ca. 1937. Zoo keeper George Jones poses with "Jocko" at the Point Defiance Zoo. Jocko is a spider monkey originally from South America. He chatters away and imitates behavior, such as washing his face & hands. He is sure to be a favorite with zoo goers this summer. (T.Times 4/13/1937, pg. 1)

Point Defiance Zoo (Tacoma); Zoos--Tacoma--1930-1940; Zoo animals; Monkeys; Jones, George R.; Zoo keepers--Tacoma--1930-1940;

ca. 1926. Athletic Park, ca. 1926, with its covered stands where fans could watch games in comfort. The Park, located on Sprague Ave. between 14th & 15th St., opened in 1907 and had a capacity of 4500 fans. Its playing field was composed of natural grass, not artificial surfaces. Metro Parks acquired the site in 1953 and renamed it Peck Field. (WSHS)

Athletic Park (Tacoma); Baseball--1920-1930; Athletic fields--Tacoma--1920-1930;

C.B.S. Radio coverage of the filming of "Thin Ice" at Paradise, Mount Rainier National Park. Sonja Henie, the actress with the lead role in the film, is second from left, her double Tacoma Skier Gretchen Kunigk (later Fraser) is at far right. The man at the far left is Jerry Geehan who was there to cover the story for KVI radio. He worked for KVI while going to school at the College of Puget Sound, and later became manager of KMO.

Mount Rainier National Park (Wash.); Actresses--Tacoma; Henie, Sonja, 1912-1969; Skaters; Motion picture industry--Tacoma; Radio broadcasting--Tacoma; Fraser, Gretchen Kunigk, 1919-1994;

Unidentified baseball team, circa 1926, posed in front of the stands of Athletic Park. The man to the right is wearing a uniform, knee high boots, and an insignia with the letters "KC" on his sleeve. Their shirts have the letters S, V. (WSHS)

Athletic Park (Tacoma); Baseball--1920-1930; Athletic fields--Tacoma--1920-1930; Baseball players--1920-1930;

Warren G. Bille, aquarist, inspected the arrangement of the tanks which he had prepared for the greatly expanded Point Defiance Aquarium which opened its doors on Sunday, April 25, 1937 for the first time that year. The aquarium had tripled in size during the winter, making it one of the most attractive and complete on the Pacific Coast. Crowds estimated at 2,000 visited the enlarged aquarium that Sunday, part of the 20,000 visitors to Point Defiance Park. The guests turned out to view the samples of local salt water creatures on display. Bille had included at least one example of most native salt water varieties. The aquarium now boasted 40 three foot tanks and 8 seven foot tanks. The latter housed the larger fish- salmon, cod, perch and trout, as well as the popular Oscar the Octopus, who was now so large that he could span the entire 7 foot tank. It was during the 1937 season that the aquarium first discovered that their star attraction "Oscar" was a she, not a he. (T.Times 4/23/1937, pg. 4; T.Times 4-26-37, p. 1-article)

Parks--Tacoma--1930-1940; Point Defiance Park (Tacoma); Aquariums; Aquatic animals; Starfishes--Tacoma; Point Defiance Zoo (Tacoma); Bille, Warren G.;

Point Defiance Park Zoo. Mr. Cook, animal keeper, and two unidentified women with joey, a young kangaroo. (T.Times).

Parks--Tacoma; Point Defiance Zoo (Tacoma); Point Defiance Park (Tacoma); Kangaroos; Zoo keepers--Tacoma;

Opening of Wapato Park. Automobiles line the gravel roadway bordering the park. People enjoy strolling and sitting under the fir trees in the park.

Wapato Park (Tacoma); Parks--Tacoma--1930-1940; Dedications--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Summer day camps, hosted by the Tacoma Girl Scout Council, attracted children to the Lincoln Park pool. A large group of children wearing swimsuits squeal as Donny O'Conner splashes them with water. The Girl Scout Day Camps were held three days a week for the past several weeks at Puget and Lincoln Parks. Several hundred children participated. (T. Times, 7/12/1938, p. 1).

Lincoln Park (Tacoma); Girl Scouts (Tacoma); Camps--Tacoma--1930-1940; Children playing in water; Pools; O'Conner, Donny;

The Tacoma Times - Park District Bicycle Contest was held at the end of July and in early August 1938. To compete in the final events held in the Stadium Bowl on August 5th, boys and girls first had to compete in one of the District preliminary contests held throughout Tacoma. This unidentified young man is competing in one of the obstacle races, probably in the District 1 meet held at North 9th and Monroe next to Jefferson Park.

Parks--Tacoma--1930-1940; Jefferson Park (Tacoma); Bicycles & tricycles--Tacoma; Children riding bicycles & tricycles--Tacoma;

The second day of preliminaries for the Tacoma Times/Metropolitan Parks bicycle races was held on Friday, July 29, 1938 at Wright Park, South 5th and I streets. District No. 2 included Wright, Central, and Ferry playgrounds. Sideline crowds of children cheer as boy lifts bicycle over wooden hurdle.

Parks--Tacoma--1930-1940; Wright Park (Tacoma); Bicycles & tricycles--Tacoma; Children riding bicycles & tricycles--Tacoma;

Zoo workers prepare to open the sturdy wooden crate containing the Yellowstone Park grizzly bear. The crate has been moved as close to the cave opening as possible to allow safe release of the wild bear. The 2 year old female cub was intended to replace the bear that escaped in 1937 and was never recovered. (T. Times 6/27/1838, pg. 3)

Point Defiance Zoo (Tacoma); Grizzly bears; Zoos--Tacoma--1930-1940; Zoo animals; Zoo keepers--Tacoma--1930-1940;

The Stadium High School varsity football team had an undefeated season during the 1946-1947 school year when they wore the Cross-State and City crowns.The varsity football captains were Bruce Andreasen and Wells Anderson. Coach Heinrick was both the football coach and a guidance counselor. View of a Stadium football game, photo taken for the Tahoma, Stadium's yearbook.

Athletic fields--Tacoma; Football--Tacoma--1940-1950; Football players--Tacoma--1940-1950; Stadium High School (Tacoma);

This aerial photograph of the Point Defiance Boat House and Pavilion was taken in August of 1948. Built on the site of the park's first pavilion, this large complex of buildings was the last project completed by the W.P.A. in the park. The pavilion was used for a number of years as the site of the Point Defiance Aquarium, and was destroyed by fire in 1972. The boat house was destroyed by an arson fire in September of 1984. Today a new boat house and restaurant stand on the site. TPL-8365

Parks--Tacoma; Cities & towns--Tacoma; Piers & wharves--Tacoma; Waterfronts; Aerial photographs; Aerial views; Point Defiance Park (Tacoma); Point Defiance Pavilion (Tacoma); Point Defiance Boat House (Tacoma);

Workers from Tacoma City Light erected an 80-foot flagpole donated by Cascade Pole Company at the Living War Memorial, Memorial Park, located at the south end of the east approach of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. The memorial was to honor Tacoma's and Pierce County's fighting men in World War II. The project would consist of a grassy park with varoius suitable memorials donated by veterans' groups like the 800-poud bronze bell to be given by the Amvets. All work and materials were donated. The Narrows Bridge can be seen in the distance. (TNT, 9/21/1952, p.A-6) TPL-9077

Parks--Tacoma--1950-1960; Memorial Park (Tacoma); Cascade Pole Co. (Tacoma); Tacoma Narrows Bridge (Tacoma); Bridges--Tacoma; Flagpoles--Tacoma; Tacoma Dept. of Public Utilities, Light Division (Tacoma);

Mount Rainier with Sunset Amphitheater and the Puyallup Glacier on the left and Tahoma Glacier to the right. Mount Rainier, 14,410 feet, is an active volcano, the highest peak in the Cascade Range. Its load of glacier ice exceeds that of any other mountain in the conterminous United States. Glaciers cover about 36 square miles of the mountain's surface. The twelve major glaciers on Mount Rainier include the Carbon, North Mowich, South Mowich, Puyallup, Tahoma, South Tahoma, Kautz, Niaqually, Cowlitz, Ingraham, Emmons and Winthrop glaciers. TPL-5762

Rainier, Mount (Wash.); Glaciers; Cheney Lumber Co. (Tacoma);

Two Cheney Lumber Company planes are flying north on the west side of Mount Rainier in front of the Tahoma Glacier. The two-toned plane is the "Bonnie B." TPL-6169

Rainier, Mount (Wash.); Glaciers; Cheney Lumber Co. (Tacoma); Airplanes;

This was the view of Tacoma from the top of the Medical Arts Building (now the Tacoma Municipal Building), 747 Market Street, in September of 1953. Looking toward the southeast, Mount Rainier dominates the horizon. The tall building below Mt. Rainier, near the center of the picture, is the Washington Building, 1019 Pacific Avenue, with a giant Mobil Gas sign on top. To the far left is the Murray Morgan Bridge, providing access to the many businesses on Tacoma's tideflats. TPL-9496

Rainier, Mount (Wash.); Cityscapes--Tacoma--1950-1960; Business districts--Tacoma--1950-1960;

ca. 1953. Snow-capped Mount Rainier is a majestic sight in 1953 as it looms over thousands of acres of timber growth. Logging companies would be permitted to harvest some of these trees.

Rainier, Mount (Wash.); Forests--Washington; Trees;

Three women, in dresses with long skirts, and a young girl are shown on the porch of "Nisqually House" at Fort Nisqually. Left to right, they are Nellie Harris, Virginia Davis, Arminda Lou Davis and Arminda Buchanan. They represent four generations of the same family and they were part of a special ceremony held in February 1941 at the reconstructed fort in Point Defiance Park. Representatives from the British Columbia headquarters of the Hudson's Bay Co. presented Fort Nisqually a replica of the flag that had flown over the entrance of the original fort. (T. Times 2-26-1941 p.31)

Point Defiance Park (Tacoma); Fort Nisqually (Tacoma); Historical reenactments--Tacoma--1940-1950; Harris, Nellie; Davis, Virginia; Davis, Arminda Lou; Buchanan, Arminda;

View of ski lift at Mount Rainier.

Rainier, Mount (Wash.); Ski lifts; Skiing--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Unveiling of the Fort Nisqually monument at its dedication at Point Defiance Park. Group of approximately 30 men, women, and one girl wearing period costumes, circa 1840's, watching YMBC Airshow Princess Kathryn Hurley unveil the rock monument with its memorial plaque. The monument is being dedicated in conjunction with the Washington State Jubilee. It commemorates the establishment of the original fort and its reconstruction by the YMBC. (T. Times 7/21/1939, pg. 14)

Point Defiance Park (Tacoma); Fort Nisqually (Tacoma); Dedications--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Dedication of Fort Nisqually monument at Point Defiance Park. Group of approximately 30 men, women, and one girl wearing period costumes, circa 1840's. The woman to the left in modern dress is Miss Kathryn Hurley, Jubilee princess of the YMBC air show, who unveiled the monument. The monument recognizes the establishment of the original fort in 1833 and its reconstruction in 1934 by the YMBC. It is the first step in further development of the historic site. (T. Times 7/21/1939, pg. 14)

Point Defiance Park (Tacoma); Fort Nisqually (Tacoma); Dedications--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Scenes at Mount Rainier on New Year's Day, 1940. Four young men standing beside automobile with ski rack on roof parked beside small, log building with hip roof. One of the men, possibly P. Arthur Rosellini, is pointing to a fifth companion, or at least his boots, protruding from under the vehicle's carriage. Stewart James may be the man leaning against the car at the far right. (T.Times 1-5-1940, p. 9-other photos of individuals at Mt. Rainier)

Mount Rainier National Park (Wash.); Automobiles--1940-1950; Men--Clothing & dress--1940-1950;

Winners of the ski races on Bremerton Day at Mount Rainier pose with their trophies on March 31, 1940. The trophies are for, left to right, the junior race, the women's slalom and the perpetual trophy given by the Bremerton Chamber of Commerce. Carl Stingle of Bremerton won the Kitsap junior slalom event while Harriet McCord of Seattle won the women's slalom. Don Amick of Seattle, Washington Ski Club ace, took the men's slalom in a crowded field of nearly 100. (TNT 4-1-1940, p. 10-article only)

Mount Rainier National Park (Wash.); Skiers--Bremerton--1940-1950; Skiing--Mt. Rainier--1940-1950; Winter sports; Stingle, Carl; McCord, Harriet; Amick, Don; Awards;

Waterfront scenes. Artistic view of bay with Mount Rainier in background. Photograph from December of 1939. Ordered by Frank Ross.

Rainier, Mount (Wash.); Bays (Bodies of water);

Panoramic view from home; ordered by Mrs. Ed Geddes. The 1956 City Directory lists Edward & Allie Geddes as residing at 3404 No. Union Ave. Mr. Geddes worked for Weyerhauser. In the photograph, Mt. Rainier can be seen over the top of a hill covered with larger homes.

Rainier, Mount (Wash.);

ca. 1971. 1971 Richards color stock footage. Young sunbathers take advantage of a sunny day to enjoy themselves at Owen Beach in 1971. This group apparently utilized picnic tables and the pavement to get tans. Judging from the number of empty tables, however, it appears that the girls did not deprive others from the tables' more traditional use.

Beaches--Tacoma; Owen Beach (Tacoma); Point Defiance Park (Tacoma); Sunbathing--Tacoma;

Owen Beach. Owen Beach, located in Point Defiance Park, was as popular in 1969 as it is today in 2006. Local residents could stroll on the beach, dip their toes in icy waters, or simply bask in the sun. A favorite pastime may have been watching sailboats in the bay. The park is named after longtime Metro Parks employee Floyd E. Owen. Photograph ordered by Geoduck Publishing Co.

Beaches--Tacoma; Owen Beach (Tacoma); Point Defiance Park (Tacoma); Aerial views;

ca. 1971. 1971 Richards color stock footage. A mounted cannon faces several reconstructed buildings in Fort Nisqually ca. 1971. They are believed to be (L-R) Storehouse #2, the Granary, and the Hudson's Bay Co. store. The tip of the fort's bastion can be spotted in the photograph's background. The fort was moved from its original location near DuPont and restored inside Point Defiance Park in 1934. It is now operated as a Living History Museum by Metro Parks of Tacoma. (www.fortnisqually.org/history) TPL-2371

Fort Nisqually (Tacoma); Point Defiance Park (Tacoma); Cannons;

ca. 1971. 1971 Richards color stock footage. Never Never Land inside Point Defiance Park. Humpty Dumpty welcomes a small family to Never Never Land in 1971 where nursery rhymes characters were artfully incorporated into the wooded area. Never Never Land first opened in 1964. Age, weather damage and vandalism sadly took its toll on the displays as decades passed. In July of 2004, Never Never Land was reopened as a family picnic and play area. Humpty still is present on his stack of books to greet visitors and several of the structures also remain. The one-half mile trail meandering through the forest has been renovated for easier walking. (www.metroparkstacoma.org) TPL-8002

Parks--Tacoma--1970-1980; Point Defiance Park (Tacoma); Never Never Land (Tacoma);