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;

Exposure of a grinder at the Washington Coop Farmers Association. The workman appears to be changing a screen on the grinder. A chute to the right appears to feed the material to be ground, possibly grain, into the machine. There is another large pipe leading up from the machine. Photograph possibly taken inside the Association's feed mill.

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

Two boys, looking remarkably like twins, smile at the chef bearing a platter of cooked ham at the Carstens Packing Co.'s Christmas party. A variety of meats was offered for hungry guests at the December 9, 1956, gathering. Carstens was the largest independent meat packing company on the West Coast. Photograph ordered by Pacific National Advertising Agency, Seattle.

Carstens Packing Co. (Tacoma); Christmas--Tacoma; Meat;

Exterior of supermarket. It appears that the Food King supermarket was the latest occupant at (then) 1202 South "K" Street in 1957. It had previously been the site of the West End Hotel & Saloon, K St. Public Market, and Hogan's. Built by contractor Claude Purvis, it was designed by architect Lyle Swedberg. Taken on a rainy evening, lights from the closed store reflect on the wet streets. Food King followed the new trend in shopping with multiple floor to ceiling windows and bright lighting. A neon crown stands atop of the flat roof of the brick building. According to the 1957 City Directory, Walter Hogan was listed as owner of three Food King stores in the Tacoma area. The "K" Street Food King was managed by Gene Sweet. Photograph ordered by Birkenwald, Inc. TPL-3797 (TNT 1-15-57, A-6,7, 10)

Food King (Tacoma); Supermarkets--Tacoma; Grocery stores--Tacoma--1950-1960; Electric signs--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Copy of customer photograph. A young couple stand outside the doors of Nalley's in this undated photograph believed to be post-1971. They appear diminished in size compared to the large building and tower. This Nalley's plant is believed to be in Modesto, California, where a new food processing center went into production in 1971. Nalley's was founded in 1918 in Tacoma by Marcus Nalley and generations of Tacomans grew up devouring Nalley's potato chips, pickles, syrup and salad dressings. Photograph ordered on 12-6-74 by Nalley's. (Nalley's Nallevents, June/July 1971)

Nalley's, Inc. (Modesto, Calif.); Food industry--Modesto, California;

Copy of customer print, ordered by Nalley's on December 6, 1974. Large containers hold some of the many Nalley's processed foods in this undated post-1971 photograph. This is a part of the cannery believed to be in Modesto, California. Chili and beef stew were the first products to come off the line at that location in mid-1971. (Nalley's Nallevents, June-July 1971)

Nalley's, Inc. (Modesto, Calif.); Food industry--Modesto, California;

ca. 1931. Dennison & Company, chicken canners, Fern Hill. Belle and Lee Dennison founders of food line. This view of equipment at the cannery was taken circa 1931. See series 310, image 069 for exterior view of Dennison & Company.

Copy of customer photograph, ordered by Nalley's on December 6, 1974. This undated photograph is believed to be the loading dock area of Nalley's new Modesto, California plant. Ground was broken for the new food processing center there on April 9, 1970, for the multi-million dollar operation. It was anticipated that the center would have an ultimate capacity of 6 million cases per year. The processing center began production in mid-1971. (Nalley's Nallevents, Feb-Mar, 1970; Nalley's Nallevents, June/July 1971)

Nalley's, Inc. (Modesto, Calif.); Food industry--Modesto, California;

Extension of Sperry Flour Milling Co.

Sperry Flour Milling Co. (Tacoma);

Sperry Flour Milling Co. loading extension

Sperry Flour Milling Co. (Tacoma);

In 1943, Magic Foods Inc. opened a plant in Tacoma at 617 E. 25th St. to prepare quick-frozen, ready-to-serve dishes. This photograph shows Chef Ray Seger and his wife, Eunice, preparing one of his carefully tested recipes. Ready cooked dishes were aimed at busy housewives and war workers who did not have enough time to prepare more traditional meals. The five ready cooked meals available in July of 1943 were baked beans, green lima beans and ham, beef hash, chili con carne, and chicken a la king. Before becoming the chef for Magic Foods, Mr. Seger had been a chef at several of Tacoma's better restaurants. (T.Times, 7/30/1943, p.11; TNT, 7/29/1943, p.24)

Food industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Magic Foods, Inc. (Tacoma); Seger, Ray; Seger, Eunice;

Sperry Flour Co. Flour milling is one of the oldest industries in the Northwest. Sperry Flour Division in Tacoma was just one plant of the many throughout the West. The Tacoma plant did most of the international exporting. The company celebrated its 92nd anniversary this year. Exterior view of plant.

Flour & meal industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; General Mills, Inc., Sperry Division (Tacoma);

Nalley's original plant in downtown Tacoma at Puyallup Avenue & "D" Street. Built in 1929 by J.E. Bonnell & Son, contractors, the huge factory opened in February of 1930. Walker-Wilkeson cut stone and brick from Clay City were used in the design. Nalley's would move to the 3000 block of South Lawrence in the 1940's when they outgrew the Puyallup Avenue plant. This building would be purchased by the Salvation Army for use as a social and rehabilitation center in 1953. TPL-5863

Nalley's, Inc. (Tacoma); Industrial facilities--Tacoma--1950-1960; Food industry--Tacoma--1950-1960;

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;

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;

31st Anniversary of Nalley's Fine Foods. Mayor Val Fawcett, center, is flanked by company founder Marcus Nalley, right in photo, and company president L. Evert Landon; boxes of Nalley's products on floor (T.N.T., 8/25/49, p. 34).

Food industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Business people--Tacoma--1940-1950; Anniversaries--Tacoma--1940-1950; Landon, L. Evert; Nalley, Marcus; Fawcett, Clarence Valdo, 1900-1965; Mayors--Tacoma--1940-1950; Nalley's, Inc. (Tacoma)--Commemoration;

Nalley's Inc., founded by Marcus in 1918, celebrated its 31st anniversary in August of 1949. By then the company, which started by making potato chips, had grown to be a $10,000,000 per year business. Pictured, left to right, are Cecil Walrath, Joe Lehman, Cliff Wold, company founder Marcus Nalley, company president L. Evert Landon and Henry Willis.They are holding various Nalley's products, including: mayonnaise, "Tang" and "Lumber Jack Syrup." (T.N.T., 8/25/49, p. 34).

Food industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Business people--Tacoma--1940-1950; Anniversaries--Tacoma--1940-1950; Nalley, Marcus; Nalley's, Inc. (Tacoma)--Commemoration; Walrath, Cecil; Landon, L. Evert; Willis, Henry; Lehman, Joe; Wold, Cliff;

Mayor C. Val Fawcett commended Nalley's and he stated he knew Marcus Nalley when he was selling his potato chips to housewives from a basket. By 1949 the company employed more than 600 people. View of visitors touring the Nalley Valley facilities; they are seeing a Nalley's employee work with the assembly-line method used in manufacturing the famous potato chips (T.N.T., 8/25/49, p. 34).

Food industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Industrial facilities--Tacoma; Potato chips; Spectators--Tacoma--1940-1950; Assembly-line methods--Tacoma; Anniversaries--Tacoma--1940-1950; Nalley's, Inc. (Tacoma)--Commemoration;

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);

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);

Banquet at Carstens for retiring employee, O'Connell-Fagan, Denton. Emil T. Mortensen was retiring from Carstens Packing Company after 39 years. He started with Carstens in 1908 and served as floorman in the killing floor department. The entire department attended a steak dinner at the plant restaurant where Mr. Mortensen was presented a gold watch. Emil Mortensen is wearing the three-piece suit in the front row. His wife, Anna W., is next to him. Karl J. Maxwell, general manager of Carstens, is also in the front row with suit and bow tie. (T.Times, 8/25/1947, p.2)

Carstens Packing Co. (Tacoma); Meat industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Retirements--Tacoma--1940-1950; Employees--Tacoma--1940-1950; Mortensen, Emil T.; Mortensen, Anna W.; Maxwell, Karl J.;

In this photograph from September of 1947, workers at the Sperry Flour Company use sewing machines to sew 100 pound bags of flour closed after filling. The unidentified worker in the foreground weighs a bag on a scale with the sewing machine head next to his left hand. The line of work stations continues into the background. The Sperry Flour Company was on the waterfront in Tacoma on what is now Schuster Parkway. The flour operations at the mill ceased in 1965, and the last of the mill buildings was demolished in the late 1980s. TPL-8721

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

Shows flour sack being filled by machine. Brand of flour is Sperry's Golden Gate. This photograph was taken on October 2, 1947.

Flour & meal industry--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;

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;

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;

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;

General Mills supervisors, Mr. Meinecke, Sperry Flour Division. Nineteen men from the company, all but one wearing overalls and hats for their work with two policemen. One of the men wears a suit and hat. Several of the white hats say, "GMI, Safety First" on them.

General Mills, Inc., Sperry Division (Tacoma); Flour & meal industry--Tacoma; Mills--Tacoma; Employees--Tacoma--1940-1950; Police--Tacoma--1940-1950;

View of construction workers working on the General Mills Sperry Division expansion project. The men appear to be measuring, cutting, reviewing plans and getting the building materials ready for the flour mill. The expansion project was approved in 1947 and should be completed 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);