4th of July celebration at Stadium Bowl. 35,000 jammed into Stadium Bowl in 1924 to celebrate Independence Day with pageants and fireworks. Mounted horsemen from Troop F, 11th U.S. Calvary, bands, sailors and school children stood in the center of the vast bowl with the imposing Stadium High School to the left. The American Legion sponsored the festivities. G55.1-036; BU-11,612 (TNT 7-5-24, p. 1-article)
Stadium Bowl (Tacoma); Stadium High School (Tacoma); Crowds--Tacoma--1920-1930; Spectators--Tacoma--1920-1930; Celebrations--Tacoma--1920-1930;
4th of July 1924. These rows of fireworks lined up against a fence will soon be exploding into Tacoma skies at the 4th of July celebration held at Stadium Bowl in 1924. An estimated 35,000 people crammed into Stadium Bowl to watch the pyrotechnic display. G20.1-013
This display of fireworks at the 1924 4th of July celebration held in Tacoma's Stadium Bowl fully expressed what the people of Tacoma thought the correct name should be for our mountain. Tacomans waged an ultimately fruitless battle against the name "Mount Rainier" for Pierce County's majestic mountain. Residents insisted that the original Native American name, "Tacoma," be reinstated and references in local newspapers always referred to "Mt. Tacoma." TPL-308; G20.1-032
On Independence Day, July 4th, 1924, a huge throng gathers to ogle these bathing beauties at the Tacoma Yacht Club Bathing Girl Revue at Point Defiance. The contest was part of the Water Carnival scheduled to help celebrate America's birthday. The contestants of all ages pose in their swimsuits; bare arms, shoulders and legs shaded by parasols. Stockings rolled down below the knees and bobbed hair seem to be the most common fashion statement. Miss Grace Copeland was selected by five judges as Tacoma's most beautiful bathing beauty. G20.1-007
Bathing beauties--1920-1930; Bathing suits--1920-1930; Tacoma Yacht Club (Tacoma);
Tacoma bathing beauties posed for the camera during the Tacoma Yacht Club Bathing Girl Revue on July 4th, 1924. A new kind of girl was coming to the light in the twenties. A girl who exercised, ate right and wasn't afraid to show off her bare arms and legs and bob her hair. Bathing suit designer Annette Kellerman's one piece suits were appearing at swimming holes across the country. Tacoma was riding the crest of this fashion; the fledgling Miss America contest (then called the Inter-City Beauties Contest) had in 1922 abolished restrictions on scandalous swimwear. They allowed contestants to wear the one piece swimsuits with stockings rolled down, or no stockings at all. America took a deep breath and then applauded or protested. In Tacoma, this contest seems to have taken place with little or no complaints. Grace Copeland was judged Tacoma's most beautiful bathing girl, out of 32 contestants. G20.1-034; TPL-158 (TNT 7/5/1924, pg. 7)
Bathing beauties--1920-1930; Bathing suits--1920-1930; Tacoma Yacht Club (Tacoma);
A huge, predominantly male crowd on the Point Defiance deck and boat launch watches intently at the parade of beauties in the Tacoma Yacht Club Bathing Girl Revue on the 4th of July, 1924. Two intrepid young men have even climbed onto the rooftop of the Point Defiance Pavilion in order to get a better look. A day at the park back then still meant that gentlemen wore jackets, ties, straw hats or caps and women in dresses and hats. A policeman is in the foreground, presumably to keep order, but his attention appears focused on the lovely ladies on parade below. TPL-1454
Crowds--Tacoma--1920-1930; Spectators--Tacoma--1920-1930; Point Defiance Pavilion (Tacoma);
4-man color guard awaits entry to the Stadium Bowl 4th of July celebration in 1924. They would join some 5000 soldiers, sailors and marines inside. Thousands would fill the massive bowl to view parades and fireworks at the American Legion-sponsored event. G67.1-121 (TNT 7-5-24, p. 1-article; Tacoma Sunday Ledger 6-8-24, p. 1-article; Tacoma Sunday Ledger 6-15-24, A-3 article)
Flag bearers--Tacoma--1920-1930; Flags--United States; Celebrations--Tacoma--1920-1930; Stadium Bowl (Tacoma);
This is the SS Bienville, nearly ready for launching, in early July of 1924. The combination freighter/passenger vessel was built by Todd Dry Dock & Construction for the Atlantic Steamship line of the Southern Pacific. She would be launched on July 16, 1924. The Bienville is a single screw steamer with a sea speed of 16 knots. After much fanfare, she was delivered to her owners in November but would suffer massive damage due to fire while undergoing repairs in New Orleans in March of 1925. G37.1-112 (TNT 7-9-24, p. 4; TNT 3-19-25, p. 1-article on fire; TDL 3-28-25, p. 1-article on fire)
Tents on Center St. This "Demonstration Camp The Campers Supply" had an outdoor display of tents for sale and/or rent during the summer of 1924. Willamette Auto & Wall Tents along with the "famous Hughes Cot" were just some of the tents available. More people were able to afford cars and were able to thus enjoy the pleasures of camping, either at auto camps or in the wilderness. See B10398 for another view of this tent display. G45.1-009
Unidentified men and machinery at the Olympic Ice Co., 612-14 E. 25th, on July 8, 1924. The plant had undergone expansion the previous summer. G34.1-149
Standard Oil Co. service barge. The service station barge was in handy proximity to the Tacoma Yacht Club on this July day in 1924. Sailboat is close by. G49.1-013
Barges--Tacoma; Standard Oil Co. of California (Tacoma); Sailboats--Tacoma;
Rowboat on display. This is believed to be a product of the Babare Mfg. Co., 3517 E. 11th St., as viewed on July 11, 1924. The Babare Bros. had moved their shipbuilding facilities to a site on along the Hylebos Waterway about 1920. G37.1-114
Harry's Billiard Parlor. Two employees stand ready to assist customers at the refreshment bar located within Harry's Billiard Parlor, in the 700 block of Pacific Avenue, on July 11, 1924. Vases filled with flowers are placed on the wood countertop. The open doorway invites entry into the establishment. Harry's Billiard Parlor was celebrating its grand opening in the Donnelly Hotel. Harry Winesburg was the proprietor. TPL-7183; G53.1-095
Brick building under construction in Yelm in mid-July, 1924. Signposts to the right of building indicate that Tacoma is 27 miles away and McKenna, a mere 2. Yelm would incorporate in December of 1924 after suffering devastating fires on May 24-25th where most of the city's business district was destroyed. Twenty buildings were destroyed and two more structures damaged with a total estimated loss of $100,000-140,000. Yelm would rebuild as seen above. TPL-4483B; G72.1-061 (TNT 5-26-24, p. 2-article on fires)
Western Union employees enjoyed a picnic and ball game in Centralia in July of 1924. Several young men have a prime view of all activities as they have scrambled atop a nearby roof. A batter waits patiently for his chance to belt one into the distance. G78.1-090
Western Union Telegraph Co.--Employees; Baseball players--Centralia;
Pioneer pharmacists Ole B. Lien and Harry B. Selvig became partners in 1901 and opened a drug store at 1102 Tacoma Avenue South (later the address of the Tacoma Public Library) . In 1923, they moved across the street to the Charles Geiger Building, shown here. Behind the drugstore on South "G" was the Romanesque Pierce County Courthouse. Above the drugstore were the Palace Apartments where housekeeping and single rooms were available. Alongside the Lien & Selvig store on South 11th was the Florio True-Fit Tailor establishment. Lien, who had served Tacoma Avenue customers since 1894, died in 1933. Selvig died in 1944. New owners retained the Lien & Selvig name until the store closed in 1952 to make way for the County City Building facility. G56.2-062, BU-11463, TPL-6264
A labor convention was held in Olympia in mid-July of 1924. This unidentified man from Tacoma was a delegate representing the state Culinary Workers. He is wearing several badges/ribbons pinned to his three-piece suit. G38.1-002
Construction - Winthrop Hotel. This steel column has been labeled #5 and would be used in the building of the Winthrop Hotel at 9th & Broadway in 1924. The column is believed to have been manufactured by the Star Iron & Steel Co. of Tacoma.
Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma)--Construction; Building construction--Tacoma--1920-1930;
Stern of the SS Bienville. The Bienville would be launched the following day, July 16, 1924, from Todd Dry Dock & Construction facilities. The combination freighter/passenger vessel, 445 feet in length with a 57-foot beam, could hold 346 passengers. She was built at a cost of over one million dollars and would be used to travel between New York and New Orleans. The Bienville would catch on fire in mid-March of 1925 while being overhauled in New Orleans. The ship was ablaze from stem to stern but all aboard escaped. G37.1-113 (TNT 6-21-24, p. 1,9-articles; TNT 3-19-25, p. 1-article on fire; TDL 3-28-25, p. 1-article on fire)
Delegation of carpenters to a labor convention held in Olympia. The ten men who posed for a group picture on July 16, 1924, were not identified. G38.1-020
Delegates to the Washington State Federation of Labor convention in Olympia posed for a group portrait on July 16, 1924. Many wear campaign endorsements for Edward Clifford as Republican Governor of Washington. Lumber magnate Roland Hartley would go on to win the Republican candidacy that year and capture the governor's race. G76.1-039
Meetings--Olympia--1920-1930; Labor unions; Political campaigns;
Christening of the SS Bienville. Dorothy Maxson is pictured on July 16, 1924, in the act of christening the SS Bienville at Todd Dry Dock & Construction facilities. She is the daughter of Captain and Mrs. C.P. Maxson; Captain Maxson would become the ship's new master. The Bienville was built for the Atlantic Steamship line of Southern Pacific at a cost of over a million dollars for the purpose of travel between New York and New Orleans. She was named after an old Louisiana family. Thousands of cheering spectators were present at the launching of the steamer which was the first Atlantic liner built on the Pacific Coast. After being in service less than five months, the Bienville caught on fire while being overhauled in New Orleans in mid-March of 1925. Only the crew was aboard and all escaped. G37.1-108 (TNT 6-21-21, p. 1,9-articles; TDL 7-17-24, p. 1-article; TNT 3-19-25, p. 1-fire on ship article; TDL 3-28-25, p. 1-fire on ship article)
Planing mill at Western Boat Building. Stacks of smooth surfaced timber wait to be used at the Western Boat Building facility on E. 11th St. Western Boat Building, operated by M.A. Petrich, built and repaired boats. G37.1-123
Mills--Tacoma--1920-1930; Western Boat Building Co. (Tacoma);
View taken from hillside of several furniture manufacturing plants. At the far left is the Gregory Furniture Mfg. Co., 2926 South Steele (corner of Center & Steele). Others labeled in the July 17, 1924, photograph are the Northwest Chair Co., 2201 South Tacoma Way (site called Edison Ave. at the time) and the C.E. MacDonald Co., next door at 2121 South Tacoma Way. Northwest Chair had constructed the four-story concrete addition visible here to its plant in 1923. The building housing the C.E. MacDonald Co. would suffer major damage in 1927 when a fire of unexplained origin broke out. G35.1-016 (photograph damaged at right corner)
The Northern Pacific Railway's South Tacoma Band, wearing their brand new uniforms, posed with their instruments on July 17, 1924. Band members were employees of Northern Pacific whose shops were located in the South Tacoma area. The band had given its first concert in mid-April of 1924 which was attended by nearly all in the N.P. shops. Initially the band started with 22 experienced members and was led by director E.L. Benjamin. They gave their first public concert on July 23rd at South Tacoma park. Each member paid for his own instrument and played for free. Names of the band members were listed in the News Tribune article on July 23, 1924, p. 15. 5th from left in back row is band director E.L. Benjamin; next to him (in suit and hat) is shop superintendent H.A. Lyddon. TPL-964; G44.1-110 (TNT 4-16-24, p. 11-article on band; TNT 7-23-24, p. 15)
Construction of the original Fircrest Golf Club clubhouse was nearly completed when this July 20, 1924, photograph was taken. The 9 hole course (expanded the next year to a full 18 holes) was to open in six days. Members of this private club, located on 160 acres near Tacoma, were excited to see the opening of the Arthur Vernon Macan-designed course. George Turnbull, who had learned golf in Scotland, was named the club's first club pro. G54.1-022 (www.fircrestgolf.com-articles)
Building construction--Fircrest--1920-1930; Clubhouses--Fircrest--1920-1930; Golf--Fircrest--1920-1930;
