Yuletide Festival for the employees of the Pacific Match Company, Tacoma, Washington. The banquet room is packed on December 21, 1934, as the large match company celebrated the holidays. This was an especially joyous night for the 300 employees, families and friends in attendance. Not only did they enjoy a turkey dinner served by the First Baptist Church Ladies Aid, but they also heard the welcoming news that there would be a $5 a month bonus for every month each had worked during the past year and an increase in the wage scale for 1935. President/general manager O.V. Snyder made the happy annoucement stating that it had been a banner year for the company. Pacific Match's payroll for 1934 was well over $300,000. (Ron Neslund Collection) (TDL 12-22-1934, p. 1-article only)

Pacific Match Co. (Tacoma)--People; Banquets--Tacoma--1930-1940;

ca. 1939. Mrs. Beatice Neslund (top, left) and two unidentified employees work on one of the match boxing lines at the Pacific Match Company in Tacoma, Washington circa 1939. Pacific Match had been established near Center St. in 1924 and according to the Tacoma Labor Advocate back then, provided their employees with good working conditions. The company would close in 1964 due to competition from the Midwest. (Courtesy of the Ron Neslund Collection)

Neslund, Beatrice; Pacific Match Co. (Tacoma)--People; Assembly-line methods--Tacoma--1930-1940; Match industry--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Pacific Match Company was founded in 1924 by O. V. Snyder and F. J. Cronkite. The company employs over 100 people, their daily output is about 50,000,000 matches. Pacific Match prides itself in being employee minded and provides their staff with a fully equipped staff room and cafeteria. View of Pacific Match Company's staff and lunch room, employees are enjoying their lunch break, a billiard table is located in the left background area (T. Times, 7/12/48, p. 5).

Employee eating facilities--Tacoma; Dining tables; Eating & drinking--Tacoma; Laborers--Tacoma; Match industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Pacific Match Co. (Tacoma)--People;

Aerial photographs. Pacific Match Company was located near the intersection of South Union Avenue and Center Street. The company was founded in 1924 by O.V. Snyder and F.J. Cronkhite. At this time their daily output was 50 million matches and O.V. Snyder served as president, T.J. Anderson as vice-president, and F.J. Cronkhite as secretary-treasurer. This facility is currently owned by the Tacoma Public Schools and houses the "Building & Grounds" offices. (Additional information provided by a reader)

Pacific Match Co. (Tacoma); Aerial photographs; Match industry--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Aerial photographs. Pacific Match Company, as seen from an airplane, is situated near the intersection of South Union Avenue and Center Street. The area across Union is residential and across Center is still mostly undeveloped.

Pacific Match Co. (Tacoma); Aerial photographs; Match industry--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Gladys Sanberg (left) and Clara Berven operated the lunchroom at the Pacific Match Company in 1948. The Pacific Match Company, founded in 1924, was located at 3223 So. Union Ave. The firm was extremely "employee-minded", and provided free coffee, cream and sugar in its cafeteria along with lunches that it sold at a loss. There was a billiard table in the lunchroom, and a separate music room with a piano. The company also sponsored both a baseball team and a bowling team.(T. Times, 7/12/48, p. 5).

Kitchens--Tacoma--1940-1950; Restaurant workers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Employee eating facilities--Tacoma; Laborers--Tacoma; Match industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Pacific Match Co. (Tacoma)--People;