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;

Jimmy Murphy raised his right arm in triumph as he passed the checkered flag waved by Fred Wagner, winning the July 4th 1922 Tacoma Speedway Classic and setting a new track record. Murphy finished the 250 mile race in 2:33:55, narrowly defeating Tommy Milton. Murphy's average speed was 97.6 mph. He was driving his own "Murphy Special." He was favored to win the Tacoma Classic, having won the 1922 Indy 500 on Memorial Day. He was also the first American to win the French Grand Prix, in 1921. His numerous wins entitled him to wear the crown of National Racing Champion in both 1922 and 1924. However, his racing career only spanned a short four years and nine months. He was killed in a crash at Syracuse, New York, in September of 1924. (TDL 7/5/1922, pg. 1) TPL-8797, Speedway-142

Racing automobiles--1920-1930; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Murphy, Jimmy;

ca. 1920. Ralph DePalma and his riding mechanic, possibly nephew Peter DePaolo, in DePalma's French made Ballot race car, #2, circa 1920. Mr. DePalma was entered in the July 5th 1920 Tacoma Classic car race at the Tacoma Speedway. His Ballot suffered a broken connecting rod before the race and he ended up competing in Eddie O'Donnell's Duesenberg, which also broke down in the 75th lap. Ralph DePalma, 1884-1956, was born in Italy but came to the United States as a boy. He began racing automobiles in 1909, the same year that the American Automobile Association established the National Driving Championship, an award that DePalma took home in 1912 & 1914. He was the 1915 Indianapolis 500 winner. When he retired in the early 1930's after 27 years of racing, he had competed in 2889 races and won an amazing 2557 of them. After retiring, he worked as a consultant in the automotive field. He died in 1956 at the age of 72. (TDL 7/4/1920, pg. 1C; www.ddavid.com/formula1; wikipedia) Speedway 066

Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile racing drivers; Racing automobiles--1920-1930; Ballot automobile; DePalma, Ralph;

ca. 1920. Jimmy Murphy at the Tacoma Speedway in his race car #12, believed to be a Duesenberg, circa 1920. Accompanying him is his riding mechanic, Ernie Olson. This was Mr. Murphy's first trip to the Pacific Northwest. He was considered a rising star with a top five finish at the Indianapolis 500 on Memorial Day and a second place finish on June 19th at the Uniontown, Pennsylvania 225-mile race. As part of the powerful Duesenberg team, he was able to learn, as well as compete with veteran drivers like Tommy Milton, Eddie O'Donnell and Eddie Miller. Jimmy Murphy finished sixth at the July 5th Tacoma Classic, an event won by his teammate, Tommy Milton. (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 6-20-20, 3B-article; TDL 7-6-20, p.1+-results)

Racing automobiles--1920-1930; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Murphy, Jimmy; Automobile racing drivers; Olson, Ernie;

ca. 1922. This is Howard Samuel Wilcox, better known to racing fans as "Howdy" Wilcox. Winner of the Indy 500 in 1919, he was a newcomer to Tacoma racing. He came to the Tacoma Speedway for the Fourth of July race in 1922, bringing with him an English Peugeot instead of Louis Chevrolet's Frontenac. Racers at the Tacoma Speedway in 1922 shattered speed records with nine of them averaging 103 mph in qualifying, the fastest ever. Unfortunately, Mr. Wilcox was not one of them as his car qualified at 97 mph. It was a highly touted field which included Jimmy Murphy, Tommy Milton, Ralph Mulford, Harry Hartz, Roscoe Sarles, Eddie Hearne and Cliff Durant. The 250-mile race, the last run at the Speedway, was won by Jimmy Murphy with a time of 2:33:55 and average speed of 97.6 mph. Howdy Wilcox finished fifth at 2:45:34, averaging 90.8 mph. Mr. Wilcox passed away a year later in a wreck at the Altoona Speedway in Pennsylvania. (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 6-25-22, C-1-article; 7-2-22, C-1; 7-3-22, p. 1-qualifying; 7-5-22, p. 1-results)

Wilcox, Howard Samuel; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile racing drivers;

ca. 1922. Close-up of riding mechanic Terry Curley circa 1922. Mr. Curley, a former boxer, switched professions to become an automobile riding mechanic in the 1920's. He came to the Tacoma Speedway in July of 1922 for what would be the last race run at the famous board track.

Curley, Terry; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood);

ca. 1921. Driving mechanic L.J. Vick posed for photographer Marvin Boland at the Tacoma Speedway circa 1921. He is seated behind the wheel of an unidentified race car on the board track. Riding mechanics, or "mechanicians," accompanied the actual race car driver during the race. It is not known which racer Mr. Vick accompanied. TPL-2476

Vick, L.J.; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood);

ca. 1920. Gaston Chevrolet, the youngest brother of the racing triumvirate, was born in France of Swiss parents on October 26, 1892. He was brought to the United States by his older brother, racing car driver and designer Louis Chevrolet. In 1916, he became a partner with his brothers Louis and Arthur in Frontenac Motors. After initial success, the company went under after World War I. The trio went to work for Monroe Motor Co. In 1920, Gaston broke the European dominance of the Indy 500, winning in a Monroe-Frontenac designed by his brother Louis. His average speed was 88.62mph, a feat achieved with only a four cylinder engine. He was also the first racer to go the distance without a change of tires. His victory was only enjoyed briefly however, he died in a fiery crash on November 25th at the Los Angeles Speedway board track in Beverly Hills, Ca. He crashed in lap 146 and was killed, along with driver Eddie O'Donnell. At the end of the year, he was awarded the recently revived AAA National Champion title for 1920 posthumously. Speedway 086 (TNT 6/29/1920)

Chevrolet, Gaston; Automobile racing--1920-1930; Automobile racing drivers;

ca. 1922. California sportsman and car manufacturer Cliff Durant at the wheel of his blue Durant Special, accompanied by his mechanic, circa 1922. Mr. Durant, a favorite of Northwest race fans, arrived in Tacoma on June 28, 1922, to compete in the eleventh annual race at the Tacoma Speedway. He joined a cast of nationally known racers for the July 4th event, including Ralph Mulford, Roscoe Sarles, Jimmy Murphy and defending champion Tommy Milton for a total purse of $25,000. Mr. Durant was using the same car in which Tommy Milton had captured the national championship. Newspapers announced that this was to be Mr. Durant's last race of his illustrious career as the business world had taken over his attention. His Durant Special qualified fourth with average speed of 104.5 mph, as the track and cars ran extremely fast. Jimmy Murphy, who had won the pole position with nearly 109 mph, would eventually defeat Tommy Milton by just a few seconds. Mr. Milton had led the majority of the distance before tire changes cost him the race. Cliff Durant did not finish the race as broken rear axles claimed both his and Ralph Mulford's Leach Special. (print from badly damaged negative) (TDL 7-5-22, p. 1-results)

Durant, Cliff; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Racing automobiles--1920-1930; Durant Special automobile;

ca. 1920. Eddie O'Donnell (left) and mechanic Lyall Jolls pose in front of a Duesenberg race car at the Tacoma Speedway circa the summer of 1920. The Duesenberg team brought four cars for the 225-mile race driven by nationally known race stars Tommy Milton, Jimmy Murphy, Edward Miller and Mr. O'Donnell. Teammates Milton, Murphy and O'Donnell had finished 1-2-3 at the Uniontown, Pennsylvania 225-mile race a few weeks prior to the July 5th Tacoma event. Tommy Milton was the victor in Tacoma while driving his #10 Duesenberg at a blistering pace, the fastest then set for the long race at the Speedway. Race car drivers were a tight fraternity; Eddie O'Donnell generously gave up his ride on a Duesenberg to Ralph DePalma, whose Ballot broke down before the race. Mr. O'Donnell then hopped onto teammate Eddie Miller's ride and Mr. Miller served as mechanic. They finished last of the eight cars remaining in the race. Mr. O'Donnell's car had qualified at a 98 mph clip so it says much of the spirit of camaraderie that he gave up the car to a competitor so that the crowds jammed into the Speedway would not be disappointed at the non-appearance of this international star. Both Mr. O'Donnell and Mr. Jolls died later in 1920 of injuries incurred in the November, 1920 Beverly Hills Speedway Classic. (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 6-20-20, 3B-article; TDL 7-3-20, p. 1-article; TDL 7-6-20, p. 1-results)

O'Donnell, Eddie; Jolls, Lyall; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile racing drivers; Racing automobiles--1920-1930; Duesenberg automobile;

ca. 1920. Racing sensation Jimmy Murphy poses next to his Duesenberg race car #12 at the Tacoma Speedway, circa 1920. Murphy has been named the driver of the decade for Championship cars, 1920-1929, claiming 19 victories from 1920-24. He went to work for Duesenberg as a mechanic on his 21st birthday in 1916. He burst on the racing world as a driver in 1920, winning his very first major race in Beverly Hills, Ca. He is most famous for his 1922 Indy 500 win and for being the first American to win the French Grand Prix, in 1921. Jimmy Murphy was a familiar face in Tacoma, racing at the Classic in 1920, where he finished sixth and 1922, which he won. He was killed in a crash at the Syracuse, N.Y., racetrack in September of 1924. Speedway-044 (TDL 7/2/1922, pg. C-1, C-6)

Racing automobiles--1920-1930; Duesenberg automobile; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Murphy, Jimmy; Automobile racing drivers;

ca. 1921. Auto racer Roscoe Sarles and unidentified driver/"mechanician" with Richlube Motor Oil. The motor oil was manufactured by the Richfield Oil Co., Los Angeles. 1921 was the second year that Mr. Sarles had ventured to the Tacoma Speedway to compete with racing colleagues such as Eddie Hearne, Tommy Milton, Joe Thomas and Eddie Pullen. Mr. Milton passed Mr. Sarles on the home stretch after the 200-mile mark and beat him by a mere 22 seconds. For his second place finish, Mr. Sarles accepted $5000 and 260 championship points. (TNT 7-5-21, p. 1,2-article on results) TPL-3175

Sarles, Roscoe; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile equipment & supplies;

ca. 1921. Speed king Eddie Hearne watches as fellow driver Harry Hartz pours Richlube Motor Oil in Mr. Hearne's vehicle. Richlube Motor Oil was manufactured by the Richfield Oil Co. of California. This photograph may have been taken around 1920 or 1921 at the Tacoma Speedway. Both years Mr. Hearne drove a white Revere.

Hearne, Eddie; Hartz, Harry; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Automobile equipment & supplies;

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;

On July 6, 1914, the South Tacoma Tigers amateur baseball team members were photographed at an unidentified outdoor location. Back row, left to right were: Ole Rynning, Orville Eley, Oscar "Ocky" Jensen, Harry Vawter, Bert Schumacker (sp), and Ed Woods. Front row, left to right: Earnest Christian, Jack Farrell, manager Walter Holmberg (in suit), Leo Christian and Eddie McTighe. The South Tacoma Tigers represented the West Coast in the Amateur Baseball Championship of the world in 1915, the year after this photograph was taken. (Gallacci, Blau: Playground to the Pros, p. 78-79)

Baseball--Tacoma--1910-1920; Baseball players--Tacoma--1910-1920; Holmberg, Walter; Rynning, Ole; Eley, Orville; Jensen, Oscar; Vawter, Harry; Woods, Ed; Christian, Earnest; Farrell, Jack; Christian, Leo; McTighe, Eddie;

Composite photograph for advertisement for appearance by Jack Dempsey in Tacoma for the Junior League Milk Fund Benefit. The benefit was held at the Tacoma Stadium (Stadium Bowl) on Thursday, September 10, 1931. Although Mr. Dempsey and other boxers on the card were paid for their appearances, ticket proceeds funded the purchase of milk for needy Tacoma Public Schools students. Net proceeds totaled $1042 with Mr. Dempsey contributing $154.50 of his appearance fee. (TNT 8-28-31, p. 1-article; TNT 9-25-31, p. 1-article)

Dempsey, Jack, 1895-1983; Boxers (Sports); Advertisements--Tacoma;

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);