Golden Jubilee Parade on July 22, 1939, celebrating Washington's fifty years of statehood. Entered by the Douglas Fir Plywood Association (DFPA,) this float promotes the use of plywood, "modern miracle in wood," all over the world. The front is a warren of buildings all built of plywood, including a boat on the water. The buildings are followed by three young women sitting in front of a globe. This is perhaps the last float in the parade as the people in the crowd appear to be turning around and leaving. Someone, maybe a photographer, crosses the street carrying a ladder behind the float.

Washington State Golden Jubilee, 1939--Tacoma; Parades & processions--Tacoma--1930-1940; Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1930-1940; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma);

Golden Jubilee Parade on July 22, 1939, celebrating Washington's fifty years of statehood. The Douglas Fir Plywood Association (DFPA) submitted this float to the parade, extolling the use of plywood as a building material. The float is littered with replicas of buildings built of plywood. One of the swimsuit models sits close to the edge of the float, her foot resting on a side extension. The invention of plywood, several layers of wood bonded together, revolutionized the construction industry. The DFPA was a joint organization, composed of plywood manufacturers and dealers, that promoted the use of plywood.

Washington State Golden Jubilee, 1939--Tacoma; Parades & processions--Tacoma--1930-1940; Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1930-1940; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma);

A pioneer couple rides in this crepe paper decorated wagon in the July 22, 1939 Golden Jubilee Parade. He holds an axe, one side of the blade buried in a stump. She leans against him. The driver rides up front. One of the horses bears a large sign "The old gray mare, she ain't what she used to be."

Washington State Golden Jubilee, 1939--Tacoma; Parades & processions--Tacoma--1930-1940; Horse teams--Tacoma; Carts & wagons--Tacoma;

Golden Jubilee Parade on July 22, 1939. Birdseye view of cavalry troops on horseback. Crowd on sidewalk and in street is overwhelmingly large, estimated at 100,000. With 133 entries and 14 miles of parade route, it was the largest parade Tacoma had seen to date. The old brick street and streetcar tracks are still in place.

Washington State Golden Jubilee, 1939--Tacoma; Parades & processions--Tacoma--1930-1940; Horses--Tacoma;

This horse drawn wagon loaded with pioneers was entered by the Pacific Match Co. in the July 22, 1939 Golden Jubilee Parade. A sign on the side of the wagon reads" We don't make all the matches in the country... we just make the best of them." The sign on the front of the wagon identifies the driver as Mr. James E. Sales, born in 1853, the first white child born in Tacoma. He would have been 86 years old at the time of the parade. Pacific Match Co. was located at 3223 So. Union Ave.

Washington State Golden Jubilee, 1939--Tacoma; Parades & processions--Tacoma--1930-1940; Pacific Match Co. (Tacoma);

Golden Jubilee Parade on July 22, 1939, on Pacific Avenue. A group of six firemen, wearing false beards and replicas of the old firefighter uniforms and hats, pull the circa 1885 hose cart of the Alert Hose Company #2. The hose cart is topped by the word "Alert" in ironwork. The company, organized in 1885, was volunteer and operated out of a fire station at 13th and A.

Washington State Golden Jubilee, 1939--Tacoma; Parades & processions--Tacoma--1930-1940; Tacoma Fire Department (Tacoma); Fire engines & equipment--Tacoma--1880-1890;

Roberta Rice, wearing a pioneer-style dress and bonnet, and Henry Graham, dressed in a cowboy hat and long coat, pose in front of Turner Richards Commercial Photography Studio in July of 1939. The couple apparently had joined in the spirit of celebrating the Washington State Golden Jubilee.

Washington State Golden Jubilee, 1939--Tacoma; Photographic studios--Tacoma; Turner Richards Studio (Tacoma); Rice, Roberta; Graham, Henry; Costumes; Richards Commercial Photo Service (Tacoma);

Singing their hearts out is the Sibelian Male Chorus under the direction of Fritz Berntsen.Tacoma's most famous, and most nattily dressed, men's choral association was about to embark on a concert tour. They would be spreading the news of Tacoma's upcoming Golden Jubilee celebration across the state. (T.Times, 4/14/1939, p. 2- caption includes names)

Washington State Golden Jubilee, 1939--Tacoma; Sibelian Male Chorus (Tacoma); Berntsen, Fritz; Singers; Choirs (Music);

This group of dandies is part of the cast of the historical drama "Saga of the West." The outdoor pageant would be produced July 20-22, 1939 as a part of the celebration of Washington's Golden Jubilee. Tacoma's Golden Jubilee had been designated as the "official statehood celebration." The "Saga" was directed by William Marlatt of the John B. Rogers Co., that specialized in pageants, and boasted a cast of 2,000. Tickets cost 50 cents or 3 for a dollar and the opening night audience totalled over 15,000. The history of Washington, from earliest times to 1939, unfolded on a 200 foot stage.

Washington State Golden Jubilee, 1939--Tacoma; Stadium Bowl (Tacoma); Historical pageants--Tacoma;

Cast members of the outdoor drama "Saga of the West," costumed to represent different time periods, pose in front of the reverse side of one of the massive sets used in the pageant. The outdoor pageant would be produced July 20-22, 1939 as a part of the celebration of Washington's Golden Jubilee. Tacoma's celebration had been designated as the "official statehood celebration" and it was easily the largest that Tacoma would ever see. The pageant, only one of many Jubilee events, had a cast of 2,000, an orchestra, 200 voice choir, a pipe organ and an opening night audience of 15,000. It would briefly cover the history of Washington from earliest times to 1939, with emphasis on the last fifty years of statehood.

Washington State Golden Jubilee, 1939--Tacoma; Stadium Bowl (Tacoma); Historical pageants--Tacoma;

Cast members of the historical pageant "Saga of the West" pose in front of Stadium Bowl seating. The seats are only sparsely occupied for this preview performance, mostly by cast members; the opening night audience would number over 15,000. The pageant was performed July 20-22, 1939 as part of the celebration of Washington's 50th anniversary of statehood. The pageant was directed by William Marlatt of the John B. Rogers pageant company, was fully costumed and had a cast of 2,000. It also had horses, stage coaches, covered wagons, automobiles and a fire engine.

Washington State Golden Jubilee, 1939--Tacoma; Stadium Bowl (Tacoma); Historical pageants--Tacoma;

Searchlights from the Pacific Fleet light up the night sky over the Stadium Bowl during the historical pageant "Saga of the West." The pageant was performed July 20-22, 1939 as part of the celebration of Washington's 50th anniversary of statehood. Also in port for the Jubilee were six US battleships and 8,000 sailors and officers. Search light drills would be performed nightly at 10:15p.m.

Washington State Golden Jubilee, 1939--Tacoma; Stadium Bowl (Tacoma); Historical pageants--Tacoma; Searchlights--Tacoma;

Golden Jubilee Parade on July 22, 1939, on downtown Tacoma streets. Tacoma Central Labor Council float, "Education, Equality, Justice, Liberty; 58 Years of Achievement in Human Betterment" was one of the more than 60 floats entered in the parade. The float was designed as a Greek temple and parked temporarily by Wright Park on a truck owned by Earl Sweet.

Washington State Golden Jubilee, 1939--Tacoma; Wright Park (Tacoma); Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1930-1940;

1939 Western Washington Fair in Puyallup. Wide angle view of fairgrounds showing capacity crowds in the amusement area with wooden buildings in background.

Western Washington Fair (Puyallup);

1939 Western Washington Fair in Puyallup. Three little girls dressed in look-a-like dresses stand on the fence rail to get a close look at the Durac Jersey. Other children and adults peer through and over the fence to see the animals.

Western Washington Fair (Puyallup); Children--Puyallup--1930-1940;

The 19th century melodrama "United by Love" was being presented on August 23, 1938, on a Works Progress Administration (WPA) travelling stage to an appreciative outdoor audience in South Park. The "Theater on Wheels," a joint enterprise of the WPA and the Metropolitan Parks Board, had presented five complete shows a week since June 13th, playing six times around a circuit of ten Tacoma parks and playgrounds. Members of the Asbury Methodist Church WPA-coached drama club on stage were, left to right, Ruth Bristow, Milo Ernst, Pat O'Conner, Georgia "George" Kisor and Cyril Hansen. More than 100 performers presented shows featuring music by the 6-piece professional WPA orchestra, singing, dancing, dramatic sketches and sound movies. They played to more than 20,000 appreciative theater goers in June and July with August audiences slightly higher. Their season ended on August 31st, retiring the only travelling theater on the Pacific Coast for the year. (T. Times 8/24/1938, pg. 16)

Melodramas; Open-air theatrical productions; Depressions--1929; Bristow, Ruth; Ernst, Milo; O'Conner, Pat; Hansen, Cyril; Asbury United Methodist Church (Tacoma) --People;

Young girls in costumes pose with their decorated bicycles for the judges to decide on the best decorated and funniest at the August 5, 1938 1st Annual Bicycle Race Meet & Parade. The parade of decorated bikes and their riders started downtown and ended at the Stadium Bowl. The days fun was sponsored by the Tacoma Times and the Park Recreation Department of the Metropolitan Park District. The races and parade had over 1500 participants. (T. Times 7/25/1938, pg. 1 - 8/6/1938)

Parades & processions--Tacoma--1930-1940; Bicycles & tricycles--1930-1940; Children riding bicycles & tricycles--1930-1940; Stadium Bowl (Tacoma);

1938 Haley wedding. At home. Frank Haley in stripe suit with tie; his bride Nell wearing dark dress, jacket with large corsage, and hat. (filed with Argentum)

Weddings--1930-1940; Brides--1930-1940; Grooms (Weddings)--1930-1940; Haley, Frank; Haley, Nell; Haley, Frank--Family;

Haley wedding. Frank Haley, on his wedding day, is in the center of the front row; flanking him are his brother Richard Haley and his father, J.C. Haley, one of the founders of Brown & Haley Confectioners. In the back row, left to right, are the groom's brothers: Cliff Haley, Fred Haley, who succeeded his father in running the business, and Ted Haley. The man at the far right is unidentified. (filed with Argentum) (Additional information provided by a family member)

Weddings--1930-1940; Haley, J.C.; Haley, J.C.--Family; Haley, Frank; Haley, Clifford; Haley, Fred; Haley, Ted;

Commerce Street Dog Parade, April 22, 1939. Children and dogs anxiously wait to hear the winners' numbers announced for 70 prizes awarded after the parade. Nearly 1,000 dogs were shown. Participants wear baseball caps they received. Each participant received a cap, an ice cream treat and a treat for their dog. (T. Times, 4/24/1939, p. 1)

Commerce Street Business Men's Club (Tacoma); Dogs--Tacoma--1930-1940; Parades & processions--Tacoma--1930-1940; Children & animals;

Nearly 1,000 dogs and their masters participated in the Commerce Street Dog (Mutt) Parade on Saturday morning April 22, 1939. Sponsored by the Commerce Street Business Men's Club, over seventy prizes were distributed to the winners in various catagories. No youngster went without some award, as each participant received a free ice cream bar, a baseball cap and a balloon - and every dog received a special treat. (T. Times, 4/24/1939, p. 1)

Commerce Street Business Men's Club (Tacoma); Dogs--Tacoma--1930-1940; Parades & processions--Tacoma--1930-1940; Children & animals;

Commerce Street Business Men's Club Dog Parade, April 22, 1939. A large crowd of spectators line the sidewalks along Commerce St., north and south of Ninth St. "Dave's Lunches/Billiards" sign projects over the sidewalk in the foreground, Winthrop Hotel on left. (T. Times 4/24/39)

Commerce Street Business Men's Club (Tacoma); Dogs--Tacoma--1930-1940; Parades & processions--Tacoma--1930-1940; Children & animals; Spectators--Tacoma--1930-1940; Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma);

Hotel Greeters Convention, May 16-18, 1940. Group of five people in front of a large brick building with colonnaded entry. The Northwest Hotel Greeters Association had their 14th annual convention in Tacoma in May of 1940. Several hundred delegates and wives were expected to attend. Tours of the Narrows Bridge, McChord Field, Fort Lewis and Olympia were planned. The above photograph may have been taken on Fort Lewis. The association was led by Albert C. Gamer and Mrs. Gamer was in charge of the ladies' auxiliary. (TNT 5-16-1940, p. 5-article)

Meetings--Tacoma--1940-1950; Northwest Hotel Greeters Association (Tacoma);

1940 Daffodil Parade. Twenty six floats participated in the 7th annual Daffodil Parade on March 30, 1940. The sun only peaked occasionally through the clouds to view the floats covered in the sunshine yellow flowers. The Kiwanis Club float had daffodil seahorses hitched to a sea shell, the carriage of a beautiful blonde girl. (T. Times 3/30/1940, pg. 1))

Parades & processions--Tacoma--1940-1950; Festivals--Tacoma; Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1940-1950; Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1940 :Tacoma);

Comic highlights of the 1940 Daffodil Parade. With the sun only peaking through clouds over the parade route, clowns added a note of humor. They took a "perfect sleeper" mattress from the F. S. Harmon float and threw it out on the route at 9th and Broadway. A steamroller, entered in the parade by Woodworth and Cornell, ran over the mattress, flattening it. A unique moment in daffodil history. (T. Times 3/30/1940, pg. 1)

Parades & processions--Tacoma--1940-1950; Festivals--Tacoma; Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1940-1950; Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1940 :Tacoma);

1940 Daffodil Parade. Float on truck decorated with daffodils and fir tree branches. Wing-emblem feature of float and also pictured on the girls' sweaters. (T. Times)

Parades & processions--Tacoma--1940-1950; Festivals--Tacoma; Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1940-1950; Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1940 :Tacoma);

This float is bearing her royal highness, Queen Marge I, Daffodil Royalty of 1940. Queen Marge I, 1940 Daffodil Queen, is seventeen year old Puyallup High School senior Marge Roscoe. Selected for her photogenic looks, Queen Marge is also a star on the school's debate team. She rides on the float from her home city of Puyallup, with a crown of daffodils and a regal robe of purple. She is flanked by attendants Lillian Kelly and Ella Reno. (T. Times 3/30/1940, pg. 1)

Parades & processions--Tacoma--1940-1950; Festivals--Tacoma; Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1940-1950; Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1940 :Tacoma); Roscoe, Marge;

Narrows Bridge - McChord Field Parade, Port Orchard float. One of two floats entered by Port Orchard in the July 1, 1940, parade depicting an aerial view of the "new" Port Orchard, "Proposed Improvement of Port Orchard's New Waterfront." The aerial view is similar to an architectural model. (T. Times, 7-2-40, p. 1)

Parades & Processions--Tacoma--1940-1950; Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1940-1950; Signs (Notices); Narrows Bridge/ McChord Field Parade;

Narrows Bridge - McChord Field Parade, Tacoma Public Utilities, Light Department float. City Light and its counterpart, Seattle City Light, both sponsored brilliantly lit floats featuring dams during the July 1, 1940, parade honoring the opening of the (first) Tacoma Narrows Bridge and McChord Field. Tacoma City Light's large float was sculpted with representations of the Olympic Mountains, Cushman Dam, and the Narrows Bridge. The small children on the float are fishing, skiing, hunting, and boating. The designated theme was "Gateway to the Olympics." (T. Times, 7-2-40, p. 1).

Parades & processions--Tacoma--1940-1950; Narrows Bridge/ McChord Field Parade; Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1940-1950; Public utility companies--Tacoma; Power plants;

Admittance Day Parade in Olympia on November 11, 1939. Firemen aboard horse-drawn fire engine, sign on side reads "1883." The Admission Day celebration in Olympia was patterned after the original inauguration of Governor Elisha P. Ferry. The two mile parade travelled over part of the route of that original statehood celebration. Ben's Service Station, Maxwell dealer, and houses in background.

Washington State Golden Jubilee, 1939--Olympia; Parades & processions--Olympia--1930-1940; Fire engines & equipment--Olympia;