Vintage Photo From 1954 At Yakima’s Parker Field Shows Then-New Car As Raffle Prize

Earlier today, I received a call from Yakima Fire Department Capt. Jeff Pfaff who excitedly told me about some old photographs he had discovered in the department's archives.

This picture was taken at Parker Field (which still stands on the campus of Yakima Valley College) and shows the grand prize in a raffle that occurred more than 60 years ago -- in 1954, to be precise.

It was a Ford Ranch Wagon that was donated by Burrows Motor Co. and was being used to raise money for the American Legion Baseball "Little World Series." A chance in the drawing cost 50 cents. The team from Yakima had won the 1953 American Legion World Series (and would again in 1975 and 1979).

No word on who the winner was or whether it is still running, but a neat piece of nostalgia nonetheless!