only eight cars started the race. TPL-128

O'Brien, Harry; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1910-1920; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1910-1920; Racing automobiles--1910-1920;

ca. 1915. A photographic copy of a customer's photograph showing a large group of approximately 78 people in front of one of the entrances to the Pierce County Courthouse.

Pierce County Courthouse (Tacoma); Courthouses--Tacoma; Architectural elements--Tacoma; Doors & doorways--Tacoma;

Image title: Suqitlaa. The North American Indian, v.11, p. 46.

Indians of North America--Nootka--1910-1920; Men--Indians of North America; Indians of North America--Portraits;

Image title: Sepulture in a post at Yan. The North American Indian, v. 11, p.128.

Indians of North America--Haida--1910-1920; Death and burial--Indians of North America;

ca. 1915. Created from the stump of a massive cedar tree, this bandstand stood in 27-acre Wright Park and was the scene of many civic and formal occasions and celebrations. Two unidentified men are pictured on the bandstand in this circa 1915 photograph. Fire destroyed the bandstand in 1930. (copy of original) Bi-Centennial Project # 75346-11 (www.metroparkstacoma.org-short article)

Wright Park (Tacoma); Parks--Tacoma--1910-1920; Tree stumps--Tacoma; Bandstands--Tacoma;

ca. 1915. "The Famous Tacoma Speedway, Annually the Scene of Exciting Automobile Races" This photograph was believed to have been taken in 1915. The grandstands are full of excited spectators while many others view the action from their parked cars across the way. Winners that year were Grover Ruckstell in the Montamarathon, Eddie Pullen in the Golden Potlatch and three-time winner Jim Parsons in the InterCity 100. TPL-8065

Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1910-1920; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1910-1920; Racing automobiles--1910-1920; Grandstands--Lakewood; Sports spectators--Lakewood;

ca. 1915. Veteran driver Barney Oldfield, chewing on his ever-present Havana, at the wheel during the July, 1915 Tacoma Speedway races. He took his first spin around the board track on June 26th, declaring it "a wonder." Mr. Oldfield drove his #1 Peugeot in both the Golden Potlatch 200-mile and Montamarathan 250-mile races. This is the car he bought from Dario Resta who had previously won the Vanderbilt Cup and Grand Prix races in San Francisco as new foreign cars were not available due to the European war. He also brought his special Fiat Cyclone and 300 hp Christie to town to attempt world records; those cars did not compete in the actual races as they did not meet piston displacement rules. Barney Oldfield finished fifth with a time of 3 hours, 17 minutes in the big Montamarathon race on July 4th and third in the Golden Potlatch on the following day. (TDL 6-27-15, p. 20-article; TDL 7-5-15, p. 1-results; TDL 7-6-15, p. 1,2-results; Tacoma Sunday Ledger 7-2-22, C-1-photo) TPL-3162

Oldfield, Barney; Automobile racing drivers; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1910-1920; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1910-1920; Racing automobiles--1910-1920; Cigars;

The Mountaineers Summer Outing, July 20, 1912-August 10, 1913 Scrapbook, pg. 3. From captions, clockwise: A Treat, Lunch, Pete, The Human Totem Pole, Advising a Mome

The Mountaineers Summer Outing, July 20, 1912-August 10, 1913 Scrapbook, pg. 4. From captions, clockwise: Uncle Allie in the Mountains, The Packers, Crossing the White River

The Mountaineers Summer Outing, July 20, 1912-August 10, 1913 Scrapbook, pg. 8. From captions, clockwise: TPL-10218, Heather

The Mountaineers Summer Outing, July 20, 1912-August 10, 1913 Scrapbook, pg. 13. From captions, clockwise: White Bark Pine, Mail Day, R.F.D. on Urqniq Glacier

The Mountaineers Summer Outing, July 20, 1912-August 10, 1913 Scrapbook, pg. 15. From captions, clockwise: Fall in the grub-line, every one in the grub-line. The Mountaineers are feeling very frisky and gay; Bacon and macaroni, pancakes and pickled pony, Everyone is hungry to-day

The Mountaineers Summer Outing, July 20, 1912-August 10, 1913 Scrapbook, pg. 18. From captions, clockwise: Inter Glacier, Planting the Edelweiss

The Mountaineers Summer Outing, July 20, 1912-August 10, 1913 Scrapbook, pg. 19. From captions, clockwise: Steamboat Prow. When we stood together on the mountain top, with The Mountaineers, We gave three cheer as the flag went up, and floated in the mountain breeze

The Mountaineers Summer Outing, July 20, 1912-August 10, 1913 Scrapbook, pg. 25. From captions, clockwise: Avey, Squaw Grass, Ritchie, Jess, Brud

The Mountaineers Summer Outing, July 20, 1912-August 10, 1913 Scrapbook, pg. 27. From captions, clockwise: Looking back toward Grand Park

The Mountaineers Summer Outing, July 20, 1912-August 10, 1913 Scrapbook, pg. 29. From captions, clockwise: Willis Wall at Sluiskin Mountains

The Mountaineers Summer Outing, July 20, 1912-August 10, 1913 Scrapbook, pg. 34. From captions, clockwise: Fairfax

The Mountaineers Summer Outing, July 20, 1912-August 10, 1913 Scrapbook, pg. 36. From captions, clockwise: Home