General Mills Sperry Flour Division had experienced an increase in business, because of the Centennial fire. The company had steadily expanded throughout the years, but experienced a boom last year. Sperry was able to corner the market in national sales and international exports. Interior view of Sperry Flour plant, modern equipment allows them to process more of their products to fill the higher demands.

Flour & meal industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Industrial facilities--Tacoma; Grains--Tacoma; Grain industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Grain elevators--Tacoma; Remodeling--Tacoma; General Mills, Inc., Sperry Division (Tacoma);

General Mills Sperry Flour Division was located on Tacoma's waterfront near Sixth Avenue. The company's officers were: Paul A. Folquet, District Coordinator, and Willard H. Meinecke, Plant Supervisor. Interior view of plant, new machinery and equipment has been installed. Sperry was planning to increase their production to fill the demand for their products.

Flour & meal industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Industrial facilities--Tacoma; Grains--Tacoma; Grain industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Grain elevators--Tacoma; Remodeling--Tacoma; General Mills, Inc., Sperry Division (Tacoma);

General Mills Incorporated Sperry Division were the leading manufacturers of flour, cereal, poultry and dairy products in Tacoma. The flour company had first been the Puget Sound Flouring Mills, this company was absorbed by Sperry Flour then General Mills merged with Sperry. In 1947 General Mills decided to expand their facilities, interior view of new plant.

Flour & meal industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Industrial facilities--Tacoma; Grains--Tacoma; Grain industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Grain elevators--Tacoma; Remodeling--Tacoma; General Mills, Inc., Sperry Division (Tacoma);

Interior view of newly expanded and remodeled Sperry Flour Mill, workman is measuring two grain slides, the grains go through processing machinery before they are made into flour and cereal. The expansion project should be completed later this year, General Mills should have their new facilities in full operation by the end of this year.

Flour & meal industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Industrial facilities--Tacoma; Grains--Tacoma; Grain industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Grain elevators--Tacoma; Laborers--Tacoma; Remodeling--Tacoma; General Mills, Inc., Sperry Division (Tacoma);

General Mills Sperry flour plant was one of the oldest businesses in Tacoma and had been in the flour and grains industry for over 96 years. The plant was conveniently located in Tacoma's waterfront area by Commencement Bay which gave the plant easy water and railroad access. Interior view of facility taken on May 31, 1948 with grain processing equipment on right side, workmen on left side.

Flour & meal industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Industrial facilities--Tacoma; Grains--Tacoma; Grain industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Grain elevators--Tacoma; Laborers--Tacoma; Remodeling--Tacoma; General Mills, Inc., Sperry Division (Tacoma);

In 1947 Centennial Flour Mills was completely destroyed by a fire, for some time, Centennial was unsure whether they would rebuild. General Mills was hoping to acquire the old Centennial Mills site and begin remodeling and expanding their facilities. Sperry and Centennial went through extended negotiations to determine whether Sperry Flour could lease the property. Interior view of Sperry Flour plant.

Flour & meal industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Industrial facilities--Tacoma; Grains--Tacoma; Grain industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Grain elevators--Tacoma; Remodeling--Tacoma; General Mills, Inc., Sperry Division (Tacoma);

Four or Five displays at plant, Nalley's, Jack Walrath. Nalley's displayed their "Lumber Jack Syrup" in two glass-bottle sizes: wide-mouth quart jars and smaller jars with smaller, pourable tops. Cartons that the syrup was shipped in are used to make the display.

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

Four or Five displays at plant, Nalley's, Jack Walrath. Lumber Jack Syrup was available in several sizes. Here quart and gallon cans of syrup are displayed by stacking the cans on top of one another to form columns of the "Simply Delicious" syrup.

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

Four or Five displays at plant, Nalley's, Jack Walrath. Lumber Jack Syrup, made by Nalley's Inc., is displayed in octagonal tubs made of cardboard. Jars of the syrup are piled in the tubs with advertising that says it is "Simply Delicious".

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

Potato chip and popcorn factory, Nalley's, Henry Willis. A group portrait of twenty-one employees from Nalley's, eighteen women and three men, posed at work on August 25, 1948. They all wear aprons and/or uniforms. During work periods on the assembly-line the staff wore white caps.

Nalley's, Inc. (Tacoma)--Employees; Food--Tacoma--1940-1950; Food industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Women--Tacoma--1940-1950; Group portraits;

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. 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;

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 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;

Truckload of Carsten's products being loaded on plane, O'Connell Ragan, Howard O'Connell. The propeller-driven airplane as being loaded with products from Carsten's through a door into the hold located behind the wings. Carsten's Packing Company were meat packers with locations in Tacoma, Spokane and Seattle. They advertised being the largest independent meat packers on the West coast.

Carstens Packing Co. (Tacoma); Meat industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Trucks--Tacoma--1940-1950; Transport planes--Tacoma--1940-1950; Shipping--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Truckload of Carsten's products being loaded on plane, O'Connell Ragan, Howard O'Connell. A large Chevrolet truck is backed up to the airplane for loading. Several men stand on the air field, one wearing a meat handling apron, are possibly reviewing packing lists and instructions for handling. The airplane has an insignia on the tail and again by the front entry with the letters TW.

Carstens Packing Co. (Tacoma); Meat industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Trucks--Tacoma--1940-1950; Transport planes--Tacoma--1940-1950; Shipping--Tacoma--1940-1950;

In September of 1948 a large truck load of Carstens Meats products was loaded onto a Curtiss C-46 Commando cargo plane for air shipment. Carstens' went under a TC Brand and handled Kimberly beef, TC bacon, pork, lamb, Sweet-N-Tender ham, TC sausage, veal and canned meats. The Carstens Packing Company opened on Tacoma's tideflats at 1623 East J. Street in 1903. By 1905 Carstens was one of the largest slaughtering and packing houses on the west coast. In 1954 the Hygrade Food Product Corp. took over the Carstens Packing Company; they closed their Tacoma plant in 1990. The logo on the tail of the cargo plane may be the logo for Westair Transport.

Carstens Packing Co. (Tacoma); Meat industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Trucks--Tacoma--1940-1950; Transport planes--Tacoma--1940-1950; Shipping--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Fair booth, Nalley's, Mr. Willis. Nalley's' Tacoma location was 3410 South Lawrence Street. The front of Nalley's display at the Puyallup Fair this year featured a heavy line that formed a circle at one end, an arch highlighting a separate display of foods, ran under the sales counter and ended in a curl. A woman stands behind the counter ready to assist fair goers. Photographs of the processing at Nalley's plant hang above shelves of Tang salad dressing, pickles, beef stew, chili, mustard, horseradish, ketchup and hamburger relish. A sign hangs out over the archway again advertising Nalleys. "If it's Nalley's it's good" was their motto. TPL-5910

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

Flour being shipped by Economic Corporation Administration on Wolouine State, Acme News Pictures.

Flour & meal industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Shipping--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Washington Co-operative Farmers' Association would be one of the country's finest and most modern feed mills constructed. The building was on 8-1/2 acres of the Hylebos waterway, this would facilitate future water transporting by sound and ocean going vessels. The facilities gave access to all transcontinental railroads. Exterior view of new feed mill for Washington Co-operative Farmers' Association.

Food storage buildings--Tacoma; Farming--Tacoma; Food industry--Tacoma; Building construction--Tacoma; Washington Cooperative Farmers Association (Tacoma);

Washington Co-op's new feed mill would be one of the finest and most modern feed mills ever constructed. The building was built in Tacoma Tideflats area, at the Hylebos waterway, built over 8-1/2 acres. The mill would have access to the most efficient transportation, including all transcontinental railroads and any sound or ocean going vessels. Interior view of feed mill, machinery and feed equipment is ready for the official opening of facility.

Food storage buildings--Tacoma; Machinery; Equipment; Mills--Tacoma; Farming--Tacoma; Food industry--Tacoma; Washington Cooperative Farmers Association (Tacoma);

The feed mill was conveniently located on the Hylebos waterway, the Washington Co-op would later add a large dock which would provide water transportation. The feed mill had 110 foot tall elevators, 18 feet in diameter, these grain elevators had a capacity of 276,000 bushels of grain. Interior view of the new feed mill facilities, located at 1801 Taylor Way in Tacoma.

Food storage buildings--Tacoma; Machinery; Equipment; Mills--Tacoma; Farming--Tacoma; Food industry--Tacoma; Washington Cooperative Farmers Association (Tacoma);

Washington Co-operative Farmers' Association new feed mill had an innovative pre-mix system. The pre-mix system would mix vitamins and rare minerals and incorporate them into the mixing lines of poultry and dairy feeds. The pre-mix system would operated using the same type of Marchen feeders and equipment already installed at the mill. Interior view of new agricultural facility.

Food storage buildings--Tacoma; Machinery; Equipment; Mills--Tacoma; Farming--Tacoma; Food industry--Tacoma; Washington Cooperative Farmers' Association (Tacoma);

The new Washington Co-operative Farmers' Association feed mill was being served by the Tacoma Belt Line, giving access to all transcontinental railroads. There were currently four railroad lines set up, more would be added in the future. Interior view of new feed mill, the machinery and equipment is numbered, the plant is expected to being its operations in its new building in March 1949.

Food storage buildings--Tacoma; Machinery; Equipment; Mills--Tacoma; Farming--Tacoma; Food industry--Tacoma; Washington Cooperative Farmers' Association (Tacoma);

The new feed mill was constructed with a concrete foundation and concrete structure, it was built by slip form method. The new Washington Co-operative Farmers' feed mill has a headhouse that reaches 163 feet above ground. They also have 10 large cylindrical storage bins that measure 18 feet in diameter and 105 feet deep; there are additional storage bins throughout the new building. Interior view of new Co-op feed mill.

Food storage buildings--Tacoma; Machinery; Equipment; Mills--Tacoma; Farming--Tacoma; Food industry--Tacoma; Washington Cooperative Farmers' Association (Tacoma);

Storage bins at the new feed mill help Washington farmers get the feeds they need in the amounts needed. The new mill also has an innovative weighing and packing machinery. These new modern machines are 99.9% accurate in packaging feed bags. Interior view of Washington Co-operative Farmers' Association feed mill; possibly possibly the feed and grains mixing machines.

Food storage buildings--Tacoma; Machinery; Equipment; Mills--Tacoma; Farming--Tacoma; Food industry--Tacoma; Washington Cooperative Farmers' Association (Tacoma);

Washington Co-operative farmers' Association's new feed mill has taken about two years of construction and will officially open in March 1949. The building is 12 stories high, it cost approximately $1,500,000 to built. The new feed mill was built on 8-1/2 acres of the Hylebos waterway, this new mill will service all of southwest Washington and its feeds will be distributed to all of the Washington Co-operative branch stations and farm service stores throughout the state. Interior view of new facilities.

Food storage buildings--Tacoma; Machinery; Equipment; Mills--Tacoma; Farming--Tacoma; Food industry--Tacoma; Washington Cooperative Farmers' Association (Tacoma);

The Washington Co-op feed mill is one of the country's finest and most modern feed mills. Russell Rathbone, Director of Operations for the association stated it is the most modern feed mill west of the Mississippi. The new mill is very efficient and has the most efficient milling operations. Interior view of the feed mill, the feed mill has storage bins with a total capacity of 15,000 tons.

Food storage buildings--Tacoma; Machinery; Equipment; Mills--Tacoma; Farming--Tacoma; Food industry--Tacoma; Washington Cooperative Farmers' Association (Tacoma);

In 1949 Nalley's had been a stable part of Tacoma's industries for more than thirty years; the company had been referred to as, one of Tacoma's "payroll builders". The company's plant had modern food processing buildings; they were expanding in order to keep up with the growing demands for their products. Interior view of plant; view of machinery used in processing the Nalley's food products.

Food industry--Tacoma; Containers; Machinery; Equipment; Industrial facilities--Tacoma; Assembly-line methods--Tacoma; Nalley's, Inc. (Tacoma);

Nalley's Incorporated was founded in Tacoma in 1918, Nalley's has gained an impressive reputation in the food industry; pickles, potato chips and salad dressings are just a few of the food items they produce in their line of well known products. Nalley's maintains a high quality control with all of the products, this helps to achieve the great tastes and flavors in their products. Interior view of plant; view of containers where the food items are processed and produced.

Food industry--Tacoma; Machinery; Equipment; Containers; Assembly-line methods--Tacoma; Industrial facilities--Tacoma; Nalley's, Inc. (Tacoma);