ca. 1921. This is race car driver Tom Alley with his thick wavy hair blowing in the wind. He made his first trip to the Pacific Coast to race in the 250-mile July 4, 1921, event at the Tacoma Speedway. Nine cars, including Mr. Alley's #27 Frontenac, qualified by running at least 90 mph. Tommy Milton in his #2 Durant Special came from behind in a field of fast drivers during the latter half of the long race to win for the second straight year but had to set a new Tacoma long-distance race record to do so. His time of 2 hours, 34 minutes, 30 seconds, averaging 98 mph, was nearly three miles an hour faster than the 225-mile race of 1920. Tom Alley came in fifth with a time of 2:39:44 and averaging 93.90 mph. He earned $1,500 and 50 championship points. Only one car was mechanically disabled during the race, that of Alton Soules, and there were no accidents or reported injuries. (Copy by Boland of photo by W. A. Hughes) (TNT 6-23-21, p. 15; TNT 7-5-21, p. 1,2-results)

Alley, Tom; Automobile racing drivers; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood);

ca. 1920. Veteran early race car driver and "Grand Old Man" of racing, Barney Oldfield was in Tacoma in July of 1920 to serve as pacesetter for the Tacoma Classic on the 5th. He was photographed with his signature cigar behind the wheel of an automobile. During his career as a driver, Oldfield broke speed records, won match races and put on exhibitions. A consummate showman, he helped develop the image of auto racing as dangerous and exotic and its drivers as outlaws, and made a fortune doing it. His name became synonymous with the sport. He retired in 1918 from racing, but continued public appearances. He died in 1946. (TDL 7/4/1920, pg. 1C) Speedway 082

Oldfield, Barney; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1910-1920; Racing automobile drivers; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood);

ca. 1920. Race car driver Joe Thomas, circa 1920. The world of early automobile racing had a high mortality rate. Local boy Joe Thomas, born in Aberdeen (then called Grays Harbor City) in 1890, was able to avoid fatal crashes and live to the ripe old age of 75, dying in 1965. Although he was forced out of the race in 1920 with a broken piston and finished eighth, he would race at the Tacoma Speedway many times before it closed in 1922. After his racing days were over, he would return to Tacoma in the late 1930's to serve as director for the State Vehicle Inspection Station. Speedway 074 (TNT 6/29/1920)

Racetracks--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Thomas, Joe;

ca. 1920. Eddie O'Donnell (right) and his mechanic pictured in his Duesenberg #10 on an unidentified brick track. They would be in town on July 5th 1920 to race at the Tacoma Speedway. Although O'Donnell had been racing for several years, he was a new face at the Speedway. The 225 mile 1920 "Tacoma Classic" offered a winning purse of $22,500. The new grandstands allowed 15,000 fans to view the race comfortably from the stands when O'Donnell was the 8th, and last man, to finish the race, by driving fellow racer Eddie Miller's car. O'Donnell had graciously offered his car to Ralph DePalma, whose car was not running at race time. Eddie O'Donnell would die tragically later in 1920 from injuries sustained in a crash on November 25th. Gaston Chevrolet and Eddie O'Donnell collided with one another during the Thanksgiving Day Beverly Hills Speedway Classic race. Chevrolet was killed along with O'Donnell and mechanic Lyall Jolls. (TNT 6/19/1920, pg. 10; 6/30/1920, pg. 18) Speedway 042

O'Donnell, Eddie; Racing automobiles--1910-1920; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1910-1920; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1910-1920; Automobile racing drivers;

ca. 1920. In July of 1920, lots of eyes at the Tacoma Speedway were on novice driver Jimmy Murphy, mechanic Ernie Olson and his Duesenberg. He was in Tacoma for the July 5, 1920, 225 mile Classic after winning the first race of the season, the inaugural at the Beverly Hills Ca. board track. Murphy raced for the Duesenberg team that had taken him on as a mechanic in 1916 and promoted him to driver in 1919. He finished 6th in the Tacoma Classic in his #12 Duesenberg. Jimmy Murphy was the shooting star of racing during his short 4 year and 9 month career, named National Racing Champion in 1922 and 1924. He was killed in a crash at Syracuse, New York, in September of 1924. (Jimmy Ralstin's Racing Home Page; www.ddavid.com/formula1/; TDL 7/6/1920, pg. 1; TNT 6/30/1920, pg. 18) Speedway 047

Racing automobiles--1910-1920; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1910-1920; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1910-1920; Murphy, Jimmy; Automobile racing drivers;

ca. 1920. This is speed king Jimmy Murphy (at left) with his mechanic, Ernie Olson, on the board track of the Tacoma Speedway circa the summer of 1920. He had entered the 9th annual race as a newcomer to the Pacific Northwest but had already started to establish himself as a rising star in the world of auto racing. He and his mechanic are standing in front of his Duesenberg, one of four entered in the July 5th race. The 1920 Tacoma race was filled with veteran well-known drivers including 1920 Indy 500 winner Gaston Chevrolet, NW favorite Eddie Hearne, Roscoe Sarles, Eddie O'Donnell, Ralph DePalma, Cliff Durant, Ralph Mulford and the eventual winner, Tommy Milton. Mr. Murphy drove well and finished sixth, claiming a payday of $1,100. In 1922 he returned to the Tacoma Speedway and won the last big race held there. (Tacoma Sunday Ledger 6-20-20, 3B-article; TDL 7-6-20, p. 1+-results)

Murphy, Jimmy; Automobile racing drivers; Olson, Ernie; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Racing automobiles--1920-1930; Duesenberg automobile;

The grand old man of racing Barney Oldfield posed with thirteen drivers on the board track of the Tacoma Speedway prior to the race on July 4th 1922. The 1922 Speedway Classic would turn out to be the last auto race held on the track. It was closed at the end of 1922. Only ten of the drivers would actually compete in the race. Oldfield led the pack as Pacemaker. Pictured, left to right, are Jimmy Murphy, Tommy Milton, unidentified, Frank Elliott, Roscoe Sarles, Jerry Wanderlich, Harry Hartz, Joe Thomas, unidentified, Barney Oldfield, unidentified, Eddie Hearne, Cliff Durant and Ralph Mulford. TPL-3177

Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Racetracks--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile racing drivers;

J.R. McKinnell opened the new Rose Theater at 514-16 South 11th Street in late December of 1920. The original Rose Theater was located at 905 South Tacoma Avenue (now Tacoma Avenue South) in the Lucerne Building. On the 28th of December the feature at the new Rose was "Ruth of the Rockies" starring Ruth Roland, one of the Queens of the early silent serials; she specialized in westerns and comedies. "Ruth of the Rockies" was one of her later films. The new movie house had been built by Tacoma contractors Wick and Johnson at an estimated price tag of $8,000 for a California client. It was constructed of reinforced concrete and was 22 feet high with a 35 x 65 foot footprint. The building was demolished July of 1996. (TDL 1/2/1921, pg. B6- photo, 12/12/20, pg. B-5 article) Boland B3470, BU-13,339, TPL-2394

Rose Theater (Tacoma); Motion picture theaters--Tacoma--1920-1930;

On June 13, 1924, five usherettes, all with the latest in bobbed hair, posed in their new summer uniforms, blousy top and slacks in combinations of black and orange, in front of the Colonial Theater, 916-18 Broadway. The women were identified by the News Tribune as, left to right, Evelyn Durrin (head usher,) Mary Marko, Isobelle Pallis (assistant head usher,) Mildred Barnes and one unidentified usherette. The marquee advertised "The Last Hour" with Milton Sills, Carmel Myers, Walter Long and Pat O'Malley, which opened June 14, 1924 and ran at the Colonial for one week. "The Last Hour" was issued in 1923 by Mastadon Films. The Colonial Theater was designed by Roland Borhek and built in 1914. In the thirties, it became the Beverly Theater and in the 40's the Telenews Theater. It has since been demolished. Boland B10313, BU 11,145 (TNT 6/19/24, pg. 8)

Colonial Theater (Tacoma); Motion picture theaters--Tacoma--1920-1930; Ushers--Tacoma--1920-1930; Motion picture industry--1920-1930;

President Warren G. Harding, clutching his cane, was photographed in Tacoma on July 5, 1923, while on an hours-long visit to the city. The President was on his way to Alaska via the USS Henderson when he stopped in Tacoma. He was feted at a reception held at the elegant Tacoma Hotel and paid a visit to the US Veterans Hospital (Cushman) before being honored at the packed Stadium Bowl. President Harding never made another trip to Tacoma as he died 28 days later at the age of 57. TPL-5453

Harding, Warren G.; Presidents--United States; Visits of state--Tacoma--1920-1930; Guests--Tacoma--1920-1930;

ca. 1921. Pacific Luthern College's (later University) first building dominates the landscape in 1921. Designed by architect August Heide, the cornerstone was laid in 1891, one year after the college was founded. Known first as "Old Main," the landmark structure was renamed Harstad Hall for the school's first president, the Rev. B. A. Harstad. (B5709)

Pacific Lutheran College (Parkland)--1920-1930; Pacific Lutheran College (Parkland)--Buildings--1920-1930;

ca. 1920. Defending Indianapolis 500 winner Howard "Howdy" Wilcox was photographed for his official Speedway picture in 1920 by local photographer Coburn. He is seated in a Peugeot along with his "mechanician." Mr. Wilcox made eleven starts at Indy from 1911-1923 with a stellar five top ten finishes, including his 1919 triumph. He entered the eleventh and last Tacoma Speedway long distance race in 1922 to vie for total prize money of $25,000 and more importantly, race with his compatriots Jimmy Murphy, Ralph Mulford,Tommy Milton, Cliff Durant, Roscoe Sarles and others. It was Mr. Wilcox's first visit to Tacoma but his Peugeot Special did not have quite enough to win the event. He ended up fifth with average speed of 90.8 mph, behind eventual winner Murphy, Milton, Sarles and Wonderlich. (copy of Coburn photograph made by Marvin Boland) (www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com-stats; TDL 7-5-22, p. 1-results)

Wilcox, Howard Samuel; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis, IN);

ca. 1922. Driving icon Barney Oldfield, hat in hand and cigar in mouth, posed with the nine driving mechanics, or "mechanicians," who would accompany the world class racers at the 11th and final Tacoma Speedway long distance race in July of 1922. Harlan Fengler, who rode with Californian Harry Hartz, is third from left next to Mr. Oldfield and Terry Curley is seated, extreme left, front row. Others were not identified. TPL-2743; TPL-3169

Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Oldfield, Barney; Fengler, Harlan; Curley, Terry;

Tacoma Sunday Ledger Automobile Section C-1 featuring photographs of well known auto racers coming to Tacoma for the annual Tacoma Speedway Classic. "Crowned Heads of Speedways in Annual Pilgrimage to Tacoma" proclaimed the headlines of the Ledger's automotive section on June 13, 1920. Photographs of Indy 500 winner Gaston Chevrolet, local boy Joe Thomas, first time Tacoma visitor Roscoe Sarles, Uniontown 225-mile winner Tommy Milton, Chicago millionaire Joe Boyer, Jr., California millionaire and manufacturer Cliff Durant, and popular favorites Ralph Mulford and Eddie Hearne were prominently placed. Records were expected to be battered on the newly refurbished Speedway. (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 1-C, 6-13-1920) TPL-8828

Newspapers--Tacoma--1920-1930; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile racing drivers; Chevrolet, Gaston; Sarles, Roscoe; Milton, Tommy; Thomas, Joe; Boyer, Joe; Durant, Cliff; Mulford, Ralph; Hearne, Eddie;

On October 5, 1922, longtime Puyallup Fair president W.H. Paulhamus (center, directly under American flag) and a large group of men and women gathered outside an ornate building on the fairgrounds; a ferris wheel can faintly be seen to the rear along with numerous food booths. The building has a scoreboard mounted on it that shows the inning-by-inning score of the World Series game being held on that day between the NY Yankees and the NY Giants. The Yankees played the Giants in three successive World Series with much of the same roster. On October 5, 1922, the teams played to a 3-3 tie. Both Yankee pitcher B. Shawkey and Giants pitcher J. Barnes pitched 10 innings; the sun was still high in the sky when the game was called on account of "darkness," a decision that irritated baseball commissioner Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis to the point that he donated the days receipts for the game to charity.

Scoreboards--Puyallup; Western Washington Fair (Puyallup); Paulhamus, W.H.;

On June 9, 1924, the graduating students and faculty at the College of Puget Sound gathered to bid farewell to the old campus at 602 North Sprague Avenue (now the site of Jason Lee Middle School.) The building was constructed in 1903 from a design by George W. Bullard; and demolished in 1924 after the college moved to its new location at 1500 North Warner. The 21st Commencement Exercises were held on the morning of June 11th at Jones Hall on the new campus. (TNT 6/11/1924, pg. 11) Boland# B10257

College of Puget Sound (Tacoma)--1920-1930; Universities & colleges--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Robert Bye Thompson and partner Charles Dyer constructed a new building at 3320 So. G Street for their automobile dealership. Bye Thompson Motor Sales carried Ford, Hudson, Essex and Moon automobiles. Central Motors, Commercial Motors and the Allen Motor Co. later occupied the building. It has been home to Cartozian Fine Carpets & Rugs since 1946. Boland, B10272.

ca. 1920. Eddie O'Donnell (left) and mechanic Lyall Jolls pose in front of a Duesenberg race car at the Tacoma Speedway circa the summer of 1920. The Duesenberg team brought four cars for the 225-mile race driven by nationally known race stars Tommy Milton, Jimmy Murphy, Edward Miller and Mr. O'Donnell. Teammates Milton, Murphy and O'Donnell had finished 1-2-3 at the Uniontown, Pennsylvania 225-mile race a few weeks prior to the July 5th Tacoma event. Tommy Milton was the victor in Tacoma while driving his #10 Duesenberg at a blistering pace, the fastest then set for the long race at the Speedway. Race car drivers were a tight fraternity; Eddie O'Donnell generously gave up his ride on a Duesenberg to Ralph DePalma, whose Ballot broke down before the race. Mr. O'Donnell then hopped onto teammate Eddie Miller's ride and Mr. Miller served as mechanic. They finished last of the eight cars remaining in the race. Mr. O'Donnell's car had qualified at a 98 mph clip so it says much of the spirit of camaraderie that he gave up the car to a competitor so that the crowds jammed into the Speedway would not be disappointed at the non-appearance of this international star. Both Mr. O'Donnell and Mr. Jolls died later in 1920 of injuries incurred in the November, 1920 Beverly Hills Speedway Classic. (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 6-20-20, 3B-article; TDL 7-3-20, p. 1-article; TDL 7-6-20, p. 1-results)

O'Donnell, Eddie; Jolls, Lyall; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile racing drivers; Racing automobiles--1920-1930; Duesenberg automobile;

ca. 1920. Racing sensation Jimmy Murphy poses next to his Duesenberg race car #12 at the Tacoma Speedway, circa 1920. Murphy has been named the driver of the decade for Championship cars, 1920-1929, claiming 19 victories from 1920-24. He went to work for Duesenberg as a mechanic on his 21st birthday in 1916. He burst on the racing world as a driver in 1920, winning his very first major race in Beverly Hills, Ca. He is most famous for his 1922 Indy 500 win and for being the first American to win the French Grand Prix, in 1921. Jimmy Murphy was a familiar face in Tacoma, racing at the Classic in 1920, where he finished sixth and 1922, which he won. He was killed in a crash at the Syracuse, N.Y., racetrack in September of 1924. Speedway-044 (TDL 7/2/1922, pg. C-1, C-6)

Racing automobiles--1920-1930; Duesenberg automobile; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Murphy, Jimmy; Automobile racing drivers;

ca. 1921. Auto racer Roscoe Sarles and unidentified driver/"mechanician" with Richlube Motor Oil. The motor oil was manufactured by the Richfield Oil Co., Los Angeles. 1921 was the second year that Mr. Sarles had ventured to the Tacoma Speedway to compete with racing colleagues such as Eddie Hearne, Tommy Milton, Joe Thomas and Eddie Pullen. Mr. Milton passed Mr. Sarles on the home stretch after the 200-mile mark and beat him by a mere 22 seconds. For his second place finish, Mr. Sarles accepted $5000 and 260 championship points. (TNT 7-5-21, p. 1,2-article on results) TPL-3175

Sarles, Roscoe; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile equipment & supplies;

ca. 1921. Speed king Eddie Hearne watches as fellow driver Harry Hartz pours Richlube Motor Oil in Mr. Hearne's vehicle. Richlube Motor Oil was manufactured by the Richfield Oil Co. of California. This photograph may have been taken around 1920 or 1921 at the Tacoma Speedway. Both years Mr. Hearne drove a white Revere.

Hearne, Eddie; Hartz, Harry; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Automobile equipment & supplies;

Copy of front page of The News Tribune dated July 2, 1920. Under the title "These Men Will Set Pace for Old "Daddy Time" Monday," were photographs of retired veteran driver Barney Oldfield, Indy 500 winner Gaston Chevrolet, California millionaire Cliff Durant and fan favorite Ralph Mulford. These top racers would be at the Tacoma Speedway on July 5, 1920, to compete in the 225-mile event for a top prize of $10,000.

Newspapers--Tacoma--1920-1930; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Oldfield, Barney; Chevrolet, Gaston; Durant, Cliff; Mulford, Ralph; Automobile racing drivers;

In September of 1924 the Sprague Building and its extension took up the whole block between South 15th Street and South 17th on the east side of Pacific Avenue. Built in 1888, the original Sprague Building was home to the Hotel Savoy in the 1920s when this photograph was taken. Later it was home to many businesses including the Croft Hotel in the 1930s, the Lutheran Welfare Mission & Service Club in the 1940s and the Full Gospel Tabernacle in the 1960s. It was torn down in the late 1960s. The Sprague Building Annex, now simply known as the Sprague Building, still stands at the corner of South 15th and Pacific. It is listed on both the city and national registers of historic buildings. Boland B10931, BU-10735;

Hotel Savoy (Tacoma); Hotels--Tacoma--1920-1930;

The usherettes at the Colonial Theater, 916-18 Broadway, wore gingham dresses for the opening on February 28,1920 of the silent version of "Pollyanna" starring Mary Pickford. A slightly different version of this photograph appeared in the March 3rd News Tribune; the girls are believed to be (l to r) Edna Fitzmaurice, Fern Chantler (the theater cashier), Nellie Mason, Rosa Fair, Lillian Buth, Stella Church, and Ruth Harkness. Mary Pickford was 27 when she played the film's 12 year old title character; the picture grossed one million dollars for United Artists, the film company owned by D.W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford and her husband Douglas Fairbanks. The Colonial Theater was designed by Roland Borhek, architect, and opened in 1914. It was demolished in 1988. (TNT 3/3/1920 p.9) TPL-5877, BU-10014, Boland-B2760

Colonial Theater (Tacoma); Motion picture theaters--Tacoma--1920-1930; Ushers--Tacoma--1920-1930; Motion picture industry--1920-1930;

ca. 1922. YWCA residence located at 610 Broadway. This structure was built in 1889 from a design by Pickles & Sutton, architects, for Theodore Hosmer. It was used as a residence for the YWCA from 1922-1928. In 1946, the home was razed to construct a parking lot. Boland B3466, BU-13177, TPL-1780

Young Womens Christian Association (Tacoma);

Stadium High School as captured in print by photographer Marvin Boland on January 15, 1921. The building had started as a hotel in 1890, never completed as such, and converted to a high school in 1905. It opened in 1906 as Tacoma High School with its name changing to Stadium High school in 1913. The brick structure strongly resembled an old French castle with its turrets and steep roofs.

Stadium High School (Tacoma)--1920-1930; Public schools--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Automotive legend Louis Chevrolet, standing, looked on as race car driver Joe Thomas tinkered with his Monroe racing car at the Tacoma Speedway on July 2, 1920. Thomas' riding mechanic, Marcel Treyvoux, leans against the car. Local boy Thomas, from Seattle, had just qualified for the 225 mile Tacoma Classic by driving at speeds up to 96 mph. He was a veteran, experienced driver, having been recruited by famed Barney Oldfield in 1907 for an exhibition in Seattle where the high schooler drove a Franklin. He later became Eddie Pullen's mechanic on the Mercer team and started driving himself in 1916. Louis Chevrolet was an early successful race car driver with 27 major wins to his record. He was also a design genius, creating the first Chevrolet with W.C. Durant and Frontenac race cars with his brothers, Gaston and Arthur. In 1920, he was working with Monroe to design a race car, which his brother Gaston drove to victory in the 1920 Indianapolis 500. (TDL 7/3/1920, pg. 2; TNT 7-1-20, p. 11-article) TPL-092, Speedway 016

Chevrolet, Louis; Racing automobiles--1920-1930; Racetracks--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Thomas, Joe; Treyvoux, Marcel;

Race car driver Roscoe Sarles, circa 1920. Although he had been a familiar face at major races for the past five years, Sarles made his first appearance at the Tacoma Speedway during the July 5th, 1920 race. He raced a Monroe, numbered "5," and finished fifth in the race. Two years later, in September of 1922, Sarles was killed in an accident at the Kansas City Speedway when he collided with Pete Depaola's car on the 110th lap and plunged over the edge of the track. Speedway 101 (TNT 6/24/1920, pg. 19)

Sarles, Roscoe; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile racing drivers;

ca. 1921. Eddie Miller shown pouring Richlube Motor Oil into his Duesenberg race car circa 1921. His jacket bears the name of his team, Duesenberg, on the front and back. This was Mr. Miller's first appearance as a driver in Tacoma. He rode as a "mechanician" with Eddie O'Donnell as driver in his own car in 1920. Known as a skilled mechanic, he had built 23 cars and had ridden as a "mechanician" with six different drivers. He finished in sixth place in 1921's 225-mile long distance race at the Tacoma Speedway, earning $1000 and 35 championship points. (TNT 7-5-21, p. 1,2-results; Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 7-3-21, C-3-small article on Mr. Miller)

Miller, Edward; Automobile racing drivers; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Automobile equipment & supplies; Duesenberg automobile; Racing automobiles--1920-1930;

Copy of Automotive Section of Portland Telegram newspaper dated June 30, 1920, with photographs of top racers heading for Tacoma to compete at the Tacoma Speedway's 225-mile event. Images of Jimmy Murphy, Roscoe Sarles, Ralph Mulford, Joe Thomas, Cliff Durant, Eddie Hearne and Gaston Chevrolet were included under the heading "World's Leading Speed Kings to Vie at Tacoma." Veteran driver Barney Oldfield would lead the pack on the first lap of the two-mile board track. TPL-8829 (Portland Telegram, 6-30-1920)

Newspapers--Oregon--Portland; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Murphy, Jimmy; Sarles, Roscoe; Mulford, Ralph; Thomas, Joe; Durant, Cliff; Hearne, Eddie; Chevrolet, Gaston;