Governor Clarence D. Martin rides in an open car for the Labor Day parade in 1934. Gov. Martin sits on the left side of the rear seat of the automobile, beside him sits Mayor George Smitley's wife dressed in white; the man on the right is unidentified. Tacoma Mayor Smitley rides next to the driver in the front seat. The group rides past the Bostwick Building, 755-71 Saint Helens Ave., at this time occupied by William Whetstone, the Credit Dentist. In the background, streetcars are parked to accomodate the passing of the parade. Later the same group would oversee the dedication of the relocated and reconstructed Fort Nisqually at Point Defiance.

This float in the 1936 Daffodil parade carries the K Street emblem mounted on an axis and describing the K Street business sector as the "Hub of Activity." The float is offered by the K Street Business Mens' Association The floral tribute is built on the bed of a large truck. (T. Times 4/20/1936, pg. 3)

This Standard Oil truck is all decked out in flowers for a drive in the 1936 Daffodil Parade. It has even sprouted two giant daffodils on top like horns. The large fuel truck is covered with flowers and draped grasses.

Flood waters carried this home on McAleer Rd. more than 100 feet from its foundation. The Red Cross stepped in to repair the badly damaged house. Hundreds sustained damage during the recent floods but with the help of the Red Cross, workers had completely rehabilitated 80 homes by mid-February, 1934. Food, clothing, bedding and furniture were liberally distributed. (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 2-11-34, B-1)

1933 was a very wet year in the Tacoma area. A total of 52.47 inches fell during the year with December's rainfall of 18.87 inches making that month the wettest December on record to that point. Many homes were damaged in subsequent flooding around the county and were repaired with Red Cross funds. Two men are shown in this January 23, 1934, photograph beginning construction of a new home near Puyallup for a family who had lost everything in the recent floods. Notes on this Bowen picture indicate that this home may have been built for two spinsters whose house fell into the raging river waters nearby. Stacks of lumber are in the foreground marked with the Red Cross flag. (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 2-11-34, B-1, TDL 1-1-34, p. 2)

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)

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

Evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson, pastor of the Angelus Temple in Los Angeles and founder of the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, paid a one-day visit to Tacoma on January 21, 1934, as part of a debating tour of the west. She was pictured gesturing while holding an open book and accompanied by fellow debater, Dr. Charles Lee Smith, president of the American Association for Advancement of Atheism. Dr. Smith and Mrs. McPherson debated on the subject, "There is No God." More than 1,000 people were in attendance at the Greenwich Coliseum at 407 South 13th Street to hear the debate. (TDL 1-21-34, A-2-article; TDL 1-22-34, p. 2-article)

A spectacular five-hour blaze gutted the Day Island plant of the Clear Fir Lumber Co. on the evening of October 18, 1934. It was the fifth major industrial fire in the Tacoma area in the past 24 days. The sawmill and dry kilns were destroyed but the door factory adjoining the sawmill was saved. Losses were conservatively estimated at $300,000 which included 3,000,000 feet of finished lumber and 170,000 feet of valuable ship decking. Six Tacoma fire companies and the city fireboat battled the blaze of undetermined origin which had begun near the boiler room. The reddened skies made the fire visible for many miles and attracted a crowd of about 10,000 on the hillside roads on three sides of the flaming plant. Another 15,000 viewed the fire from a variety of locations. The mill had begun operations in 1912 and was incorporated in 1916 as Clear Fir Lumber Co. Lately 250 men had worked there. Plans to rebuild were not immediately announced. BU-12606 (T.Times 10-19-34, p. 1-article; TNT 10-19-34, p. 1,11- alt. photograph)

ca. 1930. Westminster Presbyterian Church, 4845 So. L St., Tacoma. Built in 1892 and remodeled in 1922.

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. 1931. Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, 7302 So. Park Ave.,Tacoma. The new South Tacoma church was dedicated in October of 1924. The pastor in 1931 was the Rev. H.N. Svinth. Bowen # CHU-002

ca. 1931. Bethany Methodist Episcopal Church, 5634 So. Park Ave., Tacoma. The church was built in 1925. Bowen # CHU-009

ca. 1931. First Lutheran Church, 6050 So. Warner St., Tacoma. The church was built in 1912 as the First Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran. By 1943, it was known as Hope Lutheran. Bowen # CHU-010

ca. 1931. English Seventh Day Adventist Church, 921-23 So. I St., Tacoma. Constructed in 1893, this building was the first synagogue in Tacoma. It was designed by local architect C.A. Darmer and originally named Temple Beth Israel. Nineteen years later, the new Temple Beth Israel was built at 324 No. J St. By 1931, the pictured structure was the English Seventh Day Adventist Church, later the First Seventh Day Adventist Church. It has since been demolished. Bowen # CHU-021

ca. 1931. First United Presbyterian Church, 1619 Sixth Avenue, Tacoma. This Gothic Spanish style church was built in 1922. It was designed by Frederic & Stanley Shaw, Architects. It was dedicated October 28, 1923. After a merger in 1958, it was known as Trinity United Presbyterian Church; now known as Trinity Presbyterian Church. Bowen #CHU-033

ca. 1931. Grace Baptist Church, 3502 No. Mullen, Tacoma. The church was built in 1928 and was only a few years old when this picture was taken. Bowen# CHU-043

ca. 1931. Norwegian Danish Methodist Church, 1604 So. J St., Tacoma. The church was built around 1885. Bowen #CHU-050.

ca. 1931. Church of the Nazarene, 1001 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Tacoma. The church was built in 1909 as the Norwegian-Danish Baptist Church. It has since been demolished. Bowen # CHU-055

ca. 1931. Sacred Heart Church, 4536 McKinley Ave., Tacoma. Bowen #CHU-048.

ca. 1931. Holy Cross Parish Hall, 4302 No. Shirley St., Tacoma. The hall was erected in 1921 near Holy Cross School. Bowen #CHU-041

ca. 1931. First Swedish Lutheran Church, 5131 No. Pearl St., Ruston. The small church was built in 1902 and was also known as Saint James Englsh Evangelical Lutheran Church, Smelter Church, Ruston Chapel and Ruston Lutheran Church. The structure is now available for rental for weddings and meetings. Bowen #CHU- 040

ca. 1931. This is the Scandinavian Pentecostal Mission at 1101 South J Street as pictured circa 1931. The church was dedicated in January of 1904 as the Swedish Methodist Episcopal Church. By 1931, the time of this picture, it was known as the Scandinavian Pentecostal Mission, as indicated by the sign over the door. In 1934, the church, by then known as Bethel Pentecostal, was damaged by fire. It was re-dedicated in 1941, after extensive remodeling and an addition. Bowen# CHU-039

ca. 1931. boys looking at ASARCO smokestack

ca. 1933. Retiring Northern Pacific Stationmaster at office Union Station with his hand on the lever of the switchboard. Photograph ordered by the News Tribune.

ca. 1935. This is an aerial view of South 43rd and "L" Sts. circa 1935. South "L" runs horizontally in front of the Engine House No. 8 (4301 South "L"). The fire station was built in 1909, replacing the original which had moved to 4102 South "M." Neighboring lots appear small with many trees. BU-2125