Truck and automobile accident at 24th and D Streets. Large truck turned on side on top of automobile.

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

The interior of one of the Libby Boats showing the wooden hull. The Libby series of seiners were 48' x 14.6'. Ordered by Birchfield Boiler, Bob Dohrer.

Birchfield Boiler, Inc. (Tacoma); Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Fishing boats--Tacoma--1950-1960; Ship trials--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Sea trials of the newest Libby Boats. Ordered by Birchfield Boiler, Bob Dohrer. Two of the five Libby boats built for Libby, McNeil and Libby of Seattle during 1950 and 1951 for fishing in Alaska. They were powered by Chrysler Royal marine engines with 3.16 to 1 reduction gears from National Supply Engine Corp of Seattle and equipped with Onan generators from Fremeon Electric Company of Seattle. A Rowe seine winch was operated off the power takeoff from the main engine. (Marine Digest, 7/28/1951; Pacific Fisherman, Yearbook 1951, p.124)

Birchfield Boiler, Inc. (Tacoma); Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Fishing boats--Tacoma--1950-1960; Ship trials--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Launching the "Historic" at J.M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corporation. Sponsored by Mrs. Carl Silva, wife of the engineer-to-be and part owner, the new tuna clipper was built for Oliver Verissimo and Assoc. of San Diego TPL-9049

Launchings--Tacoma--1950-1960; Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Fishing boats--Tacoma--1950-1960; J.M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corp. (Tacoma);

More than 20 new Ford trucks for Jordan Baking Company are lined up in front of the bakery. The new fleet of 45 Jordan Baking Company trucks, painted blue and white, had already begun distribution of the firm's new and improved loaf, "Sunbeam Bread". Art Jordan, owner of the company, is standing on the far left. Ordered by Mallon Motors, Inc. (TNT, 3/6/1952, p.16)

Jordan Baking Co. (Tacoma); Trucks--Tacoma--1950-1960; Ford trucks; Jordan, Arthur K.; Bakeries--Tacoma;

Honoring old time employees aboard the "Thea Foss". Two women enjoying event in cabin of boat. Portrait of Thea Foss on cabinet behind pair. Foss Tug and Launch Company.

Foss Launch & Tug Co. (Tacoma); Tugboats--Tacoma--1950-1960; Foss Launch & Tug Co. (Tacoma)--employees;

Exposure aboard the "Thea Foss" tugboat honoring longtime employees of the Foss Launch & Tug Company. The man standing in the rear of the picture is Henry O. Foss, President of the company. Foss was a family owned business that both built and operated tug boats. The Foss empire was begun by Thea Foss, a Norwegian immigrant, in 1889 when she scraped up five dollars to buy a neighbor's rowboat, spruced it up & sold it at a profit. She was soon purchasing and renting a fleet of rowboats, with the assistance of her husband Andrew. From rowboats, they branched out into motorized launches and tug boats.

Foss Launch & Tug Co. (Tacoma); Tugboats--Tacoma--1950-1960; Foss Launch & Tug Co. (Tacoma)--employees; Foss, Henry O., 1891-1986;

Griffin Fuel Co. delivery truck in front of company headquarters at 1910 Commerce St. Fred L. Griffin began business in Tacoma with a horse and wagon hauling wood, ice, furniture, pianos and other commodities. The senior Griffin did most of the wood cutting and hauling himself; even after the business expanded he continued to work with the hired hands. In 1904, the company moved from 15th and Dock St. to 1910 Commerce Street and gradually ceased all sidelines and concentrated on fuel dealing. By the 1950s, the firm was the oldest and largest exclusive fuel dealing concern west of Chicago and operator of the largest and most modern fleet of trucks on the West Coast. TPL-9961

Griffin Fuel Co. (Tacoma); Trucks--Tacoma--1950-1960; Fuel--Tacoma--1950-1960;

On the evening of March 19, 1951, a major fire broke out at the Baker Dock, 300 Schuster Parkway, on Tacoma's waterfront when a lift truck that was receiving maintenance backfired. Gil Keske, the dock employee who was working on the lift truck when it backfired, tried to put out the fire with a hand fire extinguisher. When the extinguisher failed to put out the fire, he grabbed a few handtools and escaped before the whole repair shop caught fire. The fire was fought by 9 fire department companies, the city fireboat and 4 Foss Launch & Tug Co. firefighting tugs. The damage to the center section of the warehouse, dock and contents was estimated at $250,000. A fire wall and the absence of a wind aided firemen in keeping the blaze from spreading to the remainder of the facility and the adjoining Shaffer Terminal. (TNT 3/20/1951, pg. 1)

Fires--Tacoma--1950-1960; Baker Dock (Tacoma); Fireboats--Tacoma--1950-1960;

For George Boldt. Blood stains on highway at Sixth Avenue and Stevens. Chevrolet two-door coupe with rear skirts parked in residential neighborhood. License plate is B66235. Photograph taken on November 24, 1951.

Chevrolet automobile;

On July 29, 1950, the Tacoma Naval Station was the scene of the recommissioning of the escort carrier U.S.S. Sitkoh Bay (CVE-86), twenty days after the orders came through to "take her out of mothballs". Captain H.B. Butterfield, representing the Commander Pacific Reserve Fleet, read the directive placing the ship in commission. Captain C.W. Lord accepted command of the ship from Captain Butterfield. The Sitkoh Bay, named for a small bay in southeastern Alaska, was originally commissioned in Astoria, Oregon, on March 28, 1944. The escort carrier participated in many engagements during World War II, including Palau, the Philippines, Okinawa, and Japan. The Sitkoh Bay transported a total of 2032 aircraft, 10,716 passengers and traveled 182,618 miles before being decommissioned at the end of the war. (TNT 7-30-50, p.1)

U.S.S. Sitkoh Bay; Aircraft carriers;

A new Dodge truck is on display at the Irwin-Jones Motor Company's truck department at 1625 South Tacoma Way. The Dodge is emblazed with the A.J. Corwin Dist. Co.'s name on the driver's door and Stordor Wholesale on the side panel. The Dodge was one of several new trucks ordered for the Corwin Company in the summer of 1950.

Dodge trucks; Automobile dealerships--Tacoma; Irwin-Jones Motor Co. (Tacoma); Trucks--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Phil Seymour, a North-end auto mechanic, built this cabin cruiser, "Sea-More", with friends in idle moments over a period of nine months outside his auto shop. Seymour hands a pair of slacks to a woman kneeling on top of the boat. His auto repair shop, Seymour's Big Six Garage, is shown in the background. (T.Times 4/26/43 p.1.)

Boats--Tacoma--1940-1950; World War, 1939-1945--Transportation--Tacoma; Coast defenses--Tacoma--1940-1950; Couples--Tacoma--1940-1950; Seymour, Phil; Seymour's Big Six Garage (Tacoma);

Three of the Coast Guard's fire barges are photographed during the May 7, 1943 drill off Old Town Dock. The vessels can pump 4,000 gallons of water a minute each and move very quickly across the water. (T. Times 5/8/1943, pg. 3)

Fireboats--Tacoma--1940-1950; Commencement Bay (Wash.);

Coast Guard off Old Town Dock in Commencement Bay with fire barges. The fire barges are displaying streams of water used to extinguish marine fires. Brown's Point is visible in the background. (T.Times, 5/10/43, p.14.)

Fireboats--Tacoma--1940-1950; Commencement Bay (Wash.);

One of the five Coast Guard fire barges stationed in Tacoma showed off its pumping ability during a May 7, 1943 drill. The barges were propelled by two engines at the rear and could move across the water very rapidly. (T. Times 5/8/1943, pg. 3)

Fireboats--Tacoma--1940-1950; Commencement Bay (Wash.);

In 1943, Tacoma was bustin' at the seams with war workers, most of whom used mass transit. The Tacoma Transit Co. took this opportunity to run an advertisement in the Tacoma Times asking people to be courteous and exit through the back door of the bus, leaving the front door for entering passengers. (T.Times 2/25/1943, pg. 25)

Mass transit--Tacoma; Buses--Tacoma--1940-1950; Tacoma Transit Co. (Tacoma);

ca. 1943. An emergency ambulance is parked by a large wooden building circa 1943. Ordered by (Harry) Satterlee, secretary of the Teamsters, Chauffeurs, Warehousemen & Helpers Union No. 313.

Ambulances;

ca. 1943. Electric automobile. Man stands beside open door of classy electric automobile in pristine condition. It's parked in front of Puget Sound Battery Company. Bergh-Griggs Company building on right. (T. Times).

Electric automobiles; Puget Sound Battery Co. (Tacoma);

ca. 1943. Fishing Fleet. A man waves "so-long" from the deck of a fishing vessel in this circa 1943 photograph. An American flag has been hoisted behind him. The man's name was not provided.

Fishing boats--1940-1950; Flags--United States;

Coverage of twin launching at McNeil. Boat with flags strung from bow to bow moored in water next to wharf. Markings indicate that it was a U.S. Army tugboat, either T-88 or T-89, both of which were launched at McNeil on June 17, 1943. Both tugs were 65-ft. long with 16-ft beams. Douglas fir was used for everything except stem, sternposts and trim. The tugs were powered by Diesel engines. They were built for the Army Transport Service by McNeil Island inmates. (T.Times 6-18-1943, p. 1,3- alt. photo)

Launchings--McNeil Island; Boat & ship industry--McNeil Island; Tugboats--McNeil Island;

Coverage of twin launchings at McNeil Island. Vessel in water adjacent to wharf with a one-story building on it. 100 guests from the Mainland and proud inmate builders celebrated the launching of two 65-ft. tugboats built for the U.S. Army on June 17, 1943. WWII saw the revival of the shipbuilding program on McNeil which had seen the last ship constructed there by inmates way back in 1907. By June of 1943, three ships had been launched and of the three, one delivered to the Army in November of 1942. (T.Times 6-18-1943, p. 1,3-various photographs)

Launchings--McNeil Island; Boat & ship industry--McNeil Island; Tugboats--McNeil Island;

Coverage of twin launchings at McNeil Island. Close view of decorated wooden vessel, one of two sister tugs, waiting to be sent down the ways on June 17, 1943. Many spectators lean eagerly over the railings overlooking the ship. The tugs were built by prison labor. (T.Times 6-18-1943, p. 1,3-alt. photo)

Launchings--McNeil Island; Boat & ship industry--McNeil Island; Tugboats--McNeil Island;

ca. 1944. War Street. Downtown Tacoma display of World War II artillery and military equipment circa 1944. A soldier explains the mechanical equipment and functions of a U. S. Army tank to five women.

Tanks (Military science)--Tacoma; Military personnel--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Petrich Boat Building. US Army Transportation Corps. Hull no. 8 - TP225, 96' Wooden Utility Boat, Design #333, Petrich Shipbuilding Corp., Tacoma.

U.S. Army Transportation Corps; Boats--Tacoma--1940-1950; World War, 1939-1945--Transportation--Tacoma; Petrich Shipbuilding Corp. (Tacoma);

Peterson boat "Americano." Peterson Boat Building Co. was founded by George Peterson in 1942. They are a small but busy shipyard who recently received a government contract to build Army tugs. View of "Americano," a tuna clipper built by Peterson Boat Building Co. TPL-8866

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

Peterson boat "Americano." View of fishing boat taken on July 10, 1944, probably in Commencement Bay. Peterson Boat Building Co. was founded by George Peterson in 1942. They are a small but busy shipyard. Peterson Boat Building Company's general manager was George J. Peterson, the company's plant was located on 223 East F Street in Tacoma. View of "Americano," a tuna clipper built by Peterson Boat Building Co. TPL-8997

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

The U.S. Army tug ST-472 was launched by Pacific Boat Building Co. on March 5, 1944. The wood ship is pictured above sliding down the ways.

Launchings--Tacoma--1940-1950; Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Tugboats--Tacoma--1940-1950; Pacific Boat Building Co. (Tacoma);

Sea Boy launching. Sea Boy is the 10th boat built and the 9th launched from the Puget Sound Boatbuilding Corp. site. It is the fourth seine boat built at this shipyard. View of Sea Boy, an 85 ft. sardine boat being launched into City Waterway (T. Times, 7/1/44, p. 4). TPL-8865

Launchings--Tacoma--1940-1950; Fishing boats--Tacoma; Puget Sound Boat Building Corp. (Tacoma);

This is the newly launched Tug ST-472 on March 5, 1944. She was built by Pacific Boat Building Co. of Tacoma for the U.S. Army.

Launchings--Tacoma--1940-1950; Tugboats--Tacoma--1940-1950; Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Pacific Boat Building Co. (Tacoma);