1919 Labor Day parade. Five uniformed motorcycle policemen lead the 1919 Labor Day parade down Pacific Avenue before waiting crowds. Grand marshal of the parade, Charles Richmond, secretary of the Building Trades Council, rode on horseback. Bands and marching units follow. Streetcars move along adjacent to the parade activity. Businesses along this stretch of Pacific were thickly bundled together including banks, hotels, dentists, and drugstores. G38.1-019

Parades & processions--Tacoma--1910-1920; Business districts--Tacoma--1910-1920; Commercial streets--Tacoma--1910-1920;

More than 6,000 Tacoma union men took part in the Labor Day Parade down Pacific Ave. in September of 1919. The parade of Tacoma organized labor through downtown began at the City Hall, 625 Commerce, and proceeded south on Pacific Ave. Charles Richmond, a labor leader, led the parade as marshall mounted on a horse; he was followed by the Railway Brotherhood, policemen and firemen. Next came this float from the Teamsters, an old-time coach mounted on a horse drawn wagon. It was decorated with a banner reading, "Does the man who delivers your goods belong to the Teamsters Chauffeurs Union #313." Union 313 consisted of Tacoma drivers from many industries. Many union members followed the float carrying American flags. One of the goals of the Labor Day celebration was to reach the $30,000 goal set for the Labor Temple building fund. Labor Temple buttons were being sold to raise the funds. (T. Times 9/1/1919, pg. 1) G38.1-018 TPL-10094

Parades & processions--Tacoma--1910-1920; Labor unions; International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Local 313 (Tacoma); Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1910-1920;

Parade marching north on Broadway. Group of U. S. Army soldiers, in uniform, are at the corner of 9th and Broadway. They are being followed by group of men from the U. S. Navy in their dress whites. Buildings include: Pantages Theater, Illington Hotel. Sign hangs from corner building for Malstom's Drugs. TPL-7060

Military parades & ceremonies--Tacoma--1920-1930; Pantages Theater (Tacoma)

Young band members sit in a long truck that is decorated with bunting and an American flag. There is a streetcar next to the truck. Photograph was taken on Pacific Ave. Shaw Supply Co. sign in background. TPL-7061

Floats (parades)--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Copy of customer print. A parade of trucks filled with alder products paused on an unidentified street in this Marvin D. Boland photograph. They participated in the American Legion patriotic parade in 1920. "Save Alder Timber" signs were prominently displayed on top of the trucks and cars. Buffelen Lumber & Mfg. Co., established in Tacoma in the early 20th century, wanted to demonstrate how valuable alder timber was and how many ways the wood could be used. Rather than buying hardwood out-of-state, it would benefit companies to purchase the useful alder within the state's borders, thereby helping out the local economy. Buffelen announced plans in July of 1920 to build a $100,000 plant on the Hylebos for the purpose of making hardwood finish from alder logs. Photograph ordered by Paxport Mills on March 8, 1979. ( D169349-1) (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 7-11-20, B-6)

Parades--Tacoma--1920-1930; Lumber industry--Tacoma--1920-1930; Signs (Notices); Merchandise displays--Tacoma--1920-1930;

The Federated Improvement Clubs were "United for a Bigger and Better Tacoma" according to their entry in the 1925 Fourth of July parade. These clubs sought to not only improve their own neighborhoods but to boost the city as a whole. Clubs included the Union & 6th Ave. Club, Clement Ave. Club, Portland Ave. Club, and others throughout the city. Their vehicle, accompanied by a large wheel listing 32 clubs, was parked outside the Tacoma Hotel Annex.

Parades & processions--Tacoma--1920-1930; Automobiles--Tacoma--1920-1930; Federated Improvement Clubs (Tacoma);

Soldiers from the 148th Field Artillery, Fort Lewis on horseback in the 1931 Tacoma 4th of July Parade. The parade is heading south on Pacific Ave. Stores and shops on the west side of Pacific in the 1100 block can be seen in the background. TPL-7091

Parades & processions--Tacoma--1930-1940; Soldiers--Tacoma--1930-1940;

A group of young ladies "pop" out of a large "egg" as they await entry into the Western Washington Fair on September 18, 1930. The similarly dressed women are representing the Washington Co-op Egg & Poultry Association. The "egg," being hauled by a heavy duty truck, is a symbol of the Co-op's claim of their eggs being "Bigger & Better." TPL-523; G6.1-102

Floats (Parades); Washington Co-op Egg & Poultry Association (Tacoma);

Charles Evans, as Leif Eriksson, commanded a boatful of stern looking Norsemen, armed with swords and shields, who were "Bound for Wineland" on May 17, 1895. Tacoma's Scandinavians celebrated the 81st anniversary of Norwegian Constitution Day with a small parade, outdoor concerts and picnic games. Fireworks and dancing capped the activity-filled day. This photograph was probably taken between So. 13th and So. 15th on Tacoma Avenue. (Tacoma Morning Union, 5-18-1895, p. 4)

Parades & processions--Tacoma--1890-1900; Floats (Parades)--Tacoma;

Pacific Avenue appears rather empty on the morning of May 19, 1912, except for the parishioners of St. Joseph's Slovak Catholic Church who were celebrating the dedication of their new church with a parade in downtown Tacoma. Two small girls are pictured in the foreground in a small buggy pulled by one horse as they pass the McCormack Bros. store. The new church, the first Slovak Catholic church built in the Northwest, was located at South 34th and Tacoma Avenue South. It was dedicated at 10 o'clock a.m. with Bishop Edward J. O'Dea conducting the service. Church members provided the labor necessary to build the 92 x 46-feet brick veneer building. The church and building site was paid for entirely by Slavonians, the congregation and/or other Slavonians in the community. (TDL 5-19-12, p. 33-article)

Parades & processions--Tacoma--1910-1920; Commercial streets--Tacoma--1910-1920; St. Joseph's Slovak Catholic Church (Tacoma); Church dedications--Tacoma;

Brewery Workers Union No. 328 gathered en masse on Pacific Avenue, north of City Hall, on September 6, 1915 to proudly march in the big Labor Day parade. This was the last hurrah for brewery workers before Prohibition began in Washington State in January of 1916. Tacoma had basically shut down with city, county, major businesses and industrial plants closed for the day. Union workers of all sorts - blacksmiths, machinists, boilermakers, cooks, bridge workers, pressmen, painters, carpenters and longshoremen, to name just a few, would be participating in the march that led from Pacific Ave., Broadway and Sixth Ave. to conclude at Wright Park. Thousands of spectators were anticipated. (TDL 9-6-1915)

Parades & processions--Tacoma--1910-1920; Labor unions--Tacoma--1910-1920; Brewery Workers Union No. 328 (Tacoma);

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

Tillicum Tacoma Summerland float in the 1956 Daffodil Parade on Pacific Avenue. People wave in swimming suits and baseball caps with North Pacific Plywood Inc. building and water tower in the background.

Shriner Circus float in the 1956 Daffodil Parade on Pacific Avenue with North Pacific Plywood Inc. building in the background.. The float has a large clown head at the top and pushes a small see saw cart that is occupied with jesters. Two Shriners flank the float.

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.

Unidentified float in the 1956 Daffodil Parade on Pacific Avenue with North Pacific Plywood Inc. building and water tower in the background. The float depicts a mountain made out of daffodils, a sheet for the snowcap and green crepe paper grass. There is a Paul Bunyan character skiing down the mountain with a beard and a red cap.

Jordan's Sunbeam Bread float in the 1956 Daffodil Parade on Pacific Avenue. Children are on float waving and Union Station can be seen in the background.

Pacific Lutheran Church's Parkland of Playland float in the 1956 Daffodil Parade on Pacific Avenue with North Pacific Plywood Inc. building and water tower in the background. A person rides under a candy cane canopy over the slogan, "Learn to Work, Play, Live Better."

Steve Pease & Wife in carriage being pulled by a horse wearing a hat at the 1956 Daffodil Parade on Pacific Avenue with North Pacific Plywood Inc. building and water tower in the background.

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.

A parade of military personnel marching down Pacific Avenue holding flags in the 1956 Daffodil Parade on Pacific Avenue. A large Coca Cola sign and what is now the Murray Morgan bridge can be seen in the background.

United State Naval Reserve Station float in the 1956 Daffodil Parade on Pacific Avenue. The float has five people waving, including a somewhat obscured daffodil queen.

An unidentified float carrying five waving people in swim suits in the 1956 Daffodil Parade on Pacific Avenue with North Pacific Plywood Inc. building and water tower in the background.

Morton Loggers Jubilee float at the 1956 Daffodil Parade on Pacific Avenue with North Pacific Plywood Inc. building and water tower in the background.. The float appears to be a flatbed vehicle covered in daffodils and green crepe paper and is carrying a large log.

The Independent Order of Foresters Float in the 1956 Daffodil Parade on Pacific Avenue with North Pacific Plywood Inc. building and water tower in the background. The float has multiple people in uniform waving and holding flags with felled log in the center of the vehicle.

The Majorettes lead by Shirley Hunter at the 1954 Daffodil Parade with the Murray Morgan bridge visible in the background.

Float for The Bon Marche with participants in a variety of different themes costumes 1954 Daffodil Parade. The sign at the top of the float reads, "United Good Neighbors Build Tacoma Youth."

Float for Puget Sound Vacationland depicting two people in a boat and with a large fish at the 1954 Daffodil Parade.

Float for the University Place Volunteer Fire Department with firefighters wearing masks at the 1954 Daffodil Parade.

A very simple float for Nora's Bridal shop at the 1954 annual Daffodil Parade.