On December 30, 1924, a crowd of last minute "shoppers" filled the office of Pierce County Auditor Freemont Campbell Jr. in a last minute attempt to get their 1925 automobile license applications filed before the January 1 deadline. By the 30th, scarcely half of the county's automobile owners had applied for their new licenses. Tacoma and Pierce County drivers who belonged to the Automobile Club of Western Washington could avoid the lines at the auditor's office in the Pierce County courthouse,1012 South G Street, by going to the automobile club's Tacoma office at 119 South 9th Street. (TNT 1/1/1925, pg. 11) (WSHS- negative A644-0)
Crowds--Tacoma--1920-1930; Pierce County Auditor (Tacoma)--1920-1930; Recording & registration--Pierce County--1920-1930;
When the Olympic Ice Cream Co. scheduled the Grand Opening of their new plant on May 26, 1924 with "everybody welcome," they didn't expect everybody to show up. The May 27, 1924 News Tribune carried an apology to the "thousands" who were unable to get into the building and the "thousands" admitted to the plant at 613-17 E. 25th St. who were unable to tour the modern sanitary plant due to the crowds. The plant would be jointly occupied by Olympic and the Velvet Kind Ice Cream Co. The Grand Opening promised souvenirs and refreshments. The building has since been demolished. (TNT 5/27/1924, pg. 4) G34.1-139
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);
A large crowd of people, including young children, have gathered in Steilacoom in April of 1932. All seemed to be well-dressed for the occasion with even the boys wearing suits and ties. This is believed to be the informal reception hosted by Dr. and Mrs. Charles E. Taylor of Fort Steilacoom on April 9th in the large dining room of Western Washington Hospital. Dr. and Mrs. Taylor had resided in the area for forty years. G73.1-126 (TNT 4-8-32, p. 14-article)
Smoker - K.C. Bldg. Cushman Hospital This large hall in the "K.C.Bldg." was used for multiple events including dances and on this day in July of 1921, wrestling or boxing matches. A large crowd has gathered for this "smoker." They may have been employees or patients of the Cushman Hospital, a hospital for veterans located on the site of the former Puyallup Indian School, 2002 E. 28th St. If the two men in the ring are going to box, they will do so sans gloves. G53.1-128
A crowd of several hundred people celebrated the arrival of the Pacific Air Transport Co.'s mail carrier plane at the municipal airport on April 15, 1928. It was the inauguration of the new American Railway Express Co. air service provided for Tacoma in conjunction with Pacific Air Transport's mail carriers. Tacoma Chamber of Commerce president John Dower took his first plane ride during the event as pilot J. Barton Story took him to greet the incoming express plane from the air. (TNT 4-16-28, p. 7, TDL 4-15-28, 8-A)
A large crowd of baseball fans gathered outside the Tribune Publishing Company building to watch the box score of the World Series game between the Philadelphia Athletics and the St. Louis Cardinals on October 5, 1930. The News Tribune had a large scoreboard mounted on the front of their building which allowed fans to follow the game play-by-play. Although Cardinals pitcher Jesse Haines outdueled Lefty Grove 3-1 to tie the Series up at 2 wins apiece, the Athletics would ultimately prevail, winning the World Series 4 games to 2. BU-12852, TPL-2115
Hundreds of children lined up outside the Rialto Theater to see Bette Davis and Douglas Fairbanks in "Parachute Jumper" and Will Rogers and Marian Nixon in "Dr. Bull." They were waiting for admission into the free Tacoma Times-Rialto Theater double feature, part of a party sponsored by the pair for Tacoma's youngsters. The year 1934 also saw the beginning of the film industry enforcing the Hays Production Code, in an effort to eliminate sex and violence from the movies. Under these guidelines, Hollywood began to turn out more family fare. TPL-161; BU-11239 (T. Times 5/21/1934, pg. 12)
This is what 9th & Broadway looked like in the late afternoon of September 20, 1932, as throngs strain to catch a glimpse of Presidential candidate Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The Democratic candidate's open vehicle is led and followed by motorcycle police. Mr. Roosevelt, the governor of New York, had just concluded a speech to thousands at the Puyallup Fairgrounds. His motorcade arrived in Tacoma about a half-hour earlier than expected so hundreds missed their chance to see him swing through the streets of downtown Tacoma. TPL-2679 (TNT 9-20-32, p. 1-article; TNT 9-21-32, p. 1)
Fisher's Department Store, 1104 Broadway. Crowd outside Fisher's store in June of 1931. Vaudeville act in window. Girls in costume, with trumpets, standing on marquee of store. Photo for Fox Broadway Theater. Bowen # 310-240a
Crowd near 11th and Pacific Avenue during stop of Wendell Willkie and party at Willkie Headquarters at 12th and Pacific. Mr. Willkie, the Republican nominee for President, squeezed in visits to four locations, including his local campaign headquarters, during a one-hour stopover in Tacoma. (T. Times)
Crowds--Tacoma--1940-1950; Political campaigns; Presidential elections;
A crowd stands and waits at the corner of 7th & Pacific Avenue for the bus that will take them to the Western Washington fairgrounds. They are lined up in front of the Western Auto Supply Co. at 715-17 Pacific Ave. Despite a light drizzle later in the day, attendance at the fair for Tacoma Day was nearly 50,000.
Crowds; Western Auto Supply Co. (Tacoma); Western Washington Fair (Puyallup); Fairs--Puyallup--1940-1950;
Hundreds of Tacomans lined up on the sidewalks outside the Western Auto Supply store at the northeast corner of South 8th Street and Pacific Avenue in September of 1941 to catch one of the special busses that would carry them to the Western Washington fair grounds. Despite the gray skies and light drizzle nearly 50,000 people passed through the turnstiles at the Puyallup Fair on "Tacoma Day". The grandstands were filled almost to the last seat and all the rides on the fairway were kept busy into the night.
Crowds; Western Auto Supply Co. (Tacoma); Western Washington Fair (Puyallup); Fairs--Puyallup--1940-1950;
ca. 1963. Hordes of workers stream in to work in a 1963 photograph. Many of the men are wearing hard hats while others are bareheaded or wearing caps. Several wave their hats in salutes to the cameraman. Richards Studio notes indicate this was the "Old Shipyard," it is possible that this was the old Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corp. yard that was sold to the Port of Tacoma in 1959.
ca. 1944. War Street. Circa 1944 downtown display of World War II artillery and military equipment. Large crowd along the 900 block of Broadway looking over several vehicles including an airplane and Jeep.
Crowds--Tacoma--1940-1950; Military vehicles--Tacoma--1940-1950; Airplanes--Tacoma--1940-1950;
Hundreds of Tacomans mob the entrance to the Temple Theater on October 2, 1944, to attend a free gala vaudeville show in honor of Tacoma's "fighting mayor" Harry P. Cain, then serving in the European theater. Prominent dignitaries in attendance would include Washington governor Arthur B. Langlie, former Tacoma mayor J.J. Kaufman and acting mayor C. Val Fawcett. ALBUM 13.
Man with megaphone talking to large group of people in parking lot. He is preparing to announce the weights of the catches of competing fishermen in the Salmon Derby in Bremerton. To the lower right of the picture are salmon waiting to be weighed and the scales used to determine the winner of the Salmon Derby.
