ca. 1979. Station wagon, circa 1979. Stickers on windows- "All State," "Auto Club" and "Your passport to Heaven is Jesus." Cases of coke bottles inside. Photographer reflected in the lower left corner of the right side back window.

Station wagons;

ca. 1979. Automobile, circa 1979.

Automobiles--1970-1980;

ca. 1936. Ford V8 logging truck and flat bed trailer parked on street near park. For Phillip Becholdt. (filed with Argentum)

Ford trucks--1930-1940;

The old London Dock and the Waterside Milling Company plant were destroyed by fire shortly after noon on Tuesday, January 7,1936. Flames and thick black smoke engulfed the warehouse building and dock while firemen and equipment on land fought to quell the fire. The City fireboat and four Foss tugs were also called into action and together, they managed to contain the fire to stop it from spreading to other nearby warehouses and docks. It was reported that a wood dust explosion caused the $260,000 fire. The Waterside Milling Co. specialized in the manufacture of wood flour, which was a finely powdered form of wood. (T. Times, 1-7-36, p. 1-article; T.Times 1-8-36, p. 1+-article; TDL 1-8-36, p. 1-article & various photographs; 100 Years of Firefighting in the City of Destiny Tacoma, Washington, p. 94-95).

Fires--Tacoma--1930-1940; Fire fighting--Tacoma--1930-1940; Fireboats--Tacoma--1930-1940; Smoke--Tacoma; Waterside Milling Co. (Tacoma); Piers & wharves--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Double launching of two new U.S. Navy Destroyers, "Cushing" and "Perkins" at Navy Yard Shipbuilding dock on December 31, 1935. Huge crowds lined both sides of the waterway; some were standing in front of wooden buildings while others were seated on benches. The crowd at the Navy Yard launching was estimated at 8,000. (Bremerton Sun).

Launchings--Bremerton--1930-1940; Spectators--Bremerton;

Launching of two new U.S. Navy Destroyers, "Cushing" and "Perkins," at Bremerton Navy Yard shipbuilding dock on December 31, 1935. Over 8,000 people stood to watch the double christening. Miss Katherine A. Cushing, Adm. T.T. Craven, Mrs. Isabel Anderson, and Governor Clarence D. Martin were among the participants. (Bremerton Sun).

Launchings--Bremerton--1930-1940; Warships--Bremerton--1930-1940;

Harbor with boats tied up to pier. Three people in the lower left corner are walking by a boat. Photo series is of the Capital to Capital Yacht Race from Tacoma to Nanaimo, BC in July of 1935. The race was expected to draw close to 100 entries, almost a 1/2 million in pleasure craft investment, that would carry around 600 persons. Only amateurs were eligible, no professional Navy men. Out of the proposed entrants, 51 started the race, 24 from Tacoma, and 49 finished. (T.Times 7/25-27, 1935 & 7/29/1935, pg. 1)

Regattas--1930--1940; Yacht racing--1930--1940; Yachts--1930--1940;

ca. 1968. View of USS Ready, an Asheville Class gunboat, which had been commissioned on January 6, 1968. The PG-87 was built by Tacoma Boatbuilding and named after a town in Kentucky. The 165-foot aluminum gunboat was launched on May 12, 1967. Tacoma Boatbuilding had a contract to build twelve gunboats; the USS Ready was the sixth in the series. (TNT 5-13-67, p. 2; www.navsource.org/archives/12/11087.htm)

Gunboats--United States; Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1960-1970; Tacoma Boat Building Co., Inc. (Tacoma);

This unidentified vessel, believed to be a Navy gunboat, was in dry dock at Tacoma Boatbuilding in January of 1970. It appears that the paint on the boat has been stripped.

Gunboats--United States; Tacoma Boat Building Co., Inc. (Tacoma); Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1970-1980;

Undated photograph of gunboat #12 as it churns through calm waters. The ship is flying the American flag. It is possible that the patrol vessel was undergoing sea trials at the time. Photograph ordered on October 28, 1974, by Tacoma Boatbuilding.

Gunboats; Tacoma Boat Building Co., Inc. (Tacoma);

Planning committee for the YMBC "Air Circus," to be held June 13, 1937. The group meets around a luncheon table. Pictured, left to right, are unidentified, M.J. M'Caslin, chairman aviation committee, unidentified, James P. Lesher, President YMBC, Arthur Angove, past president YMBC. The Air Circus would draw over 50,000 spectators to Mueller-Harkins Airfield to view a variety of events including races, stunt flying and a parachute jump by Seattle's "Batman." (filed with Argentum under D768-11; also numbered D779-3)

Air shows--Tacoma--1930-1940; Events--Tacoma--1930-1940; Young Mens Business Club (Tacoma);

Nearly 50,000 spectators watched as Tommy Thompson, the "Bat Man", attempted to soar over Mueller-Harkins airport on June 13, 1937 at the first Tacoma Air Circus. When he stepped from the plane that had carried him aloft, a gust of wind tore the canvas webbing that supported his wings, and spinning like a top, he plunged toward the earth. Luckily he was wearing two parachutes. Although the first became tangled in his wings, the second brought him safely to land - although one of his wings was bent. The air circus was sponsored by the Young Men's Business Club of Tacoma. (T. Times, TNT)

Air shows--Tacoma--1930-1940; Young Men's Business Club (Tacoma); Clubs--Tacoma--1930-1940; Events--Tacoma--1930-1940;

In August of 1935, the west end of the Navy yard in Bremerton was known as the "Boneyard." Here unused or outdated ships rode at anchor, fastened together with intricate knots of cable. The white bow, visible in the interior of the group, was the USS Patoka. The Patoka, constructed in 1919, was outfitted with a distinctive stern mooring mast in 1924 for lighter-than-air craft. She was subsequently used as an operational and experimental base by three of the Navy's great dirigibles, USS Shenandoah (ZR-1) in 1924-1925, USS Los Angeles (ZR-3) in 1925-1932, and USS Akron (ZRS-4) in 1932. (Bremerton Sun 8/15/1935, pg. 1; www.history.navy.mil)

Boat graveyards--Bremerton; Government vessels--Bremerton; Warships--Bremerton--1930-1940;

On Thursday July 30, 1936, hundreds of Tacomans watched the annual whaleboat race, put on by the sailors docked in Tacoma for Fleet Week. Thirteen-man crews from eight ships took part in the race, with the victory going to the men from the U.S.S. San Francisco. Led by coxswain Tommy Loughran, the men from the San Francisco completed the one mile course, begins at the Old Tacoma Dock and proceeds toward the City Waterway, in 9 minutes 55.5 seconds. Following time-worn custom, the coxswain of the winning crew was tossed overboard at the end of the race. (T. Times 7/31/1936, pg. 1 &3)

Boat racing; Rowboats--Tacoma--1930-1940; Rowing races--Tacoma--1930-1940; Rowers;

Ship "Phoenix" in Tacoma. Large cargo vessel with small superstructure amidships, another with funnel at the stern. Wooden warehouses on pier, lumber mills and Tacoma skyline in background, pod of logs floating in foreground. (filed with Argentum)

Cargo ships--Tacoma--1930-1940; Shipping--Tacoma--1930-1940; Logs;

ca. 1935. Defiance Lumber Company. Pulled up at the dock are a large freighter and a barge stacked with lumber. (filed with Argentum)

Cargo ships--Tacoma; Shipping--Tacoma--1930-1940; Lumber industry--Tacoma--1930-1940; Defiance Lumber Co. (Tacoma);

ca. 1932. Front view of an automobile parked in front of the Edward B. Rhodes Post, American Legion Memorial Building, an art deco structure designed by Heath, Gove and Bell, Architects in 1929. Since 1991, this building has been home to the Karpeles Manuscript Library. (filed with Argentum)

Automobiles--1930-1940; American Legion Edward B. Rhodes Post No. 2 (Tacoma); Patriotic societies--Tacoma--1930-1940;

This view of Tacoma's fishing fleet, moored at the Port Commission Docks dates from November of 1934. At that time, about 45 fishing vessels called Tacoma their home port. A long row of fishing boats was photographed, their images reflected on the still water. Among the boats tied to the dock are: the "Chancellor", the "Blanco", the "Orbit" and the "Falcon." An editorial on page one of the November 20th Tacoma Times supported Initiative 77 banning fish traps. The newspaper championed building a larger marina in Tacoma that could support an expanded fleet of boats. A strip of land belonging to the Port of Tacoma, near the Port Piers, was proposed for the site of the new facility that could be the home of up to 300 boats. (T. Times 11/20/1934, pg. 1)

Fishing boats--Tacoma--1930-1940; Fishing industry--Tacoma--1930-1940;

ca. 1936. Ferry boat leaving dock. Beach in foreground, islands/peninsulas in background.

Ferries--Tacoma; Marine terminals--Tacoma; Beaches--Tacoma;

In June of 1927, Seattlite and frequent Tacoma visitor Esther Landstrom (in coat) was pictured with her new Willys-Knight 70-A coupe in front of the First Presbyterian Church at 20 Tacoma Avenue South. Her small dog stands on the running board. Her friend Dolly Wescott, a bookkeeper at Manley Motors, was at the wheel. Mrs. Landstrom had recently purchased her car from Manley Motor Company, 956-58 Fawcett Avenue, in Tacoma. Manley Motors were the authorized dealers of Overland, Willys-Knight, and Whippet automobiles. (TDL 6/19/1927, pg. G2) (WSHS)

Automobiles--Tacoma--1920-1930; Presbyterian churches--Tacoma; First Presbyterian Church (Tacoma); Landstrom, Esther; Wescott, Dolly; Willys-Knight automobile; Dogs--Tacoma--1920-1930;

ca. 1936. An unidentified man wearing a cap and leather jacket stands beside a sleek two-door automobile parked in front of the Tacoma totem pole. The Mason Block building and top of the 11th Street Bridge are in the background. Richards Studio notes describe this photograph as "Dick Rodius." (WSHS)

Automobiles--1930-1940; Totem poles--Tacoma; Sheard & Thorne Totem Pole (Tacoma); Tacoma Totem Pole (Tacoma);

ca. 1937. Wrecked automobile off roadway in South Tacoma, circa 1937. Automobile is a 4-door sedan with round rear window and spoke wheels. Impact seems to have occurred on the driver's side as both the driver's door and rear door were heavily damaged. The accident has drawn a crowd of curious spectators, including children.

Automobiles--Tacoma--1930-1940; Traffic accidents--Tacoma--1930-1940;

ca. 1936. Tacoma Fire Company. Side view of Fireboat No. 1 with jets of water shooting into Commencement Bay.

Fireboats--Tacoma--1930-1940;

ca. 1937. Automobile accident at 4th and M Streets. People pushing truck away from over-turned automobile, bystanders watching activity.

Traffic accidents--Tacoma--1930-1940; Trucks--Tacoma--1930-1940; Automobiles--Tacoma--1930-1940;

ca. 1925. A large log has been loaded behind a truck. May possibly be the same truck as A-1451. (WSHS)

Logs; Trucks--Tacoma--1920-1930;

ca. 1925. The wheels are falling off an old pickup truck. Another truck with built-up wooden sides is parked in front of the broken down truck; it has a rope dragging behind it and it appears to have been towing something. What is attached to the rope is blocked from view by the pole. (WSHS)

Trucks--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Raudenbush Motor Co. Mrs. DesLys with Whippet. Raudenbush Motor Co. was an automobile dealer located at 314 Puyallup Ave. Mrs. Norah DesLys was the vice president of the Bon-Des-Lys Candy Makers, 2407 Pacific Ave. The Whippet automobile was manufactured from 1926-1931 by Willys Overland. On June 4, 1927, 25 year old actress and entertainer Norah Elizabeth Deslys married Tacoma candy manufacturer John T. Bond. She gave up the stage, after 18 years, to work with her husband in their recently incorporated Bon-Des-Lys (invented from the compound of both last names) candy company. Both Norah and her performance partner, her sister Essie, would maintain a home in Tacoma as well as Hollywood. (TNT 6/6/1927, pg.5) (WSHS)

Whippet automobile; Deslys, Norah;

Large steamer in bay.

ca. 1925. A woman poses in a new 1925 automobile.

Automobiles--1920-1930;

ca. 1926. Men gather along the side of the road to cheer on the 1926 Moon Jubilee 6-60 as it powers its way up the So. K St. hill. The Moon Jubilee was manufactured in 1926 to celebrate 20 years of car manufacturing by the Moon Motor Co. of St. Louis, Mo. The automobile, according to advertising at the time, featured European styling adapted to American driving needs and sold for under $1,000. The dealer for the automobile in Tacoma was the Bye Thompson Motor Co., R. Bye Thompson president, at 3320 So. G St. The So. K St. Hill climb started at Center St. and headed north. It was closed around 1960. (filed under Argentum)

Automobiles--1920-1930; Bye Thompson Motor Sales Co. (Tacoma); Automobile dealerships--Tacoma--1920-1930; Moon automobiles; Dirt roads--Tacoma--1920-1930;