Six-piece Carmody's Orchestra. The six men, looking very alert, prepare to burst into music in this December 29, 1920, photograph. They may have been practicing for a New Year Eve's gig. TPL-1648; G40.1-041

Carmody's Orchestra; Musicians;

ca. 1920. The Rich Reconstruction Clinic opened in Tacoma in 1919, shortly after the Great War. For five years, Dr. Edward A. Rich and his many partners treated bone and joint disorders at the clinic. In 1925, the building became known as the Edgecliffe Apartments when it was converted entirely into 30 apartment suites.

ca. 1920. A raft of logs being brought by early day tug "The Black Prince" to the Sedro Box and Veneer Co. plant at Sedro Woolley, Washington. A group of well dressed people stand calmly on this precarious log perch on the Skagit River. The Sedro plant went out of business after a devastating fire in December of 1924, but the individuals involved in its formation and management became the leaders in the growing Northwest plywood industry. ("The Plywood Age" by Robert M. Cour)

Sedro Box and Veneer Co. (Sedro-Woolley); plywood; Lumber industry--Sedro-Woolley--1920-1930; Mills--Sedro-Woolley--1920-1930;

ca. 1920. The Sedro Box and Veneer Co. plant at Sedro Woolley, Washington. Stacks of completed fir panels sit waiting shipment to door companies such as Wheeler Osgood of Tacoma. By 1920, William J. "Cottonwood Bill" Royse, a legendary millwork veteran with a hearty handshake and a flamboyant air, and Clyde D. Lloyd, the consummate businessman, eased off the production of boxes and crates at their plant to begin manufacturing plywood panels. Business took off and by 1924 orders were piling up. Business boomed until the plant was destroyed by fire on December 4, 1924. ("The Plywood Age" by Robert M. Cour)

Sedro Box and Veneer Co. (Sedro-Woolley); plywood; Lumber industry--Sedro-Woolley--1920-1930; Mills--Sedro-Woolley--1920-1930;

ca. 1920. Copy made from glass plate, Richards Studio. Pedestrians pause on a wooden bridge to peer over the railings. They may be enjoying the beautiful water view but also may be watching the man under the bridge. He is hunched over, apparently looking for something. He does not appear to be in the water but on a narrow spit of land. The body of water is surrounded by trees and shrubs and a cluster of lily pads floats nearby. There is a possibility that this is a portion of Wright Park. Date of glass plate is not known, perhaps in the 1920's; copy was made on October 3, 1958.

Bridges; Lakes & ponds; Water lilies;

ca. 1920. Copy of Asahel Curtis print #51689 requested by the Washington State Historical Society on June 1, 1977. View of unidentified male and female along side of train. The couple are wearing railroad caps. The man is wearing a white shirt and striped tie under his somewhat soiled uniform.

Railroad locomotives; Clothing & dress--1920-1930;

ca. 1920. Map of the Tacoma Speedway from about 1920 showing, in detail, the layout of the track and stands. Note that the prices for tickets to sit in the stands are listed. Seats in the open stands were $2.50 or $3.00 plus tax. Seats in the covered stands were $3.50 to $6.00 plus tax. In March of 1920, an arson occurred at the track, forcing massive reconstruction of the grandstands. All improvements would be in place in time for the 1920 225 mile classic, the biggest race in Tacoma's racing history. The Indy had placed a requirement that all top finishers compete in Tacoma and crowds turned out to see them. The new grandstands could seat 16,000, with 960 feet of the stands covered. There was room for 10,000 cars to park in the center of the 2 mile track and a tunnel for spectators to cross under the track to the stands. The new entries allowed cars to enter two abreast and they could cross a bridge from the main entrance into the center parking, even with the race in progress. Other improvements included fences, the pits, a water tower and a renewed track. The race would be 225 miles with a purse of $22,500, to be divided into seven prizes. Over 40,000 fans turned out to watch the race. Speedway-053 (TDL 6/20/20, pg. 1-C; 6/27/1920, pg. 1)

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

ca. 1920. Race car driver Joe Boyer and his riding mechanic posed in Boyer's Frontenac on an unidentified brick track in 1920. Boyer had led the pack in the 1920 Indianapolis 500 for the first 250 miles and then hit a brick wall, taking him out of the race. His Frontenac was the topic of much conversation, since the vehicle designed by the Chevrolet brothers had made its first appearance in the Indy. Boyer, a young millionaire from Chicago, would later compete in the July 5th 1920 Tacoma Classic. He was out of the race in the 97th lap. In 1924, Boyer was co-winner of the Indianapolis 500 replacing LL Corum during the race. Boyer was killed later that year in a crash at the Altoona Speedway. (TDL 6/27/1920, pg. B-2) Speedway 013

Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile racing drivers; Boyer, Joe;

ca. 1920. Ralph DePalma and his "mechanician," believed to be nephew Peter DePaolo, in the French Ballot No. 2, circa 1920. The Ballot was the only foreign entry in the 1920 Tacoma Classic racing event held at the Tacoma Speedway on July 5, 1920. International star DePalma had raced for twelve successive years and was known for driving hard and giving spectators their money's worth. The Ballot broke down prior to the actual July 5th race but Mr. DePalma still managed to compete in a borrowed Duesenberg. TPL-131 (TNT 7-1-20, p. 1, 11-article)

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

ca. 1920. Roscoe Sarles peeked around to be seen behind the grillwork of his Monroe racing car, circa 1920. Sarles was in Tacoma to compete in the Tacoma Classic on the board track of the Tacoma Speedway on July 5th, 1920. He drove car #5 and finished 5th in the race. He was a fearless driver and a ruthless opponent. He began racing by joining Louis Chevrolet's team in 1916. He had proved himself a successful competitor, but in September of 1922 his luck ran out. His Durant special snapped its steering wheel, swerved into another car, and was flipped over the edge of the track's rim, killing him. (TDL 7/4/1920,pg. 1C) TPL-113; Speedway 062

Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile racing drivers; Sarles, Roscoe; Monroe automobile;

ca. 1920. This is Art Klein, race car driver, in an informal outdoor portrait circa 1920. Mr. Klein had prior experience at the Tacoma Speedway when in 1914 he brought his King car directly from the Indy 500 to race alongside such contemporaries as Earl Cooper, Hughie Hughes and Wilbur D'Alene. He came in second in the 200-mile Golden Potlatch and third in the 250-mile Montamarathan. In 1920 he was part of the Frontenac team along with Joe Boyer, Jr. Mr. Klein, running on Oldfield tires, came in fourth with a $1700 payday. (TDL 7-6-20, p. 1-results)

Klein, Art; Automobile racing drivers; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930;

ca. 1920. Race car driver Art Klein, circa 1920. Art Klein was competing in the 1920 Tacoma Classic at the Tacoma Speedway. He had just finished 5th at the Indy 500, which would turn out to be his best finish in that race. In Tacoma, he finished 4th in his Frontenac race car, numbered "8." He raced professionally from 1914-1917 and again from 1919-1923 and built his own Kleinart Indy car. Born in 1889, he managed to survive professional racing; he died in 1955. (TDL 7/4/1920, pg. 1C)

Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1910-1920; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1910-1920; Automobile racing drivers; Klein, Art;

ca. 1920. This is speed king Jimmy Murphy (at left) with his mechanic, Ernie Olson, on the board track of the Tacoma Speedway circa the summer of 1920. He had entered the 9th annual race as a newcomer to the Pacific Northwest but had already started to establish himself as a rising star in the world of auto racing. He and his mechanic are standing in front of his Duesenberg, one of four entered in the July 5th race. The 1920 Tacoma race was filled with veteran well-known drivers including 1920 Indy 500 winner Gaston Chevrolet, NW favorite Eddie Hearne, Roscoe Sarles, Eddie O'Donnell, Ralph DePalma, Cliff Durant, Ralph Mulford and the eventual winner, Tommy Milton. Mr. Murphy drove well and finished sixth, claiming a payday of $1,100. In 1922 he returned to the Tacoma Speedway and won the last big race held there. (Tacoma Sunday Ledger 6-20-20, 3B-article; TDL 7-6-20, p. 1+-results)

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

ca. 1920. At the time of this picture in 1920, Tacoma had four flour mills, Tacoma Grain Company (pictured), Sperry, Puget Sound Flouring Mills and Albers Brothers Company. Together the mills created the largest flour production west of Minneapolis and Kansas City. The Tacoma Grain Co., producer of Pyramid Flour, was built in 1890 by the Northern Pacific Elevator Co. at what is now 7 Schuster Parkway. Its main feature was the 210 foot smoke stack (left of buildings.) It became the Centennial Flouring Mills in 1934. A fire destroyed the mill in January of 1947, and although the company tried to rebuild for a few years, the buildings were razed in 1950. (TDL 12/27/1920, pg. 6) BU- 13987

Tacoma Grain Co. (Tacoma); Flour & meal industry--Tacoma--1910-1920;

ca. 1920. Aerial view of the north side of Lakeview (now Lakewood) area, looking east, as photographed by Barnes Aviation in 1920. Building at left edge near center is Lakeview School. The road running left to right though the image is Pacific Highway with Northern Pacific Railroad tracks next to the road. This part of Lakewood was not highly developed at the time.

Aerial photographs; Aerial views; Lakeview School (Tacoma); Streets--Lakewood; Railroad tracks--Lakewood;

ca. 1920. Unidentified farm on unidentified lake probably in the Lakewood/Spanaway region of Pierce County. Aerial photograph was taken circa 1920 by the Barnes Aviation Co.

Aerial photographs; Farms--1920-1930; Lakes & ponds--Washington;

ca. 1920. Undated photograph of the Puget Sound Electric Railway #559, Seattle-Tacoma Interurban, emerging from what it believed to be the Massachusetts Street carbarn in Seattle. Originally manufactured at the St. Louis Car Co. in in 1909, #559 was rebuilt in 1921 and became the #520. The 520 was wrecked at Kent in 1927. (photograph courtesy of the Tom Stenger Collection) ("To Tacoma by Trolley" Wing)

Puget Sound Electric Railway (Tacoma); Mass transit--Tacoma; Electric railroads--Tacoma;

ca. 1920. Stack of wattles, or webbed sections, which form the screen of a salmon weir preventing the egress of the salmon. These were woven by the women, and to save labor, were laid by at the end of the fishing season while the main structure was left in the river. This photo was taken on the White River near the southwest corner of the Muckleshoot reservation circa 1920. (Caption from note typed on back of photo) (Photo donated by Arthur Ballard) TPL-8037

Fishing weirs--Washington; Fishing nets--Washington;

ca. 1920. Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad, Engine #10254. Copy of Asahel Curtis print #52236 requested by the Washington State Historical Society on June 1, 1977. The electric powered train pauses on the tracks circa 1920. This is one of the 60,000 Asahel Curtis images in the Washington State Historical Society collection.

Railroad locomotives; Railroads; Railroad tracks; Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad Co.;

ca. 1920. Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad, Engine #10253. This is an Asahel Curtis print, #46216, which was requested copied by the Washington State Historical Society on April 1, 1977. Three men are standing next to the electric powered engine, spaced far apart, with the man in the foreground seemingly prepared to give the "go ahead" signal. Photographer Curtis documented industry in Washington State as well as historic events and geographic features. He was based in Seattle and worked there until his death in 1941. 60,000 of his images are held in trust by the Washington State Historical Society. (www.wshs.org/wshm/online-exhibits/curtis/exhibitb.htm)

Railroad locomotives; Railroad cars; Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad Co.; Railroads;

A flyer for a "mass meeting at Washington School" on Tuesday, June 1 at 8:15p to discuss a new branch library for N. 26th and Proctor streets.

ca. 1920. Clyde D. Lloyd, one of the owners of the Sedro Box and Veneer Co. of Sedro-Woolley, Washington, poses with his favorite dog in his 1920 automobile. Copy of a customer's print. Lloyd, originally from Wisconsin, came west with the lumber industry and was a successful timber broker. In 1905, with an original investment of $6,000 each, William J. (Cottonwood Bill) Royse, Lloyd and Charles Peterson started the Sedro plant. For years the plant made only coffee and spice drums and berry baskets before beginning production of plywood panels in 1919. Royse was the colorful front man and Lloyd was the "all business" partner who anchored him. The Sedro plant was destroyed by fire December 4, 1924, but Lloyd played a vital role in lumber concerns in Bellingham after that time. ("The Plywood Age" by Robert M. Cour)

Lloyd, Clyde; Sedro Box and Veneer Co. (Sedro-Woolley); plywood; Lumber industry--Sedro-Woolley--1920-1930;

ca. 1920. A forest of logs waits for processing at the Sedro Box and Veneer Co. plant at Sedro Woolley, Washington. Around the time that the company began gluing fir panels, wages were a dollar a day for 10 hours of work and peelers were available for $3 a thousand. The plant produced fir panels for doors and one-side good panels for drawer bottoms. By 1924, orders were piling up and the plant was running at full capacity. ("The Plywood Age" by Robert M. Cour)

Sedro Box and Veneer Co. (Sedro-Woolley); plywood; Lumber industry--Sedro-Woolley--1920-1930; Mills--Sedro-Woolley--1920-1930;

ca. 1920. The "veneer canal at Sedro-Woolley", part of the Sedro Box and Veneer Co. plant at Sedro Woolley, Washington. The Douglas fir peeler logs were floated on the Skagit River to the area of the plant and brought to the mill by this canal. The same river that brought in the logs also frequently flooded the plant, including a major flood in January of 1918 that cost the plant $20,000. ("The Plywood Age" by Robert M. Cour)

Sedro Box and Veneer Co. (Sedro-Woolley); plywood; Lumber industry--Sedro-Woolley--1920-1930; Mills--Sedro-Woolley--1920-1930;

ca. 1920. The mill and some employees of the Sedro Box and Veneer Co. at Sedro Woolley, Washington. This photograph was taken in the early 1920's before the plant burned to the ground. The plant began plywood panel production in 1919 and by 1924 business was booming. Wages were a dollar a day for 10 hours and peelers were available at $3 a thousand. The plant employed 125 men and operated 24 hours a day. Then on December 4, 1924, the entire plant was destroyed by fire. There was little insurance and that went to the bank that supplied the money for the rebuild after the 1918 fire. The owners thanked the volunteer firemen for their valiant effort to save the plant and went out of business. ("The Plywood Age" by Robert M. Cour)

Sedro Box and Veneer Co. (Sedro-Woolley); plywood; Lumber industry--Sedro-Woolley--1920-1930; Mills--Sedro-Woolley--1920-1930;