Parked automobiles lined the railroad tracks, McCarver St. and Ruston Way in Old Tacoma on August 29, 1948 as people rolled into the area to view the second annual Tacoma Athletic Commission Water Show. The show took place Sunday afternoon from 4-6pm in Commencement Bay in front of the boat shaped Top of the Ocean restaurant and club. The Top housed the headquarters of the TAC. The show featured the skiing talents of the Seattle Skiquatic Follies. In the photograph, a man crosses the tracks holding the hands of two small children.

Tacoma Athletic Commission (Tacoma); Top of the Ocean (Tacoma); Old Town Dock (Tacoma); Events--Tacoma--1940-1950; Clubs--Tacoma--1940-1950; Restaurants--Tacoma--1940-1950; Waterfronts;

The second annual Tacoma Athletic Commission Water Carnival was held on August 29, 1948, in front of the TAC headquarters at the Top of the Ocean. Spectators filled both decks of the boat-shaped restaurant and the Old Town Dock to watch the water skiing exhibition put on by the Seattle Skiquatics Follies. More spectators are perched on a couple of boats tied up at the dock, including the "Georgia" (left) owned by fisherman Antone Mariani. The Top of the Ocean was destroyed by an arson fire in April of 1977. (Ordered by Bob Sanders.) TPL-7970

Tacoma Athletic Commission (Tacoma); Top of the Ocean (Tacoma); Old Town Dock (Tacoma); Events--Tacoma--1940-1950; Clubs--Tacoma--1940-1950; Restaurants--Tacoma--1940-1950; Waterfronts;

Many boats were tied up at the Old Town Dock on August 29, 1948, as spectators tried to get the best seats to watch the second annual water show, sponsored by the Tacoma Athletic Commission. The large boat fifth from left was the "Georgia," owned by fisherman Antone Mariani. The dock was lined with people, as were the decks of the Top of the Ocean, in the foreground. Water skiing excitement was provided by the Seattle Skiquatic Follies in a two hour show.

Tacoma Athletic Commission (Tacoma); Top of the Ocean (Tacoma); Old Town Dock (Tacoma); Events--Tacoma--1940-1950; Clubs--Tacoma--1940-1950; Restaurants--Tacoma--1940-1950; Waterfronts;

Interior of bowling alley, Brunswick Company, Seattle. A view of the interior of the West Seattle Bowl facilities featuring the players seating areas with tables for keeping score and overhead projectors for the score totals. Two rows of spectator seating are provided. The curved laminated beams that support the arched roof are shown with the supporting braces where the beams join the floor.

West Seattle Bowl (Seattle); Bowling alleys--Seattle--1940-1950;

Interior of bowling alley, Brunswick Company, Seattle. A view of the interior of the new West Seattle Bowl facilities featuring the reception area with a cash register, counter, and seating. Many large bouquets are shown representing the congratulations on their opening and wishes for success received by the new bowling alley. The counter is surfaced with wood that is highly grained. The seating area on the right curves around the corner and is covered with leather-like material.

West Seattle Bowl (Seattle); Bowling alleys--Seattle--1940-1950; Cash registers; Bouquets; Interiors--Seattle--1940-1950; Lounges--Seattle--1940-1950; Benches--Seattle--1940-1950;

Interior of bowling alley, Brunswick Company, Seattle. A view of the interior of the West Seattle Bowl facilities showing the players' areas and the spectators' seating. The scoreboards hang over the play area.

West Seattle Bowl (Seattle); Bowling alleys--Seattle--1940-1950; Interiors--Seattle--1940-1950;

Interior of bowling alley, Brunswick Company, Seattle. A September, 1948, view of the interior of the West Seattle Bowl facilities facing the playing area with fourteen lanes featuring the players' seating, backs of the score screens and the ball returns. The new bowling alley was operated by Jack E. Fasso.

West Seattle Bowl (Seattle); Bowling alleys--Seattle--1940-1950;

Interior of bowling alley, Brunswick Company, Seattle. A view of the interior of the West Seattle Bowl facilities showing the back of the players' areas and the racks of bowling balls stored behind the spectators' seating. The footings for the laminated beams are also clearly shown.

West Seattle Bowl (Seattle); Bowling alleys--Seattle--1940-1950; Interiors--Seattle--1940-1950;

Interior of bowling alley, Brunswick Company, Seattle. A view of the interior of the West Seattle Bowl facilities featuring the lanes, ball returns, scoring tables and over-head scoring screens. The curved ceiling is brightly lit by fixtures seated between each of the beams.

West Seattle Bowl (Seattle); Bowling alleys--Seattle--1940-1950; Lighting--Seattle--1940-1950; Bowling balls;

Tee Box on Hole #1, Tacoma Open Golf Tournament at Fircrest, Tacoma Athletic Commission, Bob Sanders. The Tacoma Open Golf Tournament, sponsored by the Tacoma Athletic Commission, was a four-day event, held at the Fircrest Golf Club. The tournament attracted a large gallery. Eighteen holes were played each day. A Stag and Doe gathering was held at the Tacoma Athletic Commission headquarters for cocktails, dinner and presentation of prizes at the Top of the Ocean. (TNT, 9/17/1948, p.14; 9/18/1948, p.6) TPL-9822

Golf--Tacoma--1940-1950; Fircrest Golf Club (Fircrest); Golfers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Spectators--Tacoma; Contests--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Tacoma Open Golf Tournament at Fircrest, Tacoma Athletic Commission, Bob Sanders. A group of people stand near the registration point for the Tacoma Open Golf Tournament held at the Fircrest Golf Club in September of 1948. 112 contestants entered in the tournament. A score of 150 or better was needed to keep in the running when the field was cut the second day of play which left 10 amateurs and 41 pros remaining. (T.Times, 9/18/1948, p.6)

Golf--Tacoma--1940-1950; Fircrest Golf Club (Fircrest); Golfers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Spectators--Tacoma; Contests--Tacoma--1940-1950;

New grandstand at Fife High School, Fife Hi, Mr. Vioson. The new stands at Fife Memorial field were dedicated September 23, 1948, by a football game between the Fife Trojans and the Clover Park Warriors. The stands would seat 1,000 persons and represented the spirit of the Fife district. (T.Times, 9/23/1948, p.15)

Football--Fife--1940-1950; Grandstands--Fife--1940-1950; Fife High School (Fife); Public schools--Fife;

Tacoma Open Golf Tournament at Fircrest, Tacoma Athletic Commission, Bob Sanders. The crowd of spectators is spread out along the 18th fairway at the Fircrest Golf Club during the Tacoma Open Golf Tournament in September of 1948. Some of the entrants in the tournament are seen at play on the fairway. (Additional information provided by a reader)

Golf--Tacoma--1940-1950; Fircrest Golf Club (Fircrest); Golfers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Spectators--Tacoma; Contests--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Tacoma Open Golf Tournament at Fircrest, Tacoma Athletic Commission, Bob Sanders. A young man announces the play during the Tacoma Open Golf Tournament from the roof of one of the buildings at the Fircrest Golf Club. Bleacher seats were placed at vantage points for spectators to watch their favorites come in off both nines. The five way split from Sunday's play was broken on September 21st when Ed Oliver of Seattle won the five-man playoff and won the $12,500 Tacoma Open Classic. (T.Times, 9/21/1948, p.10) TPL-6255

Golf--Tacoma--1940-1950; Fircrest Golf Club (Fircrest); Golfers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Spectators--Tacoma; Contests--Tacoma--1940-1950;

18th green at the Fircrest Golf Club. Tacoma Open Golf Tournament at Fircrest, Tacoma Athletic Commission, Bob Sanders.The Tacoma Open Golf Tournament opened at the Fircrest Golf Club for a four-day event starting September 17, 1948. The tournament attracted a large gallery and people can be seen here following the players to the next green. A $12,500 purse would go to the winner. (TNT, 9/17/1948, p.14)

Golf--Tacoma--1940-1950; Fircrest Golf Club (Fircrest); Golfers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Spectators--Tacoma; Contests--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Tacoma Open Golf Tournament at Fircrest, Tacoma Athletic Commission, Bob Sanders. Entrants in the Tacoma Open Golf Tournament are seen on the green with the gallery of spectators surrounding the green. Five pros tied for the top spot in the sensational Tacoma Open. Scores of 274 for the 72 holes were held by Ed Oliver of Seattle, Gary Middlecoff of Memphis, Chuck Congdon of Tacoma, Fred Hass of New Orleans and Vic Ghezzi of Englewood, New Jersey. This tied score was one stroke below the record of 275 set by Jimmy Hines in 1945. (T.Times, 9/20/1948, p.11)

Golf--Tacoma--1940-1950; Fircrest Golf Club (Fircrest); Golfers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Spectators--Tacoma; Contests--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Tacoma Open Golf Tournament at Fircrest, Tacoma Athletic Commission, Bob Sanders. Spectators surround the green watching two of the golfers entered in the four-day Tacoma Open Golf Tournament. The Fircrest course had a 480 yard first hole. At the end of the first day of play Freddie Hass Jr. was in first position with a score of 65, Chuck Congdon in second with 66 and Vic Ghezzi was in third with 67. A new course record was set this day for the long 9. (TNT, 9/17/1948, p.14)

Golf--Tacoma--1940-1950; Fircrest Golf Club (Fircrest); Golfers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Spectators--Tacoma; Contests--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Tacoma Open Golf Tournament at Fircrest, Tacoma Athletic Commission, Bob Sanders. Out of the 112 contestants entered in the tournament only 17 broke par of 71 and nine equalled that figure. Eighteen holes were played each day. Scores at the half-way mark were 134 for Freddie Hass, Jr., 136 for Chuck Congdon, Herman Heiser and Vic Ghezzi, and 137 for Ed Oliver. (TNT, 9/18/1948, p.8)

Golf--Tacoma--1940-1950; Fircrest Golf Club (Fircrest); Golfers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Spectators--Tacoma; Contests--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Tacoma Open Golf Tournament at Fircrest, Tacoma Athletic Commission, Bob Sanders. Four men and a woman stand together at the opening of the PGA Open Golf Tournament held in Tacoma in 1948. The man on the left is possibly Vic Ghezzi, a professional player from Englewood , New Jersey. The woman is unidentified. In the middle is Howard Smith, president of the Tacoma Athletic Commission, the organization sponsoring the event. Second from the right is Chuck Congdon, the professional from the Tacoma Golf and Country Club. The man on the for right is unidentified. (TNT, 9/20/1948, p.9)

Golf--Tacoma--1940-1950; Fircrest Golf Club (Fircrest); Golfers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Spectators--Tacoma; Contests--Tacoma--1940-1950; Smith, Howard R.; Congdon, Chuck;

Professional golfer Cary Middlecoff autographs golf balls at the Tacoma Open Tournament held at the Fircrest Golf Club. On Sunday, September 20, 1948, P.G.A. history was made when Cary Middlecoff and four other professional golfers all completed the 72-hole tournament tied at 274 strokes. With the top cash prizes still unclaimed, the five played another round of 18-holes on Monday. Still no winner! In a sudden death 19th-hole, Ed "Porky" Oliver, who played out of Seattle's Inglewood Country Club, beat Middlecoff by one stroke. Middlecoff, whose name was usually prefixed by "Dr.," was a graduate of the Tennessee College of Dentistry (1944) and first practiced dentistry in the U.S. Army where he filled 12, 093 teeth in 18 months. He would go on to win the U.S. Open twice and the Masters once. (TNT 09-21-1948 p.8) ALBUM 9.

Golf--Tacoma--1940-1950; Fircrest Golf Club (Fircrest); Golfers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Contests--Tacoma--1940-1950; Middlecoff, Cary;

College of Puget Sound. Head Coach John Heinrick (second row, far right) is taking his entire squad of 1948 football players to San Jose for their pre-season game against the San Jose Spartans. This was the last game prior to the start of the Evergreen Conference season. The highly favored San Jose came from behind to beat the Loggers 20-7. They will be catching their train from Union Depot. (T.Times, 10/1/1948, p.10) TPL-8484

College of Puget Sound (Tacoma)--1940-1950; Universities & colleges--Tacoma; Students--Tacoma--1940-1950; Heinrick, John; Railroad travel--Tacoma--1940-1950; Football players--Tacoma--1940-1950; Railroad stations--Tacoma; Union Station (Tacoma);

College of Puget Sound. The Loggers are ready to travel to San Jose, California, to play the San Jose Spartans October 1, 1948. L-R, Co-Captain Dick Hermsen, Yell Queen Cynthia Harris, Yell Duke Ed Hager, Coach John Heinrick, and Co-Captain Dick Brown are standing on the platform at Union Depot along with other people waiting for the train. The entire team would make the trip to get plenty of practice before the start of the Evergreen Conference season starting the next week. (T.Times, 10/1/1948, p.10)

College of Puget Sound (Tacoma)--1940-1950; Universities & colleges--Tacoma; Students--Tacoma--1940-1950; Heinrick, John; Railroad travel--Tacoma--1940-1950; Football players--Tacoma--1940-1950; Railroad stations--Tacoma; Union Station (Tacoma);

College of Puget Sound. 33 members of the 1948 College of Puget Sound Loggers football team left for San Jose, California with Head Coach John Heinrick (second row, far right) on the morning of September 30, 1948. They had already worked out on campus in preparation for the battle against the San Jose State Spartans on October 1st. The team and coach were met in California by several ex-Loggers including Al Ruffo, the Mayor of San Jose. (T.Times, 10/1/1948, p.10)

College of Puget Sound (Tacoma)--1940-1950; Universities & colleges--Tacoma; Students--Tacoma--1940-1950; Heinrick, John; Railroad travel--Tacoma--1940-1950; Football players--Tacoma--1940-1950; Railroad stations--Tacoma; Union Station (Tacoma);

Dinner party honoring Alexander Baillie at Tacoma Country & Golf Club, Tribune, E. Knight. Alexander Baillie was one of the founders of the Tacoma Country & Golf Club in 1894 and was the club's first president. He is seen in the upper left corner next to Reno Odlin, then president of Puget Sound National Bank, holding a microphone as part of his toastmaster duties. The banquet held in his honor was expected to draw more than 150 guests.

Tacoma Country & Golf Club (Tacoma); Country clubs--Tacoma--1940-1950; Baillie, Alexander, 1859-1949; Odlin, Reno, 1897-1979; Banquets--Tacoma--1940-1950; Men--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Dinner party honoring Alexander Baillie at Tacoma Country & Golf Club, Tribune, E. Knight. A view of the banquet room at the Tacoma Country & Golf Club on October 22, 1948, where more than 150 guests were gathered in honor of Alexander Baillie, the venerable Scotsman who was the first president of the golf club. He is seen near the wall between the middle two sets of draperies next to banker Reno Odlin who is holding a microphone. Most of the assembled men are wearing tuxedoes, seated at tables decorated with candles and flowers.

Tacoma Country & Golf Club (Tacoma); Country clubs--Tacoma--1940-1950; Baillie, Alexander, 1859-1949; Odlin, Reno, 1897-1979; Banquets--Tacoma--1940-1950; Men--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Tacoma Athletic Commission, Bob Sanders. The Tacoma Athletic Commission honored two of Tacoma's sports heroes October 28, 1948. Bob Martin, left, and Marv Rickert, center, are shown with Howard R. Smith, president of the Tacoma Athletic Commission. They each received the newly created Tacoma Athletic Commission award of merit, emblem, and cigarette lighter as well as having their photographs hanging at TAC's Hall of Fame. Martin won a gold medal in the 1948 Olympic games held in London as a member of the U.S. rowing team in the four-oared shell competition. Rickert played outfield in the 1948 World Series for Boston. He went 4 for 19 in the six game series with one home run. (TNT, 10/29/1948, p.26)

Tacoma Athletic Commission (Tacoma); Top of the Ocean (Tacoma); Martin, Bob; Rickert, Marv; Smith, Howard R.; Awards; Baseball--Tacoma--1940-1950; Baseball players--Tacoma--1940-1950; Athletes;

Visit of North Wind to Tacoma and reception at Tacoma Athletic Commission, Tribune & TAC. Several naval officers and their wives were in Tacoma for observance of Navy Week. They were greeted at a reception at the Tacoma Athletic Commission on November 7, 1948, at their facilities at the Top of the Ocean. Several of the navy wives and members of the TAC are shown at the reception, L-R, Mrs. Steven W. Calloway, Ethyl A. (Mrs. Howard) Smith, Mrs. Charles W. Thomas, Mrs. George Fritschmann, Genevieve L. (Mrs. Frank T.) Walters, and Myra J. (Mrs. E.R.) Fetterolf. (T.Times, 11/8/1948)

Tacoma Athletic Commission (Tacoma); Smith, Ethyl A.; Walters, Genevieve L.; Fetterolf, Myra J.; Women--Tacoma--1940-1950; Clothing & dress--Tacoma--1940-1950; Receptions--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Tacoma's semi-pro Coast Ice Hockey League team, the Tacoma Rockets, were returning from a series of five games, all of which they won. They were the first team in club history to win five straight. The Rockets had an upcoming game against the Vancouver Canucks at the Tacoma State Armory. View of Tacoma Rockets at Union Depot, names appear in newspaper (T. Times, 11/19/48, p. 15). Founded in 1946, the Rockets ceased operations in 1953.

Ice hockey--Tacoma; Athletes--Tacoma; Luggage; Travel--Tacoma; Coast Ice Hockey League (Tacoma); Tacoma Rockets (Tacoma); Union Station (Tacoma); Railroad travel--Tacoma--1940-1950;

The Lincoln Reserve football team is coached by Norm Mayer, varsity mentor, and Dan Lazare. This team is trained and coached with the varsity players, next year the reserve players hope to advance to the varsity team. Lincoln High School was getting ready for the big game on Thanksgiving Day, against Stadium High School. View of Lincoln Reserve football team at Lincoln Bowl, names appear in newspaper (T. Times, 11/23/48, p. 13).

Football--Tacoma; Football players--Tacoma; Sports & recreation facilities--Tacoma; Students--Tacoma; Lincoln High School (Tacoma); Lincoln Bowl (Tacoma);

Lincoln High School and Stadium High School were playing their annual Thanksgiving Day football game at Stadium Bowl in 1948. More than 16,000 fans attended the game and cheered on their favorite school. View of half time performances; the Stadium High School drum majorettes are performing with the marching band, watched by thousands packed into the bleachers. (T. Times, 11/26/48, p. 1).

Football--Tacoma--1940-1950; Athletic fields--Tacoma; Marching percussion--Tacoma; Students--Tacoma--1940-1950; Drum majorettes--Tacoma--1940-1950; Stadium High School (Tacoma); Lincoln High School (Tacoma); Stadium Bowl (Tacoma);