Exp of truck loaded with lumber at St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Company. The driver has his door open and is seen through the open window. The truck is loaded with plywood. The grill on the Mack truck is elaborate, the fenders curved up over the front tires and the headlights sit above the curved metal next to the hood.

Trucks--Tacoma--1940-1950; St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma); Plywood; Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Lt. Col. Tex Robert's pit crew surround race car 76, the "Gordy", and its driver Gordy Livingston. Robert's team made a "clean sweep" at the first meet of the racing season which opened at Athletic Park at the end of April. Weekly midget car races are held on Saturdays at the park which is located at South 14th and Sprague Streets. (T.Times, 5/2/1947, p.15) TPL-5482

Automobiles--Tacoma--1940-1950; Racing automobiles--1940-1950; Automobile racing--Tacoma--1940-1950; Racetracks--Tacoma--1940-1950; Livingston, Gordy;

Three unidentified Tacoma Camp Fire Girls were photographed on March 8, 1947 as they boarded a chartered North Coast Transportation bus to a day trip to Olympia. About 200 Camp Fire Girls and their chaperones were taking part in the special "Going Places" visit to the state capitol. The "Going Places" project was organized to celebrate the birthday of the Camp Fire Girls organization. The Olympia trip was planned to teach the girls about good government. The participants were scheduled to eat their bag lunches in the capitol cafeteria. (T. Times, 3/5/47, p. 16).

Buses--Tacoma; Bus drivers--Tacoma; Children--Clubs--Tacoma; Uniforms; Camp Fire Girls (Tacoma); North Coast Transportation Co. (Tacoma);

Camp Fire Girls would learn about government offices, education and get a tour of the Capitol buildings on March 8, 1947. Camp Fire Girls was founded in 1910 and their slogan was "Be Friendly--Make Friends--Join Camp Fire Girls." View of 200 Camp Fire Girls and their chapter leaders prior to boarding North Coast buses for their "Going Places" trip to Olympia (T. Times, 3/5/47, p. 16).

Buses--Tacoma; Children--Clubs--Tacoma; Uniforms; Girls--Tacoma; Camp Fire Girls (Tacoma); North Coast Transportation Co. (Tacoma);

Close up of crumpled and twisted Medosweet Dairy truck after impact with a train on February 27, 1947. A police car, 1946 Ford model, can be seen in the background. The accident occurred at 10:05 in the morning on a private crossing opposite the entrance to Chicago Ave. in the Lakeview district south of the Tacoma city limits. This photograph was taken minutes after the accident. Medosweet route supervisor Alex McBeath Jr, 32, was killed while riding in the passenger seat. Driver William J. Velacich was seriously injured. (T.Times 2/27/1947, pg. 1; 2/28/47, pg 3-picture)

Wrecks; Traffic accidents--Tacoma--1930-1941; Medosweet Dairies, Inc. (Tacoma); Trucks--Tacoma--1930-1940;

On February 27, 1947, photographs were taken of this wrecked and twisted Medosweet Dairy truck moments after it was hit by a four car southbound train at 10:05 am. The accident took place at a private road crossing 3.5 miles south of the city limits. The truck was carried over 150 feet down the tracks, leaving milk, crunched cartons and broken bottles in its wake. Route supervisor Alex McBeath Jr. was killed in the accident and driver William J. Velacich was seriously injured. (T. Times 2/28/1947, pg. 3- picture, 2/27/47, pg.1)

Wrecks; Traffic accidents--Tacoma--1930-1941; Medosweet Dairies, Inc. (Tacoma); Trucks--Tacoma--1930-1940;

On February 27, 1947 at 10:05a.m., a southbound Northern Pacific train plowed into a Medosweet milk delivery truck on a private road crossing three and one half miles south of the Tacoma city limits. The crumpled truck lies a distance from the tracks and delivery cartons are scattered about the area. The truck was carried over 150 feet down the tracks. One Medosweet employee, supervisor Alex McBeath Jr., was killed and another seriously injured. (T Times 2/28/1947, pg. 3 - picture, 2/27/1947, pg. 1- story)

Wrecks; Traffic accidents--Tacoma--1930-1941; Medosweet Dairies, Inc. (Tacoma); Trucks--Tacoma--1930-1940;

West Coast Grocery had just recently moved into their new offices on East D Street. Mutual Fruit Company was a subsidiary of West Coast Grocery. Exterior view of West Coast Grocery Company's AMOCAT, Mutual Fruit Company and Olympia Beer trucks, photo ordered by Condon Company, an advertising company T. Times, 2/26/47, p. 12-B).

Trucks--Tacoma--1940-1950; Commercial facilities--Tacoma; Food industry--Tacoma; West Coast Grocery Co. (Tacoma); Condon Co., Inc. (Tacoma); Business enterprises--Tacoma--1940-1950; Storehouses--Tacoma;

West Coast Grocery was a wholesale grocery company with their large new offices and headquarters on East D Street. Charles H. Hyde was president of West Coast Grocery. Exterior view of West Coast Grocery Company's AMOCAT and Olympia Beer trucks, photo ordered by Condon Company, an advertising company (T. Times, 2/26/47, p. 12-B).

Trucks--Tacoma--1940-1950; Commercial facilities--Tacoma; Food industry--Tacoma; West Coast Grocery Co. (Tacoma); Condon Co., Inc. (Tacoma); Business enterprises--Tacoma--1940-1950; Storehouses--Tacoma;

On December 20, 1946, Loretta Boehm (later Griffin) of the Sanford-Nash, Inc. automobile dealership in Tacoma was sent to rouse Santa from a sound sleep so he could hand out the presents at the company's Christmas party. Santa had a comfortable bed in the convertible back seat of a 1946 Nash Ambassador on the dealership's showroom floor. After the party, Santa was allowed to resume his sleep, undisturbed, until Christmas eve. Sanford-Nash, Inc. was at 445-51 Tacoma Avenue South. (Photo ordered by O'Connell and Ragan, an advertising company.) TPL-9842

Automobiles--Tacoma--1940-1950; Santa Claus--Tacoma; Sleeping; Sanford-Nash, Inc. (Tacoma); O'Connell-Ragan Co. (Tacoma); Boehm, Loretta;

Ace Furnace & Steel Company. A truck, stacked with tanks, is parked in a warehouse. The name painted on the truck's door is Birchfield Boiler, Inc., Shipbuilding Division. Ace Furnace's major output was tanks, large and small, making 400-800 per month. It was owned and operated by Alvin T. Davies who also operated Birchfield Boiler and Tacoma Boiler Works Company. (T.Times, 9/4/1946)

Trucks--Tacoma--1940-1950; Birchfield Boiler, Inc. (Tacoma); Ace Furnace & Steel Co. (Tacoma); Storage tanks--Tacoma; Warehouses--Tacoma; Loading docks--Tacoma;

On September 16, 1946, a crew from the Tacoma Police Department, Department of Public Safety, was photographed while using a new street striper to paint traffic lane stripes on Pacific Avenue near the corner of South 84th Street. The traffic striping truck was designed and built by Carl Sohmer, a sergeant with the Tacoma Police Department. In 1951 Sgt. Sohmer took one of his highway striping vehicles to Los Angeles to demonstrate before the National Institute of Traffic Engineers. Two of businesses visible in the background are the Blue Moon Tavern, 8402 Pacific Avenue and Pacific Avenue Drugs, 8248 Pacific Avenue.

Trucks--Tacoma--1940-1950; Painting--Tacoma--1940-1950; Automobiles--Tacoma--1940-1950; Commercial streets--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Carl Sohmers. The new street striper built and designed by Carl Sohmers for the Tacoma Police Department, Department of Public Safety. A side view of the vehicle. The machine has made painting traffic stripes on streets efficient and has speeded up painting of traffic lines through the city. Three men man the outfit. One drives the vehicle and the other two operate the stripers.

Trucks--Tacoma--1940-1950; Painting--Tacoma--1940-1950; Tacoma Police Department (Tacoma);

Lowell T. Murray. The back door of this automobile is open inviting us to view the elegant interior, upholstered in leather with armrests and interior lights. A lap robe hangs from the back of the front seat. Passengers could step down to the running board before stepping to the street level. The back doors open from the middle. These were later called "suicide doors". A crank handle raises and lowers the window.

Automobiles--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Lowell T. Murray. A side view of a very elegant four-door, hard-top automobile. The wide-wall tires and spare tire tucked in against the driver's side fender add to the handsome exterior of this fine automobile. Lowell T. Murray, Sr., a prominent Tacoma industrialist and civic leader, came to Tacoma as a young man from Ohio in 1908 and established the West Fork Timber Company. The Murray's residence on Gravelly Lake was called "Madera". It was the scene of a summer ball honoring house guests Elaine Schultz and Peter Strong August 17, 1946. (T.Times, 8/24/1946, p.7; TNT, 4/30/1958) TPL-8480

Automobiles--Tacoma--1940-1950; Gardens--Tacoma;

Commercial Distributing Co. made five daily trips from Tacoma to Seattle, they transported machinery to many industrial facilities throughout the Tacoma and Seattle area. They were fully insured and bonded and provided their customers with fast and reliable shipping. View of Commercial Distributing Co. truck driver delivering the stern section of a tuna boat to Marvin Marine (T. Times, 6/26/46, p. 5).

Trucks--Tacoma--1940-1950; Shipping--Tacoma; People associated with transportation; Commercial Distributing Co. (Tacoma);

An automobile collided with a Northern Pacific train near the Shaffer Terminals on Commencement Bay in April 1946. Two people were seriously injured and rushed to Tacoma General Hospital. The train engineer stated that the train was travelling 20 miles per hour, the driver of the car must have felt that they had plenty of time to cross the tracks. View of car that was hit by a Northern Pacific Train near the Shaffer Terminals (T. Times, 4/2/46, p. 1).

Traffic accidents--Tacoma; Railroad accidents--Tacoma; Automobiles--Tacoma--1940-1950; Broken glass; Railroad tracks--Tacoma;

An automobile collided with a Northern Pacific train near the Shaffer Terminals. Two people were seriously injured and rushed to Tacoma General Hospital. The train engineer stated the train was travelling 20 miles per hour, the driver of the car must have felt they had plenty of time to cross tracks. The car was pushed by train for about 32 paces, before it came to a stop. View of train tracks (T. Times, 4/2/46, p. 1).

Traffic accidents--Tacoma; Railroad accidents--Tacoma; Railroad tracks--Tacoma;

In April of 1946, a milk truck attempted to cross under the gas station canopy at Weir's Electric and Hardware at 8419 Portland Ave. Unfortunately, the truck was too tall and the canopy came crashing to the ground, taking the store's neon sign with it. The Mac's Super Service truck was at Weir's to begin repairs. Mac's was located at 4003 McKinley Ave. During World War II, the Weir family lived in the housing above the store and gas station. The accident was a memorable one for the family. (story courtesy of a Weir family member.) TPL-8742

Accidents--Tacoma; Wreckers (vehicles)--Tacoma; Automobile service stations--Tacoma; Electric signs--Tacoma--1940-1950; Weir's Electric & Hardware (Tacoma); Mac's Super Service (Tacoma);

Weir's Electric & Hardware store sign appear to have fallen on top of gas pumps and a tow truck. The store appears to have been located adjacent to Mac's Service Station, it later moved to 2815 Sixth Avenue. Louis Weir was an electrician at Seattle Tacoma Shipbuilding Corp. before he opened up Weir's Electric & Hardware store.

Accidents--Tacoma; Wreckers (vehicles)--Tacoma; Automobile service stations--Tacoma; Weir's Electric & Hardware (Tacoma); Mac's Super Service (Tacoma);

Buck & Bowers picture of truck. Buck & Sons was owned and operated by Parker J. Buck. They manufactured farm machinery, sold tractor tires and did tractor repairs. View of Ford truck with Buck & Sons information painted on side.

Ford trucks; Trucks--Tacoma--1940-1950; Buck & Sons Tractor & Implement Co. (Tacoma);

Tacoma Transit wreck. Tacoma Transit had most of their drivers on strike this week. The Transit Co. and the Union were at a standstill over seven cents. Many people were affected by the strike. Some bus drivers and other Tacoma Transit staff had decided to not strike. View of Tacoma Transit bus with "Sixth Avenue" sign on side and broken windows, after traffic accident.

Traffic accidents--Tacoma; Buses--Tacoma; Broken glass; Pierce Transit (Tacoma);

Five men are working on a truck cab in a large garage. The truck has a "fifth wheel" towing mechanism directly behind the cab. Tools and truck parts lie on the floor and table along with cables, hoses and pieces of lumber. Out the garage door can be seen an auto supply store and used car lot.

Trucks--Tacoma--1940-1950; Garages--Tacoma--1940-1950;

A trailer is shown. It only has back wheels and is the type of trailer that would fit on a "fifth wheel" type of hitch such as in D21444-2. The trailer is parked next to a house in a residential neighborhood. Separate garages for several of the houses can be seen.

Trucks--Tacoma--1940-1950; Garages--Tacoma--1940-1950; Neighborhoods--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Truck and tractor, Buck & Bowers. A man wearing a soldier's uniform is driving a Ford tractor with a large blade on the front. Directly behind him is a flat bed truck with side. A sign for Ford Tractors-Ferguson System is painted on the side boards and Buck & Bowers is painted on the truck's door.

Trucks--Tacoma--1940-1950; Tractors--Tacoma--1940-1950;

A commercial truck is pulling a trailer loaded with a crane. The crane has continuous, belt-type conveyance rather than round wheels. Smaller commercial facilities are seen in the background.

Trucks--Tacoma--1940-1950; Hoisting machinery;

Engineers' Union, truck, crane and trailer. Another section of culvert conduit is loaded onto an emply truck next to the railroad track. In the background you can see another empty truck waiting for its load. An advertisement for Sunnen Auto Freight-Heavy Hauling is placed in the upper left-hand corner. TPL-10053

Trucks--Tacoma--1940-1950; Shipping; Hoisting machinery; Culverts; Railroad freight cars--Tacoma;

Engineers' Union, truck, crane and trailer.This view of the unloading operation performed by Commercial Distributing Company shows the empty truck parked close to the railroad car where 56" pipe for city truck line from Green River to Tacoma is being unloaded using one of Commercial Distributing Company's 4-ton capacity A-frame cranes. Another railroad car stacked with pipe is on the track ahead of the empty railroad car. (T.Times, 2/26/1947, p.3-B)

Trucks--Tacoma--1940-1950; Shipping; Hoisting machinery; Culverts; Railroad freight cars--Tacoma; Railroad tracks;

Engineers' Union, truck, crane and trailer. Men are unloading 56" pipe from a railroad car using a mobile crane on back of truck from Commercial Distributing Company. More culvert conduit is stacked on a railroad car behind the emply truck from Cooney Transfer Company. (T.Times, 2/26/1947, p.3-B)

Trucks--Tacoma--1940-1950; Shipping; Hoisting machinery; Culverts; Railroad freight cars--Tacoma;

On February 8, 1945, a flatbed truck with an extra long load was parked in front of Tacoma GMC Truck Co. at the corner of East C and Puyallup Ave. East. The 60 foot long retort was being moved by Inter-City Auto Freight. Inter-city Auto Freight was founded in March 1938 with just two trucks and no facilities. They primarily did hauling between Seattle and Tacoma, but they had done heavy hauling throughout the state. They had set up ideal facilities, including having their own railroad siding which facilitated unloading, storage and distribution. John H. Galbraith was president of both Inter-City Auto Freight and Tacoma GMC Truck Co. Born in So. Dakota, Mr. Galbraith was prominent in Tacoma/Pierce County in both the lumber and transportation businesses, and was mayor of Eatonville for 23 years, resigning in 1941. He died in 1960 at the age of 70.

Trucks--Tacoma--1940-1950; Moving & storage trade--Tacoma; Inter-City Auto Freight, Inc. (Tacoma); Tacoma GMC Truck Co. (Tacoma); Mack trucks;