Winners of the ski races on Bremerton Day at Mount Rainier pose with their trophies on March 31, 1940. The trophies are for, left to right, the junior race, the women's slalom and the perpetual trophy given by the Bremerton Chamber of Commerce. Carl Stingle of Bremerton won the Kitsap junior slalom event while Harriet McCord of Seattle won the women's slalom. Don Amick of Seattle, Washington Ski Club ace, took the men's slalom in a crowded field of nearly 100. (TNT 4-1-1940, p. 10-article only)

Mount Rainier National Park (Wash.); Skiers--Bremerton--1940-1950; Skiing--Mt. Rainier--1940-1950; Winter sports; Stingle, Carl; McCord, Harriet; Amick, Don; Awards;

In February of 1940, the Tacoma Flying Service, managed by Ben Barry (standing next to the center plane), was one of three aeronautical firms with headquarters at Mueller-Harkins Airport, 4500 Steilacoom Blvd. S.W. in what is now Lakewood. In 1940 the Tacoma Flying Service had a contract with the Federal Government under the civilian pilot program established by the Civil Aeronautics Authority to train new pilots. At that time they had 30 students from the College of Puget Sound and Pacific Lutheran College. The schools two flight instructors, Norvel Norton (next to the bi-plane) and Bernard "Bud" Oswald (far right), stand next to their planes. The Mueller-Harkins airport was one of the finest privately-owned fields in the northwest, with 3,500 feet of excellent runway. (T.Times 2/27/1940 p.6)

Mueller-Harkins Airport (Lakewood); Airplanes; Hangars--Lakewood; Signs (Notices);

Residential neighborhood, Sumner, Washington. View of several homes from intersection of Main Street and Lewis Avenue. (T. Times, Special Edition).

Neighborhoods--Sumner;

Stacks of Tacoma Times "Special Edition" swamp the mailing room, nearly obscuring newspaper workers with tall stacks of newspapers. On February 27, 1940 the Times heralded their move to new quarters with a daily edition that ran 92 pages in 5 sections. It was the largest edition of the Times published to that date. More than 36 tons of newsprint was used in the publication of the 5,000,000 pages. Each copy of the paper weighed over one pound. The Times received thousands of orders for extra copies, many mailed to other countries, including one to the King of Italy. (T. Times 2/28/1940, pg. 9)

Newspapers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Journalists--Tacoma--1940-1950; Tacoma Times Publishing Co. (Tacoma);

Doris Nisonger (center), a secretary and receptionist at the U.S. Census office in Tacoma showed Patricia Walton (left) and her mother Mrs. Nelle Walton one of the large enumeration books that were used beginning April 2, 1940 to register everyone residing in Tacoma. The U.S. Constitution mandates that the government conduct a census every ten years. In 1940, over 150 men and women canvassed Tacoma and Pierce County. The Waltons lived at 4122 North 7th Street; Patricia was a 4-A student at Jefferson school. (Patricia Walton after she married was known as Patricia Sampson.) (T. Times 3/30/1940, pg. 1)( Walton identification by a family member)

Nisonger, Doris; Walton, Nelle; Walton, Patricia; Census--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Portrait of Al Opperman, taken during the beard growing contest, part of the joint celebration of the opening of the first Narrows Bridge and McChord Airfield. The portrait was taken aboard the party sailing of the ferry Kalakala, brought in for the last ferry sailing to the Key Peninsula, soon to be replaced by bridge travel. The 1941 City Directory lists an Albert W. Opperman, owner of Pioneer Sausage Supply, residing at 1109 N. Cedar with his wife Ida.

Opperman, Albert; Beards;

Torch murder case. Pierce County Undersheriff Clyde Knowles at desk with fire-damaged gun and other evidence associated with the murder of Hale R. Nosler, 56, Lakewood area, near McChord on February 23, 1940. City fireman John B. Ord, 42, was jailed in connection with the shooting and burning of Hale R. Nosler, new bridegroom, and the injuring of Myra Nosler, Mr. Ord's former "common law wife," plus the battering of neighbor Henry King Pomeroy who had come to their rescue. Mr. Nosler's body was burned to ashes along with his house. Mr. Ord signed a confession only days later admitting the killing of Mr. Nosler but not the body burning. He claimed to have shot Mrs. Nosler, age 40, by accident. Mrs. Nosler died on March 3, 1940, from stomach wounds; a second charge of first degree murder was added on March 12, 1940. Mr. Ord was sentenced to life for the two murders in June, 1940; however, the state parole board set his minimum sentence at 15 years, expecting him to be freed in 1955 when he would be approximately 57. (T. Times, 2-24-40, p. 1, 2-26-40, p. 1, 3-4-40, p. 1, 3-12-40, p. 1, T.Times 11-26-40, p. 1)

Ord, John B.--Associated objects; Handguns; Homicides; Knowles, Clyde; Pierce County Sheriffs (Tacoma);

Robin Hood (left) and Bert Wilson stand beside the paddle-boards that they built in their woodworking class at Stadium High School in this photograph from October 24 , 1939. The two young men had just ridden their 12 ft. 7 in. long boards almost 25 miles down the Carbon River. Starting several miles upstream from South Prairie, they negotiated their boards around rapids, log jams and rocks for over 5 hours. (T.Times, 10/24/1939, p. 11).

Paddle boards; Hood, Robin; Wilson, Bert; Students--Tacoma--1930-1940;

1940 Daffodil Parade. Twenty six floats participated in the 7th annual Daffodil Parade on March 30, 1940. The sun only peaked occasionally through the clouds to view the floats covered in the sunshine yellow flowers. The Kiwanis Club float had daffodil seahorses hitched to a sea shell, the carriage of a beautiful blonde girl. (T. Times 3/30/1940, pg. 1))

Parades & processions--Tacoma--1940-1950; Festivals--Tacoma; Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1940-1950; Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1940 :Tacoma);

Comic highlights of the 1940 Daffodil Parade. With the sun only peaking through clouds over the parade route, clowns added a note of humor. They took a "perfect sleeper" mattress from the F. S. Harmon float and threw it out on the route at 9th and Broadway. A steamroller, entered in the parade by Woodworth and Cornell, ran over the mattress, flattening it. A unique moment in daffodil history. (T. Times 3/30/1940, pg. 1)

Parades & processions--Tacoma--1940-1950; Festivals--Tacoma; Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1940-1950; Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1940 :Tacoma);

1940 Daffodil Parade. Float on truck decorated with daffodils and fir tree branches. Wing-emblem feature of float and also pictured on the girls' sweaters. (T. Times)

Parades & processions--Tacoma--1940-1950; Festivals--Tacoma; Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1940-1950; Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1940 :Tacoma);

This float is bearing her royal highness, Queen Marge I, Daffodil Royalty of 1940. Queen Marge I, 1940 Daffodil Queen, is seventeen year old Puyallup High School senior Marge Roscoe. Selected for her photogenic looks, Queen Marge is also a star on the school's debate team. She rides on the float from her home city of Puyallup, with a crown of daffodils and a regal robe of purple. She is flanked by attendants Lillian Kelly and Ella Reno. (T. Times 3/30/1940, pg. 1)

Parades & processions--Tacoma--1940-1950; Festivals--Tacoma; Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1940-1950; Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1940 :Tacoma); Roscoe, Marge;

Narrows Bridge - McChord Field Parade, Port Orchard float. One of two floats entered by Port Orchard in the July 1, 1940, parade depicting an aerial view of the "new" Port Orchard, "Proposed Improvement of Port Orchard's New Waterfront." The aerial view is similar to an architectural model. (T. Times, 7-2-40, p. 1)

Parades & Processions--Tacoma--1940-1950; Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1940-1950; Signs (Notices); Narrows Bridge/ McChord Field Parade;

Narrows Bridge - McChord Field Parade, Tacoma Public Utilities, Light Department float. City Light and its counterpart, Seattle City Light, both sponsored brilliantly lit floats featuring dams during the July 1, 1940, parade honoring the opening of the (first) Tacoma Narrows Bridge and McChord Field. Tacoma City Light's large float was sculpted with representations of the Olympic Mountains, Cushman Dam, and the Narrows Bridge. The small children on the float are fishing, skiing, hunting, and boating. The designated theme was "Gateway to the Olympics." (T. Times, 7-2-40, p. 1).

Parades & processions--Tacoma--1940-1950; Narrows Bridge/ McChord Field Parade; Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1940-1950; Public utility companies--Tacoma; Power plants;

Publicity for Peach-O-Reno event in Buckley, Washington. The royalty for the mid August festival are, left to right, 17 year old Annabelle Fraser, attendant from South Prairie, 17 year old Queen Faye Ranch from Buckley and 15 year old Bernice Goulding from Carbonado. The festival celebrates the development of the Pacific Gold Peach, bred by W.M. Schwab specifically for the damp Western Washington climate. (T. Times 417/1940, pg. 1).

Peaches; Festivals--Buckley; "Peach-a-Reno" Festival (Buckley); Ranch, Faye; Goulding, Bernice; Fraser, Annabelle;

Flat cars for advertising use for Pennsylvania Salt. Man explaining pipe adjustment on equipment to workman at chemical plant. Industrial safety mask close by. Photograph was taken on May 17, 1940.

Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington (Tacoma); Gas masks;

Three executives at Perfex Company, liquid bleach manufacturers, examine bottling assembly line and stacked cases of the product on February 29, 1940. Perfex had started operations in the old Union Oil building at 1530 Center St. and these were the first bottles of the bleach fresh from the labeling machine. Several thousand cases of bleach were produced daily. From left to right are the three co-founders of the firm: A.F. Caillouette, W.W. Hughes and J. Arthur Thompson. Mr. Caillouette was the head of production, Mr. Hughes was the sales manager and Mr. Thompson was the business manager. Mr. Caillouette and Mr. Hughes were from the Los Angeles area and Mr. Thompson was already a well-known Tacoma businessman. (T.Times 3-5-1940, p. 14-alt. photo)

Perfex Co. (Tacoma); Caillouette, A.F.; Hughes, W.W.; Thompson, J. Arthur; Cleaning--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Executives and work crew at Perfex Company, liquid bleach manufacturers, checking bottling assembly line of the new product. Several thousand cases of bleach were produced daily at the plant location, 1530 Center St., site of the old Union Oil. On display were freshly labeled bottles of Perfex, some already encased. The firm was headed by its three co-founders: A.F. Caillouette and W.W. Hughes, formerly of the Los Angeles area, and Tacoma businessman J. Arthur Thompson. Caillouette and Hughes had been involved in the bleach industry in California. The trio selected Tacoma to start their new plant because of the proximity of chemical plants nearby. (T.Times 3-5-1940, p. 14-article & alt. photo)

Perfex Co. (Tacoma); Cleaning--Tacoma--1940-1950;

It seems to be bedtime for this young boy dressed in a long night shirt with his dog dressed in a night cap, bib, "pajamas" and mismatched socks. But the pair are actually competing in the "Mutt Parade" held on Commerce Street on May 18, 1940. The dogs were to be judged in 24 categories, including most comic dress, and more than 70 prizes awarded. It is unknown whether this pair captured one of the top prizes. The parade of dogs accompanied by their kid handlers was an annual event sponsored by the Commerce Street Business Men's Club. Large throngs of spectators lined Commerce Street from South 15th to South 7th to watch and cheer on the participants. (T.Times 5-18-40, p. 1-list of winners)

Pets; Dogs--Tacoma--1940-1950; Boys--Tacoma--1940-1950; Parades & processions--Tacoma--1940-1950;

American Type Founders Printing Press at the Winthrop Hotel. A salesman explains the features of the new printing press to several men in this March 20, 1940 photograph. Ordered by Steve Watts.

Printing presses--1940-1950; Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma);

Franklin B. Gault Intermediate School, Hill and Mock, Architects; 1925. General view of building. (T.Times, Spring Edition)

Public schools--Tacoma--1940-1950; Gault Junior High School (Tacoma);

Two unidentified girls are making an elaborate decoration of fabric and paper for the Jason Lee's annual music festival. Jason Lee Junior High school (now Middle School) presented its annual musical festival on May 14, 1940. It was entitled "Say It With Music" and involved several hundred students. Boys and girls glee clubs, band, orchestra, and students from general music classes participated. The event included "Gypsy," Spanish and Mexican scenes. (T. Times 5-10-40, p. 20-article only)

Public schools--Tacoma--1940-1950; Music festivals--Tacoma--1940-1950;Jason Lee Junior High School (Tacoma);

Over one hundred dancers and musicians performed on May 14, 1940 at Jason Lee Junior High in the schools spring music festival. A series of Gypsy, Spanish and Mexican musical scenes were combined by Miss Kathryn Bruner, the Jason Lee music instructor, into a program titled "Say It with Music". There is unfortunately no record of the names of these barefooted dancers.(T. Times, 5/14/1940, p. 5)

Public schools--Tacoma; Music festivals--Tacoma--1940-1950;Jason Lee Junior High School (Tacoma); Dancers--Tacoma; Costumes;

Waterfront scenes. Artistic view of bay with Mount Rainier in background. Photograph from December of 1939. Ordered by Frank Ross.

Rainier, Mount (Wash.); Bays (Bodies of water);

Mrs. Joyce Syford holds a package of Dewkist fresh frozen baby lima beans which she is ready to place in the freezer compartment of her Hotpoint refrigerator in this photograph from November 1939. Her refrigerator is filled with neatly wrapped packages, and bowls with bowl covers. Note the small bottle of Olympic Dairy cream on the top shelf.

Refrigerators; Vegetables; Syford, Joyce; Syford, Herbert--Family; Beans;

Gig Harbor - Bremerton celebration for Narrows Bridge opening. Rooster Races. Two young women dressed in costumes with rooster hats hold two roosters as they chat with a man in a Mercury Eight convertible automobile.

Roosters; Racing; Celebrations--Gig Harbor--1940-1950; Tacoma Narrows Bridge (Gig Harbor)--Events; Mercury automobile; Convertible automobiles--1940-1950; Costumes;

Royal Birds Banquet and initiation at Hotel Winthrop. Members of the organization, made up of Cleaners and Laundry owners, enjoy the performance of a dancer. She has one member by the neck with her lei. The national officers of the Royal Birds were in Tacoma March 16-17, 1940 to present a charter to the new local chapter of Birds. (T. Times 3/18/1940, pg. 3)

Royal Birds (Tacoma); Banquets--Tacoma--1940-1950; Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma);

Royal Birds Banquet and initiation at Hotel Winthrop. Members of the organization, made up of Cleaners and Laundry owners, with sign reading "Cage No. 2 - Royal Birds - Tacoma." The national officers of the Royal Birds, leaders in the laundry industry of America, had convened in Tacoma March 16-17,1940 to honor our city and present a charter to the new local chapter of Royal Birds. In 1939, Tacoma had won first place among American cities for providing the finest in laundry and dry cleaning services. (T. Times 3/18/1940, pg. 3)

Royal Birds (Tacoma); Banquets--Tacoma--1940-1950; Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma);

This group of second grade students from Whitman school were literally put on display for National Education Week during November of 1939. Their library class was held in a display window of the Rhodes department store at 950 Broadway. The students being watched by proud parents and curious shoppers are (l to r): George Mills; Dorothy Powell; Dolores Duncan, writing her name on the blackboard; Ann Truitt, with her back to the camera; Richard McCulloch; and Allyn Hultman with back to camera. (T. Times, 11-10-1939, p.18)

School children--Tacoma--1930-1940; Children reading & writing--Tacoma; Duncan, Dolores; Mills, George; Powell, Dorothy; McCulloch, Richard; Truitt, Ann; Hultman, Allyn;

National Education Week. Whitman School, 2B, holding library class in display window of Rhodes Department Store on November 9, 1939. The proud parents of these seven-year-olds peek from the outside. Glady J. Christie was the classroom instructor. Students were : Dolores Duncan writing her name on the blackboard, (seated) George Mills, Dorothy Powell, Richard McCulloch, and Ann Truitt and Allyn Hultman with backs to camera. (T. Times, 11-10-1939, p.18)

School children--Tacoma--1930-1940; Children reading & writing--Tacoma; Duncan, Dolores; Mills, George; Powell, Dorothy; McCulloch, Richard; Truitt, Ann; Hultman, Allyn;