A man stands at a switch near the electric contol panels at Tacoma Vegetable Oils, Inc., plant. Electrical conduit is seen along the interior walls of the building. The plant digested copra (dried coconut meat) and extracted the oil. The oil would go to manufacturers in Chicago, Cincinnati, Boston and other eastern cities. The remaining meal was used locally for cattle feed. The plant was able to process 100 tons of copra a day with three machines. Ordered by Westinghouse Electric Supply, Verne Hoggers. (TNT, 3/19/1950, p.A-9)

Tacoma Vegetable Oils, Inc. (Tacoma); Factories--Tacoma--1950-1960;

In December of 1950, an unidentified worker was photographed on the floor of the Tacoma Vegetable Oils, Inc., half-million dollar copra processing plant. The plant had recently opened on the McCormick Dock at 535 Dock Street. Copra is dried coconut meat that yields coconut oil. The plant digested the copra and extracted the oil. The oil would go to manufacturers in Chicago, Cincinnati, Boston and other eastern cities. The remaining meal was used locally for cattle feed. The plant was able to process 100 tons of copra a day with three machines. E.L. Westenhaver was vice-president and manager of Tacoma Vegetable Oils, Inc., which closed in the mid-1960s. Ordered by Westinghouse Electric Supply, Verne Hoggers. (TNT, 3/19/1950, p.A-9)

Tacoma Vegetable Oils, Inc. (Tacoma); Factories--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Equipment installations, General Mills. A workman is ready to place another bag at the filling machine. One bag that has already been filled with Egg Mash and sewn shut is seen on the conveyor belt to the left of the sewing machine. Ordered by Mr. Meinecke.

General Mills, Inc., Sperry Division (Tacoma); Centennial Flouring Mills Co. (Tacoma); Flour & meal industry--Tacoma; Mills--Tacoma; Machinery; Mechanical systems--Tacoma; Sewing machines;

Twelve Nalley's employees smile and pose in a group picture taken on September 23, 1950. For years Nalley's had a large display booth at the Western Washington Fair; presumably those in this photograph took their turn assisting customers and demonstrating Nalley's large variety of products. The seven women in the group all seem to wear crispy white uniforms; several have name tags: Ann Murray, Vivian Stebbins and Hilda Willis.

Nalley's, Inc. (Tacoma); Western Washington Fair (Puyallup); Fairs--Puyallup--1950-1960; Group portraits;

A worker at Wesley Crawford & Son examines an oil mist lubrication machine in November, 1951. According to the 1951 City Directory, the company was listed as a produce commission merchant. It was a fresh fruit and vegetable packing company.

Wesley Crawford & Son (Tacoma); Machinery; Packaging; Shipping--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Interior view of Nalley's exhibit at Puyallup Fair. Nalley's had a very large exhibition booth at the Western Washington Fair in Puyallup whose design remained basically the same for several years. In September, 1951, Nalley's Beef Stew was the featured advertised product, "the meatiest stew you ever tasted". Previous years had seen Tang Salad Dressing and Lumberjack Syrup take center stage. Potato chips and cucumber chips were also on display in 1951. On the long balcony above the exhibit booth were cutouts of people holding onto various Nalley products including Shoestring potatoes, Pure Mayonaise, Treasure Pickles and Lumberjack Syrup.

Nalley's, Inc. (Tacoma); Exhibit booths--Puyallup; Western Washington Fair (Puyallup); Fairs--Puyallup--1950-1960; Merchandise displays--Puyallup; Canned foods;

Nestle products display at Nalley's Sales Office featuring Nestle's semi-sweet chocolate morsels, Nestle's Toll-House cookie mix, Nestle's Quick, and Nestle's cocoa. Nalley's was appointed as a distributor of Crosse & Blackwell and Nestle institutional food products in Oregon, Washington and Western Montana in October 1961. Nalley's would distribute C & B and Nestle products to restaurants, hospitals, industrial caterers, schools and universities. Nalley's was the exclusive distributor for C&B in the Northwest. They were on a non-exclusive basis with Nestle. Nalleys was one of the largest food distributors in the Northwest. Ordered by Nalley's, Inc., Henry Willis. (TNT, 10/11,1961)

Nalley's, Inc. (Tacoma); Food--Tacoma--1940-1950; Cocoa industry--Tacoma; Food industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Merchandise displays--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Mechanization could relieve men from heavy labor in the loading dock at the Sperry Mill. One man moves bags of flour from a rotating delivery platform to a wooden pallet. A man with a fork-lift can transport the flour directly to the loading dock at the Sperry Ocean Dock. Ordered by General Mills.

Flour & meal industry--Tacoma; Grain industry--Tacoma; General Mills, Inc., Sperry Division (Tacoma);

In 1900 Puget Sound Flouring Company was turning out flour on the waterfront between North 8th and 10th Streets. Later in the century General Mills (Sperry Division) bought up the Puget Sound company and maintained the main mill on the waterfront. A farm service division was located at 5446 South Washington. Here large bags of flour are being loaded onto a ship at the Sperry Ocean Dock. Ordered by General Mills. (TNT, 2/14/1950, p.A-14)

Flour & meal industry--Tacoma; Hoisting machinery; Grain industry--Tacoma; General Mills, Inc., Sperry Division (Tacoma); Sperry Ocean Dock (Tacoma); Shipping--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Merchandise display at the Winthrop Hotel, Evergreen Room, in July of 1952. Nalley's celebrated not only their successful line, but also their solid blue collar labor pedigree by displaying the various unions of its employees. Nalley products pictured are Lumberjack Syrup, Mayonnaise, Potato chips, honey, ketchup, salad dressing, relish, pickles, mustard, shoestring potatoes, "Esquire Sauce," and canned meals.

Nalley's, Inc. (Tacoma)--Products; Food--Tacoma--1950-1960; Food industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Merchandise displays--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Interior exposure of Nalley display with one woman by table filled with Nalleys products. Products also on shelves behind her. Nalley products featured are potato chips, mayonnaise, lumberjack syrup, chili and spaghetti dinner.

Nalleys, Inc. (Tacoma)--Products; Grocery stores--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Visiting teachers from Oakland munch on potato chips as they tour the Nalleys plant.

Nalley's, Inc. (Tacoma); Food--Tacoma--1950-1960; Food industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Potato chips; Teachers--Oakland--1950-1960;

Group shot of about 20 men at General Mills. The men are standing & kneeling behind a banner advertising General Mills cereals Cheerios, Kix and Wheaties.

Flour & meal industry--Tacoma; Grain industry--Tacoma; General Mills, Inc., Sperry Division (Tacoma);

Exposure of Nalley's 1952 Daffodil parade float with posing attendants at Nalley Valley. The Nalley float was titled "A Kings Castle," in keeping with the 1952 "King Alfred" theme. In 1923, The US Department of Agriculture suggested replacing the Puyallup Valley's dead and diseased hop crop with commercial bulbs and the reign of King Alfred began. Puyallup Valley soon became the world's top producer of daffodil bulbs. "Bulb Sunday" was born in 1926, when socialites were invited to go from field to field viewing the different varieties of daffodils. The tradition was going strong by 1932 when 80 - 100,000 people thronged the roads on "Bulb Sunday." It was discontinued in 1934 due to traffic congestion and the parade was suggested by Tacoma photographer Lee Merrill to take its place. ("A History of Pierce County, Washington" Vol. 1)

Nalley's, Inc. (Tacoma); Parades & processions--Tacoma--1950-1960; Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1952 : Tacoma); Festivals--Tacoma; Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Nalley's float in the 1952 Daffodil Parade makes the turn from 9th onto Pacific Ave. Nalley's won the second place award in the commercial division. Royalty is well represented on this float because the 1952 theme was "Alfred in Wonderland, " with reference to the King Alfred Daffodil- Puyallup Valley's most famous export. More than 1,000,000 blossoms were used in the parade which took more than four hours to complete from starting point in Tacoma until its termination in Sumner. (TNT 4-5-1952, pg. 1)

Nalley's, Inc. (Tacoma); Parades & processions--Tacoma--1950-1960; Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1952 : Tacoma); Festivals--Tacoma; Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Merchandise display in L.E. Landon's office at Nalley's, Inc. L.E. Landon was president of Nalley's at this time. The display includes cans and bottles of Lumberjack Syrup, bottles of pickle relish, pickles, salad dressing, mayonnaise, Tang, french dressing, mustard, and peanut butter, and cans of shoestring potatoes, beef stew, chili con carne, rice dinner, spaghetti dinner and spaghetti and meat. Bags of the company's first product, potato chips, hang in the middle along with bags of Krun-cheese and pop corn.

Nalley's, Inc. (Tacoma)--Products; Food--Tacoma--1950-1960; Food industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Merchandise displays--Tacoma--1940-1950;

A workman stands by the switchboard for the controls and weighing machine at Tacoma Vegetable Oil Company. Ordered by Westinghouse Electric Supply Company, Vern Hodgins.

Tacoma Vegetable Oils, Inc. (Tacoma); Factories--Tacoma--1950-1960; Westinghouse Electric Supply Co. (Tacoma);

Nalley's returned to the Western Washington Fair in Puyallup in 1952 with their recognizable display booth. The name, Nalley's, is spelled out in large letters over a slight awning with cut outs of people holding oversized Nalley products.

Nalley's, Inc. (Tacoma); Western Washington Fair (Puyallup); Fairs--Puyallup--1940-1950; Merchandise displays--Puyallup; Condiments; Canned foods;

Nalley's created three separate bags of candies for Halloween in 1952: a mixed trick or treat selection of individually wrapped candies, candies in Halloween shapes of pumpkins, ghosts and bats for 39 cents a bag, and spiced gum drops. The bags' labels have Halloween images of a black cat and a witch's and a pirate's mask.

Food industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Nalley's, Inc. (Tacoma)--Products; Packaging; Candy--Tacoma--1950-1960; Holidays--Tacoma;

A White tank truck for Larro Feeds is parked in the parking lot of Gereral Mills Inc., Sperry Division, along Schuster Parkway near Sixth. Sperry Mills grain storage elevators are seen in the background.

General Mills, Inc., Sperry Division (Tacoma); White trucks--Tacoma; Trucks--Tacoma--1950-1960; Flour & meal industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Shipping--Tacoma--1950-1960;

A shopping cart has been filled to the brim with Nalley's candies with posters for "Nalley's Trick or Treat Candies" for Halloween.

Food industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Nalley's, Inc. (Tacoma)--Products; Merchandise displays--Tacoma--1950-1960; Candy--Tacoma--1950-1960; Holidays--Tacoma;

ca. 1953. General Mills-Sperry Division employees. For several years, the employees of General Mills, Inc.'s Sperry Division posed behind "C Day Parade" banners. Presumably, this was some sort of parade held annually; the "C" may have stood for "cereal." In 1953, 25 men were grouped behind the large banner apparently representing the Seattle-Tacoma District. Famous General Mills cereal brands were listed on the banner, including Cheerios, KIX, and Wheaties. All these brands are still in existence today.

Flour & meal industry--Tacoma; Grain industry--Tacoma; General Mills, Inc., Sperry Division (Tacoma); Banners--Tacoma;

Nalley's advertises their 1 cent sale, buy one relish at regular price and get a second one for just one penny. Pictured is a mound of relish jars backed by jars of salad dressing, mayonaise, "Tang" spread, more pickles and canned meals.

Nalley's, Inc. (Tacoma)--Products; Food--Tacoma--1950-1960; Food industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Merchandise displays--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Boxes of Ebia, Cardinal, Nosalitos and Wilson brand tomatoes are shown in this March, 1954, photograph. Most of the brands are from Mexico. A Flavorseal machine helps in the sorting process. It is unclear whether the tomatoes are being packaged for sale or used for sauces.

Food industry--Tacoma; Industrial facilities--Tacoma; Machinery; Tomatoes--Tacoma;

Twenty-two employees of the General Mills Inc., Sperry Division, pose behind a large "C Day Parade '54" banner on April 2, 1954. The brand names of several General Mills cereals are listed on the banner, including Cheerios, Wheaties, Kix, and a new cereal, Sugar Jets. Nearly fifty years later, Cheerios, Wheaties and Kix are still being devoured by the hungry public.

Flour & meal industry--Tacoma; Grain industry--Tacoma; General Mills, Inc., Sperry Division (Tacoma); Banners--Tacoma;

Meat being loaded aboard a ship, the "Pacificus", from Carstens. Ordered by Carstens Meat Packing Co. Carstens was the largest independent meat packing company on the west coast, with plants in Tacoma, Spokane and Seattle. TPL-8355

Carstens Packing Co. (Tacoma); Meat;

In this photograph from August 1948, three unidentified employees carefully hand bag potato chips at the Nalley's plant at 3410 So. Lawrence St. Nalley's Inc. had its beginning in 1918 when Marcus Nalley started production of his by now famous Nalley's potato chips in his kitchen. What was once a one man operation covered the entire west coast by 1946. Production operations were located in Tacoma, Vancouver, B.C., and Spokane. In Vancouver a complete line of Nalley's products was made. In Spokane, manufacturing of potato chips was the main operation, and in Tacoma, two large factories, Nalley's on Puyallup Avenue and the affiliated plant of L & N Products at 3410 South Lawrence Street provided the bulk of the products sold in the western states. (T.Times, 1/9/1946) Henry Willis

Nalley's, Inc. (Tacoma); Food--Tacoma--1940-1950; Potato chips; Food industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Women--Tacoma--1940-1950; Assembly-line methods--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Potato chip and popcorn factory, Nalley's, Henry Willis. Many women are at work at several different work stations in the assembly-line system used at Nalley's in cooling, bagging, and preparing the potato chips for shipment. A separate facility was built on part of the 15-acre tract on South Tacoma Way for the manufacture of potato chips. The chip plant in Spokane had reached its capacity and still the demand was high. This new plant was the home of one of the subsidiary companies, United Foods, Inc. TPL-9607

Nalley's, Inc. (Tacoma); Food--Tacoma--1940-1950; Food industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Assembly-line methods--Tacoma--1940-1950; Women--Tacoma--1940-1950; Potato chips;

Potato chip and popcorn factroy, Nalley's, Henry Willis. Another view of four lines of women peeling potatoes, onions and carrots for one of Nalley's products, probably canned stew. In the background cans are being filled with the product and men are emptying a large tub of the product into the can filling machine.

Nalley's, Inc. (Tacoma); Food--Tacoma--1940-1950; Food industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Assembly-line methods--Tacoma--1940-1950; Women--Tacoma--1940-1950; Canned foods; Canneries--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Potato chip and popcorn factroy, Nalley's, Henry Willis. Four lines of women work peeling potatoes, onions and carrots for one of Nalley's products, probably canned stew which was added to the product line during World War II. The work lines have automated peelers and a conveyor-belt system to carry away the peels. Large tubs of the peeled vegetables stand at the end of the line.

Nalley's, Inc. (Tacoma); Food--Tacoma--1940-1950; Food industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Assembly-line methods--Tacoma--1940-1950; Women--Tacoma--1940-1950;