In February of 1941, a British American War Relief Committee ambulance was on display in front of the Beverly Theater, at 916-18 Broadway. The offices of the British American War Relief Headquarters can be seen upstairs at 914 1/2 Broadway. The ambulance was on a fund raising tour prior to being shipped to Britain. (T. Times 2/8/1941, pg. 3)
Ambulances--1940-1950; World War, 1939-1945--Ambulances--Tacoma; British American War Relief Committee (Tacoma); Beverly Theater (Tacoma);
ca. 1935. Three men beside Ford truck loaded with large rocks on South 12th Street by National Bank of Tacoma and Post Office. Sign on truck reads "The 1935 Double Duty Ford V8 Truck. Ask for a Demonstration - H.E. Stimpson Motor Company ......." (filed with Argentum)
Ford trucks--1930-1940; Stimpson Motor Co. (Tacoma);
ca. 1935. Three men sitting on large rocks on back of a Ford flatbed truck on A Street by Pioneer Bindery and 4L Hall. For H.E. Stimpson Motor Company. (filed with Argentum)
Ford trucks--1930-1940; Stimpson Motor Co. (Tacoma);
Unidentified man in dark suit poses with an Oldsmobile coupe automobile parked in front of the Seymour Conservatory in Wright Park. This photograph was taken on behalf of the American Automobile Association (A.A.A) on February 24, 1938.
American Automobile Association (Tacoma); Oldsmobile automobile; Seymour Conservatory (Tacoma); Wright Park (Tacoma); Parks--Tacoma--1930-1940; Greenhouses--Tacoma--1930-1940;
Eight Mack trucks parked in row outside White Truck Co. F.S. Harmon & Co. in background. Richards Studio notes list the address as 2202 A St. (filed with Argentum)
ca. 1937. Automobile accident at 4th and M Streets circa 1937. Man on right wearing suit and cap and holding booklet. Younger man on left wearing short sleeved ribbed shirt and felt hat and holding a folded sheet of paper. It is possible that they are exchanging information.
ca. 1938. Two unidentified drivers stand next to two Edwards Fuel Company oil trucks parked outside the company's service station circa 1938. Company owner Leon Edwards is the man next to the automobile at the far right. His station was located in the 700 block of East 11th St., across the 11th Street Bridge. (T. Times)
1937 Ford Coupe, license A132701, at White Arrow Service Station on Seattle Highway for Loyalty Group, Seattle. Mr. Waters, attorney. 1937 Ford automobile (same vehicle as D12209 image 3), damage photographed from the driver's side on November 21, 1941.
Wrecked semi-truck at 19th and Pacific Avenue. Goodyear Tire sign and gas pumps of Shaub - Ellison Company in background. The 25-ton truck had been involved in a fatal car-truck head-on collision at 19th & Pacific on late Friday evening, August 30, 1940. It had skidded to the north entrance of Shaub-Ellison Co., remained upright, and landed on the sidewalk. Killed was the Packard coupe driver, 35-year-old Virgil Jones, a Tacoma boilermaker with Seattle-Tacoma Shipyards. Injured were his three passengers as well as the truck driver, M.L. Burr and Mr. Burr's passenger. Virgil Jones was the city's 11th death in 1940. Photograph taken for the United Pacific Insurance Co. (T.Times 8-31-1940, p. 1+, article-only)
Traffic accidents--Tacoma--1940-1950; Trucks--Tacoma--1940-1950; Portland-Seattle Auto Freight, Inc. (Seattle); Shaub-Ellison Co. (Tacoma); Death--Tacoma;
In April of 1941, Fuel Oil Service Corp. celebrated their 10th anniversary by moving to their new business location, 816 A St. The company that specialized in fuel oils was completely Tacoma owned and operated. It was founded by Mark Dolliver and Roger Stewart. The company was the local distributor for Standard Burner Oil and had a fleet of five delivery trucks, the most modern in the west. Picture in front of their new location are, left to right, A.W. Taylor (District Mgr.), Roger Stewart (Sec.), Rena Skreen (bookkeeper), Robert Jackson (salesman), Mark C. Dolliver (president), Fred Grimm, William Baker, Earl Tillman and Roy Boblet (drivers.) (T. Times 4/1/1941, pg 4)
Trucks--Tacoma--1940-1950; Fuel Oil Service (Tacoma);
A heavy-duty flatbed truck with a large Wendell Willkie sign rolls slowly down Commerce Street prior to Election Day, 1940. The sign questions FDR's decision to seek a third term, comparing him to Hitler, Stalin and Mussolini. The Republicans were having a rally at the Jason Lee Auditorium; trucks were on parade to urge voters to turn out and listen to the party message. The Democrats countered with rallies and parades of their own: they also traveled through residential and downtown streets on the final drive for election votes. The rain and wind that evening did not keep party members away; an estimated 1500 attended the two rallies. TPL-1975 (T. Times 11-1-40, p. 1, T. Times 11-2-40, p. 12) ALBUM 2.
The wet streets of downtown Tacoma did not hinder the procession of the Willkie-McNary campaign trucks prior to Election Day in November of 1940. The trucks were photographed in front of the Roxy (Pantages) Theater as loudspeakers and a large sign urged voters to attend a rally of Republicans at the Jason Lee Auditorium. Arthur Langlie, gubernatorial candidate, and Stephen Chadwick, candidate for the U.S. Senate, were scheduled to speak at the gathering. The Democrats chose the same evening for their parade and rally. Candidates Mon Wallgren (for senator), C.C. Dill (for governor) and John Coffee (re-election to Congress) spoke at the Lincoln High School Democratic rally. Franklin Roosevelt carried the presidential election, beginning his third term with a popular vote of 54.7 % and an electoral landslide of 84.6%. Republican Arthur Langlie was elected governor. ALBUM 2. (T.Times, 11-1-40, p. 1, T. Times 11-2-40, p. 12)
In December of 1942, the defense industries on the Tideflats were running 24/7 and mass transportation had come to a standstill. Eight diesel-electric busses were leased from the Navy to improve the situation. Standing in front of the leased bus were, left to right, Walter Frankland (local transportation Administrator), Amos Booth (Beltline Superintendent), and R.D. O'Neil (Works Commissioner). The new buses seated 43 passengers and were expected to carry 95 with the additional people standing in the wide aisles. (T. Times 12/28/1942, pg. 1)
Mass transit--Tacoma; Buses--Tacoma; World War, 1939-1945--Transportation--Tacoma; ONeil, Robert D.; Booth, Amos; Frankland, Walter;
Five men are working on a truck cab in a large garage. The truck has a "fifth wheel" towing mechanism directly behind the cab. Tools and truck parts lie on the floor and table along with cables, hoses and pieces of lumber. Out the garage door can be seen an auto supply store and used car lot.
Truck sales, bus. A truck cab pulls a bus by trailer. The cab and trailer are painted in multiple colors. This view shows the side of the cab and front of the trailer.
ca. 1943. Teamsters Union. A four-door sedan parked at an industrial complex circa 1943. Sign above one door: R. R. Office. Ordered by (Harry) Satterlee, secretary of the Teamsters, Chauffeurs, Warehousemen & Helpers Union No. 313.
ca. 1943. Electric automobile. Man stands beside a 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);
Scene of Army bus accident on July 14, 1943, ironically at the same spot on Wakefield Dr. and C St. as the July 4, 1900, streetcar disaster when many were killed at this curve. Fire truck parked near overturned bus. People inspecting damage. Buildings and brush in background. (T. Times, p. 1).
Traffic accidents--Tacoma--1940-1950; Buses--Tacoma--1940-1950; Fire engines & equipment--Tacoma--1940-1950;
Army bus accident. Overhead view of bus lying on its side. It hit the telephone pole at the left when it toppled over on a sharp turn onto C Street from Wakefield Drive. The impact injured seven. Firemen aid in the inspection. (T. Times, 7/14/43, p1).
ca. 1943. Blue Gray bus accident. Police have been called to the scene of a bad highway accident with automobile in foreground cut-in-half with driver's side missing. Bus in ditch on right. Accident occurred circa 1943.
ca. 1943. Blue Gray Lines bus accident. Rear of bus in ditch showing bus line emblem "Blue Gray Lines. Safety Service." Traffic on highway at left has probably slowed to observe the damaged bus. The accident occurred circa 1943.
On February 8, 1945, a flatbed truck with an extra long load was parked in front of Tacoma GMC Truck Co. at the corner of East C and Puyallup Ave. East. The 60 foot long retort was being moved by Inter-City Auto Freight. Inter-city Auto Freight was founded in March 1938 with just two trucks and no facilities. They primarily did hauling between Seattle and Tacoma, but they had done heavy hauling throughout the state. They had set up ideal facilities, including having their own railroad siding which facilitated unloading, storage and distribution. John H. Galbraith was president of both Inter-City Auto Freight and Tacoma GMC Truck Co. Born in So. Dakota, Mr. Galbraith was prominent in Tacoma/Pierce County in both the lumber and transportation businesses, and was mayor of Eatonville for 23 years, resigning in 1941. He died in 1960 at the age of 70.
Trucks--Tacoma--1940-1950; Moving & storage trade--Tacoma; Inter-City Auto Freight, Inc. (Tacoma); Tacoma GMC Truck Co. (Tacoma); Mack trucks;
Photo of Griffin Fuel Co.'s new bulk storage station in Lakewood. After the company's move to its headquarters on Commerce St. in the early 1900's, the company ceased all sidelines and expanded its fuel service to include sawdust, coal and fuel oil. Coal bunkers and fuel oil storage moved throughout the city, until only coal storage and company headquarters were located on Commerce. This photo was used in an ad stating "You can be sure of instant delivery service from Griffin's huge new storage plant in Lakewood." Griffin took calls at anytime and made deliveries night, day, Sundays and holidays.They made a considerable investment in new trucks with a ratio of maximum gallons to minimum weight, insuring immediate delivery over any type of road. The company made sure its trucks and mobile machinery received the best possible care by fully staffing its own repair shop and garages. (TNT 2/16/1951, pg. 13)
Damage to a Tacoma Transit Co. bus after a night time car-bus accident. An Air Force sergeant was killed in a terrific broadside collision at 66th St. and South Tacoma Way when the station wagon he was driving smashed into the side of a Tacoma Transit bus. The bus was crossing the street with the green light when the sergeant's vehicle ran the red light with no slowing. The station wagon was travelling at a speed in excess of 55-80 mph just before the crash that knocked the eastbound bus sideways ten feet into a wooden power pole that snapped. Every window on the left side of the bus was smashed. (TNT 3/21/1951, pg. 1)
Buses--Tacoma--1950-1960; Tacoma Transit Co. (Tacoma); Mass transit--Tacoma--1950-1960; Wrecks; Traffic accidents--Tacoma--1950-1960;
Front view of a Ford manufactured delivery truck for Rainier beer, photographed for an accident case. Rainier Beer founder Andrew Hemrich bought out his original partner John Kopp and set up Bay View Brewing Co., Inc. with his own family. In 1892, a complicated merger occurred between the Hemrich family and a number of other breweries forming the giant Seattle Brewing and Malting Co. with Andrew Hemrich at the head. Andrew died in May of 1910 at 54 and his brothers carried on the business. By 1914, Seattle Brewing was the largest industrial enterprise in the state of Washington and the 6th largest brewery in the U.S. The advent of state prohibition closed down the factory in 1916 and the name of Rainier was sold to a California brewery. Fritz and Emile Sick purchased the factories in the 30's after the repeal of prohibition and obtained the legal use of the name Rainier in 1938. ("Brewed in the Pacific Northwest" by Gary and Gloria Meier)
