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- 17 images. ASARCO Smelter / American Smelting & Refining Co. -established as the Ryan Smelter by Dennis Ryan in 1887 -sold to Wm. R. Rust in 1889, who changed the name to the Tacoma Smelting & Refining Co. -sold to the American Smelting & Refining Co. (ASARCO) in 1905 -originally built to produce lead, by 1911 the smelter became a major supplier of copper and lead was no longer produced -largest concrete chimney in the world completed in 1905 -largest smokestack in the world (at 571 ft.) completed in 1917, shortened to 562 ft. after repairs in 1937 -plant closed in 1985 due to both environmental and economic reasons -smelter stack demolished 1/17/1993 -last complex bldg., Fine Ore Bins Bldg. demolished in 2005 -area developed as Point Ruston after site cleanup SEE ALSO: TPL Catalog/Clipping File TDL 9/7/1887 p.8 Our smelter TDL 7/13/1890 p.9 Work at the smelter (sketch) TDL 10/20/1890 p.3 Smoke from smelters TDL 5/7/1905 p.8 Mammoth new chimney just completed at smelter (tallest concrete chimney in the world at 307 1/2 ft.) TNL 12/9/1917 p.19 Smelter chimney, highest stack in world, finished TNT 1/23/1935 p.1 Tacoma smelting gold for Soviets! TNT 1/12/1947 p.A1 Bold "sweeps" cleaning smelter stack (il) TNT 2/16/1948 p.1 Smothered in ore bin TNT 3/10/1948 p.1 Will spend one million (new ore unloading and storage plant by Western- Knapp Engineering Co. of San Francisco, contr.) TNT 3/12/1948 p.1 Smoke gauge for smelter TNT 8/10/1948 p.1 Smelter to make sulphuric acid TNT 12/3/1948 p.26 Will erect acid plant TNT 4/4/1949 p.7 Smelter modernized (il of new hill belt conveyor) TNT 4/14/1949 p.B4 Smelter stack stands (earthquake) TNT 8/7/1949 p.A8 Acid plant good news (il under construction) TNT 10/26/1949 p.1 City power for smelter TNT 2/14/1950 Acid plant progressing TNT 4/10/1950 p.1 Sulphuric acid plant at smelter completed TNT 11/29/1950 p.1 Smelter whistle wail frightens frantic folk TNT 2/13/1951 Chemical industries make plans to expand (aerial il) TNT 8/27/1951 p.1 Strike closes Tacoma smelter TNT 5/17/1954 p.17 Smelter from the air (il) TNT 5/16/1955 p.8 Location aided Tacoma get smelter operation (aerial il) TNT 6/14/1955 p.1 City firemen aid smelter (fire in blacksmith shop) TNT 7/4/1955 p.1 Smelter shutdown completed (strike) TNT 6/6/1957 p.C13 Smelter signs up for gas (natural gas) TNT 9/10/1957 p.4 North Enders rap smelter TNT 3/21/1959 p.1 Smelter suing union over work stoppage TNT 4/10/1959 p.A5 Lockout or strike? TNT 5/19/1959 p.1 Judge firm on smelter injunction TNT 6/16/1959 p.1 Tacoma smelter dispute over TNT 8/2/1959 p.1 Smelter here set for long copper strike TNT 12/11/1959 p.1 Smeltermen return to work; Tacoma's 115-day strike ends TNT 9/7/1960 p.A14 Youths paint "Wilson" on smelter stack TNT 7/27/1961 p.C11 Smelter officials tell of anti-pollution steps TNT 12/31/1961 p.A4 No lights on smelter stack: Why? asks Fisk (il) TNT 8/19/1962 p.A4 Sea gulls take over at smelter ore dock (il) TNT 11/3/1963 Magazine p.1 (aerial il) TNT 8/3/1965 p.1 Fire causes $17,000 loss at smelter TNT 12/28/1967 p.6 Clean-up-now plan told to idle smelter TNT 7/17/1968 p.A1 Smelter gets order to keep air clean TNT 7/19/1968 p.D3 Smelter asks agency to compare yardsticks TNT 7/25/1969 p.45 Record number of complaints made over smelter pollution TNT 8/6/1969 p.A1 Pollution fighters taking Tacoma smelter to court TNT 8/29/1969 p.A1 Smelter pays fines; may build new stack TNT 11/13/1969 p.C7 Smelter proposing $6 million stack as answer to pollution TNT 11/16/1969 p.A7 Skyscraper stack plan bad news to fliers TNT 12/5/1969 p.A1 Smelter plans shorter stack TNT 5/28/1970 p.A1 Smelter folk threaten to close Tacoma plant TNT 8/13/1970 p.A1 Clean up, or else, smelter here told TNT 9/5/1973 p.A1 Smelter blast rocks area (il) TNT 6/27/1984 Smelter shutdown planned TNT 1/18/1993 Boom with a view! TNT 9/18/1998 p.B5 Another ASARCO landmark departing ... demolition begins on administration building of old smelter (il) TNT 1/27/2002 p.A1 Asarco's financial woes put smelter cleanup in limbo TNT 3/31/2004 p.B1 Days now numbered for last building on Asarco site ("fine ore bins" bldg.) TNT 5/26/2004 p.A1 Farewell to a piece of industrial history (fine ore bins bldg., 800 ft., built in 1913 and expanded in 1948, is demolished) (il) TNT 10/26/2004 p.A1 Asarco locks up last of its poison (aerial il) TNT 7/8/2005 p.A1 Asarco puts Ruston smelter site on the market TNT 8/11/2005 p.A1 Asarco seeks bankruptcy protection (aerial il of site) TNT 1/21/2006 p.A1 Only one makes bid for smelter property (MC Construction of Lacey, WA) TNT 1/31/2006 p.B1 Lacey developer OK'd to buy smelter site TNT 3/19/2006 p.A1 Who will pay for Asarco's mess? TNT 11/27/2008 p.A1 Asarco docks to be removed T.Weekly 12/4/2008 p.A1 Agreement aims for removal of ASARCO docks (il) TNT 11/11/2009 p.A12 Tunnel closure just a preview ... permanent shuttering set for spring TNT 12/28/2009 p.A1 They tried to shirk cleanup - but failed TNT 1/24/2010 p.A1 The cleanup holdouts; while most contamined soil has been taken care of, some homeowners continue to resist (map) Senior Scene Mar. 2011 p.6 Russia's ore and Tacoma's smelter TNT 8/21/2011 p.B1 Thanks for memories, Ruston Way Tunnel (closed to traffic 7/13/2011 917.977 SE18S Oct. 1969 p.42 Do not go gentle into that good night (il) 979.702 P5867R (il) 979.7788 G135T p.109-120 (il)
- Year Built: 1887
- Decade Built: 1880s
- Demolished: 1993