Sundry Excerpts from Tacoma's History
Last week, we announced our intent to begin a series of articles dealing with Tacoma history. We began with the story of prominent 20th-century lumberman Thomas L. Richardson (article here).
This week, we thought it might be fun to take a more light-hearted look at the history of the City of Destiny. Since many newspapers keep complete archives online these days, it’s relatively simple to conduct keyword searches within a range of dates. I chose to zero-in on the 1940’s – an epic decade in American history. Of course, our interest is in the smaller stories – the ones that were likely never re-told until now.
Episode 1, April 18, 1946, in which we find Margaret Hurst and Marlys Converse reconciling in Pierce County jail after an argument ended their 6-week marriage. Ms. Hurst, it seems, was a bit of a trickster. A dischaged Women’s Army Corps veteran herself, she took on the indentity of a male serviceman and proceeded to marry the 18-year-old Ms. Converse here in Tacoma. After six weeks – and, reportedly, some slapping – the jig was up. Read the Bend Bulletin story for yourself here
Episode 2, July 25, 1940 finds our hero capturing – with his bare hands – a golden eagle that had escaped from the zoo. Sixteen-year-old Robert Morton was badly injured in the incident (the eagle is a proud and violent bird) and sent to the hospital. Our generous Metropolitan Parks board gave Robert $5 for his trouble, according to the Ellensburg Daily Record story here “The youth, swathed in bandages, says he’s had all he wants to do with eagles,” the paper reported.
Episode 3, November 25, 1946 – The Spokane Daily Chronicle runs the headline Faces Are Red in Tacoma. It seems our fair city had a bit of a problem with illegal gambling and bootlegging facilities, though this was not the embarassing part of the story. Some energetic police officers took the initiative to arrest 21 operatives and denizens of these illicit businesses. Unfortunately, the arresting actions took place while the officers were off-duty. The policemen involved were labelled “vigilantes” and stripped of their badges. This story is followed by a lovely rumination on the role of trees in cityscapes, and by a helpful scientific study explaining why overweight husbands are superior to slender ones.
Episode 4, April 29, 1940 – Paul Satko, a welder, loses his job and determines to move to Alaska with his wife and seven children. Naturally, he builds an ark and sets out from Commencement Bay on a northerly bearing. The vessel ran aground in Seattle. A fantastic photograph accompanies the story here. The children were taken into police custody, since it seemed unsafe for children to be on the high seas in an ark. Apparently, Mr. Satko eventually succeeded in transporting his ark and family to Alaska and carved out homestead there. The Evening Independent commented on his exploits here.
Filed under: History
5 comments
T Tim Smith September 20, 2010
I really enjoy this. The little stories are often the best. The “vigilantes” story evenutally ended with a complete change in our form of City government.
C captiveyak September 20, 2010
Thanks Tim! How did the change come about?
T Tim Smith September 20, 2010
I’ll clip from the Tacoma PD history page. Its probably the closest thing to a coup in Washington State history. The end result of this vigilante cop raid was that the COT became the first major city in WA to adopt the City Manager form of government. Snip follows:
TACOMA AROMA
O, they say that in Tacoma, Washington
A Policeman’s lot is not a happy one
If he rashly does his duty
Interfering with the booty
Of Higher ups
His brief career is done.
In Tacoma Politicians are as raw
As Chicago in worst days ever saw;
And a copper with ambition
Is predestined to perdition
If he undertakes enforcement of the law.
If he goes out on his own and makes a pinch
Of a felon caught red handed its a cinch
He’ll be banished to the sticks,
To Patrol the paving bricks,
While he listens to the meadowlark or finch.
O, a copper in Tacoma, Washington
Leads a life that’s almost anything but fun;
For the horrible aroma,
That is reeking in Tacoma,
Is a stench a young policeman ought to shun.
On April 1, 1947, officers made raids on two locations after giving warning to Commissioner Robert Temme. One place was closed, and the other had no illegal activity. In response, Chief William Farrar dismissed four of the officers, calling them “Tools of the underworld interests.” On June 1, 1947, Constables Clive Buttermere of Steilacoom, and Cecil Brightman of Roy, along with some of the dismissed Tacoma officers, raided the “Star Social Club” in Fife, just across the Sea-Tac bridge from Tacoma. They arrested 67 people and shipped them by bus to the town of Roy, where they each posted $25 bail for being in a place where gambling was being conducted.
By July 27, 1947, the four dismissed patrolmen were reinstated with back pay, and the raids ceased. But the reverberations continued to be felt throughout city hall. A succession of police chiefs, some lasting as little as three months began. Between March 1946, when the first “Vigilante” raids were made, to July 1953, when the department was reorganized, eight men served as police chief. These included a police sergeant, a police detective, a former FBI agent, and a man who ran an automobile repair shop!
The commissioner form of government continued until 1953, and so did the problems with the police department. Since the commissioner was, in effect, a de-facto police chief, political interference in police operations was inescapable. In addition, with very few exceptions, the commissioners knew little about law enforcement. One commissioner celebrated his election in a brothel and, when later questioned about this, replied that he was on “an inspection trip.”
In November 1951, a committee of state legislators under the chairmanship of Senator Albert Rosellini held public hearings in the Tacoma Armory as part of a statewide investigation into crime and vice. Accusations were made that the police were taking payoffs to protect vice operations, and eventually one officer went to federal prison as a result of his grafting. While little was proved conclusively, the hearings forced the citizens of Tacoma to take a hard look at their city. Meanwhile, the American Social Hygiene Association gave Tacoma a bad rating, and the Army threatened to put Tacoma ‘off-limits’ to soldiers. Something had to be done, as Tacoma’s reputation for vice was known nationwide.
On November 4th, 1952, Tacoma adopted the council-manager form of government; the first large city in the state to do so. The new city manager selected Roy D. Kerr, an experienced police officer with impeccable credentials, as his police chief. Chief Kerr assumed office on July 9, 1953 and that day marked the beginning of a new era for the Tacoma Police Department. Chief Kerr was the first “professional” police chief, having previously served as Chief of Topeka, Kansas, as well as a Deputy Sheriff and Deputy U.S. Marshal. He was also a graduate of the FBI National Academy.
A artifacts September 21, 2010
Great summary of a dark and facinating time Tim. Have you ever followed up on the circumstances around Clive Buttermere’s death in December 1948. Needless to say he made a few enemies in the Tacoma Police Department, became a private detective with the Acme Detective Agency and was found dead next to his overturned car on 96th. I know it sounds like a dime novel but real life rumors went on for years that he was killed in revenge.
T tom waits September 22, 2010
American Social Hygiene Association is now the American Social Health Association….but I prefer its former name.
It was spawned (pun intended) from some other progressive movements with even better names – National Vigilance Committee, American Purity Alliance, and my personal favorite – the American Federation for Sex Hygiene.