Golden Jubilee Parade on July 22, 1939. Birdseye view of cavalry troops on horseback. Crowd on sidewalk and in street is overwhelmingly large, estimated at 100,000. With 133 entries and 14 miles of parade route, it was the largest parade Tacoma had seen to date. The old brick street and streetcar tracks are still in place.

Washington State Golden Jubilee, 1939--Tacoma; Parades & processions--Tacoma--1930-1940; Horses--Tacoma;

This horse drawn wagon loaded with pioneers was entered by the Pacific Match Co. in the July 22, 1939 Golden Jubilee Parade. A sign on the side of the wagon reads" We don't make all the matches in the country... we just make the best of them." The sign on the front of the wagon identifies the driver as Mr. James E. Sales, born in 1853, the first white child born in Tacoma. He would have been 86 years old at the time of the parade. Pacific Match Co. was located at 3223 So. Union Ave.

Washington State Golden Jubilee, 1939--Tacoma; Parades & processions--Tacoma--1930-1940; Pacific Match Co. (Tacoma);

Golden Jubilee Parade on July 22, 1939, on Pacific Avenue. A group of six firemen, wearing false beards and replicas of the old firefighter uniforms and hats, pull the circa 1885 hose cart of the Alert Hose Company #2. The hose cart is topped by the word "Alert" in ironwork. The company, organized in 1885, was volunteer and operated out of a fire station at 13th and A.

Washington State Golden Jubilee, 1939--Tacoma; Parades & processions--Tacoma--1930-1940; Tacoma Fire Department (Tacoma); Fire engines & equipment--Tacoma--1880-1890;

Roberta Rice, wearing a pioneer-style dress and bonnet, and Henry Graham, dressed in a cowboy hat and long coat, pose in front of Turner Richards Commercial Photography Studio in July of 1939. The couple apparently had joined in the spirit of celebrating the Washington State Golden Jubilee.

Washington State Golden Jubilee, 1939--Tacoma; Photographic studios--Tacoma; Turner Richards Studio (Tacoma); Rice, Roberta; Graham, Henry; Costumes; Richards Commercial Photo Service (Tacoma);

Singing their hearts out is the Sibelian Male Chorus under the direction of Fritz Berntsen.Tacoma's most famous, and most nattily dressed, men's choral association was about to embark on a concert tour. They would be spreading the news of Tacoma's upcoming Golden Jubilee celebration across the state. (T.Times, 4/14/1939, p. 2- caption includes names)

Washington State Golden Jubilee, 1939--Tacoma; Sibelian Male Chorus (Tacoma); Berntsen, Fritz; Singers; Choirs (Music);

This group of dandies is part of the cast of the historical drama "Saga of the West." The outdoor pageant would be produced July 20-22, 1939 as a part of the celebration of Washington's Golden Jubilee. Tacoma's Golden Jubilee had been designated as the "official statehood celebration." The "Saga" was directed by William Marlatt of the John B. Rogers Co., that specialized in pageants, and boasted a cast of 2,000. Tickets cost 50 cents or 3 for a dollar and the opening night audience totalled over 15,000. The history of Washington, from earliest times to 1939, unfolded on a 200 foot stage.

Washington State Golden Jubilee, 1939--Tacoma; Stadium Bowl (Tacoma); Historical pageants--Tacoma;

Cast members of the outdoor drama "Saga of the West," costumed to represent different time periods, pose in front of the reverse side of one of the massive sets used in the pageant. The outdoor pageant would be produced July 20-22, 1939 as a part of the celebration of Washington's Golden Jubilee. Tacoma's celebration had been designated as the "official statehood celebration" and it was easily the largest that Tacoma would ever see. The pageant, only one of many Jubilee events, had a cast of 2,000, an orchestra, 200 voice choir, a pipe organ and an opening night audience of 15,000. It would briefly cover the history of Washington from earliest times to 1939, with emphasis on the last fifty years of statehood.

Washington State Golden Jubilee, 1939--Tacoma; Stadium Bowl (Tacoma); Historical pageants--Tacoma;

Cast members of the historical pageant "Saga of the West" pose in front of Stadium Bowl seating. The seats are only sparsely occupied for this preview performance, mostly by cast members; the opening night audience would number over 15,000. The pageant was performed July 20-22, 1939 as part of the celebration of Washington's 50th anniversary of statehood. The pageant was directed by William Marlatt of the John B. Rogers pageant company, was fully costumed and had a cast of 2,000. It also had horses, stage coaches, covered wagons, automobiles and a fire engine.

Washington State Golden Jubilee, 1939--Tacoma; Stadium Bowl (Tacoma); Historical pageants--Tacoma;

Searchlights from the Pacific Fleet light up the night sky over the Stadium Bowl during the historical pageant "Saga of the West." The pageant was performed July 20-22, 1939 as part of the celebration of Washington's 50th anniversary of statehood. Also in port for the Jubilee were six US battleships and 8,000 sailors and officers. Search light drills would be performed nightly at 10:15p.m.

Washington State Golden Jubilee, 1939--Tacoma; Stadium Bowl (Tacoma); Historical pageants--Tacoma; Searchlights--Tacoma;

Golden Jubilee Parade on July 22, 1939, on downtown Tacoma streets. Tacoma Central Labor Council float, "Education, Equality, Justice, Liberty; 58 Years of Achievement in Human Betterment" was one of the more than 60 floats entered in the parade. The float was designed as a Greek temple and parked temporarily by Wright Park on a truck owned by Earl Sweet.

Washington State Golden Jubilee, 1939--Tacoma; Wright Park (Tacoma); Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1930-1940;

1939 Western Washington Fair in Puyallup. Wide angle view of fairgrounds showing capacity crowds in the amusement area with wooden buildings in background.

Western Washington Fair (Puyallup);

1939 Western Washington Fair in Puyallup. Three little girls dressed in look-a-like dresses stand on the fence rail to get a close look at the Durac Jersey. Other children and adults peer through and over the fence to see the animals.

Western Washington Fair (Puyallup); Children--Puyallup--1930-1940;

Hotel Greeters Convention, May 16-18, 1940. Group of five people in front of a large brick building with colonnaded entry. The Northwest Hotel Greeters Association had their 14th annual convention in Tacoma in May of 1940. Several hundred delegates and wives were expected to attend. Tours of the Narrows Bridge, McChord Field, Fort Lewis and Olympia were planned. The above photograph may have been taken on Fort Lewis. The association was led by Albert C. Gamer and Mrs. Gamer was in charge of the ladies' auxiliary. (TNT 5-16-1940, p. 5-article)

Meetings--Tacoma--1940-1950; Northwest Hotel Greeters Association (Tacoma);

1940 Daffodil Parade. Twenty six floats participated in the 7th annual Daffodil Parade on March 30, 1940. The sun only peaked occasionally through the clouds to view the floats covered in the sunshine yellow flowers. The Kiwanis Club float had daffodil seahorses hitched to a sea shell, the carriage of a beautiful blonde girl. (T. Times 3/30/1940, pg. 1))

Parades & processions--Tacoma--1940-1950; Festivals--Tacoma; Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1940-1950; Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1940 :Tacoma);

Comic highlights of the 1940 Daffodil Parade. With the sun only peaking through clouds over the parade route, clowns added a note of humor. They took a "perfect sleeper" mattress from the F. S. Harmon float and threw it out on the route at 9th and Broadway. A steamroller, entered in the parade by Woodworth and Cornell, ran over the mattress, flattening it. A unique moment in daffodil history. (T. Times 3/30/1940, pg. 1)

Parades & processions--Tacoma--1940-1950; Festivals--Tacoma; Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1940-1950; Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1940 :Tacoma);

1940 Daffodil Parade. Float on truck decorated with daffodils and fir tree branches. Wing-emblem feature of float and also pictured on the girls' sweaters. (T. Times)

Parades & processions--Tacoma--1940-1950; Festivals--Tacoma; Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1940-1950; Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1940 :Tacoma);

This float is bearing her royal highness, Queen Marge I, Daffodil Royalty of 1940. Queen Marge I, 1940 Daffodil Queen, is seventeen year old Puyallup High School senior Marge Roscoe. Selected for her photogenic looks, Queen Marge is also a star on the school's debate team. She rides on the float from her home city of Puyallup, with a crown of daffodils and a regal robe of purple. She is flanked by attendants Lillian Kelly and Ella Reno. (T. Times 3/30/1940, pg. 1)

Parades & processions--Tacoma--1940-1950; Festivals--Tacoma; Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1940-1950; Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1940 :Tacoma); Roscoe, Marge;

Narrows Bridge - McChord Field Parade, Port Orchard float. One of two floats entered by Port Orchard in the July 1, 1940, parade depicting an aerial view of the "new" Port Orchard, "Proposed Improvement of Port Orchard's New Waterfront." The aerial view is similar to an architectural model. (T. Times, 7-2-40, p. 1)

Parades & Processions--Tacoma--1940-1950; Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1940-1950; Signs (Notices); Narrows Bridge/ McChord Field Parade;

Narrows Bridge - McChord Field Parade, Tacoma Public Utilities, Light Department float. City Light and its counterpart, Seattle City Light, both sponsored brilliantly lit floats featuring dams during the July 1, 1940, parade honoring the opening of the (first) Tacoma Narrows Bridge and McChord Field. Tacoma City Light's large float was sculpted with representations of the Olympic Mountains, Cushman Dam, and the Narrows Bridge. The small children on the float are fishing, skiing, hunting, and boating. The designated theme was "Gateway to the Olympics." (T. Times, 7-2-40, p. 1).

Parades & processions--Tacoma--1940-1950; Narrows Bridge/ McChord Field Parade; Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1940-1950; Public utility companies--Tacoma; Power plants;

The launching of the U.S. Navy Destroyer 408, the U. S. S. Wilson, took place April 12, 1939 at the Puget Sound Navy Yard, Bremerton. At 90% complete, the vessel was 341-feet-long with 1725 tons displacement. It carried a complement of 9 officers and 175 men. It was commissioned July 5, 1939 and received eleven battle stars for service in World War II. After sustaining damage during the war, it was selected as a target during the atom bomb test at Bikini Atoll in July of 1946. It was decommissioned in August of 1946 but remained afloat and was finally scuttled off Kwajelein in March of 1948. (T. Times, 4/13/39, p.20)

Launchings--Bremerton--1930-1940; Puget Sound Naval Shipyard (Bremerton); Naval yards & naval stations--Bremerton--1930-1940; Government vessels; Warships--Bremerton--1930-1940;

Launching of the U.S. Navy Destroyer #408, the U. S. S. Wilson, on April 12, 1939. The ship was decorated with pennants and bunting and photographed at dock in the Puget Sound Navy Yard at Bremerton. Ship launchings at the Navy yard differed from those at Tacoma Shipyards. The craft was built in a construction dock which was flooded for launching, much like a bathtub. The launching consisted of the gates being opened and the boat towed out into the Sound. The destroyer under construction in the background was almost entirely submerged during the ceremony. (T. Times 4/13/1939, p. 20)

Launchings--Bremerton--1930-1940; Puget Sound Naval Shipyard (Bremerton); Naval yards & naval stations--Bremerton--1930-1940; Government vessels; Warships--Bremerton--1930-1940;

On October 30, 1941, all the stores downtown closed in the morning as Tacoma turned out for a massive parade of pre World War II military might. Over 10,000 men from the 3rd Infantry Division of Fort Lewis marched as well as a parade of mechanized strength. One of the most impressive sights was the mobile kitchens where military cooks prepared food as they moved down Broadway during the two hour parade. Here soldiers receive coffee in the early morning hours prior to the parade kick off.

Military parades & ceremonies--Tacoma--1940-1950;

On October 30, 1941, over 10,000 soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Division of Fort Lewis marched down Broadway in a tremendous military spectacle, the largest Army parade ever seen in Tacoma. The men march in step in mass formation, suggesting the enormous military power of the US. (T. Times 10/30/1941 p.1)

Military parades & ceremonies--Tacoma--1940-1950;

On October 30, 1941, the Army parades showing its military muscle. This was the greatest military spectacle to date in the Northwest. On the left is the Cameo Theater, 1128 Pacific Avenue.

Military parades & ceremonies--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Men and artillery wait patiently for their turn to parade on October 30, 1941. The Fort Lewis show of military might was over 6 miles long and took two hours to pass.

Military parades & ceremonies--Tacoma--1940-1950;

On October 30, 1941, people stride across the ground liberally scattered with papers at the military parade, composed mostly of the 3rd Infantry from Fort Lewis and their tanks and fire power.

Military parades & ceremonies--Tacoma--1940-1950;

On April 6, 1942, Tacoma was host to the first wartime parade through downtown Tacoma. It was held on the 25th anniversary of the U.S. war declaration of World War I (4/6/1917.) It also demonstrated the fitness and readiness of the Army and its equipment. The focus of the parade was a full regiment of infantry, completely equipped with steel helmets, packs and gas masks. In this photograph they are led by a military band and stretch out down the street as far as the eye can see. The Army Parade wound its way down Broadway and Pacific Ave. Missing were the usual photographers, news photographers were allowed to only take shots that were of no value to the enemy. (T. Times 4/6/1942, pg. 1)

Military parades & ceremonies--Tacoma--1940-1950; Soldiers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Marching--Tacoma--1940-1950; Commercial streets--Tacoma--1940-1950; World War, 1939-1945--Military personnel--Tacoma;

On May 15, 1941, Kathleen Marie Kelly and Archie Henry Pozzi married at the First Congregational Church in Everett. The bride was a former Tacoman. The wedding was followed by a reception in the Guild Hall. The couple is shown dodging rice as they leave the reception. The bride wears a garnet suit, black hat and corsage of orchids. The couple were alumni of the University of Washington and made their first home in Carson City, Nev. (T. Times 10/11/1941)

Weddings--Everett--1940-1950; First Congregational Church (Everett); Brides--1940-1950; Kelly, Kathleen Marie; Pozzi, Archie;

Guests at the newest U.S.O. in Tacoma line up for refreshments during the center's formal opening on September 4, 1942. The facility on Commerce St. was the first of the U.S.O. centers in Tacoma designated for servicemen of color. Ray C. Vaughn, director, expressed his appreciation for the creation of a U.S.O. club to meet the recreational needs of soldiers of color. It would especially be necessary due to the fact that a growing Fort Lewis would mean more soldiers of all races. (TNT 9-1-42, p. 4, TNT 9-6-42, A-12).

Dedications--Tacoma--1940-1950; World War, 1939-1945--Military life--Tacoma; African American soldiers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Eating & drinking--Tacoma--1940-1950; USO clubs (Tacoma)--1940-1950;

On September 4, 1942, as part of the dedication of Tacoma's newest U.S.O., "topfight jitterbuggists" Pvt. Harold Williams and Elizabeth Brown demonstrated their fancy footwork for an appreciative audience. The facility was packed with members of the Armed Forces and their guests. Also in attendance were Governor Arthur B. Langlie and Mayor Harry P. Cain, who were both involved in the dedication ceremonies. Because the U.S. military services were still segregated in 1942, a separate U.S.O. was opened to serve servicemen of color. (TNT 9-1-42, p. 4, TNT 9-6-42, p. A-12)

Dedications--Tacoma--1940-1950; World War, 1939-1945--Military life--Tacoma; African American soldiers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Jitterbug dancing--Tacoma--1940-1950; Williams, Harold; Brown, Elizabeth; USO clubs (Tacoma)--1940-1950;