A fire of undetermined origin, completely destroyed the privately owned McChord Dry Cleaning plant near Ponders corner in Lakewood. The Lakewood and McChord Field Fire department responded to the call. View of site where McChord Dry Cleaning Shop previously stood; the fire completely destroyed the business; no one was hurt (T.N.T., 5/12/49, p. A-9).
Fires--Lakewood--1940-1950; Disasters--Lakewood--1940-1950; Fire fighters--Lakewood; Fire fighting--Lakewood; Fire engines & equipment--Lakewood--1940-1950; McChord Dry Cleaning Shop (Lakewood);
ca. 1955. Nalley Valley Fire Station, Engine Company #17 located in the industrial section near So. 35th St. and Union Ave. The station was designed by Robert Billsbrough Price, architect, of frame construction. It contained an area of 5,200 sq. ft. The outside was dark stained textured plywood contrasting with light colored stucco. It was Tacoma's first one floor fire station. The station began operation in March of 1955. Information received from a reader indicates that this station is now closed. Engine #17 was relocated to the City of Fircrest's fire station and that station re-designated as Station #17 when Tacoma assumed fire protection responsibility for Fircrest. The building at 3471 South 35th still exists and remains owned by the Tacoma Fire Department. It has been heavily remodeled and no longer resembles a fire station from street view. (TNT 1/9/1955) (Additional information obtained from a reader)
Fire stations--Tacoma--1950-1960;Tacoma Fire Department, Engine Company #17 (Tacoma);
Fire fighters are battling the fire at Harold E. Dahl Company from ladders set against the rear of the building. Three fire fighters are standing on the same ladder, possibly to help hold and lift the hose, with another standing at the bottom. A ladder truck provides access to the roof of the building. The Harold E. Dahl Company sold office supplies, desks, typrwriters and safes. TPL-9237
Fires--Tacoma--1950-1960; Harold E. Dahl Co. (Tacoma); Stores & shops--Tacoma--1950-1960; Fire fighting--Tacoma; Fire engines & equipment--Tacoma;
Harness gleaming and bedecked in garlands, the huge bays of Chemical Engine Co. No. 1 were ready to participate in the Tacoma Rose Carnival Parade on June 22,1905 . The parade was just one of the many activities in the three day festival which included band concerts, water pageants, a children's parade and a carnival ball. Chemical Co. No. 1, Engine Co. No. 1, and the hook and ladder Co. No. 1 from the Saint Helens station were chosen to represent the Tacoma Fire Department during the parade. Chief George McAlevy had wanted to furnish a larger display but reconsidered due to the city's need in case of fires. Chemical Engine Co. No. 1 was housed in the Fire Department headquarters at 9th & A Streets in downtown Tacoma. It would remain there until 1916 when it was put out of service. Photograph taken on June 22, 1905, by B. Waters. (Tacoma Daily News, 6-21-05, p. 3, Tacoma Daily News, 6-22-05, p. 1)
Tacoma Fire Department (Tacoma); Fire fighters--Tacoma--1900-1910; Fire engines & equipment--Tacoma; Horses--Tacoma; Parades & processions--Tacoma--1900-1910; Rose Carnival (Tacoma);
ca. 1913. This photograph from July, 1913 shows the Engine Company No. 1 fire station at 209-211 Saint Helens Avenue. The bunting and other decorations on the station appear to be for the Montamara Festo which was held in Tacoma over the 4th of July holiday every year from 1912 to 1922. The highlight of the festival was a series of automobile races held at a race track close to the present Clover Park Vocational Center. The two fire trucks framed by the open station doors are a Seagrave combination hose and chemical wagon on the left, and a 1907 Seagrave, 75 foot aerial truck, Tacoma's first motorized fire truck, on the right. Above the doors can be seen a model Fiat racing car being driven by "Tige", the mascot of the Tacoma Tigers. "Tige" was created by cartoonist Edward "Tige" Reynolds when he worked as an editorial cartoonist for the Tacoma Daily Ledger.
Tacoma Fire Department (Tacoma); Fire stations--Tacoma--1910-1920; Murals--Tacoma;
ca. 1907. Engine & Truck Co. No. 2. This sepia photograph is dated approximately 1907. The men of Engine & Truck Co. No. 2 stand proudly with their new Continental steam fire engine, 2nd size, 700 gpm. 1907 also saw Truck Co. No. 2 obtain the 1889 Hayes 65' aerial formerly belonging to Truck Co. No. 1, who had purchased a 75' Seagrave aerial. The firefighting apparatus was still pulled by sturdy horses. Engine Co. No. 2 and Truck Co. No. 2 were in new quarters that year with a station built at 2701 Tacoma Avenue South. (100 Years of Firefighting in the City of Destiny Tacoma, Washington, p. 42)
Tacoma Fire Department (Tacoma); Fire engines & equipment--Tacoma; Horses--Tacoma;
Firefighters W.C. Harbin (driver) and S.J. Pollard are aboard Engine Company # 6 engine in February of 1924. They staffed the headquarters for the Tacoma Fire Department, located at South 9th & A Streets in downtown Tacoma. Company # 6's pump motor had been built in city shops. In 1924 Tacoma had twelve fire stations and the Fire Department had a staff of 145 employees. (print has been torn) (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 2-17-24, G-1)
Tacoma Fire Department (Tacoma); Fire stations--Tacoma--1920-1930; Fire engines & equipment--Tacoma; Fire fighters--Tacoma--1920-1930; Pollard, S.J.; Harbin, W.C.;
On May 12, 1924, seven Clement Avenue District women received instructions, behind the United Presbyterian Church at So. 66th and Clement Avenue, in handling an emergency fire hose cart.. The South Tacoma women were expected to handle any fires which might occur during the day while the men of the district were at work. The women in the fire brigade were identified in the Tacoma Daily Ledger as: (l to r) Mrs. C.W. Stromberg, Mrs. M. L. Gilbertson, Mrs. George Bates, Miss J. Alstead, Mrs. Frank Mazzini, Mrs. M. Nelson and Mrs. Douglas Price. (TDL 5-13-24, p. 2) TPL-710
This is Truck Co. No. 2 with their 1913 Seagrave 75-foot aerial in front of Engine House No. 2. The driver was Harry Ketler and tillerman Jim Turner. Others were not identified. The hose tower is in view. Note the planked roadway that is Tacoma Avenue South. St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church is next door to the fire station. (Talbot & Decker: 100 Years of Firefighting, Tacoma, Washington, p. 53)
Tacoma Fire Department (Tacoma); Fire stations--Tacoma--1910-1920; Fire engines & equipment--Tacoma--1910-1920; Fire fighters--Tacoma--1910-1920; St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church (Tacoma);
An old tenement building, scheduled for demolition, was used for training purposes by the Tacoma Fire Department as a practice burn in April of 1961. Eleven small fires were set, then put out, before the building was allowed to burn down. Fifteen fire departments from King and Pierce Counties participated in the day-long training exercise. attracting crowds of curious onlookers. (TNT, 4/17/1961, p. 1) Trueblood #459
Tacoma Fire Department (Tacoma); Abandoned buildings--Tacoma; Building deterioration--Tacoma--1960-1970;
