L.M. Phillipotts, seaman second class, sights a five inch broadside gun from the deck of the New Mexico directly on City Hall during a gun drill July 22, 1927. The U.S.S. New Mexico, flagship of the Pacific Fleet, was in Tacoma's harbor until the first of August. The battleship was commissioned in May of 1918 and spent the first World War close to the U.S. In 1919, she steamed to Europe and escorted President Woodrow Wilson home from the Versailles peace conference. After playing a prominent role in World War II, she was decommissioned in 1946 and sold for scrap. (TNT 7/22/1927 p.1)
J.T. Swan, center, Bos'n First Class, introduces recruits D.R. Turk (left) and A.G. West to the art of knot tying. The trio were photographed aboard the battleship USS New Mexico on July 22, 1927. The New Mexico was in port in Tacoma until August 1st. Guests were invited to view the flagship of the Pacific fleet in the afternoon. Commissioned in 1918, the battleship served in both World War I & II before being sold for scrap in 1947. (TNT 7/22/1927 p.1)
ca. 1927. The Walker Apartments at 6th Ave. & St. Helens, under construction in 1927. Robert Walker of the Walker Cut Stone Co. hired Tacoma architect Roland E. Borhek to design the building faced with Wilkeson Sandstone. It was the first apartment building in the Northwest built with a stone exterior. Owners Robert & Glenda MacMahon were successful in placing the building on both the Tacoma and National Register of Historic Places in 1995. (TDL 11/6/1927, pg. 2-3B)
ca. 1927. Legislative Building. A glimpse of the Legislative (Capitol) Building is partially obscured by towering firs in this ca. 1927 photograph. The Corinthian columns on the building's two porticoes are visible as well as the majestic dome. Care was taken to plan landscaping of the governmental complex to include great areas of lawn and placement of trees and other shrubs.
ca. 1927. Legislative Building. The final years of the Legislative Building project, which had begun with the laying of the building's cornerstone in 1922, primarily were concerned with interior work. As this view of the rotunda indicates, marble was extensively used within the Legislative Building as befitting its rich atmosphere. A contract for $850,000 was awarded the Vermont Marble Co. whose Tacoma plant was responsible for the cutting and polishing. A national search for marble setters had to be conducted since this specialized skill was not found locally. The Great Seal of the State of Washington, cast in bronze, was set into the marble stair landing directly under the dome. Until the late 1930's, the Great Seal remained unenclosed and thousands unintentionally trod upon the visage of George Washington, their feet wearing off his nose. Besides the light gray Alaska marble, bronzework was found throughout the rotunda with the railings of the fourth floor balcony (believed to be shown above) incorporating replicas of the state seal. Replicas of Roman firepots used for indirect lighting, also cast in bronze, were located at each corner of the rotunda. (Johnston: Washington's Audacious State Capitol and Its Builders)
ca. 1927. State Reception Room. Imported marble was used in the columns found in the State Reception Room of the Legislative Building. A decision was made by the project's co-architect, Walter Wilder, that the State Reception Room was to be the most ornate in the building. He chose Bresche Violet marble from Italy which had a creamy background interspersed with red, lavender and green veins. The floor was finished with teak and covered with a specially woven seamless rug. Adding to the ceremonial tone of the room, heavily lined velvet drapes with matching valences and silk cable tasseled ties were appropriate window coverings. A 7-foot round table was placed in the middle of the room surrounded by elaborately patterned chairs. High back chairs of the same pattern were lined up against the marble columns. The legislature had authorized a budget of some $600,000 for furnishings and opened the bidding to the nation. The New York City firm of W. and J. Sloane was chosen, with the cost of the enormous 7-foot table coming in at (then) an astonishing $1000. (Johnston: Washington's Audacious State Capitol and Its Builders)
ca. 1927. Portico on Legislative Building. This is believed to be at the south entrance. Most of the ornamental carvings on stonework was done after the stone was in place. The columns were positioned first in a raw state prior to stone carvers shaping them into elaborate designs. Stone carving was such a specialized profession that crews were assembled drawn from all parts of the nation, including many Scotsmen. A combination of hand tools and sandblasting equipment was used by the craftsmen who had to carve the capitals from high scaffolding. (Johnston: Washington's Audacious State Capitol and Its Builders)
ca. 1927. This handtinted photograph of the Tacoma Hotel was taken circa 1927. Built in 1884, and considered by many Tacoma's showcase, the elegant hotel had welcomed many distinguished guests over the decades including Presidents of the United States, actors and sports idols. Magnificent views of The Mountain, Commencement Bay and the City Waterway greeted these visitors. The massive modified Tudor structure occupied an entire block in downtown Tacoma. It was destroyed by fire on October 17, 1935 and not rebuilt. The Tacoma Hotel Annex at 904-06 A St. was remodeled after the fire to serve as the new Tacoma Hotel but never reached the acclaim of the original.
A crowd of several hundred people celebrated the arrival of the Pacific Air Transport Co.'s mail carrier plane at the municipal airport on April 15, 1928. It was the inauguration of the new American Railway Express Co. air service provided for Tacoma in conjunction with Pacific Air Transport's mail carriers. Tacoma Chamber of Commerce president John Dower took his first plane ride during the event as pilot J. Barton Story took him to greet the incoming express plane from the air. (TNT 4-16-28, p. 7, TDL 4-15-28, 8-A)
Mrs. Lou Miller, principal and track coach of Ruston (grade) School, raises her gun to start her three students off running. The boys were practicing for the April, 1928 county grade school meet at Spanaway. Richard Andeson, farthest left, was entering his first meet. Donald Nevers (also spelled Neuens in the News Tribune article) and John Slavich were high point winners of their respective classes last year. Boys were divided into three classes according to weight, height and age. Ruston School planned to enter various dashes, baseball throws and relay races. The school fielded boy and girl track athletes; girls would also enter the Spanaway meet. Mrs. Miller had been coaching for several years with her charges performing admirably in their athletic endeavors. (TNT 4-18-28, p. 14)
On April 27, 1928, Miss Franc Hale, local girl made good, returned to Tacoma. She was pictured stepping out of the special Pullman car belonging to the Walker Whiteside acting troupe. She carried an armful of American Beauty roses presented to her by the Chamber of Commerce. Miss Hale appeared as Mr. Whiteside's leading lady in two plays at the Helig Theater in Tacoma. Walker Whiteside was a famous actor whose career spanned 45 years, and material from Shakespeare to the movies. Miss Hale had attended Annie Wright and later acting classes in California and Seattle. She started out with a Portland stock company and later joined the acting companies of May Robson and John Cort. Later Miss Hale vocalized in the syndicated radio show "Jungle Jim," (1935-1954), appearing as Shanghai Lil. (TNT 4/27/1928, pg. 1)
On April 27, 1928, local girl Franc Hale returned to Tacoma on a special Pullman car belonging to her employer and mentor, famed actor Walker Whiteside. Miss Hale was appearing as Whiteside's leading lady in two productions at Tacoma's Helig Theater and Tacoma turned out to welcome their native daughter. Miss Hale poses with an armful of American Beauty roses; to the right is Mayor M.G. Tennent with a beribboned key to the city for her use. On the left is Clinton S. Reynolds presenting a less ornate key to the city to Walker Whiteside. In the center, holding his hat, is John Dower, president of the Tacoma Chamber of Commerce. Also present were Calvin Helig, head of the Helig Theater Co., and Miss Hale's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Frank L. Hale. (TNT 4/27/1928, pg. 1)
This photograph from May of 1928 shows the buildings on the east side of St. Helens Avenue from 7th Street looking south. Second in from the corner is the building that was shared by the News Tribune and the Tacoma Daily Ledger from 1918 to 1937. Built in 1910 by Darmer & Cutting for the News Tribune, the Ledger moved into the building when it was bought out by the Tribune in 1918. Both papers published independently from this building until the Daily Ledger went out of business in 1937. The News Tribune kept the name of the Ledger alive in the masthead of its Sunday paper until August of 1979, The Tacoma News Tribune and Sunday Ledger.
ca. 1928. A Street at So. 11th St., looking north, in 1928. The Tacoma Building, at right center, was completed in 1911. The building was home to the Weyerhaeuser Timber Co. and the Tacoma Commercial Club. It is currently being restored. The Tacoma Hotel can be seen in the background, located where the Frank Russell Co. building stands today.
ca. 1928. Elevated view of 1300 block of Pacific Avenue circa 1928. Among the many businesses on Pacific Avenue were the Owl Cafe at 1336 Pacific (lower left) and the Dillion Bldg at 1330-32 Pacific. The familiar spire of the Puget Sound National Bank is to the far right. The Pierce County Courthouse looms in the distance at far left back with the big white walled Greenwich Coliseum (407 So. 13th St.) below. The Greenwich Coliseum had opened in 1927 and would become a premier athletic venue and ballroom.
ca. 1928. The Perkins building. The Perkins building was constructed in 1906 and named after its builder, Sydney Albert Perkins. It was designed by Russell & Babcock, Architects. At the time it was built, it was the first fireproof building and the tallest structure (at eight floors) in Tacoma. It housed the Tacoma Daily Ledger and the Daily News and it was the first home to the University of Washington, Tacoma. (WSHS- negative A655-0)
Two young boys stand next to a dog that is harnessed to a model circus wagon in this April, 1929, photograph. There is a pup (maybe two) in the wagon. Note on original negative sleeve says, "Newman builds circus wagon for boy & dog parade. Made at Kuehn residence near Lakeview." Bowen # 290-091
On July 19, 1929, Harold Bromley arrived at Tacoma Field after a flight of 8 hours 17 minutes from Los Angeles in his new bright orange Lockheed Vega monoplane named the City of Tacoma. Bromley and his plane had captured the attention and newspaper headlines of Tacoma. He was planning, with the backing of Tacoma businessmen, to make the first transPacific flight, a distance of 4,762 miles. The planned flight on July 28th ended in disaster when spewing gasoline blinded Bromley in take off and the plane crashed nose down just off the runway, with Bromley's tail cockpit nine feet off the ground. Three more planes were built over the next 2 years, but Bromley never reached his goal of a record flight.
On July 25, 1929 at Tacoma Field, nine year old Clasina Buffelen broke a be-ribboned bottle of Puget Sound water across the nose of Harold Bromley's bright orange Lockheed Vega, christening it the "City of Tacoma." Assisting her in the ceremony was seven year old Evelyn R. Miyazaki, dressed in a kimono. Clasina was the daughter of John Buffelen, one of Bromley's backers. Evelyn was the daughter of C.S. Miyazaki, secretary of the Japanese Association of Tacoma. The plane that Bromley was planning to fly from Tacoma to "Tokio" had the flags of the United States and Japan on her wings. She was covered with floral tributes from fans, including a replica of the plane formed of flowers. The attempted flight on July 28th was a failure, when gasoline from the overfilled tanks blinded Bromley and he crashed on takeoff. (TDL 7/26/1929, pg. 1-article & alt. photographs)
At approximately 5:30a.m. on July 28, 1929, a figure turns the propeller on Harold Bromley's plane "City of Tacoma," as Bromley prepares to take off on a 4,762 mile solo flight from Tacoma to Tokyo, Japan. A crowd of 25,000 had been gathering since 2 a.m. to watch Bromley fly into the history books. At 4 a.m., the long process of filling the plane with over 900 gallons of gasoline began. The take off was pushed back to after 6 a.m. As the day grew warmer, the gas expanded; and as the plane roared down the 100 foot ramp at dawn, gasoline began to spew from the now overfull tanks onto the windshield. As Bromley leaned to the side to get a clearer view, the gas splashed onto his goggles and as he pushed them up his head, the gas splashed into his eyes. The plane careened off the runway, crashing nose down in a pool of gasoline. Although Bromley was unhurt the crash ended this attempt to fly to Tokyo. BGN-310N
View from ground level, looking up at Harold Bromley's Lockheed monoplane, the "City of Tacoma," poised at the top of a 100 foot ramp prior to sweeping down the ramp on takeoff. The momentum gained in the descent down the ramp was the equivalent to an extra 1,000 feet of runway. Bromley makes a dashing figure in the open cockpit near the tail, in his aviators coat, helmet and goggles. He was attempting to be the first pilot to make a solo, nonstop trans-Pacific flight. His attempts ended in disaster as gasoline from the overfilled tanks blinded him and he crashed the plane. The feat would not be accomplished until October of 1931 by barnstormer Clyde Pangborn and wealthy financier Hugh Herndon, who landed in Wenatchee after departing from Japan. BGN-310B
Harold Bromley's plane "City of Tacoma" after its crash taking off on a proposed nonstop flight Tacoma to Tokyo. The year was 1929 and America was aviation crazy. In 1927, Lindbergh had flown solo over the Atlantic and returned to a hero's welcome. A nonstop Pacific flight was the grand prize to all ambitious pilots. Twenty eight year old Harold Bromley was backed by Tacoma money in his quest to fly Tacoma to Tokyo. On July 28, 1929, his wooden Lockheed Vega monoplane roared down the specially constructed 100 foot wooden ramp designed to give it more lift. Its tanks had been filled early in the morning, as departure time grew nearer, the day grew warmer and the gasoline expanded. As the plane attempted to take off, the gasoline spewed back onto the windshield. As Bromley leaned to one side for a clearer view, the gasoline hit his goggles and then his eyes. The plane careened off the runway to the left and crashed, its right wing crushed and the fuselage cracked in several places. Bromley was unhurt. BGN-724
Last minute fine tuning being done on Harold Bromley's all wood Lockheed Vega monoplane "City of Tacoma," in which he planned to fly solo and nonstop to Tokyo Japan. The plane was financed by a group of Tacoma businessmen headed up by lumber czar John Buffelen. The big orange low wing craft was built in California and designed by Los Angeles aircraft engineer Woody Deeds. It weighed 8,850 pounds including its load. It had an open cockpit near the tail, a 425 horsepower engine and carried 885 gallons of gasoline and 30 gallons of oil. A 5,400 foot runway was completed at "Tacoma Field," the new airport located at South Tacoma Way & Steilacoom Blvd., now a part of McChord Air Force Base. A 100 foot wooden ramp was erected at the beginning of the runway to give the heavy plane additional momentum. BGN-310C
At dawn on July 28, 1929 Harold Bromley climbed into his Lockheed monoplane, perched at the top of a ramp, preparing for takeoff on his proposed 4,762 mile "hop" to Tokyo. A crowd of 25,000, some of whom had waited since 2a.m., gathered to see the plane take wing. The wooden vessel carried 904 gallons of gasoline and not much else, a flying gas tank. The new Tacoma airport, built with a $30,000 bond issue, had a 5,400 foot airstrip. An additional ramp was added at the beginning of the strip; when the plane rolled off the ramp it would gain momentum equivalent to another 1,000 feet of runway. At 6:08 a.m., the plane roared down the ramp and continued down the runway before swerving sharply and crashing. BGN-310I
Harold Bromley's Lockheed monoplane, the "City of Tacoma, " poised at top of the ramp at Tacoma Field prior to take off. The ramp was designed to give the large plane more lift. The huge orange Vega had a 48 foot wingspan, a open cockpit near the tail and a cruising speed of 150 miles per hour. Bromley was proposing to make a solo, nonstop 4,762 mile "hop" Tacoma to Tokyo. His flight ended in disaster when the overfilled tanks spewed gasoline, blinding him and he crashed the plane. Bromley, unhurt, oversaw the production of three more "City of Tacoma" planes. Two were designed by Lockheed and crashed during test flights. The final plane, designed by Emsco Aircraft of Downey, California, flew for 1,200 miles until fumes forced Bromley to turn back. BGN-310G
Harold Bromley's airplane the "City of Tacoma" poised at the top of the ramp prior to its July 28, 1929 take off. Bromley and his plane were financed by a group of Tacoma businessmen, the most voluble being lumber magnate John Buffelen, who wanted to put Tacoma on the map, in the same way that Lindberg made "St. Louis" a household world. The whole city of Tacoma supported the dashing Bromley, even voting a $300,000 bond to build a 5,400 foot air strip. A 100 foot wooden ramp was constructed at the beginning of the runway. The plane was placed at the top of the ramp. When the plane rolled off, it would gain momentum equivalent to another 1,000 feet of runway. At 6:08a.m., the huge monoplane roared down the ramp, veered sharply and crashed about 1,500 feet after its take off.
Military men and newspaper photographers surround Harold Bromley's plane "City of Tacoma" after it crashed in one of the first attempts to make a solo trans-Pacific flight. After Lindbergh's 1927 solo cross of the Atlantic in the "Spirit of St. Louis," a group of Tacoma businessmen decided to invest in a handsome and dapper Royal Air Force war hero named Harold Bromley who felt he could be the first to cross the Pacific and place their city's name in headlines all around the world. Bromley's first attempt failed in front of 27,000 spectators who had to be held back from stripping the crashed plane for souvenirs. BGN-723
On July 28, 1929 Harold Bromley's Lockheed Vega monoplane, the "City of Tacoma," failed to take off on his first attempt to fly solo across the Pacific from Tacoma to Tokyo. The huge orange low wing craft was designed specifically for this 4,762 mile flight, with a 48 foot wing span, a 425 horse power engine and tanks that held 900 gallons of fuel.. Bromley, a dashing twenty-nine year old Canadian native, was a former Royal Air Force Lieutenant, a barnstorming stunt man, a World War I hero and a "Tacoma Boy," who now taught aviation at the Tacoma air field. On take off, everything went wrong. The over-filled gas tanks drenched gasoline onto the windshield; as Bromley leaned to the side for a better look, gasoline spewed onto his goggles and into his eyes. The plane veered off the runway and crashed. Bromley escaped from the gasoline soaked vessel unharmed. The insured wreck was followed by two more "City of Tacoma " monoplanes designed by Lockheed, each of which crashed in test flights. The third plane crash, and resulting fire in May of 1930, killed the pilot testing the plane for Bromley. BGN-310L
On July 28, 1929, Harold Bromley took off in his big orange Lockheed monoplane, the "City of Tacoma," planning to fly into history books as the first pilot to make a solo trans-Pacific flight. Instead, overfilled gas tanks spewed gasoline blinding Bromley who crashed the plane. The plane ended nose down with the right wing badly damaged and the fuselage cracked in at least two places; while the left wing, tail and motor remained largely undamaged. The crowd of 25,000 there to view the dawn take off had to be held back, to keep them from stripping pieces from the gasoline drenched plane as souvenirs. BGN-310M
