Frankie Cowan can hardly hold back a laugh. She is heartily enjoying posing in a field of bright Spring daffodils as a promotion for the first annual Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival in March of 1934. Miss Cowan is Frances Cowan, a saleswoman at the Peoples Store who resides at 621 So. Yakima Ave.

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.

Margaret Thomas, crowned Queen Margaret I of the 1935 Greater Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival, smiles serenely over her bouquet of daffodils. The twenty three year old from Sumner was the first Queen chosen in an actual contest. Queen Margaret was selected from a field of ten candidates. The very first Festival Queen, Mrs. Elizabeth Lee Wooten, was selected by a committee without a contest. Until the mid-1950s, the Queen was always from Sumner or Puyallup, the birthplaces of the daffodil industry.

Queen Margaret I, Margaret Thomas of Sumner, and her four attendants pose on their Daffodil Parade float on March 23, 1935. The attendants are, left to right, Irma Jane Janig, Sumner; Billie Barto, Puyallup; Olive Chervenka, Sumner; and Evelyn Mellinger of Tacoma. The 1935 parade was the second annual.

Float sponsored by the City of Tacoma in the 1936 Daffodil Parade, symbolizing the city's dominance in public utilities. In the forefront are three rearing horses pulling a large wheel. A large dynamo is in the back, an emblem of the power of the hydroelectric plants. (TDL 4/19/1936, pg. 1)

Daffodil Parade float entry by KMO radio, a floral representation of a microphone with the call letters KMO. The float was probably an entry in the 1936 parade. Several patches of daffodils in the outer ring of the microphone are missing showing the chicken wire base.

1936 Daffodil Queen Helen Edgerton of Puyallup. In the early years, the queen alternated year to year between Puyallup and Sumner residents. The first queen from Tacoma was in 1956 and from Orting in 1962.

The Young Mens' Business Club entry in the 1936 Daffodil Parade was this flower covered replica of the bastions at the restored Fort Nisqually at Point Defiance. The restored Fort had opened in 1934. A sign on the float advertises the "Beaver Centennial" 1836-1936, a celebration to be held July 4, 1936.

The Rotary Club, a perennial entrant in the Daffodil Parade, entered this flower bedecked emblem of Rotary International in the 1936 parade. The word "Service" is emblazoned on the side of the float.

ca. 1935. This float was entered in one of the very early Daffodil Festival parades, most likely 1935. A grass covered car is topped by a daffodil basket in which sit two charming cherubs. The two children are dressed formally, he in top hat and tails and she in a white bonnet. The floats at this time period were very simple; usually flower covered cars or mounted on the flat beds of small trucks.

Third Division Review held at Fort Lewis May 13, 1937. Soldiers march with rifles over their shoulders in front of military and government officials. (T. Times, 5/14/1937, pg. 1)

Military parades & ceremonies--Fort Lewis;

Military officers and dignitaries in the reviewing stand at Fort Lewis during the May 13, 1937 review of the Third Division. It is worth noting that the army still used covered wagons pulled by mules to transport supplies (far left). (T. Times 5/14/1937, pg. 1)

Military parades & ceremonies--Fort Lewis;

Photographs of the Third Division Review held at Fort Lewis May 13, 1937 with various public officials and high ranking officers in attendance. In this picture, troops march before the reviewing stand as planes zoom overhead. (T.Times 5/14/1937, pg. 1)

Military parades & ceremonies--Fort Lewis; Fighter planes--1930-1940;

Governors Review at Fort Lewis. Six military tanks in parade at this point; courtesy of either the 3rd Tank Co. or 41st Tank Co. Each tank has two men standing in the hull. A dirigible from the 3rd Balloon Co. is suspended overhead throughout the review. The U.S. Army put on a show of military force when it gathered 14,000 troops to pass in review before the governors of Washington, Oregon and Montana. Major General George A. White, commander of the 41st Division, was in charge of troop activity. 7518 men were from the national guard; Oregon sent the most, over 3000. (T .Times, 8-21-37, p. 1, 8-23-37, p. 1)

Military parades & ceremonies--Fort Lewis; Tanks (Military science)--Fort Lewis;

Navy Day Parade held in Tacoma during Fleet Week. Sailors march down Broadway in front of buildings in the 900 block. A large crowd of spectators line the sidewalks. The parade route began at 15th and Pacific, continued north on Pacific to 9th, from 9th to Broadway and south to 17th. The parade was more than a mile long. (T. Times 7/24/1937, pg.1)

Military parades & ceremonies--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Soldiers, Sailors and Marines Parade in Tacoma. A Marine unit stands at attention along a side street in Tacoma. They are in full dress uniform with gloves and rifles. They will soon be marching in the Fleet Week parade with soldiers from Fort Lewis and sailors from the US Navy as Tacoma welcomes back its Fleet. (T. Times 7/30/1936, pg. 1).

Military parades & ceremonies--Tacoma--1930-1940; Marines (Military personnel);

It was "Westward Ho" at the Bremerton Children's Pet Parade on August 29, 1936. The Richards photographer captured some children re-enacting a pioneer event--westward movement. A boy with a fake white mustache was photographed sitting on a toy horse pulling a girl with a baby doll in a covered wagon. 264 youngsters took part in the parade sponsored by the Retail Merchants' Association. (Bremerton Sun 08/31/1936, pg. 1).

Parades & processions--Bremerton; Children--Bremerton--1930-1940; Toys; Dolls; Children playing adults;

On June 5, 1937, over 1,000 Shriners descended on Tacoma for a spring reunion hosted by Tacoma's Afifi Temple. One of the first things that they did was organize a parade. Seven Shriners, including four flag bearers, gather in front of the Winthrop Hotel to wait for the parade to begin. A Shriners marching band is behind them.

Parades & processions--Tacoma--1930-1940; Fraternal organizations--Tacoma--1930-1940; Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (Tacoma); Flags; Standards (Identifying artifacts); Flag bearers;

The second annual Fairyland and Christmas Parade, November 29, 1935. A large crowd of spectators, including lots of excited children, lines the street at South 9th and Saint Helens Avenue to catch a glimpse of Santa. Caswell Optical Company can be seen in the background. The parade was sponsored by the Broadway and Pacific Avenue merchants the day after Thanksgiving to kick off the Christmas shopping season. The parade route began at 7th and Broadway and proceeded south to 13th Street and north on Pacific to 7th Street. (T. Times 11/28/1935, pg.1; 11/29/1935, pg.1; 11/30/1935, pg. 9)

Parades & processions--Tacoma--1930-1940; Holidays--Tacoma--1930-1940; Caswell Optical Co. (Tacoma);

1935 Fairyland and Christmas Parade. Float carrying Humpty Dumpty and all the Kings Men (soldiers) on Broadway in front of the Elks' Temple. Parade officials run alongside the float. The parade was sponsored by the Broadway and Pacific merchants to kick off the Christmas Shopping season. This was the second annual parade, held the day after Thanksgiving. (T. Times 11/28/1935, pg.1; 11/29/1935, pg.1; 11/30/1935, pg. 9)

Parades & processions--Tacoma--1930-1940; Holidays--Tacoma--1930-1940; Elks Temple (Tacoma); Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Fairyland and Christmas parade for children, 1935. Clowns and toy blocks standing by the Three Wise Men float on Broadway. Brandes-Madsen Co. building and Broadway Service Station Mobilgas station and Willis-Tacoma Motor Service in background.The dancing blocks spelling "TOYS" followed Santa and proceeded the Three Wise Men on the camels. Some of the favorite characters in the parade were the clowns and the paraders wearing the huge heads. This parade was sponsored by the Broadway and Pacific Ave. merchants and took place the day after Thanksgiving, officially beginning the Christmas shopping season. (T. Times 11/28/1935, pg.1; 11/29/1935, pg.1; 11/30/1935, pg. 9)

Parades & processions--Tacoma--1930-1940; Holidays--Tacoma--1930-1940; Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1930-1940; Brandes-Madsen Co. (Tacoma);

Fairyland and Christmas parade for children, November 29, 1935. A tall figure on a float moving along the street in front of Brandes-Madsen Co. and the Broadway Service Mobilgas station. This float depicts the giant that Jack killed in Jack and the Bean Stalk. All the floats were peopled with characters from Fairy Tales. Thousands of Tacoma youngsters turned out to wave to their favorite imaginary character. (T. Times 11/28/1935, pg.1; 11/29/1935, pg.1; 11/30/1935, pg. 9)

Parades & processions--Tacoma--1930-1940; Holidays--Tacoma--1930-1940; Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1930-1940; Brandes-Madsen Co. (Tacoma);

1937 Daffodil Parade. Three patrolmen on motorcycles proceed a military unit, military band and flag bearers marching down Ninth Street to Pacific Avenue. (T. Times, 4/10/1937, p. 1)

Parades & processions--Tacoma--1930-1940; Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1937 : Tacoma); Festivals--Tacoma; Marching bands--Tacoma--1930-1940;

1937 Daffodil Parade. Close-up of Festival Queen Dorothy I (Lyons) and her attendants, Eugenia Spencer of Tacoma and Hazel Phillips of Puyallup, standing on the reviewing stand at Tenth Street and Pacific. (T. Times, 4/10/1937, p. 1)

Parades & processions--Tacoma--1930-1940; Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1937 : Tacoma); Festivals--Tacoma; Reviewing stands; Lyons, Dorothy; Spencer, Eugenia; Phillips, Hazel;

Marching band on Pacific Street with view of the Olympic Hotel in the distance.

The Rotary International float at the 1956 Daffodil Parade on Pacific Avenue with North Pacific Plywood Inc. building and water tower in the background. The float is in the shape of a yacht, strung with bunting with a person in a sailing hat at the front.

Rhodes Brother Department Store float at the 1956 Daffodil Parade on Pacific Avenue with North Pacific Plywood Inc. building and water tower in the background. The float features models waving in dresses with large, anthropomorphic fish and coral and starfish figures. The Rhodes Brothers logo can be seen inside of a shell.

Small carriage being pulled by horses with a sign on the side reading "Posse Pick-Up Patrol" at the 1954 Daffodil Parade.

Float for Pacific Lutheran College with participants waving and smiling below a representation of palm trees at the 1954 Daffodil Parade. A building with a sign reading "Motive Parts, Machine Shop Service," can be seen in the background.

The 6th Avenue Business Men's Club entry in the 1935 Daffodil Parade and the winner of the $25 Sweepstakes prize for best float. The float features a flora replica of the Narrows Bridge. Disaster was narrowly averted the night before the parade when decorators ran out of flowers at midnight with the float unfinished. A delegation of volunteers journeyed out to pick 3,000 daffodils by moonlight at the Fox Island fields of Arthur Wright. The float was finished and declared the best of the fifty entered floats. It has over 18,000 blooms. (T. Times 3/25/1935, pg. 16) (filed with Argentum)

Floats (parades)--Tacoma--1930-1940; Parades & processions--Tacoma--1930-1940; Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1935 : Tacoma);