Tacoma Boat was originally Strom & Dahl Boatbuilders, which was formed in 1936 by Arne Strom and Haldor A. Dahl. In 1938 the firm was incorporated as the Tacoma Boatbuilding Company. Tacoma Boat was well known and a leader in the fishing boat construction and built many minesweepers during World War II, they would later build more minesweepers for the United States Navy. View of Tacoma Boat built "West Point", a fishing vessel. TPL-8922

Fishing boats--Tacoma; Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Tacoma Boat Building Co., Inc. (Tacoma);

The "Southern Queen" is a refrigerated purse seiner, built and equipped specifically for tuna and sardine fishing. It is an all steel craft, 100 feet in length and has two twin six by six ice machines. It was bought by Joe Vilicich and A. K. Anderson and launched by Mrs. Van Camp of the Van Camp canneries. The boat was built by Tacoma Boat (Pacific Fisherman, January 1948, p. 182). TPL-8925

Fishing boats--Tacoma; Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Tacoma Boat Building Co., Inc. (Tacoma);

These four unidentified bathing beauties used a little cheesecake to help advertise the upcoming Pacific Air Exposition, scheduled for July 4th, 1947, at the "Seattle-Tacoma Airport" at Bow Lake (now Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.) The all-day airshow was sponsored by the Junior Chambers of Commerce of Tacoma and Seattle. The Exposition showcased Army and Navy aircraft, the new jet P-80 Shooting Stars, local hero Col. Ross Greening and a fleet of P-51 Mustangs, air acrobat Sammy Mason and the Hollywood Hawks, Wayne Lowell and the "Flying Hobo," Wally Blair. 15 to 20 thousand spectators jammed into the airport to view the show, crowding the grandstands built to accomodate 5,000. The seven-hour show went off without any mishaps to the delight of the enthusiastic spectators. Proceeds from the show went to the Army and Navy relief fund. One dollar was charged for admission with servicemen and kids free. (TNT ad 7-2-47, p. 26; TNT 7-3-47, p. 2-article; TNT 7-5-47, p.1-article)

Airplanes--SeaTac--1940-1950; Bathing suits; Bathing beauties; Publicity; Holidays--SeaTac--1940-1950; Banners--SeaTac--1940-1950;

Commercial Distributing Company had its own complete machine shop and they did their own rigging, painting and steam cleaning. Their hauling equipment included: semi-flat bed trucks, flat beds, semi-vans, vans and four different types of trucks with mounted cranes. Exterior view of facilities and the four trucks with the different types of hoisting machinery available through Commercial Distributing (T, Times, 10/27/47, p. 2).

Trucks--Tacoma--1940-1950; Shipping--Tacoma; Industrial facilities--Tacoma; Hoisting machinery; Commercial Distributing Co. (Tacoma);

Interior view of boat. Expanding table is across from the boat's small kitchen, the stove is located on the foreground, additional kitchen space is behind the stove. The control panel, steering wheel and navigation controls are on the left center side behind the bench style seating. Sleeping quarters are located in the background. The boat interior was made with Douglas Fir plywood products, photo ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association.

Boats--Tacoma; Galleys (Ship kitchens); Compasses; Navigation; Interiors--Tacoma; Plywood; Steering wheels; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma);

J. M. Martinac's "South Pacific" is a 106'x25'x13' tuna clipper. The "South Pacific" has a 190 ton capacity, is easy to handle, compact, refrigerated, stable, and with her 525 horsepower diesel engine, plenty of power is available. The "South Pacific" was built for Captain Lou Brito, of the High Seas Tuna Packing Company (Pacific Fisherman, Yearbook, 1948). TPL-8937

Fishing boats--Tacoma; Tuna; Fishing; Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; J.M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corp. (Tacoma);

Tacoma Boat, fishing boat "Silverland." The "Silverland" sits at dock with the Tacoma waterfront in the background. Tacoma Boat Building Company was widely known for the quality of craftsmanship in their fishing boats. TPL-9107

Fishing boats--Tacoma--1940-1950; Tacoma Boat Building Co., Inc. (Tacoma); Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Tacoma Boat, fish boat "Silverland". A view of the starboard side of the "Silverland" while she is tied to the dock. The Tacoma waterfront is in the background. Tacoma Boat Building Company easily returned to building high quality fishing vessels after having built mine sweepers during the war.

Fishing boats--Tacoma--1940-1950; Tacoma Boat Building Co., Inc. (Tacoma); Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Tacoma Boat, interior and water shots of "Sogn," on August 24, 1945. The bow and port side are shown during the ship trials. The helm is on the upper deck and several passengers join the captain there. TPL-8896

Fishing boats--Tacoma--1940-1950; Tacoma Boat Building Co., Inc. (Tacoma); Ship trials--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Engineers' Union, truck, crane and trailer. Men are unloading 56" pipe from a railroad car using a mobile crane on back of truck from Commercial Distributing Company. More culvert conduit is stacked on a railroad car behind the emply truck from Cooney Transfer Company. (T.Times, 2/26/1947, p.3-B)

Trucks--Tacoma--1940-1950; Shipping; Hoisting machinery; Culverts; Railroad freight cars--Tacoma;

In April of 1946, a milk truck attempted to cross under the gas station canopy at Weir's Electric and Hardware at 8419 Portland Ave. Unfortunately, the truck was too tall and the canopy came crashing to the ground, taking the store's neon sign with it. The Mac's Super Service truck was at Weir's to begin repairs. Mac's was located at 4003 McKinley Ave. During World War II, the Weir family lived in the housing above the store and gas station. The accident was a memorable one for the family. (story courtesy of a Weir family member.) TPL-8742

Accidents--Tacoma; Wreckers (vehicles)--Tacoma; Automobile service stations--Tacoma; Electric signs--Tacoma--1940-1950; Weir's Electric & Hardware (Tacoma); Mac's Super Service (Tacoma);

Weir's Electric & Hardware store sign appear to have fallen on top of gas pumps and a tow truck. The store appears to have been located adjacent to Mac's Service Station, it later moved to 2815 Sixth Avenue. Louis Weir was an electrician at Seattle Tacoma Shipbuilding Corp. before he opened up Weir's Electric & Hardware store.

Accidents--Tacoma; Wreckers (vehicles)--Tacoma; Automobile service stations--Tacoma; Weir's Electric & Hardware (Tacoma); Mac's Super Service (Tacoma);

In April of 1946, the USS "Agile" and the "Queen of the Yipees" returned home to Tacoma Boat Building Co. for conversion to fishing boats after Naval service in Dutch Harbor, Ak., as a minesweeper and a patrol boat during the war.Tacoma Boatbuilding Co. was working on a contract to build and repair fishing boats for China under the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) program. The boats were intended to rehabilitate China's fishing industry. View of laborers working on fishing boats. TPL-8323 ( T. Times 4/17/1946, pg. 7)

Fishing boats--Tacoma--1940-1950; Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Tacoma Boat Building Co., Inc. (Tacoma);

O'Connell Rayan Richardson. A man on a tractor spraying a lawn with trailer sprayer.

Tractors--Tacoma--1940-1950; Lawns--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Carl Sohmers. The new street striper built and designed by Carl Sohmers for the Tacoma Police Department, Department of Public Safety. A side view of the vehicle. The machine has made painting traffic stripes on streets efficient and has speeded up painting of traffic lines through the city. Three men man the outfit. One drives the vehicle and the other two operate the stripers.

Trucks--Tacoma--1940-1950; Painting--Tacoma--1940-1950; Tacoma Police Department (Tacoma);

Ace Furnace & Steel Company. A truck, stacked with tanks, is parked in a warehouse. The name painted on the truck's door is Birchfield Boiler, Inc., Shipbuilding Division. Ace Furnace's major output was tanks, large and small, making 400-800 per month. It was owned and operated by Alvin T. Davies who also operated Birchfield Boiler and Tacoma Boiler Works Company. (T.Times, 9/4/1946)

Trucks--Tacoma--1940-1950; Birchfield Boiler, Inc. (Tacoma); Ace Furnace & Steel Co. (Tacoma); Storage tanks--Tacoma; Warehouses--Tacoma; Loading docks--Tacoma;

On December 20, 1946, Loretta Boehm (later Griffin) of the Sanford-Nash, Inc. automobile dealership in Tacoma was sent to rouse Santa from a sound sleep so he could hand out the presents at the company's Christmas party. Santa had a comfortable bed in the convertible back seat of a 1946 Nash Ambassador on the dealership's showroom floor. After the party, Santa was allowed to resume his sleep, undisturbed, until Christmas eve. Sanford-Nash, Inc. was at 445-51 Tacoma Avenue South. (Photo ordered by O'Connell and Ragan, an advertising company.) TPL-9842

Automobiles--Tacoma--1940-1950; Santa Claus--Tacoma; Sleeping; Sanford-Nash, Inc. (Tacoma); O'Connell-Ragan Co. (Tacoma); Boehm, Loretta;

In January of 1947, the Marine Engine and Machinery Corporation had just received a shipment of "Gray" and "Willard" motors in many sizes; as well as pumps, compressors, generators and other hard to get boat equipment. Pictured, left to right, were Charles Bevis (kneeling, checking the inventory), two unidentified men, Len Brunstadt (working the block and tackle), S.O. Julis and Carl Gehrke. The company sold workboat engines and reliable motors. (T. Times, 2/5/47, p. 5).

Boat engines; Machinery industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Pulleys; Hoisting machinery; Marine Engine & Machinery Corp. (Tacoma);

In May of 1948, Leo Dobry posed in his Champ car, the "City of Tacoma," parked in front of its windowed traveling trailer. Dobry, a racing enthusiast, had the maroon and cream car built at the Kurtis-Kraft plant in South Gate, California, to exacting specifications. After six months and an expenditure of approximately $20,000, the car was ready to run in the Indianapolis 500 race on Memorial Day. The racer was on display April 28, 1948, on the "island" at 9th and Broadway and April 30th at the midget auto races at Athletic Park, South 14th Street and Sprague Avenue. The Champ car was much larger and more powerful than a midget. It ran the 500 twice, finishing sixth in 1948 and qualifying outside the front row in 1949 before mechanical problems forced it out of the race. (T.Times, 4/27/1948, p.1; TNT, 4/27/1948, p.15) TPL-5446

Dobry, Leo; City of Tacoma (Race car); Racing automobiles--1940-1950; Automobile racing--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Scarlet Queen was originally a military vessel, ATR-69, a World War II rescue tug. It was converted into the largest tuna clipper in the world by Tacoma Boatbuilding Company. View of a Gyro compass, radar unit, and loran; these highly technical and advanced instruments are located in the navigation and engine room. (Tacoma Boatbuilding Co., Inc. Catalog 1954). TPL-8965

Fishing boats--Tacoma; Navigation; Compasses; Control rooms--Tacoma; Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Tacoma Boat Building Co., Inc. (Tacoma);

Interior view of "Scarlet Queen's" navigator's quarters, separate from the steering room. The navigator's quarters was a miniature communications center, through which the vessel maintains frequent checks on its position and contact with other vessels and shore stations (Tacoma Boatbuilding Co., Inc. Catalog 1954). TPL-8969

Fishing boats--Tacoma; Navigation; Compasses; Control rooms--Tacoma; Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Tacoma Boat Building Co., Inc. (Tacoma);

Jack Evans, adjuster, insurance, Highway 99 and Rainier Ord. intersection. Pontiac B-51385 and Plymouth B-5639. A view of the intersection where an automobile crash occurred used for insurance evaluation of claims. Telephone poles line the right hand side of the highway, a stop light hangs over the intersection and railroad tracks run parallel to the highway on the right.

Traffic accidents--Puyallup; Roads--Puyallup; Traffic signs & signals--Puyallup; Signal lights--Puyallup; Utility poles--Puyallup; Railroad tracks--Puyallup;

Alfred E. Hill of Olympia was thrown 42 feet from his motorcycle, when he collided into the rear end of a vehicle driven by Fort Lewis soldier, Andrew Prevuznak at the Highway 99 and Sales Road intersection in June of 1948. Hill was rushed to Pierce County Hospital, but was pronounced dead on arrival; Prevuznak was not injured. View of motorcycle that was involved in the automobile accident; photo ordered by Farmers Insurance Company (T. Times, 6/17/48, p. 1).

Traffic accidents--Tacoma; Motorcycles--Tacoma; Hill, Alfred E.--Death & burial; Vehicle maintenance & repair--Tacoma; City & town life--Tacoma; Insurance companies--Tacoma; Farmers Insurance Group (Tacoma);

This aerial view of the Tacoma Yacht Club and the east corner of Point Defiance Park, just north of Ruston, was taken in August of 1948. The Point Defiance Ferry Terminal is in the upper right hand corner, and the buildings to the left of the marina belong to the ASARCO smelter. In 1934, a road was built along the bulkhead, just under the tree line, that passed under the pier that led to the ferry landing. Point Defiance's Funland Amusement Park is located top center and can be identified by the round shapes of some of the rides.

Boathouses; Boats; Tacoma Yacht Club (Tacoma); Mooring; American Smelting & Refining Co. (Tacoma); Smelters--Tacoma--1950-1960; Funland (Tacoma); Point Defiance Park (Tacoma); Amusement parks--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Pacific Boat just completed the "Sun Voyager" in January of 1947 for Sun Harbor Packing Co. in San Diego, California. The "Sun Voyager" was an all steel tuna clipper, 112 feet long. The vessel completed a trial run last week and was now ready for launching. Pacific Boat was also working on fishing vessels for the UNRRA program. TPL-8916

Fishing boats--Tacoma--1940-1950; Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Pacific Boat Building Co. (Tacoma);

In 1945, the Pacific Boat Building Company was contracted by the government of Iceland to build an 85-foot purse seiner for their fishing fleet. Launched on July 27, 1945, she left Tacoma for Iceland on August 12th after a farewell celebration held at Point Defiance. She went down the west coast of North America, through the Panama Canal, north to New York, and on to Reykjavik, Iceland, where she landed October 27, 1945. (T.Times, 6/27/1945, p.9, 10/29/1945) TPL-8886

Fishing boats--Tacoma--1940-1950; Pacific Boat Building Co. (Tacoma); Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Ship trials--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Puget Sound Boat. "Evening Star," a 65 by 18 foot combination halibut and tuna boat, was launched June 11, 1945 by the Puget Sound Boat Building Corp. on City Waterway, under the 11th Street Bridge. This was the 15th vessel built by Puget Sound Boat since June 1942 and is for Fred Peterson of Poulsbo. (TNT, 6/11/1945)

Fishing boats--Tacoma--1940-1950; Vertical lift bridges--Tacoma; 11th Street Bridge (Tacoma); City Waterway (Tacoma); Puget Sound Boat Building Corp. (Tacoma); Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Tacoma Boatbuilding Co. was started in 1936 by H. Dahl and A. Strom. The partners wanted to build fishing vessels for North Pacific fishermen. In 1941 they signed their first contract to build government boats and moved into a larger, newly expanded plant at the head of the City Waterway. View of YP 625, a Navy patrol craft. TPL-8894

Government vessels--Tacoma; Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Tacoma Boat Building Co., Inc. (Tacoma);

Launching of "Hustler." A group of dignitaries are on hand at Western Boat for the launching of the fishing boat, the "Hustler," on June 6, 1945. The sponsors and their families are on a raised stage. Signs for U.S. Navy are on either side of the steps up to the stage. The ship's owner was R. Tom Muchlinski.

Launchings--Tacoma--1940-1950; Fishing boats--Tacoma--1940-1950; Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Western Boat Building Co. (Tacoma);

A large Coast semi-truck has rolled over on its side after an automobile accident at 24th and D Streets. Nalley's neon signs can be seen above the truck. Ordered by the Tribune, City Desk.

Traffic accidents--Tacoma; Trucks--Tacoma--1950-1960;