Look Mom - No hands! The boys in the front car of the wooden roller coaster at the 1940 Puyallup Fair released the security bar as they plummeted down one of the big drops on the thrilling ride. The roller coaster was just one of more than 25 rides on the 10 acre midway of the 41st annual Western Washington Fair in Puyallup. On September 18,1940, Tacoma Day at the fair, local school kids were out for the day and ready for some heart pounding action. TPL-2541 (T. Times 9/16/1940, pg. 1; 9/19/1940, pg. 1)

Western Washington Fair (Puyallup); Fairs--Puyallup--1940-1950; Roller coasters; Amusement rides--Puyallup--1940-1950;

On September 23, 1940, Wendell Willkie shook hands with another Republican candidate for office while on the rear platform of the "Willkie Special" train. The man to the right is believed to be Paul Preus, Congressional candidate. Mr. Preus was running to represent the people in Pierce and King counties, outside of Seattle. He was from Parkland and a financial agent for Pacific Lutheran College. Mr. Willkie was joined by Mr. Preus and several other notables including Arthur B. Langlie on his brief stopover in Tacoma. (T. Times, Election Guide 8-31-40, p. 7, T.Times, 9-23-40, p. 1, T.Times, 9-24-40, p. 1)

Willkie, Wendell, 1892-1944; Political campaigns; Presidential elections--Tacoma--1940-1950; Shaking hands--Tacoma;

Wendell Willkie, the Republican candidate for President in 1940, stands at a microphone at the back of a Northern Pacific train car. The "Willkie Special" arrived in Tacoma on September 23, 1940, from Portland on a campaign swing through the west coast states. Although he only stayed in Tacoma for roughly an hour, Mr. Willkie made several stops including one at the Northern Pacific Shops in South Tacoma and a second at the Wheeler-Osgood plant on the tideflats. Wendell Willkie challenged Franklin Delano Roosevelt in the 1940 elections. Although he lost handily in the electoral voting, his popular vote was only slightly less than Mr. Roosevelt's. ALBUM 2. (T. Times, 9-23-40, p.1, T.Times, 9-24-40, p. 1)

Willkie, Wendell, 1892-1944; Presidential elections--Tacoma--1940-1950; Public speaking--Tacoma;

On Monday afternoon, September 23, 1940, Republican Presidential candidate Wendell Willkie addressed a crowd of 200 to 300 Tacomans from an open automobile in front of Lincoln High School. Mr. Willkie and his entourage on the train the "Willkie Special" had pulled into the Northern Pacific Railroad shops a short time before during a planned one-hour visit to Tacoma. Lincoln High School was one of just four planned stops Mr. Willkie made while in Tacoma; the tubas and horns of the Lincoln band greeted him as well as the Pacific Lutheran College chorus. South "G" Street is packed with supporters of Mr. Willkie and curious on-lookers. He was the first Republican candidate for President to visit Washington state in 24 years. ALBUM 2. (T. Times, 9-23-40, p. 1, T.Times, 9-24-40, p. 1))

Willkie, Wendell, 1892-1944; Presidential elections--Tacoma--1940-1950; Public speaking--Tacoma; Crowds--Tacoma; Lincoln High School (Tacoma);

Woodbrook Hunt Club. Five young women, four holding hunting dogs, posed for portrait in front of fireplace. They are the officers of the newly formed junior organization of the Woodbrook Hunt Club. The girls are, left to right, Diane Corse, Jean Strong, Wendy Wagner, Nancy Griggs and Ann Stickney. (T.Times 1/25/1941, pg. 5)

Woodbrook Hunt Club (Lakewood); Hunting dogs; Clubs--Lakewood--1940-1950; Corse, Diane; Strong, Jean; Wagner, Wendy; Griggs, Nancy; Stickney, Ann;

Only two of these four children running in carefree abandon in October of 1940 are U.S. citizens. The two boys on the right are English, refugees from the German bombing of their home in England. The four children are (l to r) Harold and Marian Hellyer and Sandy and Nicholas Schlee. The Schlee boys were guests at the Hellyer home in Interlaaken for the duration of the European conflict. They are just two of the hundreds of children who fled England, but they were the first to come to Tacoma. Their home in England was near a Vickers airplane factory. Their family was forced to sleep in the basement to protect themselves from nighttime bombing. While in Tacoma, the boys attended Park Lodge School and enjoyed some northwest fishing. (T. Times 10/26/1940, pg. 1)

World War, 1939-1945--Children--Tacoma; Hellyer, Marian; Schlee, Sandy; Hellyer, Harold; Schlee, Nicholas;

Showing movement of steel by McLean Movers at Camp Murray for Iron Workers Union.

Scenes at Camp Murray, National Guard. (T. Times)

Scenes at Camp Murray, National Guard. (T. Times)

Tacoma Chamber of Commerce publicty for United Tacoma Sale.

Towers on Tacoma Tideflats which will carry Bonneville power.

New addition to Pierce County Hospital. (T. Times)

Cavalry troop in formation in front of Hunt Club.

Birthday party honoring Elka Robbins. [Also dated 03-03-1941]

Peach tree in bloom at the home of Joseph Wozneski. (T. Times)

Two elevator control boxes made at American Manufacturing Company for the House of Good Shepherds in Spokane.

American Manufacturing Co. (Tacoma); Elevators;

ca. 1940. Remodeled interior at National Bank of Washington. Office in Trust Department with six desks. Names plates on desks: H. Anderson, M.W. McCarty, R.W. Peck.

Business Enterprises - Financial Institutions - Banks - Tacoma - National Bank of Tacoma - National Bank of Washington

Consolidated Freightways Building, trucks parked at rear of building.

Consolidated Freightways, Inc. (Tacoma); Shipping--Tacoma--1940-1950; Loading docks--Tacoma; Trailers; Trucks--1940-1950;

Rufus Davis home as viewed on New Year's Eve, 1940. Dining room with large glass window and French doors. The Davis family resided at 3822 North 7th St.

Davis, Rufus--Homes & haunts; Houses--Tacoma--1940-1950; Dining rooms--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Captain Robert Gray Junior High Orchestra. Many students on stage with instruments.

Education - Schools - Public Schools - Junior High and Middle Schools - Tacoma - Captain Robert Gray Intermediate School Performing Arts - Music - Orchestral music - School Orchestras

Hickey Apartment Hotel, interior. Suite with telephone table, bedroom, and kitchen. Building by Roland Borhek, Architect, 1927. Renamed the Hickey Apartment Hotel in 1940, the eight-story, 68 apartment structure was originally called the Walker Apartments after its builder, Robert Walker of Walker Cut Stone. It was the first apartment house in the Northwest to be faced with stone. The Hickey name (after new owner J. Frank Hickey) did not last and the apartment hotel was sold in 1944. The Walker Apartments are on the City and National Register.

Hickey Apartment Hotel (Tacoma); Walker Apartments (Tacoma); Apartment hotels--Tacoma--1940-1950; Apartments--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Hickey Apartment Hotel (Walker Apartments), interior. Large dining room with seventeen tables and hardwood floor. Building by Roland Borhek, Architect, 1927. New owner J. Frank Hickey changed the apartment hotel's name to reflect his own in October of 1940. He had purchased the (then) Walker Apartments in January of 1938. Series of interior views taken in December of 1940.

Hickey Apartment Hotel (Tacoma); Walker Apartments (Tacoma); Apartment hotels--Tacoma--1940-1950; Dining rooms--Tacoma--1940-1950

Hickey Apartment Hotel ( Walker Apartments ), interior which appears to be the lobby. Building by Roland Borhek, Architect, 1927. J. Frank Hickey purchased the former Walker Apartments in October of 1938 and changed its name to his own two years later. The elegant apartment hotel had been built for $350,000 by the owner of Walker Cut Stone and was the first apartment house in the Northwest to feature an all-stone exterior. It was sold again in 1944 and the property is now on the City and National Registers.

Hickey Apartment Hotel (Tacoma); Walker Apartments (Tacoma); Apartment hotels--Tacoma--1940-1950; Lobbies--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Living room in Hickey Apartment Hotel (Walker Apartments). Building by Roland Borhek, Architect, 1927. Now known as the Hickey Apartment Hotel with the purchase of the former Walker Apartments in 1938, it remained a luxurious structure with amenities such as dumbwaiters, living room suites, and separate dining room facilities. This December, 1940, view of a living room within the apartment hotel displays comfortable chairs and sofa, tables, and a piano.

Hickey Apartment Hotel (Tacoma); Walker Apartments (Tacoma); Apartment hotels-Tacoma--1940-1950; Living rooms--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Boiler at Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing plant.

Industrial facilities--Tacoma--1940-1950; Chemical industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington (Tacoma); Boilers;

ca. 1940. Studio portrait of dark-haired man in suit, wide striped tie, wearing wire frame glasses. Name not provided. Photograph taken circa 1940.

Men--Tacoma--1940-1950; Eyeglasses; Men--Clothing & dress--Tacoma--1940-1950;

ca. 1940. Employees of Miller & Miller Co., commercial printers, pose next to their office building at 4006 Pacific Ave. The company moved to this building in June of 1938, occupying a building originally leased to Piggly-Wiggly. The store front was built in 1931 by Ernest Otto as a market.

Miller & Miller Co. (Tacoma); Miller & Miller Co. (Tacoma)--Employees; Printers; Printing industry--Tacoma--1940-1950

ca. 1940. Remodeled interior at National Bank of Washington. Formerly known as the National Bank of Tacoma, its name was changed in 1937. Dining area with round tables, piano, chairs with slip covers. It is unclear whether this dining area was for staff only.

National Bank of Washington (Tacoma); Banks--Tacoma; Dining rooms--Tacoma--1940-1950; Pianos;

ca. 1940. Front of Bremerton Sun office w/teletype machines in window. Photograph was taken circa 1940. The Sun was established in 1935. Later it became the Kitsap Sun.

Newspapers--Bremerton; Bremerton Sun (Bremerton);

Pacific Coast Fire Chiefs Convention. Man in driver's seat of fire engine parked by Winthrop Hotel. The Pacific Coast Fire Chiefs Convention was held in Tacoma during late July of 1940 with chiefs visiting from Washington, Oregon, California, Montana, Idaho and other western states. The unidentified gentleman behind the wheel of the fire engine may have been one of the many firemen in attendance.

Pacific Coast Association of Fire Chiefs (Tacoma); Meetings--Tacoma--1940-1950; Fire engines & equipment--Tacoma--1940-1950; Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma);