New Pierce County Prosecutor Thor Tollefson was sworn in on January 9, 1939 succeeding Harry H. Johnston, Democrat. His parents had operated a meat market and grocery store on McKinley Hill. After his father's death in 1915, Thor, as eldest son, left school and worked in various lumber mills and shipyards to help support the family. He was finally able to enter high school at the age of 21, holding down a job in the mills at night, and obtained his law degree from the University of Washington in 1930. Mr. Tollefson served as county prosecutor from 1938-1946. A delegate to numerous Republican state conventions, he was elected as a Republican to the 80th Congress in 1946 and to the eight succeeding Congresses. After his last term in office, he was appointed Director of Fisheries for the State of Washington and also the special assistant to the Governor in charge of international fisheries negotiations. Thor Tollefson passed away in Tacoma on December 30, 1982, at the age of 81. (T. Times 1-9-39, p. 1) ALBUM 4.

Tollefson, Thor C., 1901-1982; Lawyers--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Funeral of Mayor John C. Siegle at First Presbyterian Church. Police Honor Guard stands at attention as casket is unloaded. As an incumbent official, Siegle's body was attended by an honor guard of uniformed police and fire department personnel.

Mayors--Tacoma--1930-1940; Siegle, John C., 1885-1939-- Funeral rites & ceremonies;

Mayor John C. Siegle's flag draped casket arrived at Tacoma's Union Station on April 14, 1939. The first Tacoma mayor to be born and raised in Tacoma, Mayor Siegle took ill with flu-like symptoms shortly after he was sworn in in June of 1938. After trying to recuperate in humid Tacoma, he left for the drier environs of the area around Palm Springs, Ca. The Mayor died of an apparent heart attack while returning home by train, at Klamath Falls, Oregon on 4/13/1939. He was the first Tacoma mayor to die while in office. Assisting as his honor guard at the train station were three of his American Legion comrades. Wearing their Legion caps are (l to r) Dr. Reuben Hedberg, Barney Drew and, in the right foreground, Jerry Walters. (T. Times 4/15, p. 1)

Mayors--Tacoma--1930-1940; Siegle, John C., 1885-1939-- Funeral rites & ceremonies; American Legion Tacoma Post No. 138 (Tacoma);

American Legion Honor Guard flanked the casket of Mayor John C. Siegle as it was loaded onto a hearse at Union Station on April 14, 1939. Mayor Siegle's funeral was scheduled for April 15th, but first his body would lie in state at the Mellinger Chapel. The color guard from the Tacoma and Rhodes American Legion Posts accompanied the body to the chapel. Siegle was the first Tacoma Mayor to die in office. He was also the first member of the American Legion past commanders "Last Man Club" to die. (T. Times, 4/15/1939, p. 1).

Mayors--Tacoma--1930-1940; Siegle, John C., 1885-1939-- Funeral rites & ceremonies; American Legion Tacoma Post No. 138 (Tacoma);

Funeral of Mayor John C. Siegle at the First Presbyterian Church. Sidewalks crowded with mourners and streets lined with automobiles. It is estimated that over 2,000 people crowded into the church to pay their last respects. By Siegle's own request, and that of the family, the interment was private. (T. Times 4/15/1939, pg. 1)

Mayors--Tacoma--1930-1940; Siegle, John C., 1885-1939-- Funeral rites & ceremonies; First Presbyterian Church (Tacoma);

Norwegian Crown Princess Martha and Major General A. J. Bowley during visit of the Princess and her husband, Crown Prince Olav (later Olav V), to Fort Lewis. The Crown Princess is wearing a black ensemble, white hat and silver fox furs. She is holding a bouquet of long stemmed roses. General Bowley would be joining the royal couple at an informal civic banquet held at the Hotel Winthrop that evening. He was the commander of the 9th Corps. (TNT 5-24-39, p. 2)

Visits of state--Tacoma--1930-1940; Rulers--Norway; Martha, Crown Princess of Norway; Bowley, Albert J.; Generals--Tacoma;

Reviewing stand for Golden Jubilee parade on July 22, 1939. Harry P. Cain, far left. Queen Amy Lou Murray, center, with Mayor J. J. Kaufman to her left. Miss Pierce County Margaret Franich, in second row between two officers. Mr. Cain was the general chairman of the Golden Jubilee celebration. The reviewing stand was crowded by over 200 dignitaries. 100,000 spectators lined the streets to see Tacoma's largest and most colorful parade, over 14 miles in length.

Washington State Golden Jubilee, 1939--Tacoma; Mayors--Tacoma--1930-1940; Kaufman, Joseph J.; Cain, Harry P., 1906-1979; Parades & processions--Tacoma--1930-1940; Murray, Amy Lou; Franich, Margaret; Reviewing stands--Tacoma;

Reviewing stand for Golden Jubilee parade at 12th & Pacific on July 22, 1939. Left to Right: Admiral Snyder, Jubilee Princess of the Parade Elizabeth Johnson, Mayor J. J. Kaufman, Queen Amy Lou Murray, Admiral J.O. Richardson, Miss Pierce County Margaret Franich, unknown naval officer. Brilliant sunshine greeted the one hundred thousand local residents and visitors who packed the streets of downtown Tacoma to view the Golden Jubilee parade. The 133 entries included over 60 floats, many from Washington counties, horses, thousands of military personnel marching with their bands, a horse-drawn fire engine and a tallyho coach. The parade, the grandest in Tacoma history, was 14 miles long and lasted three hours. ALBUM 11. (T.Times 7-22-39, p. 1, TNT 7-23-39, p. 1, T. Times 7-24-39, p. 3)

Washington State Golden Jubilee, 1939--Tacoma; Mayors--Tacoma--1930-1940; Kaufman, Joseph J.; Parades & processions--Tacoma--1930-1940; Murray, Amy Lou; Franich, Margaret; Johnson, Elizabeth; Richardson, J.O.; Reviewing stands--Tacoma;

Public Safety Commissioner Holmes Eastwood, Finance Commissioner Val Fawcett, Mayor John C. Siegle, Public Works Commissioner Abner R. Bergersen and Utilities Commissioner Ira S. Davisson following swearing in ceremony at (Old) City Hall on June 6, 1938. Flowers offering congratulations fill the tables to the rear of the city council. ALBUM 11. (T.Times 6-6-38, p. 14)

Mayors--Tacoma--1930-1940; Municipal government--Tacoma; Eastwood, Holmes; Fawcett, Clarence Valdo, 1900-1965; Bergersen, Abner R.; Davisson, Ira; Siegle, John C., 1885-1939;

Tacoma Mayor John C. Siegle presents an award at the "Grand Champion Dog Show" on December 11, 1938, at Greenwich Coliseum. The show was apparently licensed by the American Kennel Club (AKC) as the trophy and ribbons are inscribed with its name. The alert cocker spaniel being petted may have also been the Canadian champion. A 17-month particolor, Willett's To-Tone Toni, won the best-of-breed top prize. Judging was conducted by the Very Rev. William S. Walsh who may be the man pictured on the right. 69 out of the 71 entries were benched at the first annual cocker spaniel speciality show. (TNT 12-12-38, p. 12) ALBUM 11.

Mayors--Tacoma--1930-1940; Siegle, John C., 1885-1939; Dogs--Tacoma; Dog shows--Tacoma; Awards;

Posting big grins, Mayor John C. Siegle (center) and two associates pose next to an impressive array of flowers sent to congratulate the newly sworn-in mayor. Standing next to the new mayor are William J. Ganz and C. Amos Booth, Dr. Siegle's nominees for Secretary to the Mayor and Superintendent, Refuse Collection Division. Both nominees would be approved by the new council. Mr. Ganz, age 32, was active in Dr. Siegle's campaign. He graduated from Lincoln High School in 1925. Mr. Booth, age 31, graduated from both Lincoln High School and the College of Puget Sound. He was a past president of the city civil service commission. John Charles Siegle, a dentist by profession, was Tacoma's first native-born mayor. Illness cut short his only term of office; he died in April 12, 1939, ten months after his installation date. (T.Times 6-6-38, p. 14) ALBUM 11.

Mayors--Tacoma--1930-1940; Siegle, John C., 1885-1939; Ganz, William J.; Booth, C. Amos; Flower arrangements;

Mayor John Siegle pretends to light the fuse on a giant fire-cracker held by three members of the Junior Chamber of Commerce . They are all part of the "big bang" publicity campaign for the 1938 July 4th fireworks show at Stadium Bowl. Mayor Siegle was a dentist by trade, and the first native Tacoman to be elected as mayor to Tacoma. He was born in Tacoma in 1885. The Elks Temple and Spanish steps are in the background. Mayor Siegle died in April of 1939 after just 19 months in office. He was only 53 years old.

Mayors--Tacoma--1930-1940; Siegle, John C., 1885-1939; Holidays--Tacoma--1930-1940; Firecrackers; Tacoma Junior Chamber of Commerce (Tacoma);

Mayor George A. Smitley hands J. Lee Kress a letter at his office in (Old) City Hall congratulating the businessman on the opening of his new Malt Shop in the Bostwick Building. Mayor Smitley is a personal friend of Mr. Kress; the letter welcomed him back to Tacoma and thanked him for the improvements to the area. He wished Mr. Kress a successful career. This is the third Kress Malted Milk Shop in the Puget Sound area with two others in Olympia. (T. Times 7-2-37, page 4.) ALBUM 11.

Mayors--Tacoma--1930-1940; Smitley, George A., 1872-1956; Kress, J. Lee;

Mayor George A. Smitley and businessman J. Lee Kress in a July 1, 1937, photograph taken at (Old) City Hall. Mr. Kress, a personal friend of the mayor's, was opening a new Malt Shop in the Bostwick Building. The men are holding a letter from the mayor that welcomes Mr. Kress back to the Tacoma area. He also owned two other Malt Shops in the Olympia area. (T.Times 7-2-37, p. 4)

Mayors--Tacoma--1930-1940; Smitley, George A., 1872-1956; Kress, J. Lee;

Mayor George Smitley, center, at meeting of the Young Men's Business Club during the planning of the organization's "Air Circus" event. Man on the left is Arthur A. Cook, secretary of the YMBC, and the one on the right is M.J. M'Caslin, chairman of the Aviation Committee. The big show, featuring races, stunts, contests, acrobatic flying, bombing contests and parachute jumps, would occur on June 13, 1937, at the Mueller-Harkins field. A Boeing transport would also be displayed. (T.Times 6-10-37, p. 4) ALBUM 11.

Mayors--Tacoma--1930-1940; Smitley, George A., 1872-1956; Young Mens Business Club (Tacoma); Clubs--Tacoma--1930-1940; Community service--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Tacoma City Council at (Old) City Hall. Interested observers listen intently to council proceedings in April of 1937. (T. Times)

Municipal officials--Tacoma--1930-1940; Meetings--Tacoma--1930-1940; Old City Hall (Tacoma);

Tacoma City Council at (Old) City Hall. Men in conference at table. (T. Times)

Municipal officials--Tacoma--1930-1940; Meetings--Tacoma--1930-1940; Old City Hall (Tacoma);

Tacoma City Council at (Old) City Hall. As the seating arrangement indicates, officials did not face the audience as they met. This photograph was part of a series taken in April of 1937 for the Tacoma Times newspaper but apparently not run. (T. Times)

Municipal officials--Tacoma--1930-1940; Meetings--Tacoma--1930-1940; Old City Hall (Tacoma);

ca. 1937. A young John Anderson, future Mayor of Tacoma, works a saw during the construction of a home. Photo ordered by Al Gehri for "Better Homes and Gardens" but did not appear in the magazine. Prior to becoming mayor, Mr. Anderson had a successful career as a contractor. He served from 1950-54 as mayor and again from 1956-58.

Mayors--Tacoma--1950-1960; Anderson, John H.; Carpentry; Construction; Construction industry--Tacoma--1930-1940;

1935 Armistice Day Navy vs. Army football game at Stadium Bowl. Tacoma Mayor George Smitley (center) with Rear Admiral T. T. Craven and Brig. General C.H. Conrad Jr., commanding officer at Fort Lewis. (Bremerton Sun)

Mayors--Tacoma--1930-1940; Smitley, George A., 1872-1956; Football--Tacoma--1930-1940; Craven, T.T.; Admirals--Tacoma; Conrad, C.H.;

Lou Henry (Mrs. Herbert) Hoover, Honorary Vice- President of the Girl Scouts, greets a line of Scouts during a ceremony in the Crystal Ballroom of Tacoma's Hotel Winthrop. She appears to be holding back a smile at an eager young Scout. Mrs. Hoover addressed the crowd and presented a coveted "Golden Eaglet" award. ALBUM 1.

Presidents' spouses; Hoover, Lou Henry, 1875-1944; Girl Scouts (Tacoma);

Fireman Ray Foster (left) and engineer John Finn were the regular crew of the Great Northern Railway "Fast Mail" train. This photograph was taken October 1, 1937 at Tacoma's Union Station shortly before it left Tacoma for points north and west. Number 2500 was carrying President Franklin Delano Roosevelt who had made a special stop in Tacoma while on a trip to Washington state. Over 12,000 Tacomans crowded into the Union Station train yard to see and hear the President. (T.Times 10-02-1937 p.9)

Visits of state--Tacoma--Roosevelt, Franklin Delano, 1882-1945; Union Station (Tacoma); Railroad employees; Foster, Ray; Finn, John;

Conductor E. M. Osborne gives his "highball" as President Roosevelt's train pulls out from Union Depot after an early evening 15 minute whistle stop in Tacoma on October 1, 1937. Fifty to sixty thousand Tacomans lined the streets of Tacoma to catch a glimpse of the President as he entered the city by automobile from Olympia. More crowded into Union Station to hear his short speech. (T. Times, 10/2/1937, p. 9)

Visits of state--Tacoma--Roosevelt, Franklin Delano, 1882-1945; Union Station (Tacoma); Railroad employees; Osborne, E.M.;

ca. 1927. Group of men standing in front of a brick or stucco building. In the very back are believed to be, left to right, Commissioners Jessie Silver (Public Works) and H. Dyer Dyment (Public Safety.) An unidentified man pours into a glass held by Mayor Melvin Tennent (right.) (WSHS)

Mayors--Tacoma--1920-1930; Tennent, Melvin Green; Silver, Jesse; Dyment, Dyer; Municipal officials--Tacoma--1920-1930;

On August 19, 1941, Tacoma Mayor Harry P. Cain prepared to cut the 40 lb. cake decorated with the city seal presented to him in his office in (Old) City Hall. Pictured, L to R were Mayor Cain, city health officer Dr. Leland E. Powers, Corporation counsel Howard Carothers, Public Utilities Commissioner R.D. ("Bob") O'Neil, chef John Carrion of C&H Sugar, Robert Abel of the C of C, Edgar Densmore of Johnson-Leiber Co. Chef John Carrion, chef training instructor of the bakery service department of the California & Hawaiian Sugar Refining Corporation, created an exact replica in sugar of the city's official seal. While in town, he conducted demonstrations for bakers at the Federal Baking Co. ALBUM 12. (T.Times 8-21-41, p. 12)

Mayors--Tacoma--1940-1950; Cain, Harry P., 1906-1979; Cakes--Tacoma--1940-1950; Cooks; Powers, Leland E.; Carothers, Howard; O'Neil, Robert D.; Carrion, John; Abel, Robert B.; Densmore, Edgar M.;

Publicity for Army-Air Corps baseball game, taken at Winthrop Hotel. Frank Gillihan of the Y.M.B.C., McChord Field Morale Officer Capt. R.L. Bell, Mayor Harry P. Cain and 41st Division Morale Officer Capt. Cal Butterworth hold a friendly conversation on September 2, 1941. Mr. Gillihan had just succeeded in selling Mayor Cain a ticket to the September 9th match between the Army All-Stars and McChord Bombers. The Young Men's Business Club were the sponsors of the event. The Army team would go on to defeat McChord 3-2 in the pouring rain. (TNT 9-5-41, p. 17, 9-10-41, p. 11)

Mayors--Tacoma--1940-1950; Cain, Harry P., 1906-1979; Gillihan, Frank J.; Butterworth, Cal; Bell, R.L.;

Mrs. George F. Allen of (American Legion) Rhodes Post Auxiliary selling Mayor Harry P. Cain a forget-me-not or "Buddy Poppy," for benefit of Disabled American Veterans during the group's tea at the Rhodes Memorial Hall. ALBUM 12.

Mayors--Tacoma--1940-1950; Cain, Harry P., 1906-1979; Patriotic societies--Tacoma; Clubs--Tacoma; American Legion Edward B. Rhodes Post No. 2 (Tacoma); American Legion Auxiliary (Tacoma); Fund raising--Tacoma--1940-1950;

On September 26, 1941 on the City Waterway, Mayor Harry Cain presents a 40 foot boat to the 34 members of Sea Scout Ship #100. The boat is a gift from the Tacoma Active Club, of which Cain is a member. He ceremoniously presents the keys to Skipper D.K. Cook. Pictured left to right are Norton Gordon, Ken Stenberg, Mayor Cain, Skipper Cook, Bartlett Rummel, and an unidentified man. The boat is a US Navy sailor, which the Scouts plan to rebuild into a cabin cruiser and rename the "Active Scout." (T. Times 9/25/1941, pg. 12)

Mayors--Tacoma--1940-1950; Cain, Harry P., 1906-1979; Tacoma Active Club (Tacoma); Sea Scouts (Tacoma); Boats;

March, 1942, publicity for St. Patrick's Stag Night at University-Union Club. L to R: Back; H.L. Blangy, Ed Richards, Warren Hull, Mayor Harry P. Cain, Fred Hansen, A.L. Lee. Seated: J. Corning Todd, Joseph Gordon, John Schlarb, Jr., William A. Johnson, William Buchanan, P.Scheibler, Irving Thomas and E.M. Wetherell. All the men are wearing chef's hats, obviously practicing for preparing their own meal at the annual St. Pat's steak fry. ALBUM 13. (T. Times 3/16/42, pg. 12)

Cain, Harry P., 1906-1979; Mayors--Tacoma--1940-1950; Hats--1940-1950; University Union Club of Tacoma (Tacoma); Men--Clubs--Tacoma; Richards, Ed;

Major Gen. John C. Lucas, Gov. Arthur B. Langlie, a bareheaded Mayor Harry P. Cain, Rear Adm. C.S.Freeman and a honor guard of soldiers wearing old-style "tin pan" helmets watch the 12,000 men of the US 3rd Division from Fort Lewis pass in the Army Day Parade at 12th and Pacific in October, 1941. On the left of the General is his standard bearer. He holds the two star flag for the general's rank. The group stands on the reviewing stand at 12th and Pacific Ave. ALBUM 13. (T. Times 10/30/1941, pg. 1)

Cain, Harry P., 1906-1979; Mayors--Tacoma--1940-1950; Langlie, Arthur B., 1900-1966; Governors; Lucas, John C.; Generals; Freeman, C.S.; Admirals--Tacoma; Military parades & ceremonies--Tacoma--1940-1950;