By Spencer Bowman, Northwest Room Librarian
Back in 1996, the Tacoma News Tribune highlighted a tight-knit crew of retired transit operators who proudly called themselves 'motormen,' meeting up regularly at the Narrows Plaza Bowl. There they shared stories and history and changes they witnessed over the years in Tacoma. One of the motormen, Cliff Fournier, even goes beyond motormen since he and his friend Howie Hansen are the last of the trolley trainmen. 212 trainmen worked for the Tacoma Railway and Power Company from 1890-1938 before things switched to buses. They recounted their work collecting fares, punching transfers, opening doors, flipping back seats when the trolleys turned around at the end of the route, and, of course, operating the levers and grips that powered and steered the trolleys.
Before these buses ruled the roads, Tacoma relied on two distinct tracked mass transit systems to move citizens around town from 1890 to 1938. Cable cars were powered by a steel cable continuously circulating in an unbroken loop under a slot in the street, running up the 11th Street hill to South K Street and down to A Street. At the same time, electrically powered trolleys, also known as streetcars, ran all around Tacoma, drawing power from overhead wires to contact shoes connected to a trolley rail.
The trolley era came to a dramatic end on June 11, 1938, when the city officially switched to gas-powered buses. The 76 miles of rails were dug up to make way for Tacoma Transit's new bus fleet. At 1:00 PM that day, the last trolley ended the last route and departed from the Winthrop Hotel in downtown Tacoma, bound for the trolley barn at 900 Puyallup Avenue. There, rowdy citizens set the vehicle ablaze, creating a civic eruption so photogenic that Life magazine ran a three page spread titled "Life Goes to a Party."
Following the trolley system's demise, local resident Tom Terrien began a 40-year career with Tacoma Transit in 1939. Born in Lake City in 1917, Terrien attended Lake City School and Lincoln High School before joining the Civilian Conservation Corps. He started at the transit company as a driver just as the bus era was taking flight. In 1941, the private Tacoma Railway & Power Company officially adopted the name Tacoma Transit. Immediately, World War II brought severe challenges as wartime industry expansion and rubber rationing forced more people than ever onto public buses. By 1942, the system was overwhelmed by peak riding. Company president Curtiss L. Hill stated that the magnitude of ridership was beyond comprehension, leading the company to deny further route extensions to the tide flats until demands stabilized. While a plan to lease buses from the U.S. Navy fell through, the city council successfully partnered with the Tacoma Municipal Belt Line Railroad to run coordinated train routes during shift changes, relieving downtown bus congestion. To combat these wartime labor shortages, Tacoma Transit began aggressively hiring women. Thelma Derrickson was hired in September 1942. The department sought women aged 21 to 40 with a high school education, driving experience, and a knack for mechanics, fully expecting women to eventually make up three-quarters of the driving staff.
In 1954, Tacoma Transit employees attempted to buy out the company using their own wages and operating balances. However, by the end of the six-year contract in 1960, the employees fell $453,000 short. To keep public transit alive, a bond issue was put to a public vote, and the city officially took control of Tacoma Transit on February 1, 1961. During the 1960s, Tom Terrien was promoted into operational management. In this role, he hired the first Black bus drivers for Tacoma Transit, as well as the first women drivers since the end of World War II. Terrien was eventually promoted to Superintendent of Transportation before retiring in 1981. By May 1978, county officials launched public forums to determine if the transit service area should be enlarged. An overwhelming majority supported expansion, leading staff to design a system plan that integrated timed-transfer centers, door-to-door van service for the elderly and disabled, ridesharing, and connections to Seattle. Over 3,000 citizens responded to surveys, and 16 public hearings helped reshape the network, expanding the 20 former Tacoma Transit routes to 36 new lines. This required the fleet to grow from 170 to 225 vehicles, replacing outdated 1948 Fageol-Twin Coaches that were running well past their useful life.
Between May 1978 and November 1979, fifteen communities agreed to pitch a 0.3% sales tax levy to voters. In November 1979, voters approved the tax, creating the Public Transportation Benefit Area Authority. In January 1980, the newly minted Pierce Transit assumed full operation of Tacoma Transit and four private suburban lines, establishing the regional network that remains Tacoma and Pierce County's main transit provider today.
If you are interested in learning more about the Streetcar lines, trolleys, cable cars, buses, and the history of other various types of public transit options in Tacoma over the years let us know. Make a research appointment to browse the Tom Terrien Transit Collection or stop in during our open hours to browse transportation books, clipping files, and other related material.
The Northwest Room's hours are:
Tuesday - Open 4:00-8:00
Wednesday - Appointment only from 5:00-7:00
Thursday - Open 10:00-6:00
Friday - Appointment only from 2:00-5:00
Saturday - Open 10:00-6:00
Visit this link to book a research appointment: https://www.tacomalibrary.org/visit-northwest-room/
Sources:
- Tacoma Times. “Report Due on Finances.” August 10, 1942.
- Tacoma News Tribune. January 27, 1942.
- Tacoma News Tribune. “Transport Problem.” January 12, 1942.
- Tacoma News Tribune. “City Formally Takes Over Tacoma Transit.” February 1, 1961, p.1.
- Tacoma News Tribune. "The Last Tracks to Transit Glory" January 17th, 1996, p.39
- Transit Asset Management Plan Update. 2022 TAM Plan Update. September 30, 2022. PDF.
