An enthusiastic crowd watched in awe as the first Daffodil Parade rolled by in 1934. The parade, designed to use the leftover daffodil blooms that were formerly thrown away when the bulb was harvested, has become a much anticipated annual feature of the spring festival. There has been a parade every year since 1934, with the exception of the war years of 1943, 1944 and 1945. In 1934, the parade consisted of decorated horses, bicycles, flower covered automobiles and a few floats. It started at Union Station and continued uptown. It later travelled to Puyallup, Sumner and Orting. In this photograph, two flower bedecked automobiles pass by delighted spectators.
On March 17, 1934 at 1:30p.m. in the afternoon, the first Daffodil Parade rolled out from Union Station, proceeded uptown through Tacoma and later through Puyallup, Sumner and Orting and on into history. There has been a parade every year since 1934, with the exception of the war years of 1943, 1944 and 1945. The parade in 1934 was composed of decorated horses, bicycles, automobiles and floats. This vehicle covered with the early spring blossom was sponsored by the Lions Club, a civic organization.
Manning's Coffee supplied one of the most elaborate flower covered "floats" in the first annual Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival parade held on March 17, 1934. Still recovering from the Great Depression, most clubs and businesses were unable to contribute in a big way; decorated cars, busses, bicycles and horses were more common then traditional floats. Manning's Inc., located at 1102 Commerce, specialized in coffee; they also had a market at the same location and a restaurant at 258 So. 11th.
A young rider, dressed in chaps and a flower decorated hat, posed on a daffodil festooned horse ready to ride in the first annual Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival parade on March 17, 1934. The main viewing area was 11th & Pacific, where the parade passed with daffodil bedecked autos, busses, bicycles, carts and horses, as well as marching bands and drill teams. Still reeling from the Great Depression, business and club entries in the first parade were modest when compared to later years.
This daffodil decorated horse and driver were one of the entries in the first Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival parade in 1934. The two wheeled cart was advertising Will Rogers in the motion picture "David Harem" playing at the Roxy Theater. Most of the entries in the first parade were modest when compared to later years. The parade began at Union Station, travelled through downtown Tacoma then on to Puyallup, Sumner and Orting.
A child rode in the large wicker basket atop a flower bedecked automobile in the first Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival parade in March of 1934. The early Daffodil Festival parades were held in late March at a time when the golden daffodils were blooming profusely. This float was sponsored by Mannings Inc., a tea and coffee dealer. Few entries in that first parade were as lavish as this one. Awards were given in eight categories in 1934: best pony, best horse, best bicycle, best Valley Exhibit Car, best Garden Club float, best service club float and best commercial division float. Mannings took the best commercial float honors for their beautifully decorated entry. (T.Times 3-19-34, p. 1-article; p. 5-alternate photograph)
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)
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)
Headstones for Col. William H. Wallace and his wife in the old Fort Steilacoom Post cemetery on the grounds of Western Washington State Hospital as photographed in January of 1934. Worn down by the passage of time, the headstones of the former territorial governor of Washington (1861-63) and his wife along with others were located on a site between hospital buildings. Their resting places preceded the hospital. (Additional information provided by a reader)
Headstones for Col. William H. Wallace and his wife in the old Fort Steilacoom Post cemetery. Cemetery is on the grounds of Western Washington State Hospital but is not the hospital cemetery. Located between hospital buildings, it predates the hospital. Photograph was taken in January of 1934. (Additional information provided by a reader)
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. 1933. Photograph of the Olympus Hotel, circa 1933. The Olympus Hotel was built in 1909 by Dan Gamer and Leopold Schmidt. It was designed by architects Darmer & Cutting. The hotel closed in 1974 and was remodeled in 1978 into apartments.
April 8th was authorized as "Roosevelt Day" by the mayor and city council in recognition of the President's leadership during the Country's economic crises. He was honored with a large downtown parade incorporating military, civic and business groups. Carstens, a large meat packing firm in Tacoma, had a clever play on words in utilizing President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's "New Deal" slogan for their parade truck--"The New Deal is Here with HAM and Good Cheer." Easter in 1933 was soon arriving and Carstens was promoting their hams, plain or baked, as a fine economical choice for the traditional feast. (TNT 4-7-33, p.1-article; TNT 4-8-33, p. 1-article) TPL-5449
ca. 1932. View of the Roxy Theatre, ca. 1932. "The Thirteenth Guest " was the feature film showing at the Roxy at the time of this photograph. The film was released in 1932 and starred Ginger Rogers and Lyle Talbot. Movie marquee advertised that there was "Always a better show at your Roxy." Apparently cost of a ticket was 20 cents after 5 p.m. The former RKO Orpheum theater reopened as the Roxy in 1932; it is now known as the Pantages.
ca. 1932. This is the Shaub-Ellison Building, 1902 Pacific Ave., circa 1932. The super-service station, a Goodyear franchise, opened at the beginning of the year. Partners Charlie Ellison and Roe Shaub started business in 1920 at 7th & Commerce before moving to the Pacific Avenue location. This was their only location throughout the Depression and WWll. The University of Washington would purchase the property in 1993 for their Tacoma campus and the Art Deco-styled building was demolished in 1995. (History of Pierce County, Washington, Vol. 1, p. 436)
ca. 1932. South end of Pacific Ave. just south of the Union Station. Goodrich Silvertown, Inc. (1955 Pacific ) and the Bone-Dry Shoe Co. (2113-15 Pacific) are neighbors as evidenced in this circa 1932 photograph. The tire store, Goodrich Silvertown, utilized Hollowstone concrete and tile in its construction. Throngs visited the store when it opened in June of 1931. The Bone-Dry Shoe factory was designed by architects Hill, Mock & Griffin and opened in 1919. It manufactured top quality boots for nearly 40 years mostly handcrafted by skilled workers.
For 17 years Al Pentecost, general foreman at the Milwaukee shops, had kept a single bottle of Rainier pale beer on ice in his ice box. He had purchased a case of the beer in 1915 before Washington State went dry. Only a single bottle remained of the case which Mr. Pentecost faithfully kept cool, replacing the ice frequently. With State Initiative 61 effective on December 8, 1932, repealing the bone dry law, Mr. Pentecost decided to finally crack open the beer bottle. He proclaimed it as good as the day he bought it with plenty of suds. Mr. Pentecost resided at 3708 North Madison St. (T.Times 12-8-32, p. 1,11)
This is what 9th & Broadway looked like in the late afternoon of September 20, 1932, as throngs strain to catch a glimpse of Presidential candidate Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The Democratic candidate's open vehicle is led and followed by motorcycle police. Mr. Roosevelt, the governor of New York, had just concluded a speech to thousands at the Puyallup Fairgrounds. His motorcade arrived in Tacoma about a half-hour earlier than expected so hundreds missed their chance to see him swing through the streets of downtown Tacoma. TPL-2679 (TNT 9-20-32, p. 1-article; TNT 9-21-32, p. 1)
ca. 1931. Dennison & Company, chicken canners, Fern Hill. Belle and Lee Dennison founders of food line. This view of equipment at the cannery was taken circa 1931. See series 310, image 069 for exterior view of Dennison & Company.
ca. 1931. St. Nicholas Hellenic Tabernacle, 1523 Yakima Ave. So., Tacoma. This Byzantine structure was built in 1925 from a design by architect Silas E. Nelsen. It is now known as St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church. Bowen # CHU-003
ca. 1931. Trinity Lutheran Church, known as "The Gray Church," at 12115 Park Ave. So., Parkland was built in 1907 and dedicated in 1910. According to "Trinity Lutheran Church of Parkland, Washington 75th Anniversary 1919-1994," the church was designed to be cross-shaped, 70-feet long & 70-feet wide, and built of brick and stone at a cost of $16,000. There was a basement, steeple and many stairs. Nicknamed the "Gray Church," it was located where the south end of Trinity Lutheran Church's present sanctuary now stands. The "Gray Church" was finally demolished in 1957 as the location was being prepared for building the congregation's new church. (Trinity Lutheran Church of Parkland, Washington 75th Anniversary 1919-1994, p.1-2) Bowen # CHU-004
ca. 1931. Trinity Episcopal Methodist Church, 601 E. 35th St., Tacoma. This McKinley Hill church was built in 1913 from a design by Heath & Gove, architects. In 1923, the McKinley Hill Improvement Club and the church worked together to add a community hall at this site. Bowen # CHU-005
ca. 1931. Sprague Memorial Presbyterian Church, 3359 So. 58th St., Tacoma. The church was built in 1891 and has also been known as Edison Presbyterian. Bowen# CHU-014
ca. 1931. Trinity Lutheran Church, 1307 So. I, Tacoma. The church was built in 1886 as the German Lutheran Church. It was designed by architects Farrell & Darmer. It later was named Trinity Lutheran. Trinity Lutheran closed in 1949 after over 50 years. Although the structure was home to other congregations after that time, it was demolished in 1996. Bowen # CHU-029
ca. 1931. Church of Latter Day Saints, 1603 No. Steele St., Tacoma. The church was built in 1892 as Central Christian Church at 1110 So. 3rd St. It was moved to this site in 1906 and remodeled by Frederick Heath at that time. In 1917, it was purchased by the Mormon Church and became their first Tacoma branch. It has since been demolished. Bowen # CHU-031
ca. 1931. Le Sourd Methodist Episcopal Church, 1120 No. Stevens St., Tacoma. The Church was dedicated on March 25, 1917. It was located near the intersection of No. 12th & No. Stevens. Bowen #CHU-046
ca. 1931. Elim Free Evangelical Church, 1402 So. L St., Tacoma. Built in 1921, the church was also known as the Norwegian Congregational Church. Bowen # CHU- 054
ca. 1931. International Bible Students Association (I.B.S.A.), 804 No. State St., Tacoma. This structure was built around 1908 and originally served as the Friends Church. In 1931, it was listed in the City Directory as the I.B.S.A. Tabernacle. Bowen #CHU-034
