Tacoma Centennial Parade. Entries from the American Indians of the Tacoma Area included a mixture of Native American tribes of North America. They sponsored a float (not shown) entitled "Tacoma's First People" which represented the Puyallup, Colville, Yakima, Umatilla, Muckelshoot, Kaw and Nisqually as well as Arizona's Navajo and Oklahoma's Cree tribes. A group of Native Americans wearing ceremonial dress are shown above aboard a Buck & Son flatbed truck.

Tacoma Centennial Parade (Tacoma); Parades & processions--Tacoma--1960-1970; Centennial celebrations; Indians of North America--Tacoma--1960-1970;

Tacoma Centennial Parade. Bethel 27 of Steilacoom, International Order of Job's Daughters, was one of 23 floats participating in the 1969 Tacoma Centennial Parade. The chapter's drill team accompanied the white and purple float filled with Bethel 27's royalty. Tacoma was celebrating its 100th anniversary with a lavish parade and a myriad of activities including a costumed historical pageant held at the Lincoln Bowl and citizens, both private and public, wearing an array of old-time clothing styles.

Tacoma Centennial Parade (Tacoma); Parades & processions--Tacoma--1960-1970; Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1960-1970; Centennial celebrations--Tacoma; International Order of Job's Daughters (Washington); Drill teams;

Tacoma Centennial Parade. Making a colorful splash in the 1969 Tacoma Centennial Parade was the Culinary Belles entry from local area restaurants. The bright red 40-foot float carried examples of nearly-forgotten kitchen accessories including an antique butter churn and an 1889 coffee grinder. A waitress, dressed in long white gown and cap, appeared more like a nurse than a restaurant employee. Visiting "customers" were elaborately dressed in clothing styles and hats of the past. Entertaining at the piano was Marilyn Ogburn of the Cable Car Room of Steve's Gay '90s.

Tacoma Centennial Parade (Tacoma); Parades & processions--Tacoma--1960-1970; Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1960-1970; Centennial celebrations--Tacoma; Ogburn, Marilyn; Pianos; Churns;

Tacoma Centennial Parade. With steam billowing befitting its nickname, "Old Snorter" gave parade viewers a good look at logging equipment of the past. The Lake Cushman Development Co. entry was a restored 70-year-old steam donkey. "Old Snorter" had been used for logging in the Olympic Peninsula where it loaded logs onto railroad cars at landings and also yarded logs in the woods. Aboard the steam donkey were Bill Parsons, Syd Anderson, George Mueller, Gene Visser and Lyle Linton.

Tacoma Centennial Parade (Tacoma); Parades & processions--Tacoma--1960-1970; Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1960-1970; Centennial celebrations--Tacoma; Steam donkeys; Parsons, Bill; Anderson, Syd; Mueller, George; Visser, Gene; Linton, Lyle;

Tacoma Centennial Parade. U.S. Senator Henry M. Jackson and Mrs. Jackson acknowledge the thousands lining the streets of downtown Tacoma during the June 28, 1969, Tacoma Centennial Parade. They were riding in an antique automobile, believed to be a Model T. Washington's congressional delegation appeared in force at the parade with Senator Warren G. Magnuson and U.S. Representative Floyd Hicks also in attendance.

Tacoma Centennial Parade (Tacoma); Parades & processions--Tacoma--1960-1970; Centennial celebrations--Tacoma; Jackson, Henry M., 1912-1983; Legislators--Washington--1960-1970; Ford automobile;

Tacoma Centennial Parade. These passengers, aboard a miniature Union Pacific train, were treated to a ride of a lifetime during the June, 1969, Tacoma Centennial Parade. The two-hour parade was met by thousands of spectators as it wound its way from Stadium High School down to 21st & Pacific. Union Pacific had established a presence in Tacoma beginning in 1911.

Tacoma Centennial Parade (Tacoma); Parades & processions--Tacoma--1960-1970; Centennial celebrations--Tacoma; Union Pacific Railroad Co. (Tacoma);

Tacoma Centennial Parade. Representing the 1969 Lakewood Summer Festival came that city's entry, "Lakewood Water Wonderland," with the festival's four princesses aboard an elaborate gondola. Claudia Bucklew and Martha Nojd of Lakes High School and Jana Oglesbee and Linda Boyle of Clover Park waved to the crowd, with many reciprocating; the princesses were accompanied by gondolier Dick Zarelli. Spectators may not have been as numerous as predicted, due to threatening weather conditions, but thousands still managed to watch the two-hour parade from sidewalks, buildings and even billboards. They were rewarded as the rain held off and it remained cool and dry.

Tacoma Centennial Parade (Tacoma); Parades & processions--Tacoma--1960-1970; Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1960-1970; Centennial celebrations--Tacoma; Bucklew, Claudia; Nojd, Martha; Oglesbee, Jana; Boyle, Linda; Zarelli, Dick;

Tacoma Centennial Parade. Two matched and registered Belgian draft horses, owned and driven by Bob Smith of Montesano, pull the float "Farm Festival" during the 1969 Tacoma Centennial Parade. The two girls sitting on a bale of hay in front of the red painted "barn" and silo are members of the Farm Festival court.

Tacoma Centennial Parade (Tacoma); Parades & processions--Tacoma--1960-1970; Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1960-1970; Centennial celebrations--Tacoma; Horses--Tacoma--1960-1970; Smith, Bob;

Tacoma Centennial Parade. Entry #22 was the Bates (formerly Tacoma) Vocational-Institute's contribution to the Tacoma Centennial Parade which was held on June 28, 1969. The "Centennial Queen," a replica of an old stern-wheel paddle boat, majestically rolled down Pacific Ave. with the school's queen and her two princesses gracefully waving to the crowd. This float captured the prestigious Judges Award during the 1969 Daffodil Festival Parade, held earlier in the spring, and was honored with the Grand Trophy award for best in theme for the Centennial Parade. Tacoma was celebrating its 100th anniversary with much fanfare, fully participating in the theme of "Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow."

Tacoma Centennial Parade (Tacoma); Parades & processions--Tacoma--1960-1970; Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1960-1970; Centennial celebrations--Tacoma; Tacoma Vocational School (Tacoma);

Marching band on Pacific Street with view of the Olympic Hotel in the distance.

Woman and girl riding horses in parade event dressed in Spanish style flat brimmed hats with fringed banner overhead. Puget Sound National Bank can be identified in the background.

ca. 1910. McClintock's World Famous So. Tacoma Band. Men dressed in costumes for a parade. The bell of one of the horns says "So. Tacoma Tigers - Pacific Coast Champions, 1910"

ca. 1908. McClintock's World Famous So. Tacoma Band. Men in costumes in parade on So. Union Ave. The vehicles and men cover from the sidewalk into the street. C.S. (Carl S.) Enger's hardware store, 5401 So. Union Ave., in background.

This undated photograph featuring the Corner Club Girls rolling down Broadway at 9th Street is most probably of the historical pageant parade presented Labor Day 1934. The costumed lovelies are from Pioneer Days and are festooned in ruffles, bonnets and parasols. The Tacoma Corner Club was formed by Mrs. Percy C. Smith who served as advisor and was fondly referred to as "Mother Smith." The women of the Tacoma Corner Club hosted dinners, dances, plays, took classes in bookkeeping, first aid, shorthand, the Bible, among others, and supported one another. They presented a flag to the State Historical Society in 1933. The original club was formed in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1917. (Additional information provided by a reader)

Girl Scouts of America float in an unidentified parade. Girl poses with bow and arrow on a truck bed decorated as a camp site with tent and logs. Building appears to be downtown due to a parking garage but no address numbers are identifiable .

Tacoma High School students parade to "Boost the Stadium." The campaign to raise $100,000 to build a beautiful high school stadium next to the school was successfully launched on October 6, 1908, when 2,000 school children ranging from 7th-8th grade to high schoolers marched in the "Boost for Stadium" parade. The school district cooperated by making the day a half-day so that the youngsters could march from Tacoma High School (later renamed Stadium High School) to the Union Club and then onto the downtown business district. Led by the Tacoma Musicians Union, who provided their services without charge, the marchers chanted "Boost for the stadium, stadium, stadium" and "Stadium, stadium, stadium, stadium" throughout the long walk. Paraders canvassed the business blocks of Commerce and "C" (now Broadway) and Pacific and would go on to canvas residential areas after school the next day. They asked businesses to contribute $10 promissory notes payable to the Board of Education. Each $10 entitled subscribers to one seat in the stadium for all entertainments there for the next five years. Supporters of the new stadium aimed to have it completed and ready for dedication and use by May 1, 1909. (TDL 10-6-1908, p. 5-article; TDL 10-7-1908, p.1-article)