ca. 1930. Bethesda Baptist Church, 4340 So. L St., Tacoma, as photographed circa 1930. Built in 1907 as the Home Telephone Co. substation; Russell and Babcock, architects. The building was remodeled in 1926 by Silas E. Nelsen for the Bethesda Church. Address was formerly 4338 So. L St.; alternate address 1201 S. 45th

ca. 1930. A large crowd gathers around Harold Bromley's fourth "City of Tacoma" plane purchased by lumberman John Buffelen on July 11, 1930, at a bargain price of $15,000. The three previous "City of Tacoma" planes were Lockheeds; this red, single-engine monoplane was built by Emsco Aircraft of Downey, California, the twelfth Emsco manufactured. It was registered as NR 153W and had a fuel capacity of 1,005 gallons. Harold Bromley had long desired to make a solo trip spanning the Pacific Ocean but after the three Lockheeds crashed, he decided to attempt the journey from Japan to take advantage of tail winds and also hired a skilled navigator and co-pilot, Harold Gatty, to accompany him. On September 14, 1930, the duo took off on a makeshift runway at Sabishiro Beach, 350 miles north of Tokyo, on their way to Tacoma some 4000 miles away. Their exhaust system failed when they were 12 hours and 1,200 miles over the Pacific and they were forced to return to Japan. Sickened by the fumes, Bromley managed to land the plane 35 miles north of their starting point. Navigator Gatty refused to make the flight again and Bromley's Tacoma businessmen backers, facing the Depression, could not afford to finance any more attempts. The plane was stored in Japan and was sold in 1932, its registration number changed, and in due time, scrapped. Harold Bromley continued to live a full life with careers in federal aviation inspection, grape and date farming and real estate; he passed away at the age of 99 in 1997. (Boyne: Best of Wings Magazine, p. 70-71)

ca. 1930. Pilot Harold Bromley, second from right, navigator Harold Gatty, right, and two unidentified men pose next to Bromley's fourth plane, the "City of Tacoma," prior to Bromley and Gatty's September 14, 1930 attempt to cross the Pacific nonstop from Tokyo to Tacoma. Bromley had chosen Australian native Gatty to accompany him as navigator, radio operator and copilot. Gatty, a wiz kid at navigation, devised the ground-speed and drift indicator that forms the basis of the modern day automatic pilot. He helped develop the Weems system of navigation used by the Lindberghs. He would later accompany Wiley Post on his 1931 around the world flight in a record 8 days, 15 hours and 51 minutes. Bromley and Gatty's attempt at a nonstop trans-Pacific flight was foiled by a failed exhaust system on the plane. The fumes almost cost them their lives and Gatty refused to make another attempt at the flight. TPL-8798

ca. 1930. Unidentified man and mechanic pose next to Harold Bromley's Tacoma to Tokyo plane, a single engine monoplane built by Emsco Aircraft of Downey, California. The plane was taken apart and shipped to Tokyo aboard the ship President Lincoln. It was reassembled and prepared for the nonstop 4,779 mile flight from Tokyo to Tacoma. The plane took off with Bromley and navigator Harold Gatty on September 14, 1930. Twenty four hours and 52 minutes later, they landed just miles from their take off point; having been overcome by exhaust fumes during the flight. (Bowen #268)

ca. 1930s. Rev. Jokatsu Yukawa, pastor of the Tacoma Hongwanji Buddhist Church, has donned protective gear and prepares to engage in kendo, a form of Japanese fencing. Rev. Yukawa is to the right in this sepia 1930's photograph; his masked opponent is not identified. The pair are practicing at the site of the Japanese Language School on Tacoma Avenue South, which had opened in 1921. Rev. Yukawa spent five years as the temple's minister, from 1928-1933. During his tenure, a $40,000 fund drive was initiated which culminated in the construction of the present church and junior members were organized in active Young Buddhist Association groups. He was promoted to serve a larger congregation in California and was replaced by Rev. Sensho Sasaki. (History of Pierce County, Vol. 1, p. 16) TPL-2008.

ca. 1930. Lutheran Free Church, 1423 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Tacoma. Built circa 1902 as the Norwegian Free Lutheran Church.

ca. 1930. Harold Bromley's fourth airplane, NR153W also called the "City of Tacoma," preparing for his Tokyo to Tacoma flight. The red Emsco single engine monoplane roared off on September 14, 1930 from a 6,800 foot strip of hard packed sand at Sabishiro Beach, 350 miles north of Tokyo. Twenty four hours and 52 minutes later, it landed about 35 minutes north of its starting point. About 1200 miles out, 12 hours after taking off, the plane's exhaust system failed. Sickened by the fumes, Bromley turned the plane back to Japan. With his navigator Harold Gatty comatose, Bromley fought to keep consciousness and land the plane. The pair were discovered on the beach unconscious by Japanese fishermen. Both recovered, but Gatty refused to make the flight again. Bromley recalculated the flight and determined that it could not be made with this slow, heavy plane without refueling. His Tacoma backers, their money flow stalled by the Depression, abandoned the project. TPL-216

ca. 1930. The Medical Rheumatic Center at 114 South 24th in Tacoma was run by Dr. William H. Goering. A sign on their concrete/stone building indicated they treated joint diseases. G18.1-049 (filed under BU-12914)

Miss Betty Gaston, with some creative photographic additions, was the sweetheart of the Tacoma News Tribune's 1931 Valentines Day edition. An unusually warm February, a balmy 60 degrees on the 14th, induced the photographer to enhance the image with an outdoors motif. The swing hung from a budding tree and Miss Gaston's legs protruded from a large heart that covered most of her body. Her "rompers" showed prominently and were pointed out as spring wear. Her hair and lips were darkened for contrast. (TNT 2/14/1931, pg. 1)

In the depths of the Great Depression, about 1,000 men and women waged a peaceful orderly march on City Hall in late February of 1931 to focus attention on immediate unemployment relief. Members of the Unemployed Council, the Trade Unity League and the Communist Party requested: 1) unemployment insurance at $15 per week with $5 extra per dependent; 2) an immediate relief fund of $1 million generated by reducing city officials' salaries; 3) non-ejection of unemployed not able to pay house rent; 4) free use of civic auditoriums for meetings of the unemployed and 5) full payment of war bonus. Mayor M.G. Tennent met with twelve chosen marchers to express his and the city council's concern but stated that their powers were limited. He did state that a $41,000 Sheridan Avenue project was approved that morning so that more men could be employed through city construction. After listening to a program of addresses by their leaders, the large crowd dispersed after about three hours. (TDL 2/26/1931, p.4-article). Bowen 03-914.

In February of 1931, Lucille Dyment, 6, and her sister Mardelle, 8, offered food items to Harry D. Hurlbut, president of the 4L Band, in exchange for admission to the concert at the Gault Intermediate School auditorium. The girls were the grandchildren of City Commissioner Dyer Dyment. More than 1 and one half tons of food were collected at this event sponsored by the McKinley Hill Improvement Club. This was the first year that the 36 piece volunteer band had performed relief concerts, and this was the 12th concert so far. Over 21,000 pounds of food had been collected in all for the needy and unemployed. The concerts were performed in halls all across the city and the food was distributed in the community where the concert took place. (TNT 2/25/1931, pg. 1) TPL-9968

In February of 1931, elderly Richard Henry "Jimmy" Davis demonstrated how he and the neighborhood boys played marbles outside the frame home of Abraham Lincoln in Springfield, Ill. The future President, depending on his mood, would either join the boys in the game or shoo them away, saying that they were making too much noise. Mr. Davis, who in 1931 was well past 80, lived in the Lutheran Compass Mission. He couldn't remember much about how he came to live there. He worked in the mines from the age of 11 and three cave-ins have robbed him of much of his memory. As a young man, he was active in the labor movement and for two years travelled and worked with Mary Harris "Mother" Jones, the "Miners Angel." The pair helped with organizing what would become the United Mine Workers. (TNT 2/11/1931, pg. 1) BGN-284 TPL-9934

Dennison's Chili, found in markets today, was first made in a Tacoma plant located in Fern Hill. The factory opened in 1925, when they moved to Fern Hill. Belle Dennison started canning chicken in her kitchen in 1915. Friends raved about the product and soon her husband Lee was selling it to local stores. When this photograph was taken in 1931, 15 women from the Fern Hill neighborhood worked at Dennison & Company. Meat from 45,000 chickens, purchased at nearby ranches and packed in glass jars, was sold in stores from Alaska to the border of Mexico. The product line was expanded in the 1930s and sold about 1938 when the company moved to Seattle. (TDL, 3/29/1931, p. 4A).

Along with daffodils and April showers, children and their pets have been a sure sign of spring in the Puget Sound area for generations. Photographer Chapin Bowen captured young Bobby David with his beloved dog, "Rags," seated in front of the Rialto Theater in 1931. Bob and Rags attended Tacoma's pet parade, held April 9, 1931.

This photograph of the front entrance of the Rialto Theatre, showing the marquee and a North Coast Limited sign, was taken for the Northern Pacific Railroad in April of 1931. There was a special double bill playing at the Rialto beginning on April 12th. Along with the feature "Dishonored," starring Marlene Dietrich and Victor McLaglen, they were showing a special feature titled "No.1." The first transcontinental trip to be filmed in sound, "No.1" took viewers from Chicago to Tacoma, with scenes of the Rockies and Cascades. Produced by the Northern Pacific, the film contained some splendid advertising for Tacoma. According to the NP ticket agent, it was scheduled to play in every major city in the United States. Bowen # 310-163

On April 15, 1931, after spending two weeks loading lumber and timber at the Defiance Mill, 4601 Ruston Way, the four masted "Commodore" left port in Tacoma for the Hawaiian Islands. It was towed to the Straits of Juan de Fuca by the tug Goliath. The last of the off shore sailing fleet in regular service on Puget Sound, it was the first sailing vessel to visit Tacoma in more than two years. The wooden four masted topsail schooner of 1,500 tons was built in 1919 by the JH Price Construction Co., a Lake Washington yard, for Norwegian owners and was named "Blaatind." By 1920, it was owned by a Seattle company and was renamed "Commodore." She sailed with lumber to Hawaii long past the demise of the remainder of the west coast sailing fleet. By 1942, she had passed through many hands to South African owners. They had her towed to South America and knocked apart for lumber to build houses. Bowen 05-761 (TNT 4/16/1931, pg. 20; "Marine History of the Pacific Northwest" H.W. McCurdy) TPL-9411

First Evangelical Lutheran Church, 524 So. I St., Tacoma. Photograph taken for Rev. S. G. Svenson in April of 1931. Construction began on this Gothic structure in 1925 and it was dedicated in 1929. The church was designed by Heath, Gove & Bell, architects, and was built of tapestry brick with Tenino stone trim.

A large group of women who are studying to be dental assistants take a class on X-ray techniques from instructor Wayne E. Hampton, standing at far left. The Tacoma location and school have not been identified in this 1931 portrait by photographer Chapin Bowen.

North Coast Service Garages on Cliff Ave., behind W. P. Fuller Co. (1117-1123 A St.), photographed in May of 1931. The ramp to the 11th Street Bridge can be seen in the background. Bowen # 310-207

This was how Tacoma Field, the Pierce County airport, located south of the city near Lakeview (now Lakewood), looked in May of 1931. View of a flat expanse of land with a hanger, some small outbuildings and several planes. Photograph taken for the Tacoma News Tribune on the first day of a three day dedication program. Bowen # 310-209

Members of the Yamamoto family posed in front of their residence on June 7, 1931. Gentleman with the glasses and is Mr. Kichigiro "Kay" Yamamoto and to his right his wife, Masae. Children from left to right: Margaret, Edit, Katherine, George and Ray. Source: Sullivan, Michael "Legacy, part 3" Tacoma History Live Blog, July 31, 2019.

Several members of the Yamamoto family posed for a group portrait on June 7, 1931 on the front steps of Mr. Kichigiro "Kay" Yamamoto's house at 3220 54th Ave E in Fife. Mr. Yamamoto in the light colored suit wearing spectacles right behind what appear to be a bride and groom. His wife, Masae, in the second row far left. Their children in the front row from left to right: Ray, Katherine, Margaret, George and Edith. Source: Sullivan, Michael "Legacy, part 3" Tacoma History Live Blog, July 31, 2019.

Tacoma Ice Co., 2602 So. Holgate St.; photograph taken from Delin Street across the gulch in June of 1931. The plant was built in 1923, designed by A.W. Sterrett, and is on the City Registry. The ice plant was the first portion built in 1923 for $250,000. It had the capacity to produce 100 tons of ice daily and used 40 miles of piping. The cold storage warehouse was completed in 1925 for $90,000. Photograph ordered by the York Ice Machinery Co. of Seattle. Bowen # 310-230

Scenery around Chambers Creek and Lake Steilacoom, as viewed on June 14, 1931. Bowen # 310-232

Scenery at Chambers Creek and Lake Steilacoom, as photographed on June 14, 1931. There is a wide path or roadway next to the placid waters. Bowen # 310-233.

Scenery at Chambers Creek and Lake Steilacoom, taken in June of 1931. Bowen # 310-231

Fisher's Department Store, 1104 Broadway. Crowd outside Fisher's store in June of 1931. Vaudeville act in window. Girls in costume, with trumpets, standing on marquee of store. Photo for Fox Broadway Theater. Bowen # 310-240a

The Spot Delicatessen, 2530 Jefferson Ave., as it appeared in June of 1931. The caption reads "A real place to eat." According to the sign left, the specialty of the house was "chicken on toast." Photograph ordered by Mr. Sanwick. Bowen 310-242

Fisher's Department Store, 1104 Broadway. Photograph of crowd several feet deep outside Fisher's store in June of 1931. Vaudeville act in window. Girls in costume, with trumpets, stand on store marquee. Photo for Fox Broadway Theater Bowen # 310-2406

The Pine, 7052 Pacific Ave, as it appeared in June of 1931. The photograph of the diner was shot at night in heavy rain. Neon sign and sign on roof both proclaim "Dine at the Pine." Bowen # 310-245