Unidentified informal portrait of an automobile race car driver or mechanic. He smiles genially in front of the camera while wearing goggles and leather headgear. He is thought to have participated in the Tacoma Speedway races on the Lakewood board track that was opened from 1912-1922. G52.1-025

Automobile racing--Lakewood--1910-1920;

ca. 1914. Driver named Billy Taylor behind the wheel of an Alco "six" at the Tacoma Speedway with an unidentified mechanic probably during the July 3 & 4, 1914, races. Racers at that time were accompanied by their mechanics who were able to fit into the streamlined vehicles. Mr. Taylor was from Los Angeles and drove the vehicle owned by A. H. Woolacott, a broker and member of the Los Angeles Stock Exchange. He would end up in fifth place during the final race for the Montamarathon trophy, completing 250 miles without more than one stop for tire change. (TNT 6-21-14, 2-B-article; TNT 7-5-14, p. 1-results; Sunday Daily Ledger, 7-5-14, p. 1+-results)

Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1910-1920; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1910-1920; Racing automobiles--1910-1920; Alco automobile; Taylor, Billy;

ca. 1914. Driver and his "mechanician" at Tacoma Speedway. The driver behind the wheel is possibly Jack A. Croston, a Tacoma resident who entered the July 3, 1914 InterCity 100-mile race limited to cars from cities in the Pacific Northwest. He had car #1 and was the first entrant. His Chevrolet had a very small motor, one of the smallest of the cars entered. Mr. Croston was the manager of the Chevrolet Motor Sales Co. and had a great deal of experience in Buicks, Nationals and Chevys. The man seated next to him is possibly J.J. Crane, his "mechanician." Mr. Crane, also of Tacoma, was the head of Tacoma Automobile Machine Works. The duo would finish fifth out of twelve cars in the InterCity race which was won by Jim Parsons of Seattle in his Frantz. (TNT 6-21-14, 2-B-article; TNT 6-28-14, 3-D-article; TNT 7-3-14, p. 1-results)

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

ca. 1914. Car #26, driven by N. Latta, and car #21, believed to be a Studebaker driven by H. Staley, drive past the grandstand of the Tacoma Speedway. This race is believed to be the July 1914 InterCity 100-mile race held at the Tacoma Speedway which featured cars from cities in the Pacific Northwest. Driver Latta, from Seattle, drove the #26 Lozier which came in third place in the race. The News Tribune noted that Latta did not pit or stop on the racetrack before crossing the finish line. Latta won $250 and Staley, the 4th place winner, earned $150 for the race. Jim Parsons, also of Seattle, was the winner among the twelve cars entered. He picked up a prize of $750. (TNT 7-3-14, p. 1-results; Sunday Daily Ledger, 7-5-14, p. 1+, p. 16-articles; TDN 7-3-14, p. 1-results)

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

ca. 1914. Driver Billy Taylor from California and his unidentified "mechanician" in A.H. Woolacott's big Alco #12 at the 1914 Tacoma Speedway races. Mr. Taylor had driven the car to a second place finish in the Vanderbilt Cup race at Santa Monica the previous winter, outracing several cars who were really faster. This so impressed car owner A.H. Woolacott that he entered the Alco with Mr. Taylor as driver in the July 3 & 4th races at the Tacoma Speedway. The Alco would come in 5th at the closing race of the Montamara Festo which was won by Earl Cooper of California for the second straight year. (TNT 6-21-14, 2-B-article; TNT 7-5-14, p. 1-article on results)

Taylor, Billy; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1910-1920; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1910-1920; Alco automobile;

Kay St. Main Event. The Glide Rink is packed with spectators eagerly anticipating the main event boxing match on January 24, 1924. Three stern men, including the referee, observe two fighters in action. It is noticeable that the audience, apparently all male, is well dressed with suits and ties worn. Gene Cline of Oakland and Eddie Roberts of Tacoma headlined the card with a six-round bout. Roberts, a welterweight, decisioned Cline in a tough contest. The boxing match, along with other bouts, was sponsored by the Kay Street Athletic Club. G53.1-130 (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 1-20-24, C-3-article; TDL 1-25-24, p. 10-article)

Boxers (Sports)--Tacoma--1920-1930; Sports spectators--Tacoma--1920-1930; Boxing--Tacoma--1920-1930; Cline, Gene; Roberts, Eddie;

There was more than one Jack Dempsey in the world of boxing. Although he shared the name of the famous boxer, "Jar 'em Jack" or "Young Jack" Dempsey was from Puyallup and would be facing Kid Kober of Everett in a six-rounder on September 17th of 1925; a bout that the light heavyweight would win by a knockout. This photo of the bare-chested Jack Dempsey with clenched fists and an intent look was taken in September of 1925 at an unidentified gym. G67.1-179 (TDL 9-14-25, p. 6-article; TNT 9-16-25, p. 26)

Dempsey, Jack; Boxers (Sports);

ca. 1946. Sydney Carr was photographed standing next to one of his midget racers circa 1946. Sydney Carr and Robert Ormsby were the owner-operators of the Carr and Ormsby Transportation Co. at 617 East 11th. Mr. Carr, an avid midget-auto racing enthusiast, moved to Tacoma from Pennsylvania in the early 1930s. He owned several midget race cars and served as president of the Midget Racing Association. (Courtesy of the Cammarano Collection)

Carr, Sydney; Racing automobiles--1940-1950;

Terrible Teddy Tetzlaff and his "mechanician" in his Fiat #33 on the dirt racetrack at Tacoma Speedway during the July 1913 Montamara Festo program. Mr. Tetzlaff was the holder of the Montamarathon trophy in 1912, the first year of the track's existence. TPL-3164

Tetzlaff, Teddy; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1910-1920; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1910-1920; Fiat automobile;

Joe Thomas of Seattle attempts to pass Jim Parsons' #7 car, a Frantz, during the July 3, 1914, InterCity 100-mile race at Tacoma Speedway. Mr. Parsons would hold off Mr. Thomas' Mercer to win the race and the $750 first place prize money for the second consecutive year. Last year he rode to victory in a veteran Stutz. In 1914 his time was faster by 14 minutes and he made only one stop to change a rear tire. TPL-3167 (TDN 7-3-14, p. 1-article; TDL 7-4-14, p. 9-article)

Parsons, Jim; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1910-1920; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1910-1920; Thomas, Joe;

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. 1914. Californian Billy Taylor and his unidentified "mechanician" aboard the big #12 Alco "six" at the Tacoma Speedway in early July of 1914. Entry was submitted by A.H. Woolacott. The Alco raced in both the Golden Potlatch 200-miler on July 3rd and the grand finale Montamarathon 250-mile race on the 4th on the two-mile oval track. Mr. Taylor came in 5th place of the closing race, trailing winner Earl Cooper's Stutz, G.E. Ruckstell's Mercer, Arthur Klein's King, and Jim Parsons' Frantz. He had been dubbed a "daredevil of the (Billy) Carlson type" by the Tacoma Daily Ledger prior to the race and was, according to the newspaper, quickly becoming famous. (TDL 6-29-14, p. 2-article; TNT 7-5-14, p. 1-results)

Taylor, Billy; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1910-1920; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1910-1920; Alco automobile;

ca. 1914. This young driver, sitting in his unnumbered race car, is believed to be Walter Grossman of Los Angeles. He and thirteen other racers had brought their "cycle cars," smaller and less powerful than regular race cars, to the Tacoma Speedway for special Labor Day competition in 1914. Mr. Grossman was also photographed in a "Red Devil" car of his own design and construction (see G51.1, image 120) which was far different from the car he is pictured in above. Although the boys were able to get in practice and speed trial times, rains on the actual day of competition cancelled the race. Mr. Grossman, part of a large contingent from Southern California, returned to his home after a second postponement.

Automobile racing--Lakewood--1910-1920; Racing automobiles--1910-1920; Automobile racing drivers;

Although there was no freeway between Tacoma and Seattle in June of 1919 and little actual paved road, Harry Barsamian, shop foreman for Pacific Car Co., managed to drive from the city limits of Tacoma to the city limits of Seattle in 30 minutes, 55 seconds. He was accompanied, not by the unidentified lovely miss in the front seat, but by his mechanic Victor Williams, proprietor of the Metropolitan Garage. Mr. Barsamian's time broke the previously acknowledged record of 34 minutes, 30 seconds. Victor Williams confessed to the Daily Ledger that there was one man too many in the vehicle and he was the one man; he swore never to do it again. Mr. Barsamian reported that there were no problems with the engine during the non-stop run. He declared the new stock Overland 90 Touring Car the "gamest little car in the world." Photograph ordered by the Pacific Car Co. (TDL 6-22-19, 8C) TPL-1522; G11.1-001

Barsamian, Harry; Automobiles--Tacoma--1910-1920; Automobile racing--Tacoma--1910-1920;

Informal portrait of an intense Louis Chevrolet. He was in Tacoma to race in the July 4, 1919, races held at the Tacoma Speedway. He was the overall winner that day, winning two of the three events. Chevrolet, one of the best known names in automobile history, first belonged to this mechanical genius Louis Chevrolet. Born in Switzerland on Christmas Day, 1878, the son of a watchmaker, Chevrolet enjoyed taking things apart to see how they worked, but not sitting in a classroom. He left school early to become a bicycle mechanic and later a racer of bicycles. Once he discovered automobiles, there was no turning back. He left his home in 1900, at the age of 21, for North America. He began racing in 1905 and by 1907 had caught the attention of W.C. Durant, the father of General Motors, who hired him to design and race for his Buick racing team. Chevrolet was the head of a racing family of three brothers, the other two being Gaston and Arthur. Louis is credited with 27 major event racing wins in his career. In 1911, Durant traded on the fame of the Chevrolet name to form Chevrolet Motors, competing with Ford in the moderate price market, with Louis Chevrolet as head designer. Chevrolet soon left due to artistic differences and formed his own company, Frontenac Motors. After the financial failure of Frontenac, he designed race cars for Monroe Motor Co., designing the Indy 500 winner in both 1920 and 21. After cars, he branched out into airplane design without great business success. He died in 1941, at the age of 63, having never achieved the financial success that he deserved. His fame lives on in the Chevrolet automobile name. G52.1-031; TPL-3173

Chevrolet, Louis; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1910-1920; Racing automobile drivers;

Jerry Wonderlich (his name is misspelt on the print) in car #24 and Harry Hartz in car #12 were two of the nationally known drivers who competed on July 4th, 1922 in the National Championship Race at the Tacoma Speedway. The men were pictured above on June 29th during practice laps on the board track at speeds of about 90 mph. Hartz had just taken second place in the 1922 Indianapolis 500 on Memorial Day. Both men were driving Duesenberg Straight 8 race cars. The Tacoma Speedway was south of Tacoma in what is now Lakewood, opposite the Mountainview Cemetery. The wooden bridge over the track provided access to the parking area in the middle of the track. TPL-619; TPL-133; Speedway-133 (TDL 6-30-22, p. 1)

Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Racetracks--Lakewood--1920-1930; Wonderlich, Jerry; Hartz, Harry; Duesenberg automobile;

A large crowd of baseball fans gathered outside the Tribune Publishing Company building to watch the box score of the World Series game between the Philadelphia Athletics and the St. Louis Cardinals on October 5, 1930. The News Tribune had a large scoreboard mounted on the front of their building which allowed fans to follow the game play-by-play. Although Cardinals pitcher Jesse Haines outdueled Lefty Grove 3-1 to tie the Series up at 2 wins apiece, the Athletics would ultimately prevail, winning the World Series 4 games to 2. BU-12852, TPL-2115

Baseball outing on the grounds of the Western State Hospital.

This is the 185-yard par 3 8th hole on the Fircrest Golf Club Course as it appeared in the 1920's. In the background on a hill is a water tower which has since been replaced by a larger, modern tank. Situated on 160-acres in the heart of the small city, the private golf club opened in July of 1924 with nine of the planned 18 holes available. The second nine holes would be put into use by the summer of 1925. (Additional information provided by a reader)