Back of Photo:
Cheney Stadium
Photograph by Bruce Larson

Back of Photo:
Peck Field

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

Baseball outing on the grounds of the Western State Hospital.

This is the 185-yard par 3 8th hole on the Fircrest Golf Club Course as it appeared in the 1920's. In the background on a hill is a water tower which has since been replaced by a larger, modern tank. Situated on 160-acres in the heart of the small city, the private golf club opened in July of 1924 with nine of the planned 18 holes available. The second nine holes would be put into use by the summer of 1925. (Additional information provided by a reader)

Terrible Teddy Tetzlaff and his "mechanician" in his Fiat #33 on the dirt racetrack at Tacoma Speedway during the July 1913 Montamara Festo program. Mr. Tetzlaff was the holder of the Montamarathon trophy in 1912, the first year of the track's existence. TPL-3164

Tetzlaff, Teddy; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1910-1920; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1910-1920; Fiat automobile;

Joe Thomas of Seattle attempts to pass Jim Parsons' #7 car, a Frantz, during the July 3, 1914, InterCity 100-mile race at Tacoma Speedway. Mr. Parsons would hold off Mr. Thomas' Mercer to win the race and the $750 first place prize money for the second consecutive year. Last year he rode to victory in a veteran Stutz. In 1914 his time was faster by 14 minutes and he made only one stop to change a rear tire. TPL-3167 (TDN 7-3-14, p. 1-article; TDL 7-4-14, p. 9-article)

Parsons, Jim; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1910-1920; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1910-1920; Thomas, Joe;

ca. 1915. At the wheel of the "Great Big Baked Potato Special" is driver Harry O'Brien. The #33 car was entered in both the InterCity 100-mile and Golden Potlatch 200-mile races at the Tacoma Speedway during the 4th of July holiday weekend in 1915. The "Baked Potato" was believed to be a Stutz and the Stutzs and Mercers entries had withdrawn from the InterCity race. The car also did not run in the Potlatch on July 5th as only eight cars started the race. TPL-128

O'Brien, Harry; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1910-1920; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1910-1920; Racing automobiles--1910-1920;

ca. 1914. Californian Billy Taylor and his unidentified "mechanician" aboard the big #12 Alco "six" at the Tacoma Speedway in early July of 1914. Entry was submitted by A.H. Woolacott. The Alco raced in both the Golden Potlatch 200-miler on July 3rd and the grand finale Montamarathon 250-mile race on the 4th on the two-mile oval track. Mr. Taylor came in 5th place of the closing race, trailing winner Earl Cooper's Stutz, G.E. Ruckstell's Mercer, Arthur Klein's King, and Jim Parsons' Frantz. He had been dubbed a "daredevil of the (Billy) Carlson type" by the Tacoma Daily Ledger prior to the race and was, according to the newspaper, quickly becoming famous. (TDL 6-29-14, p. 2-article; TNT 7-5-14, p. 1-results)

Taylor, Billy; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1910-1920; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1910-1920; Alco automobile;

ca. 1914. This young driver, sitting in his unnumbered race car, is believed to be Walter Grossman of Los Angeles. He and thirteen other racers had brought their "cycle cars," smaller and less powerful than regular race cars, to the Tacoma Speedway for special Labor Day competition in 1914. Mr. Grossman was also photographed in a "Red Devil" car of his own design and construction (see G51.1, image 120) which was far different from the car he is pictured in above. Although the boys were able to get in practice and speed trial times, rains on the actual day of competition cancelled the race. Mr. Grossman, part of a large contingent from Southern California, returned to his home after a second postponement.

Automobile racing--Lakewood--1910-1920; Racing automobiles--1910-1920; Automobile racing drivers;

Although there was no freeway between Tacoma and Seattle in June of 1919 and little actual paved road, Harry Barsamian, shop foreman for Pacific Car Co., managed to drive from the city limits of Tacoma to the city limits of Seattle in 30 minutes, 55 seconds. He was accompanied, not by the unidentified lovely miss in the front seat, but by his mechanic Victor Williams, proprietor of the Metropolitan Garage. Mr. Barsamian's time broke the previously acknowledged record of 34 minutes, 30 seconds. Victor Williams confessed to the Daily Ledger that there was one man too many in the vehicle and he was the one man; he swore never to do it again. Mr. Barsamian reported that there were no problems with the engine during the non-stop run. He declared the new stock Overland 90 Touring Car the "gamest little car in the world." Photograph ordered by the Pacific Car Co. (TDL 6-22-19, 8C) TPL-1522; G11.1-001

Barsamian, Harry; Automobiles--Tacoma--1910-1920; Automobile racing--Tacoma--1910-1920;

Informal portrait of an intense Louis Chevrolet. He was in Tacoma to race in the July 4, 1919, races held at the Tacoma Speedway. He was the overall winner that day, winning two of the three events. Chevrolet, one of the best known names in automobile history, first belonged to this mechanical genius Louis Chevrolet. Born in Switzerland on Christmas Day, 1878, the son of a watchmaker, Chevrolet enjoyed taking things apart to see how they worked, but not sitting in a classroom. He left school early to become a bicycle mechanic and later a racer of bicycles. Once he discovered automobiles, there was no turning back. He left his home in 1900, at the age of 21, for North America. He began racing in 1905 and by 1907 had caught the attention of W.C. Durant, the father of General Motors, who hired him to design and race for his Buick racing team. Chevrolet was the head of a racing family of three brothers, the other two being Gaston and Arthur. Louis is credited with 27 major event racing wins in his career. In 1911, Durant traded on the fame of the Chevrolet name to form Chevrolet Motors, competing with Ford in the moderate price market, with Louis Chevrolet as head designer. Chevrolet soon left due to artistic differences and formed his own company, Frontenac Motors. After the financial failure of Frontenac, he designed race cars for Monroe Motor Co., designing the Indy 500 winner in both 1920 and 21. After cars, he branched out into airplane design without great business success. He died in 1941, at the age of 63, having never achieved the financial success that he deserved. His fame lives on in the Chevrolet automobile name. G52.1-031; TPL-3173

Chevrolet, Louis; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1910-1920; Racing automobile drivers;

Jerry Wonderlich (his name is misspelt on the print) in car #24 and Harry Hartz in car #12 were two of the nationally known drivers who competed on July 4th, 1922 in the National Championship Race at the Tacoma Speedway. The men were pictured above on June 29th during practice laps on the board track at speeds of about 90 mph. Hartz had just taken second place in the 1922 Indianapolis 500 on Memorial Day. Both men were driving Duesenberg Straight 8 race cars. The Tacoma Speedway was south of Tacoma in what is now Lakewood, opposite the Mountainview Cemetery. The wooden bridge over the track provided access to the parking area in the middle of the track. TPL-619; TPL-133; Speedway-133 (TDL 6-30-22, p. 1)

Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Racetracks--Lakewood--1920-1930; Wonderlich, Jerry; Hartz, Harry; Duesenberg automobile;

Jimmy Murphy raised his right arm in triumph as he passed the checkered flag waved by Fred Wagner, winning the July 4th 1922 Tacoma Speedway Classic and setting a new track record. Murphy finished the 250 mile race in 2:33:55, narrowly defeating Tommy Milton. Murphy's average speed was 97.6 mph. He was driving his own "Murphy Special." He was favored to win the Tacoma Classic, having won the 1922 Indy 500 on Memorial Day. He was also the first American to win the French Grand Prix, in 1921. His numerous wins entitled him to wear the crown of National Racing Champion in both 1922 and 1924. However, his racing career only spanned a short four years and nine months. He was killed in a crash at Syracuse, New York, in September of 1924. (TDL 7/5/1922, pg. 1) TPL-8797, Speedway-142

Racing automobiles--1920-1930; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Murphy, Jimmy;

This is believed to be the Steilacoom Lake golf course as seen from the rough on May 1, 1928. The golf course was under construction and would open on September 14, 1928. It was managed by Fred Beckwith. G54.1-016 (TNT 8-31-28, p. 21-article)

Golf;

Frank Elliott in his car #5, the "Gordon Special," leads the way during what is probably the InterCity 100-mile race at the Tacoma Speedway held in early July of 1915. He would eventually finish second with a time of 1:20:28, two laps behind three-time winner Jim Parsons of Seattle, shown in the background in the Parsons Special, #22. Twelve cars from the Pacific Northwest had entered the race on July 5th but only six finished. T.F. Barsby came in third in his Velie Special and Earl Staley fourth in his Studebaker. The Mercer and Stutz entries were withdrawn from the InterCity. Mr. Elliott had also submitted entries to the big 250-Montamarathon and the Golden Potlatch 200-mile races. He finished sixth in the Montamarathon won by Grover Ruckstell. Although 21 drivers had entered the Potlatch which was run the day after the Montamarathon and on the same day as the InterCity, only eight were in condition to start with the others too damaged to race. Mr. Elliott's Gordon Special did start but did not win. TPL-1641 (TDN 7-6-15, p. 5-article; TDL 7-6-15, p. 1, 2 -results)

Elliott, Frank; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1910-1920; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1910-1920; Racing automobiles--1910-1920;

Maxwell teammates Billy Carlson (car #25) and Hughies Hughes (#32) are side-by-side on the track of the Tacoma Speedway in July of 1914. Their cars had arrived in Tacoma directly from Indianapolis and the drivers themselves were in town two weeks prior to the July 3 & 4th holiday races. The Maxwells ran on kerosene and were expected to compete strongly in the races. Englishman Hughie Hughes would go on to win the 200-mile Golden Potlatch race on July 3rd with his black racecar averaging 74.28 mph. He picked up $1500 for his efforts. (TNT 6-21-14, p. 1-article; 2-B-brief biographies; TDL 7-4-14, p. 1-results) TPL-3165

Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1910-1920; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1910-1920; Racing automobiles--1910-1920; Maxwell automobile; Carlson, Billy; Hughes, Hughie;

Getting ready to take a spin around the Tacoma Speedway is Ralph Mulford in his #3 Monroe along with his "mechanician," believed to be Thane Houser. Mr. Mulford had run in the 1919 Tacoma Classic which had been restricted to five top drivers including Louis Chevrolet, Dario Resta, Cliff Durant and Eddie Hearne. The Frontenac team of Chevrolet and Mulford won all three events of the day with Mr. Mulford driving to victory in the 40-mile race at an average speed of 100.2 mph. In front of a packed new grandstand and car-filled field, Tommy Milton and his #10 Duesenberg battled Mr. Mulford's Monroe throughout the 1920 race. Ideal weather conditions and the good track resulted in no accidents during the 225-mile race. Both the winning Duesenberg and the second place Monroe used Oldfield tires for the race. Mr. Milton did not have to pit once, not even to change tires, while Mr. Mulford only had to stop once for tire changes. For his second place finish, Ralph Mulford won $5000. (TDL 7-6-20, p. 1-results) TPL-099

Mulford, Ralph; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1920-1930; Monroe automobile; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Racing automobiles;

Charles Webster Latta drove the #3 Interstate during the 1913 Golden Potlatch trophy race on the Tacoma Speedway on July 5, 1913. He is pictured above with his unidentified "mechanician." Race car drivers at that time were accompanied by their "mechanicians" or machinists while on the race course. Mr. Latta started in position #3 for the 200-mile race, behind defending champion "Terrible Teddy" Tetzlaff who had the pole position. The race was for 58 laps of 3.516 miles each. Out of the nine entries, Mr. Latta finished third while at times running fourth and fifth. Although "Wild Bob" Burman was favored to defeat Teddy Tetzlaff for top honors, Earl Cooper in his white Stutz captured the first prize of $1800 in a time of 2 hours, 49 minutes and 32 seconds. (The Tacoma Tribune also called Mr. Latta, "C.N. Latta," rather than Charles Webster Latta.) TPL-9865 (T.Tribune, 7-2-13, p. 2-article; T.Tribune 7-5-13, p. 1-results)

Latta, Charles Webster; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1910-1920; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1910-1920; Racing automobiles--1910-1920; Interstate automobile;

Walter Gossman of Los Angeles poses in his cycle car, the Red Devil, at the Tacoma Speedway. Cycle racers, primarily from California, were in Tacoma in September of 1914 for the first "junior race" to be held north of California. Gossman was participating in his first race ever. He had designed and built the unique looking Devil. Outside of practices and speed trials, Tacomans were never able to see it race. The actual races were rained out. Speedway-061 (Tacoma Tribune 9/13/1914, pg 2B)

Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1910-1920; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1910-1920; Racing automobiles--1910-1920; Gossman, Walter;

Omar Toft, behind the wheel of his "Omar Special" #5, was one of 14 drivers who competed in the Montamarathon Classic held at the Tacoma Speedway on August 5th, 1916. The 300 mile race, the longest held in the Northwest, carried a purse of $10,000. Eddie Rickenbacker won with an average speed just shy of 90 mph; Toft finished 6th, winning $250. The usual July 4th date for the Montamarathon was usurped by a scheduled, two car grudge match between Seattle driver Jim Parsons and Tacoman Ulysses Audrey. That race was cancelled at the last minute due to Parsons' car troubles. Although an alternate program was presented on July 4th that included a head on collision between two locomotives, it was fast cars that Tacoma craved. Fans showed their displeasure by staying away from the August Race; only about 10,000 fans, about a fifth of the previous year's crowd, showed up on the 5th. TPL-1644, Speedway-046 (T. Tribune 8/5/16, pg.1; 8/6/16, pg.1; TDL 7/4/1920, pg. 1-C- history of the races)

Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1910-1920; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1910-1920; Toft, Omar; Automobile racing drivers;

A solemn Roscoe Sarles posed behind the wheel of fellow racer Art Klein's #8 Frontenac race car on the board track of the Tacoma Speedway in July of 1920. He was entered in the 225 mile Tacoma Classic on July 5th. He would finish 5th in the race while driving his #5 Monroe. (TDL 7/5/1920, pg. 3) Speedway 052

Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile racing drivers; Sarles, Roscoe; Frontenac automobile;

Eddie Hearne posed in his Revere race car, #15, on the board track of the Tacoma Speedway prior to the Tacoma Classic July 5th, 1920. The new grandstands, replacing those lost in a pre-season fire, can be seen in the background. He would come in third in the race, following winner Tommy Milton who completed the course in record time 2:23:28 at an average speed of 95 mph and second place finisher Ralph Mulford. (TDL 7/5/1920, pg. 3) Speedway 054

Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Racing automobiles--1920-1930; Revere automobile; Hearne, Eddie; Automobile racing drivers; Grandstands--Lakewood;

A confident Ralph DePalma is perched on the back tire of a borrowed Duesenberg parked on the board track of the Tacoma Speedway. Mr. DePalma had come to Tacoma to compete in the July, 1920, 225-mile race along with other famous names including Gaston Chevrolet, Cliff Durant, Tommy Milton and Ralph Mulford. His French Ballot was the only foreign entry in a field crowded with Duesenbergs, Monroes and Frontenacs. Unfortunately his Ballot broke a connecting rod on July 1st and although the Smith Cannery Machine Co. and Western Gear Works of Seattle rushed to make eight connecting rods, the Ballot was not able to be repaired in time. In the spirit of good sportsmanship, Eddie O'Donnell of the Duesenberg team offered Mr. DePalma the use of his ride so that Mr. DePalma would not disappoint the thousands who had come to see him race. Thus, the reason for the Duesenberg shown above with the #2 (number formerly assigned to the Ballot) painted on. Even with the powerful Duesenberg, Mr. DePalma did not win the race as the car broke down before finishing. Tommy Milton, winner of the recent Uniontown, Pennsylvania 225-miler, drove his Duesenberg to a $10,000 payday. (TDL 7-2-20, p. 1-article; TDL 7-6-20, p. 1-results)

DePalma, Ralph; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Racing automobiles--1920-1930; Duesenberg automobile; Automobile racing drivers;

Roscoe Sarles poses in his Duesenberg prior to the July 4th, 1921 Tacoma Speedway Classic. Sarles was considered one of the most fearless drivers in the country and a ruthless opponent. Born January 4, 1892 in New Albany, Indiana, Sarles went into auto repair and later sales after he finished school. In 1916, bit by the racing bug, he joined Louis Chevrolet's racing team. By 1917, he was riding with Joe Boyer as a mechanic. After the conclusion of World War I, he began racing with his Roamer with great success. The car was loaned to Lewis LeCocq for the Memorial Day race in Indianapolis. LeCocq was killed when the machine swerved into the wall and caught on fire. Sarles had the car rebuilt at the factory. A year after the Tacoma race, on September 17, 1922, 50 miles into a race at the Kansas City Speedway, the Durant Special driven by Sarles snapped its steering gear and swerved into another car. It then proceeded to flip over the rim of the racing bowl. Sarles was killed in the accident. (TDL 7/3/1921, pg. C-3; www.motorsportmemorial.org) Boland B4356, Speedway-094

Sarles, Roscoe; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile racing drivers;

On July 4, 1921, Tom Alley drove a Frontenac in the 10th annual Speedway Classic. He was one of the veterans in the race and was considered a pioneer of racing. He also had the dubious distinction of having run away from home at the tender age of 9. In 1906, very much underage, he raced for the first time, in a 50 mile touring car race. He was disqualified before the race began. At the age of 16, looking older than his years, he was hired as a tester for the White Co. He then tested for the American Motor Car Co., quitting when they refused to let him race. This was followed by testing jobs with Marmon (1909), Marion and National. In 1912, he signed on as Ralph DePalma's riding mechanic. The pair won the Road Racing Championship in 1912 and 1914. Hall attributed his quick rise to fame as a driver to the years he spent observing DePalma. He performed best on a dirt track, holding the 1915 speed record for the 100 mile. Speedway-105 (TDL 7/3/1921, pg. C-3) (Copy by Boland of photograph by W.A. Hughes)

Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Alley, Tom; Automobile racing drivers;

Frank Elliott posed behind the wheel of a Leach Special prior to the Tacoma Speedway Classic, held on July 4th 1921. Veteran driver Elliott was substituting for the Leach's usual driver Howard Wilcox. It was Elliott's first race in Tacoma since 1915. Although there is record of a Leach Motor Co. as early as 1899, their most famous vehicles were constructed at the Leach Motor Car Co. in Los Angeles, Ca., between 1920 and 1939. (TDL 7/3/1921, pg. C-3)

Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Elliott, Frank; Automobile racing drivers;

Joe Thomas, front, and his mechanic Marcel Treyvoux smiled at the camera from his Monroe race car #7 as they prepared for the July 5th 1920 Tacoma Classic race at the Tacoma Speedway. Joe Thomas was a local boy, hailing from Seattle, and a crowd favorite. In 1920, he was forced out of the race in the 78th lap by a broken piston, but he would return to race in the 1921 and 1922 Classics. After his retirement from racing, he returned to Tacoma in the thirties to serve as director of the state Vehicle Inspection Station. (TDL 7/5/1920, pg. 3) Speedway 093

Racetracks--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Thomas, Joe; Treyvoux, Marcel;

A large group of golfers posed at the Parkland Golf Course clubhouse on March 2, 1930. The men in the front row are all wearing plus fours, sweaters, and ties. President of the club was Jack Spence and course manager, George Marshall. Parkland Golf Course was Tacoma's newest course. Its second nine was to open in spring of 1930. 300 trees had already been planted. G54.1-026 (TNT 2-16-30, 4-B-article)

Golfers--Parkland; Men--Clothing & dress--Parkland; Golf--Parkland; Parkland Golf Course (Parkland);

Kay St. Main Event. The Glide Rink is packed with spectators eagerly anticipating the main event boxing match on January 24, 1924. Three stern men, including the referee, observe two fighters in action. It is noticeable that the audience, apparently all male, is well dressed with suits and ties worn. Gene Cline of Oakland and Eddie Roberts of Tacoma headlined the card with a six-round bout. Roberts, a welterweight, decisioned Cline in a tough contest. The boxing match, along with other bouts, was sponsored by the Kay Street Athletic Club. G53.1-130 (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 1-20-24, C-3-article; TDL 1-25-24, p. 10-article)

Boxers (Sports)--Tacoma--1920-1930; Sports spectators--Tacoma--1920-1930; Boxing--Tacoma--1920-1930; Cline, Gene; Roberts, Eddie;