Pierce County agricultural scene. A curving dirt or gravel road is pictured in June of 1921 with a barn and farmhouse with additional buildings in the background. Wood-and-wire fences separate the barn and pasture from the other buildings. A variety of trees form a greenbelt to the back of the property.

Barns; Farms; Fences; Roads--Washington;

The ship "Liberator" is berthed at Terminal Dock while taking on cargo in June of 1921. Stadium High School, Stadium Bowl and the Washington State Historical Society building overlook the bay and the ship. The steamer had arrived from New York via ports on June 11th with a shipment of general cargo. The 6,027-ton ship sailed on June 13th for New York with a shipment of flour from Puget Sound Mills. TPL-6468; G49.1-064 (TDL 6-7-21, p. 7-article; TDL 6-10-21, p. 7-article)

Shipping--Tacoma--1920-1930; Piers & wharves--Tacoma--1920-1930; Cargo ships--Tacoma--1920-1930; Stadium High School (Tacoma); Stadium Bowl (Tacoma); Washington State Historical Building (Tacoma); Washington State Historical Society (Tacoma);

Solta The small fishing boat, the "Solta," cruises through the serene waters of Puget Sound in June of 1921. The unidentified man pictured above may be her skipper. The "Solta" was built by Visko Lisicich and was the first of three boats built by him. The others were the "Planet" and the "Helen L." The "Solta" was named after the island of Solta where Mr. Lisicich was born and raised. She was believed to have been built in Dockton on Vashon Island. In addition, the "Helen L." was named after Mr. Lisicich's daughter, Helen Lisicich Kokich. TPL-452; G34.1-083 (Additional information provided by a family member)

Fishing boats;

Unidentified building at Camp Murray as photographed in June of 1921. Railroad tracks located close by would make transporting men and equipment easier. Camp Murray was the home of the Washington National Guard and was located near American Lake. TPL-6466; G77.1-012

Camp Murray (Wash.); Railroad tracks--Camp Murray;

Arsenal at Camp Murray. The Arsenal was built on the grounds of Camp Murray in 1915 and nearly a hundred years later, is now the museum of the Washington National Guard. Here historical artifacts are collected and preserved to inspire and educate past and present Guardsmen and citizens alike. TPL-6467; G77.1-010

Camp Murray (Wash.); Arsenal (Camp Murray);

The upscale Ingleside Sunken Gardens was built in 20 days in 1921, with ground broken May 20 and the club opened early in June by owner/manager R.J. Fitzgerald. It was named the "Sunken Gardens" in tribute to Chicago's Green Mill Gardens, although it appears that there were no real gardens on the premises.Built at a cost of $20,000, the club would provide a location for dinner dances, theater parties and banquets for the Society Set. It was located on Pacific Highway in Lakewood, near the Country Club. The one story structure was mostly taken up by the large dining and dance hall with its 4000 square feet of hardwood dance floor. Twenty eight sets of French doors led from the dance floor to the promenade veranda that surrounded it, all enclosed with French windows. Kitchens and two banquet rooms took the remainder of the space. The dance hall had 120 specially designed tables that resembled flowers and seated 500 and a decorated balcony that housed the 6 piece orchestra. The "gardens" were eighteen miles of lattice work intertwined with $2,000 worth of ever-blooming artificial flowers. The club was open year round until it was destroyed by fire in 1936. (TNT 6/19/1921, pg. B-5- photo, 5/22/1921, pg. A-5) BU-13356

Ingleside Sunken Gardens (Lakewood); Dance halls--Lakewood; Taverns (Inns)--Lakewood;

Dining al fresco in heavily wooded Manitou Park on June 16, 1921 are two out-of-state tourists. Travelers came equipped with canvas tents, cooking supplies and even comfortable folding chairs all stuffed into their automobiles. Most visitors only stayed one night at the free campgrounds before moving on. 1921 was a busy summer camping season for Manitou Park: it was estimated that about 11,000 tourists visited the park in roughly 2,770 cars. It was a large increase from the previous year's totals of 3,600 visitors and 900 cars as word-of-mouth spread about the beauty of the Northwest and the welcome accommodations . (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 6-19-21, E-7; TNT 7-18-21, p. 3-article; TNT 9-21-21, p. 8-article )

Camping--Tacoma--1920-1930; Manitou Park (Tacoma);

This unidentified family of three is camped under the shade of tall trees at Manitou Park in South Tacoma in mid-June of 1921. A canvas tent is rigged over an automobile and folding chairs provided for relaxing. Two bottles of milk rest on top of a small table built onto the car's running board. Visitors to the park praised it for its beauty and cleanliness and it was a favorite stopping point for thousands of out-of-state tourists. The 10-acre Manitou Park was divided into three sections with three acres set aside for free camping for tourists only. Locals were invited to use a three-acre section for picnics or enjoy four acres of green lawns and shade trees. TPL-5859; G41.1-013 (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 6-19-21, E-7; TNT 7-18-21, p. 3-article)

Camping--Tacoma--1920-1930; Manitou Park (Tacoma);

Kitchen and dining room - Manitou Park, a ten-acre park located on the outskirts of South Tacoma. Three acres were set aside only for tourists for camping purposes. The Metropolitan Park board had erected a dining hall with ten tables, four stoves, piped-in water and made the ground level for tents. Surrounded by towering trees, the open-air kitchen featured a large fireplace while the adjacent dining room was framed on all sides. Although many visitors brought their own small portable stoves, they were welcome to use the camp's dining facilities, especially when it rained. G77.1-011 (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 6-19-21, E-7; TNT 7-18-21, p. 3-article)

Camping--Tacoma--1920-1930; Manitou Park (Tacoma);

Horse-drawn mail carts and 19th Century houses, seen in the background, were still prevalent in Tacoma's Central Business District when a postal employee posed with his rig in front of the 12th Street entrance to the Federal Building in June of 1921. The Federal Building housed the Main branch of the U.S. Post Office. The horse-drawn carts transported mail prior to the advent of motorized vehicles. TPL-164; G42.1-114

Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Federal Building (Tacoma); Mail wagons--Tacoma--1920-1930; Postal service--1920-1930; Postal service employees--Tacoma--1920-1930; Letter carriers--Tacoma--1920-1930;

The Antlers Lodge, a historic hunting lodge located on the shores of the original Lake Cushman, as it appeared in June of 1921. On November 18, 1925, it was burned to the ground in a planned blaze intended to clear the Cushman Basin. Its location now lies under 160 feet of water in the expanded Lake Cushman created by the 1925 Cushman Dam that supplies power to Tacoma. The lodge was built by Russell Homan in the late years of the 19th century. Homan, the son of Erie Railway vice president Gilson Homan, and his partner Stanley Hopper, of the Singer sewing machine family, attracted a clientele of high society from New York, the East and the Northwest. The hotel's heyday was from 1890-1910, when the lodge was reached by stage coach and the average stay was one month. The popularity of the automobile shortened the trips to weekends and the lodge fell into disrepair. Homan was living nearby but no longer managing the Antlers at the time of its sale to Tacoma Public Utilities. (TNT 10/31/1925, pg. 1; 11/18/25, pg. 18)

Antlers (Lake Cushman); Lodges--Lake Cushman; Resorts--Lake Cushman; Cushman Dam #1 (Lake Cushman); Dams--Lake Cushman; Dam construction;

According to photographer Marvin Boland's notes, the above barn and chicken house were part of the Putnam Ranch in 1921. The exact location of the ranch was not given but is possibly the W.T. Putnam ranch which was the first settlement on the original Lake Cushman. Mr. Putnam sold his 300-acre ranch with farm house, barn, machine yard, water tower and misc. buildings to the City of Tacoma for $60,000. The property would be burned in late October of 1925 in preparation for the greater Lake Cushman as it would soon be under 160 feet of water. (TNT 10-31-25, p. 1-article on burning)

Barns; Poultry houses;

Unidentified group of buildings, probably part of a farm, as photographed in June of 1921. Water tower on right. G6.1-013

Farms; Water towers;

Several rowboats from the Antlers Lodge are moored on placid Lake Cushman in June of 1921. This is the original Lake Cushman prior to its expansion in 1925. The Antlers Lodge was a hunting lodge located on the shores of Lake Cushman which had catered to wealthy patrons. They had flocked to relax at the pristine lake which was fed by the icy waters of the Skokomish River. Fishing tackle and rowboats were supplied by the Antlers Lodge so that visitors could try their luck at the trout-filled lake. By 1921 the lodge had seen its heyday pass and in 1925 it would be deliberately set ablaze as part of the planned clearing of Cushman Basin. (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 6-19-21, C-1-article on Lake Cushman)

Rowboats; Lake Cushman (Wash.);

A veteran of the road, F.A. Read, is pictured in the "Official Car" of the Automobile Club of Western Washington. It was fortunate for him that on this rainy day in June of 1921 his 490 Chevrolet roadster with special built body came equipped with a hardtop. Automobile tires were much narrower then, as viewed above, and he prudently carried a spare which was mounted outside the driver's side. Mr. Read, an employee of the Automobile Club of Western Washington, spent most of his time mapping new roads which involved much travel. He appreciated his Chevrolet for its low operating cost and ability to roam where other vehicles may have had difficulty. G11.1-050 (T.Times 7-2-21, p. 10)

Chevrolet automobile; Tires; Read, F.A.;

In July of 1921, the employees of the Cushman Hospital were treated to a dance at the "K.C. Bldg." The merrymakers posed for this group portrait in the center of the vast ballroom festooned with crepe paper streamers and decorated with American flags for the upcoming Independence Day. In the center of the group is the drummer and fellow band members of the musical entertainment, Mahoney's Red Peppers. The band was a family affair led by Mrs. Ada Mahoney, who played the violin, and her sons who played the drums and banjo. The "K.C. Bldg." possibly refers to the Knights of Columbus Hall located at 718-20 Broadway from 1919-1928. G25.1-016

Dance parties--Tacoma--1920-1930; Cushman Hospital (Tacoma)--People; Mahoney's Red Hot Peppers (Tacoma); Musicians--Tacoma--1920-1930; Drums;

Smoker - K.C. Bldg. Cushman Hospital This large hall in the "K.C.Bldg." was used for multiple events including dances and on this day in July of 1921, wrestling or boxing matches. A large crowd has gathered for this "smoker." They may have been employees or patients of the Cushman Hospital, a hospital for veterans located on the site of the former Puyallup Indian School, 2002 E. 28th St. If the two men in the ring are going to box, they will do so sans gloves. G53.1-128

Crowds--Tacoma--1920-1930; Sports spectators--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Twenty thousand race fans crowded into the covered grandstands of the Tacoma Speedway to watch the July 4, 1921 Speedway Classic. The drivers, mechanics and race officials stand on the board track prior to the start of the 250 mile race. The race cars are lined up on the track three abreast, with the Marmon Speedster pace car in the lead. In the front row are, left to right, #6 Roscoe Sarles' Duesenberg, #1 Eddie Hearne's Revere Special and #3 Frank Elliott's Leach Special. Middle row: #5 Joe Thomas's Duesenberg, #7 Eddie Miller's car, #2 Tommy Milton's Durant Special. Last row: #27 Tom Alley's Frontenac, #12 Anton Soules' Frontenac, #21 Eddie Pullen's Duesenberg. The crowd was treated to an exciting race where Tommy Milton repeated his win of the previous year, breaking all distance speed records with an average speed of 98 mph. He completed the race in 2:34:00, followed closely by Sarles at 2:34:52. (TDL 7/2/1921 - 7/5/21, all pg. 1) G51.1-081

Racetracks--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racing automobiles--1920-1930; Grandstands--Lakewood;

On July 4, 1921, some of the cars participating in the 10th annual Speedway Classic are lined up on the board track. In the lead is #27 Tom Alley's Frontenac followed by #1 Eddie Hearne's big white Revere Special. The Marmon Speedster pace car, which would be driven by Ray Harroun, brings up the rear. In the background is the judge's viewing tower. Twenty thousand fans turned out to cheer on the 9 drivers in the 250 mile race. The drivers finished in the following order: Milton, Sarles, Thomas, Hearne, Alley and Miller. Pullen and Elliott were flagged off the track at the completion of the race. Soules did not complete the race, leaving on the 61st lap with a blown piston. (TDL 7/5/1921, pg. 1) G51.1-067

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

On July 4, 1921, at 2:30 in the afternoon, the flag dropped starting the 10th annual Tacoma Speedway Classic. Nine drivers had entered the 250 mile race. It was driven on Tacoma's infamous board track and had a purse of $25,000, to be divided nine ways. On the right is the pace car, a Marmon Speedster, carrying referee Eddie Rickenbacker and pace maker Ray Harroun. The car would pace the drivers for one lap before the race actually took off. Rickenbacker was a former star of the race track and a famous ace of the air and Harroun was also a veteran driver. Harroun was a last minute replacement for Louis Chevrolet. The car on the left of the pace car is #6, the Duesenberg driven by Roscoe Sarles. Sarles had earned the pole position by driving at the top speed of 101 mph during the trials. The race was won by favorite Tommy Milton. Milton broke all speed records for distance with his average speed of 98 mph. (TDL 7/4/1921, pg. 1; 7/5/21, pg. 1) G51.1-082

Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930;

Haering's Grocetorium celebrated the opening of its newest store, Store No. 4., in July of 1921. The latest Haering's, built at a cost of about $4,500 by P.C. Walesby, was located at the corner of E. 63rd and McKinley in the Hillsdale neighborhood. It was a one-story brick building, both fireproof and ratproof, and contained two store rooms. Nicolaus Haering (standing in front of the telephone pole) founded the successful chain in 1913. The stores were among the first in the Northwest to feature "help yourself service" (self service), on a cash only, no delivery basis. Skeptics became regular customers, drawn back by lower prices. The chain eventually operated 12 stores in the Tacoma area. G56.2-090; TPL-6349 (TDL 6-12-21, B-5-article)

Grocery stores--Tacoma--1920-1930; Haering's Grocetorium (Tacoma);

Haering's opened a new brick one-story grocery store in the Hillsdale neighborhood on the east side of town in July of 1921. It was the first of several new buildings to house the rapidly growing firm; more would be built in different parts of the city. The store was designed and built by P.C. Walesby for about $4500. Employees of the company are pictured above enjoying a celebratory banquet inside the store. Haering's Grocetorium promoted the "self-service" form of shopping as a means to keep prices low. As the signs inside the store indicated, smart shoppers could purchase five cans of Del Monte corn for $1.00, flour for $2.20, ginger snaps and citrus for 25 cents. "Help Yourself" seemed to be the store's byword. (TDL 6-12-21, B-5-article); TDL 7-11-21, p. 7-article)

Grocery stores--Tacoma--1920-1930; Haering's Grocetorium (Tacoma);

The staff of the Tacoma Hotel stood ready to serve the 348 hungry diners at the P.C.A.C.A. annual banquet held on July 7, 1921 on the grounds of the famous hotel. Waitresses were prepared to hoist large round trays filled with plates of chicken and vegetables which had been kept warm by steam tables. Diners were able to admire the 11th Street (now Murray Morgan) Bridge and the hotel's gardens. The Pacific Coast Advertising Clubs Association held their annual convention in Tacoma from July 3-10, 1921. Delegates were headquartered at the Tacoma Hotel and were treated to rounds of business meetings, excursions and picnics. The annual banquet was followed by a dance. (TDL 7-7-21, p. 1-article; Tacoma Sunday Ledger 7-10-21, A-12-article)

Banquets--Tacoma--1920-1930; Tacoma Hotel (Tacoma); 11th Street Bridge (Tacoma); Meetings--Tacoma--1920-1930;

The tip of Mount Rainier (called Mount Tacoma by Tacomans at that time) is barely visible through heavy cloud cover on this mid-July day in 1921. In the foreground is Dock Street next to the City (now called Thea Foss) Waterway. The Tacoma Steam Boiler Works, Ryan Fruit Company and the Dock St. steam plant (Consumers Central Heating Co.) with tall smokestack adjoin the waterway. G27.1-081

Smokestacks--Tacoma--1920-1930; Tacoma Steam Boiler Works (Tacoma); Ryan Fruit Co. (Tacoma); Rainier, Mount (Wash.); City Waterway (Tacoma); Commercial streets--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Cliff Avenue improvement. Construction of the ramp to Stadium Way (then called Cliff Ave.) is underway in July of 1921. Pacific Avenue in the back of the Central Police Station located in (Old) City Hall has been torn up with mounds of gravel, stacks of lumber and piles of cement bricks scattered around the area. Albertson, Cornell & Walsh won a contract with their sole bid of $153,535 for improvements to Cliff Avenue and a viaduct around City Hall. A reinforced concrete viaduct will lead from Pacific Avenue around the east side of (Old) City Hall to Cliff Avenue below the gulch. A concrete retaining wall will be built across the gulch and Cliff Avenue will be paved from Commerce to Division, 30-feet wide with concrete. (TNT 6-17-21, p. 1-article; Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 7-10-21, B-5)

Progress photographs; Road construction--Tacoma--1920-1930; Old City Hall (Tacoma);

Even in summer, Mount Rainier (then called Mount Tacoma by locals) had a sprinkling of snow on its cap. This is an image taken in July of 1921 by photographer Marvin Boland. The roofline of an unidentified building blends neatly in the wooded background. This may be part of Paradise Inn. G76.1-065

Rainier, Mount (Wash.);

Two of the entries in the 1921 Tacoma Speedway Classic are pictured above, with Tom Alley's #27 Frontenac lined up ahead of Eddie Hearne's #1 Revere. It was Mr. Alley's first visit to Washington State although he was a veteran driver and considered one of the pioneers of racing. Mr. Hearne's white Revere was the same car he drove in 1920 when he finished third. The finishing line in 1922 saw these two cars switched in position: Mr. Hearne finished fourth with a time of 2:39:42, an eye-blink ahead of Mr. Alley's 2:39:44. Finishing fourth garnered Mr. Hearne $1,750 and 80 championship driving points while Mr. Alley's fifth place finish won him $1,500 and 50 championship points. The field of nine fast cars saw Tommy Milton nose out Roscoe Sarles for the $10,000 first place prize. (TNT 7-5-21, p. 1,2-results) G52.1-018

Alley, Tom; Hearne, Eddie; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Racing automobiles--1920-1930; Frontenac automobile; Revere automobile;

Frank Elliott was returning to race in the July 4th, 1921, Tacoma Speedway Classic after an absence of several years. His last appearance in Tacoma was the 1915 Inter-city race. He was replacing Howard Wilcox as the driver of a Leach Special in the 1921 race. Elliott began racing in 1914 as an amateur, driving a souped up Ford that he built himself. He is #56 on the All Time Champ Car World Series Victories, with 5 career wins. Speedway-091 (TDL 7/3/1921, pg. C-3)

Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Elliott, Frank; Automobile racing drivers;

In 1921, Edward "Eddie" Miller was in Tacoma for his second local appearance at the July 4th Tacoma Speedway Classic. He had been slated to race in 1920, and then loaned his car out in a two way swap with Ralph DePalma and Eddie O'Donnell. He was accompanied by his bride of two weeks. Although Miller would be driving during the race, he had spent most of this career as a mechanic. Associated with the Duesenberg race team since 1916, he had riden as a mechanic with six drivers. He had also built twenty-three race cars, more than any other driver or mechanic. Speedway-126 (TDL 7/3/1921, pg. C-1)

Miller, Edward; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile racing drivers;

Novice driver Alton Soules, 28, posed at the Tacoma Speedway in July of 1921. Soules raced a Frontenac in the 1921 Speedway Classic where he had the lead from the second to the sixty-first lap when his old pistons failed and the connecting rod broke. The native of Toledo, Ohio had started racing as a driver in 1920, specializing in board tracks. Previously he had ridden as mechanic with racing greats Joe Thomas, Eddie Pullen, Wilbur D'Alene, Omar Toft and Hughie Hughes. He was the nephew of Charlie Soules, who held the world record for a 24 hour run on a dirt road. After the Tacoma race, Alton Soules was planning to race at Santa Rosa, Uniontown, San Francisco, Fresno and Los Angeles. He never made it to Los Angeles; Soules and his riding mechanic Harry Barner were killed in an accident on lap 75 at the Fresno Speedway on October 1, 1921. (TDL 7/3/1921, pg. C-6; TNT 7-5-21, p. 1,2--results; www.motorsportmemorial.org)

Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Soules, Alton; Automobile racing drivers;