General view of Consolidated Mining Co.'s Morton plant and adjacent property as seen on May 1, 1931. Morton was known as logging country but also supported the mining industry, specifically the mercury mining industry, for many years. G75.1-018

Consolidated Mining Co. (Morton); Mining--Morton;

Mine entry carved into a hillside. This was a mine operated by the Consolidated Mining Co. in the Morton area in May of 1931. TPL-6267; G75.1-165

Consolidated Mining Co. (Morton); Mining--Morton;

Firemen's Union #31, victors in the B Division Industrial League Championship in 1930, pose in front of a fire truck in May of 1931. Four trophies are displayed along with crossed baseball bats and a glove, flanked by team mascot Bud Christensen (left) and bat boy Bill Frazier. The Firemen opened up the 1931 baseball season with an exhibition game at Lincoln Bowl on May 9th against Shaffer Box, defending City Champs. Shaffer Box had defeated the Firemen in a bitterly contested game for the city title; this rematch would pit the same teams with the same result, another Shaffer Box victory. Team members of the Firemen were listed in the Daily Ledger as: Back row: Glen Lawson, Hank Hubert, H. Larson, K. Larson, Al St. Pierre, Walt Christensen, Al Pentecost. Middle row: Property man Harry Frazier, coach Bobby Vaughn, George Sharrick, H. Wiengard, Det Ketler, George Dague, Ed Burk, manager Emory Whitaker. Mgr. Whitaker would later become Tacoma's Fire Chief from 1932-1944. (TDL 5-6-31, p. 10, 5-8-31, p. 10, 5-10-31, B-1) TPL-450

Baseball players--Tacoma--1930-1940; Fire fighters--Tacoma--1930-1940; Fire engines & equipment--Tacoma; Awards; Uniforms; Whitaker, Emory; Vaughn, Bobby;

This May, 1931, aerial view of Tacoma's City Center was taken from the industrial Tideflats. The 11th Street Bridge (now Murray Morgan Bridge) is on the right. Jutting into the skyline are (l-r) the Pierce County Courthouse, Puget Sound National Bank, Washington Building, Tacoma Building, and the Art-Deco styled 17-story newly completed Medical Arts Building in the right background. TPL-1788; G91.012

Cityscapes; Aerial views; Aerial photographs; 11th Street Bridge (Tacoma); Pierce County Courthouse (Tacoma); Puget Sound National Bank (Tacoma); Washington Building (Tacoma); Tacoma Building (Tacoma); Medical Arts Building (Tacoma);

To boost company morale and foster an air of camaraderie, local businesses often sponsored recreational league sports teams. The three "Bs" were popular in the 1930s - bowling, basketball and baseball. Here the Northern Pacific Railway baseball team posed for a group picture on May 7, 1931, which included coaches, ball boy, and a banner with "Yellowstone Park Line" under the Northern Pacific heading. This team participated in the Industrial League. Carl Lewis Dakin has been identified as the player seated third from the right who is holding onto the team banner. See Boland B23725 for a similar photograph of the team. G53.1-019 (Identification provided by a reader)

Baseball players--Tacoma--1930-1940; Banners; Signs (Notices); Northern Pacific Railway Co. (Tacoma)--Employees; Dakin, Carl Lewis;

Aerial view looking toward Tacoma's City Center. This May, 1931, view shows many prominent Tacoma landmarks including the Tacoma Building and Perkins Building flanking the 11th Street Bridge (now Murray Morgan Bridge); the newly completed 17-story Medical Arts Building (at center-right); the towering Washington Building at center; Puget Sound National Bank with spire (center-left) and the Pierce County Courthouse with tower in the far left background. TPL-1347; G8.1-021

Cityscapes; Aerial photographs; Aerial views; 11th Street Bridge (Tacoma); Tacoma Building (Tacoma); Medical Arts Building (Tacoma); Washington Building (Tacoma); Puget Sound National Bank (Tacoma); Pierce County Courthouse (Tacoma);

Businesses in the 1920's and 30's often sponsored athletic teams for recreational use by their employees. Baseball was a very popular sport in Tacoma and there were numerous company-sponsored teams in various leagues. The Northern Pacific team posed for a picture on May 7, 1931; they were members of the Industrial League. A banner with the company name and "Yellowstone Park Line" is displayed in front of the group. Northern Pacific would have the honor of being one of the teams participating in Tacoma's first night games on April 25, 1930; they would be defeated by the Firemen, eventual winners of that year's B Division championship. Carl Lewis Dakin, seated third from the right, is the player holding onto the team banner. G53.1-018 (Identification provided by a reader)

Baseball players--Tacoma--1930-1940; Banners; Signs (Notices); Northern Pacific Railway Co. (Tacoma)--Employees; Dakin, Carl Lewis;

Mother's Day in 1931 was rapidly approaching as the Federal Bakery, 1107 So. "K" St. (now Martin Luther King Jr. Way) showcased a mouthwatering display of Betty Crocker's "Mothers' Day" cakes. The cakes sold for as low as 65 cents apiece. Photograph ordered by Sperry Flour.

Federal Bakery (Tacoma); Bakeries--Tacoma--1930-1940; Cakes--Tacoma--1930-1940; Window displays--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Monty's Independents (Garagemen) were an all-black baseball team in the newly formed 9-member "Community" league in 1931. The Community League played a 16-game season. The league was notable for having not only an all-black team, but an all-Italian team headed by Al Greco, an all-Japanese team from Fife, and an all-Slavic team. Other teams in the league were Jack & Jill, the Tacoma Red Men, the 10th Field Artillery, Steilacoom, and McKinley Hill. Monty's opened their season on May 10, 1931, against Steilacoom where they lost 31-3 in a 7-inning game. (TDL 5-10-31, 2-B) TPL-3688; G39.1-173; G53.1-007; G39.1-165;

Baseball players--Tacoma--1930-1940; African American baseball players;

Members of the 1931 Northern Pacific Railway Co.'s baseball team are in uniform on May 10, 1931. The team, composed of N.P. workers, was part of the Industrial League. Northern Pacific sponsored two teams for the 1931 season in Division A and Division B. G53.1-017

Baseball players--Tacoma--1930-1940; Northern Pacific Railway Co. (Tacoma)--Employees; Uniforms;

A large group of women who are studying to be dental assistants take a class on X-ray techniques from instructor Wayne E. Hampton, standing at far left. The Tacoma location and school have not been identified in this 1931 portrait by photographer Chapin Bowen.

This was the A.O.U.W. drill team in 1931. The Ancient Order of United Workmen was an order that served both men and women. The man in hat and double breasted suit in the front row is possibly the Master Workman of the Tacoma Lodge. G23.1-029

Ancient Order of United Workmen Tacoma Lodge No. 6 (Tacoma); Fraternal organizations--Tacoma--1930-1940; Drill teams;

North Coast Service Garages on Cliff Ave., behind W. P. Fuller Co. (1117-1123 A St.), photographed in May of 1931. The ramp to the 11th Street Bridge can be seen in the background. Bowen # 310-207

This was how Tacoma Field, the Pierce County airport, located south of the city near Lakeview (now Lakewood), looked in May of 1931. View of a flat expanse of land with a hanger, some small outbuildings and several planes. Photograph taken for the Tacoma News Tribune on the first day of a three day dedication program. Bowen # 310-209

Organized by Tom Savas, the First Annual Greek-American Picnic was held at Sylvan Lodge on Fox Island, May 17, 1931. Originally built by Ed Wines as a modest bungalow, the structure grew over time until it was large enough to accomodate a large number of boarders. Originally named Sylvan-Glen, the small community on Fox Island, just 4 miles from Tacoma's west side by water, became Sylvan in 1892 when the U.S. Postal Service opened an office there.

Sylvan Lodge (Fox Island); Greek Americans--Tacoma; Ethnic groups--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Tom Sava's First Annual Greek-American Picnic at Sylvan Lodge on Fox Island. (Argentum)

Sylvan Lodge (Fox Island); Ethnic groups--Fox Island--1930-1940;

Organized by Tom Savas, the First Annual Greek-American Picnic was held at Sylvan Lodge on Fox Island, May 17, 1931. Originally built by Ed Wines as a modest bungalow, the structure grew over time until it was large enough to accomodate a large number of boarders. Originally named Sylvan-Glen, the small community on Fox Island, just 4 miles from Tacoma's west side by water, became Sylvan in 1892 when the U.S. Postal Service opened an office there.

Sylvan Lodge (Fox Island); Ethnic groups--Fox Island--1930-1940

Crown Drug Co. The Crown Drug Co. was a longtime tenant in the Pacific Savings & Loan Association building located at 1102-04 Pacific Avenue. The building was formerly known as the Equitable Building and the lower portion modernized in 1931. BU-11001

Crown Drugs (Tacoma); Drugstores--Tacoma--1930-1940; Pacific Savings & Loan Association (Tacoma); Banks--Tacoma; Equitable Building (Tacoma);

Model Maid Bread/Fletts Ice Cream display at the 1931 Home Products Show. The Armory was filled with exhibit booths showcasing locally made or sold goods. One of the displays was Model Maid Bread along with Fletts Ice Cream. Attendees could purchase a generous serving of Fletts ice cream and a slice of Model Maid cake for a mere dime. Model Maid cakes could be purchased for as little as 30 cents and they were guaranteed fresh. Model Maid had 18 delicious varieties of bread. The next booth to the right featured the Younglove Grocery with its Rock Dell pancake flour and syrup. G34.1-147

Exhibitions--Tacoma--1930-1940; Exhibit booths--Tacoma; Merchandise displays--Tacoma--1930-1940; Cakes--Tacoma--1930-1940; Bread--Tacoma--1930-1940; Dairy products; State Armory (Tacoma);

As an added attraction at the 1931 Home Products Show, a public wedding was held on May 22, 1931. Grace McCollum and Noel Carreau were the first couple to volunteer to wed in front of a large attentive audience at the State Armory. The Independent Merchants Association, sponsors of the exhibition, paid for the wedding expenses including the marriage license, wedding clothing, flowers, and gifts. C.F. Mason, president of the association, even gave the bride away. The new Mrs. Carreau was dressed in an early summer gown of white chiffon and white hat and was attended by Mrs. Flora Niccoli. Cecilia Coleman was the flower girl with Albert Morris as best man. The marriage was solemnized by Justice Blanche Funk Miller. G32.1-014 (TDL 5-23-31, p. 12-article)

Weddings--Tacoma--1930-1940; Brides--1930-1940; Grooms (Weddings); McCollum, Grace; Carreau, Noel; Niccoli, Flora; Coleman, Cecilia; Morris, Albert; Wedding attendants--Tacoma; Wedding clothing & dress--1930-1940; State Armory (Tacoma);

Walkathon participants pose for a group portrait on May 25, 1931. Two nurses stand by. Several women are wearing pants in this photograph - a rare sight at this time when newspapers still showcased women's dresses for daily wear. G25.1-043

Walking; Community service; Nurses;

This is how the intersection of McKinley Ave. and 54th St. appeared in May of 1931. The photograph was taken for court evidence. G60.1-160

Streets--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Stately Douglas fir photographed at Mountain View cemetery on May 30, 1931. This is a sight that would greet visitors on Memorial Day. All 3000-4000 graves at the cemetery would be provided with flowers in commemoration of the event. Mountain View was one of the first cemeteries in America planned with no monuments above ground, thereby providing a park-like setting. It was started in 1915 by the Thompson family. (T.Times 5-29-31, p. 3-article)

Firs; Trees--Lakewood; Mountain View Memorial Park (Lakewood); Cemeteries--Lakewood;

Landscaping kept this imposing Douglas fir in place at the Mountain View cemetery in Lakewood. Drivers had to steer around the massive tree in 1931. May 30th in 1931 was celebrated as Memorial Day. The public was invited to visit the burial park where all the graves, some 3000-4000 in number, would be decorated with flowers. Mountain View Memorial Park was estabished in 1915 as one of the first cemeteries in America with no above-ground monuments. It truly fit the "park" in its name. (T.Times 5-29-31, p. 3-article)

Firs; Trees--Lakewood; Mountain View Memorial Park (Lakewood); Cemeteries--Lakewood;

Members of the Yamamoto family posed in front of their residence on June 7, 1931. Gentleman with the glasses and is Mr. Kichigiro "Kay" Yamamoto and to his right his wife, Masae. Children from left to right: Margaret, Edit, Katherine, George and Ray. Source: Sullivan, Michael "Legacy, part 3" Tacoma History Live Blog, July 31, 2019.

Several members of the Yamamoto family posed for a group portrait on June 7, 1931 on the front steps of Mr. Kichigiro "Kay" Yamamoto's house at 3220 54th Ave E in Fife. Mr. Yamamoto in the light colored suit wearing spectacles right behind what appear to be a bride and groom. His wife, Masae, in the second row far left. Their children in the front row from left to right: Ray, Katherine, Margaret, George and Edith. Source: Sullivan, Michael "Legacy, part 3" Tacoma History Live Blog, July 31, 2019.

Tacoma Ice Co., 2602 So. Holgate St.; photograph taken from Delin Street across the gulch in June of 1931. The plant was built in 1923, designed by A.W. Sterrett, and is on the City Registry. The ice plant was the first portion built in 1923 for $250,000. It had the capacity to produce 100 tons of ice daily and used 40 miles of piping. The cold storage warehouse was completed in 1925 for $90,000. Photograph ordered by the York Ice Machinery Co. of Seattle. Bowen # 310-230

Scenery around Chambers Creek and Lake Steilacoom, as viewed on June 14, 1931. Bowen # 310-232

Scenery at Chambers Creek and Lake Steilacoom, as photographed on June 14, 1931. There is a wide path or roadway next to the placid waters. Bowen # 310-233.

Scenery at Chambers Creek and Lake Steilacoom, taken in June of 1931. Bowen # 310-231