In 1926, S. Ed Munson opened the Munson Motor Company at 5622 South Tacoma Way. This photograph from June, 1942 shows five women, four in uniforms, working on a 1942 Oldsmobile B44. After the war, Ed Munson went into partnership with Alberta Smith and opened Munson-Smith Motors down the road at 4101 South Tacoma Way. TPL-1382

Munson Motor Co. (Tacoma); Automobile dealerships--Tacoma--1940-1950; World War, 1939-1945--Women--Tacoma; Oldsmobile automobile; Mechanics (Persons)--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Frances (Mrs. Marcus) Nalley poses with proud mama "Cookie," a pedigreed red cocker spaniel, and her nine little puppies. Cookie gave birth to six males and three females at the Nalley home at 3106 No. 29th. The sire was Art Bostwick's hunter, Speck. (T.Times 7/11/1942, pg. 8)

Nalley, Frances; Dogs;

American Red Cross volunteers provided vital service to the war effort back home. These volunteers are pictured on September 1, 1942, rolling surgical dressings. The women are dressed in the uniform of the Red Cross Nurse's Aide. They are, seated left to right, Joyce (Mrs. Herbert) Syford, Vera (Mrs. Francis) Albro and Anna (Mrs. Rufus) Christian. Standing- Esther (Mrs. Clifford) Langhorne, Mercedes (Mrs. Frederick) Haines, Mrs. J.A. Mitchell and Mrs. Clara M. Fraser. (TNT 9/4/1942, pg. 20)

Nurses--Tacoma--1940-1950; American Red Cross Pierce County Chapter (Tacoma); World War, 1939-1945--Women--Tacoma; Syford, Joyce; Albro, Vera; Christian, Anna; Langhorne, Esther; Haines, Mercedes; Fraser, Clara;

On September 9, 1942, the Tacoma General School of Nursing held its 46th annual commencement exercise at the First Baptist Church. The class consisted of 33 nurse graduates. The ceremony was presided over by Sam M. Jackson, who was concluding his 30th year as President of the hospital.

Nurses--Tacoma--1940-1950; Tacoma General Hospital (Tacoma); First Baptist Church (Tacoma); Baptist churches--Tacoma; Graduation ceremonies--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Friends and family watch from the floor and balcony of the First Baptist Church as 33 nurses from Tacoma General's School of Nursing receive their diplomas on September 9, 1942.

Nurses--Tacoma--1940-1950; Tacoma General Hospital (Tacoma); First Baptist Church (Tacoma); Baptist churches--Tacoma; Graduation ceremonies--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Thirty three nurses stand for recognition after receiving their diplomas during the Tacoma General Hospital Commencement exercise at First Baptist Church on September 9, 1942. It was the school's 46th annual commencement exercise.

Nurses--Tacoma--1940-1950; Tacoma General Hospital (Tacoma); First Baptist Church (Tacoma); Baptist churches--Tacoma; Graduation ceremonies--Tacoma--1940-1950;

In August of 1942, steeplejack Jack O'Brien was photographed while standing on the top ledge of the Puget Sound National Bank building at 1119 Pacific Avenue in Tacoma. He had been hired to paint the bank's flag pole which was mounted at the top of its steep, pyramidal roof. When the building was built in 1910 it was the tallest building on the West Coast. When asked about working hundreds of feet in the air, Mr. O'Brien said, "Aw shucks, there's nothing special about me or my job. I can make a living, I guess, just because the world must be full of sissies."(T. Times 8/14/1942 p.1)

O'Brien, Jack; Commercial facilities--Tacoma--1940-1950; Business districts--Tacoma--1940-1950; Puget Sound National Bank (Tacoma); Banks--Tacoma; Steeplejacks;

The newly promoted USO Program Director at 13th & Fawcett, Bernice O'Denny, poses outside the USO Club. Miss O'Denny was promoted from secretary to the director to director in September of 1942. She was born in Seattle and graduated from Washington State College. The USO hired her away from H.J. Heinz & Co.'s advertising department. (T. Times 9/16/1942, pg. 18)

O'Denny, Bernice; United Service Organizations (Tacoma); USO clubs (Tacoma)--1940-1950;

Launching of "Pride of America" at Peterson Boat Building. The Peterson shipyard was owned by the father and son team of George and John Peterson. The yard was devoted entirely to the construction of fishing vessels. The site of their yard adjoined the Foss yard at the outer edge of the Middle Waterway. The shipyard was rebuilt in 1943 and the company remained at this site until it burned in 1969.

Peterson Boat Building Co. (Tacoma);

In September of 1942, Peterson Boat Building was preparing to launch the "Pride of America." The small shipyard was operated by father and son team George and John Peterson. It was located at 223 E. F St., a site that adjoined the Foss Yard (225) at the outer edge of the Middle Waterway. The busy shipyard specialized in the construction of fishing vessels. The shipyard was rebuilt in 1943 and remained at this location until it was destroyed in a fire in 1969.

Peterson Boat Building Co. (Tacoma); Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Employees of the Milwaukee Railroad pose for a group picture during their picnic at Wapato Lake on August 8, 1942.

Picnics--1940-1950; Wapato Park (Tacoma); Parks--Tacoma--1940-1950; Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad Co. (Tacoma);

The employees of the Milwaukee Road get ready for a tug of war at their employee picnic on August 8, 1942 at Wapato Park. In the tradition of the day, males are dressed in long sleeved shirts, tie, jacket and hat despite the fact that it is August and an outdoor event.

Picnics--1940-1950; Wapato Park (Tacoma); Parks--Tacoma--1940-1950; Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad Co. (Tacoma);

A tug of war "pull" is in progress at the Milwaukee Road employee picnic at Wapato Park on August 8, 1942.

Picnics--Tacoma--1940-1950; Wapato Park (Tacoma); Parks--Tacoma--1940-1950; Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad Co. (Tacoma);

This family of four is enjoying the Bremerton Sun picnic at Island Lake Park in Kitsap County. The newspaper invited its employees and their families to have a day of fun and frolicking at its annual picnic. In 1942, the picnic took place on September 26th.

Picnics; Families--1940-1950;

Bremerton Sun picnic. Island Lake Park. Employees of the Bremerton Sun newspaper enjoyed annual picnics sponsored by the company. This family of four enjoyed the day at the serene Island Lake Park in early fall of 1942.

Picnics; Families--1940-1950; Bremerton Sun--Employees;

Richards Studio notes label this picture as an "Informal studio portrait of Mr. J.E. Ford." The man is tentatively identified as Joseph E. Ford who was the Chief Deputy County Auditor and Recorder. Mr. Ford resided at 1518 No. Steele St. and later became the County Auditor.

Portraits;

Congressman John Coffee, center in overcoat and scarf, posed on November 21, 1942 in front of Clover Park High School with a group of men and women. Congressman Coffee was visiting the school to view the construction of a new addition, the result of a federal grant that he had fought hard to obtain. The $225,000 addition would add eight classrooms, a gym and a cafeteria.

Public schools--Lakewood--1940-1950; Clover Park High School (Lakewood); Coffee, John;

Congressman John M. Coffee, center with mortar, was photographed helping with the construction of an addition to Clover Park High School November 21, 1942. His biggest aid was his assistance in obtaining the federal grant that made the $225,000 addition possible. Pictured left to right in front of the wall are Superintendent A.G. Hudtloff, Congressman Coffee, Olai Hageness, Clarence Rueger and Walter Hedlind. Back of the wall are Paul Olson, Charles Rueger, Stanley Lytle and Pete Hansen. The addition was scheduled to be ready for occupancy by mid-late Spring 1943 and would include eight classrooms, a gymnasium and a cafeteria. (T.Times 11/23/1942, pg. 6)

Public schools--Lakewood--1940-1950; Clover Park High School (Lakewood); Construction--Lakewood--1940-1950; Coffee, John; Hudtloff, A.G.; Lytle, Stanley;

While taking photographs of a railroad accident at 24th and Bay St., the Richards photographer captured this image of railroad cars and tracks on the Tideflats in October of 1942.

Railroads--Tacoma; Railroad tracks--Tacoma;

On October 15, 1942, a southbound Great Northern freight engine derailed and fell over on its side at 24th and Bay St. Six railroad cars piled up behind the derailed engine. Luckily the train was moving slowly and the engineer and the crew had time to leap to safety. Engineer R. Ritter and Fireman August Zueger, both of Seattle, were able to crawl out of the cab of the locomotive. (T. Times 10/16/1942. pg. 1; TNT 10/16/1942, pg. 1)

Railroads--Tacoma; Railroad tracks--Tacoma; Railroad accidents--Tacoma; Disasters--Tacoma; Railroad locomotives; Great Northern Railway Co. (Tacoma);

Ethel Ranger and Dolore Gilligan wedding at the Church of the Visitation. The newly married couple talks to their guests outside of the church. Dolore B. Gilligan was employed as a welder at the Seattle Tacoma Shipyards. Ethel Ranger was a beauty operator at the Little Paris Beauty Salon. (Also dated 08-10-1942)

Ranger, Ethel--Marriage; Gilligan, Dolore; Weddings--Tacoma--1940-1950; Church of the Visitation (Tacoma); Catholic churches--Tacoma;

In October of 1942, companies and private citizens were scrounging for any spare metal that could be used to make weapons of war. Richmond Towing donated a wrecked automobile to the Salvage Drive and labelled it to the "Japs" with white spray paint.

Richmond Towing (Tacoma); World War, 1939-1945--Scrap drives;

Interior of Safeway Store on South K Street.

Safeway Stores, Inc. (Tacoma); Grocery stores--Tacoma--1940-1950;

On October 22, 1942 a large group of Horace Mann students posed in front of a new billboard advertising the November school levy election. An earlier ballot in the spring was lost because not enough people had voted. The Tacoma school district was seeking an increase in funding because increasing costs and a shrinking budget had necessitated cuts in some school programs. (T. Times 10/23/1942 p.10)

School children--Tacoma--1940-1950; Billboards--Tacoma; Horace Mann School (Tacoma)--School children; Advertisements--Tacoma;

Seattle-Tacoma Shipyard Finishers, Pierce County Inter-League basketball team, at Tacoma Boys Club. (T.Times)

Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corp. (Tacoma)--People; Basketball players--Tacoma--1940-1950; World War, 1939-1945--Social aspects--Tacoma;

Sea-Tac (Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation) Welders, Pierce County Inter-League basketball team, at Tacoma Boys Club. One of eight teams representing the shipyard in inter-league play. (T.Times)

Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corp. (Tacoma)--People; Basketball players--Tacoma--1940-1950; World War, 1939-1945--Social aspects--Tacoma;

This team was one of eight representing the Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation in league play at the Tacoma Boys Club in January of 1943. This particular team was from the Shipfitters swing shift. Pictured left to right kneeling are Alphonse Big Horn, Leonard Big Horn (Native American brothers from Montana), John Owens and Lawrence Loveland. Standing, left to right, are Mason Longmire (mgr.), Phil Red Eagle, John Hartsell, Wayne Hinkleman and Matt Kapovich. (T. Times 2/1/1943, pg. 11)

Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corp. (Tacoma)--People; Basketball players--Tacoma--1940-1950; World War, 1939-1945--Social aspects--Tacoma; Indigenous peoples; Big Horn, Alphonse; Big Horn, Leonard; Owens, John; Loveland, Lawrence; Longmire, Mason;

Elaine Shephard and Jo Ann Schwalen pose prior to entering the University of Washington. Both girls remained out of school one year after graduating from Stadium High School in 1941. (T. Times 9/12/1942, pg. 4)

Shephard, Elaine; Schwalen, Jo Ann;

Gary Gay Shepherd was born to Mrs. Pearl E. Shepherd, formerly Pearl Holden, at Saint Joseph's Hospital on January 8, 1943. Mrs. Shepherd was married to Corporal Grover G. Shepherd. The joyous news of the baby's birth arrived almost simultaneously with the official notice that his father had been killed in action; the first casualty from Tacoma in the North Africa campaign. Corp. Shepherd had died November 20th. Announcement of his death was contained in the casualty list released by the War Department just a few days before his son's arrival. (T. Times 01-11-1943 p.1)

Shepherd, Pearl; Shepherd, Gary Gay; Mothers; Infants; Births; Maternity hospitals; World War, 1939-1945--Casualties--Tacoma; World War, 1939-1945--Children--Tacoma;

Mrs. Milton (Gladys) Fisher, left, and Miss Rosemary Stewart were two of area's volunteers with the USO Travelers' Aid Department. The Department had assistance booths at the Rust Building, the USO clubs and the bus stations. Mrs. Fisher was the general head of the Department and Miss Stewart was in charge of all volunteers at 12th and Fawcett. In all, over 75 people volunteered at the Aid locations and donated over 500 hours of service every month. The group handled the problems of thousands of visitors to Tacoma, over 99 per cent of them men in uniform. They maintained books with information on housing, churches, recreation and sight seeing as well as directing aid seekers to other agencies. (TNT 8/17/1942, pg. 6)

Stewart, Rosemary; Fisher, Gladys; World War, 1939-1945--Social aspects--Tacoma; United Service Organizations (Tacoma);