Sea trials of the newest Libby Boats. Ordered by Birchfield Boiler, Bob Dohrer. Two of the five Libby boats built for Libby, McNeil and Libby of Seattle during 1950 and 1951 for fishing in Alaska. They were powered by Chrysler Royal marine engines with 3.16 to 1 reduction gears from National Supply Engine Corp of Seattle and equipped with Onan generators from Fremeon Electric Company of Seattle. A Rowe seine winch was operated off the power takeoff from the main engine. (Marine Digest, 7/28/1951; Pacific Fisherman, Yearbook 1951, p.124)

Birchfield Boiler, Inc. (Tacoma); Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Fishing boats--Tacoma--1950-1960; Ship trials--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Launching the "Historic" at J.M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corporation. Sponsored by Mrs. Carl Silva, wife of the engineer-to-be and part owner, the new tuna clipper was built for Oliver Verissimo and Assoc. of San Diego TPL-9049

Launchings--Tacoma--1950-1960; Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Fishing boats--Tacoma--1950-1960; J.M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corp. (Tacoma);

Honoring old time employees aboard the "Thea Foss". Two women enjoying event in cabin of boat. Portrait of Thea Foss on cabinet behind pair. Foss Tug and Launch Company.

Foss Launch & Tug Co. (Tacoma); Tugboats--Tacoma--1950-1960; Foss Launch & Tug Co. (Tacoma)--employees;

Exposure aboard the "Thea Foss" tugboat honoring longtime employees of the Foss Launch & Tug Company. The man standing in the rear of the picture is Henry O. Foss, President of the company. Foss was a family owned business that both built and operated tug boats. The Foss empire was begun by Thea Foss, a Norwegian immigrant, in 1889 when she scraped up five dollars to buy a neighbor's rowboat, spruced it up & sold it at a profit. She was soon purchasing and renting a fleet of rowboats, with the assistance of her husband Andrew. From rowboats, they branched out into motorized launches and tug boats.

Foss Launch & Tug Co. (Tacoma); Tugboats--Tacoma--1950-1960; Foss Launch & Tug Co. (Tacoma)--employees; Foss, Henry O., 1891-1986;

On the evening of March 19, 1951, a major fire broke out at the Baker Dock, 300 Schuster Parkway, on Tacoma's waterfront when a lift truck that was receiving maintenance backfired. Gil Keske, the dock employee who was working on the lift truck when it backfired, tried to put out the fire with a hand fire extinguisher. When the extinguisher failed to put out the fire, he grabbed a few handtools and escaped before the whole repair shop caught fire. The fire was fought by 9 fire department companies, the city fireboat and 4 Foss Launch & Tug Co. firefighting tugs. The damage to the center section of the warehouse, dock and contents was estimated at $250,000. A fire wall and the absence of a wind aided firemen in keeping the blaze from spreading to the remainder of the facility and the adjoining Shaffer Terminal. (TNT 3/20/1951, pg. 1)

Fires--Tacoma--1950-1960; Baker Dock (Tacoma); Fireboats--Tacoma--1950-1960;

On July 29, 1950, the Tacoma Naval Station was the scene of the recommissioning of the escort carrier U.S.S. Sitkoh Bay (CVE-86), twenty days after the orders came through to "take her out of mothballs". Captain H.B. Butterfield, representing the Commander Pacific Reserve Fleet, read the directive placing the ship in commission. Captain C.W. Lord accepted command of the ship from Captain Butterfield. The Sitkoh Bay, named for a small bay in southeastern Alaska, was originally commissioned in Astoria, Oregon, on March 28, 1944. The escort carrier participated in many engagements during World War II, including Palau, the Philippines, Okinawa, and Japan. The Sitkoh Bay transported a total of 2032 aircraft, 10,716 passengers and traveled 182,618 miles before being decommissioned at the end of the war. (TNT 7-30-50, p.1)

U.S.S. Sitkoh Bay; Aircraft carriers;

Phil Seymour, a North-end auto mechanic, built this cabin cruiser, "Sea-More", with friends in idle moments over a period of nine months outside his auto shop. Seymour hands a pair of slacks to a woman kneeling on top of the boat. His auto repair shop, Seymour's Big Six Garage, is shown in the background. (T.Times 4/26/43 p.1.)

Boats--Tacoma--1940-1950; World War, 1939-1945--Transportation--Tacoma; Coast defenses--Tacoma--1940-1950; Couples--Tacoma--1940-1950; Seymour, Phil; Seymour's Big Six Garage (Tacoma);

Three of the Coast Guard's fire barges are photographed during the May 7, 1943 drill off Old Town Dock. The vessels can pump 4,000 gallons of water a minute each and move very quickly across the water. (T. Times 5/8/1943, pg. 3)

Fireboats--Tacoma--1940-1950; Commencement Bay (Wash.);

Coast Guard off Old Town Dock in Commencement Bay with fire barges. The fire barges are displaying streams of water used to extinguish marine fires. Brown's Point is visible in the background. (T.Times, 5/10/43, p.14.)

Fireboats--Tacoma--1940-1950; Commencement Bay (Wash.);

One of the five Coast Guard fire barges stationed in Tacoma showed off its pumping ability during a May 7, 1943 drill. The barges were propelled by two engines at the rear and could move across the water very rapidly. (T. Times 5/8/1943, pg. 3)

Fireboats--Tacoma--1940-1950; Commencement Bay (Wash.);

ca. 1943. Fishing Fleet. A man waves "so-long" from the deck of a fishing vessel in this circa 1943 photograph. An American flag has been hoisted behind him. The man's name was not provided.

Fishing boats--1940-1950; Flags--United States;

Coverage of twin launching at McNeil. Boat with flags strung from bow to bow moored in water next to wharf. Markings indicate that it was a U.S. Army tugboat, either T-88 or T-89, both of which were launched at McNeil on June 17, 1943. Both tugs were 65-ft. long with 16-ft beams. Douglas fir was used for everything except stem, sternposts and trim. The tugs were powered by Diesel engines. They were built for the Army Transport Service by McNeil Island inmates. (T.Times 6-18-1943, p. 1,3- alt. photo)

Launchings--McNeil Island; Boat & ship industry--McNeil Island; Tugboats--McNeil Island;

Coverage of twin launchings at McNeil Island. Vessel in water adjacent to wharf with a one-story building on it. 100 guests from the Mainland and proud inmate builders celebrated the launching of two 65-ft. tugboats built for the U.S. Army on June 17, 1943. WWII saw the revival of the shipbuilding program on McNeil which had seen the last ship constructed there by inmates way back in 1907. By June of 1943, three ships had been launched and of the three, one delivered to the Army in November of 1942. (T.Times 6-18-1943, p. 1,3-various photographs)

Launchings--McNeil Island; Boat & ship industry--McNeil Island; Tugboats--McNeil Island;

Coverage of twin launchings at McNeil Island. Close view of decorated wooden vessel, one of two sister tugs, waiting to be sent down the ways on June 17, 1943. Many spectators lean eagerly over the railings overlooking the ship. The tugs were built by prison labor. (T.Times 6-18-1943, p. 1,3-alt. photo)

Launchings--McNeil Island; Boat & ship industry--McNeil Island; Tugboats--McNeil Island;

Petrich Boat Building. US Army Transportation Corps. Hull no. 8 - TP225, 96' Wooden Utility Boat, Design #333, Petrich Shipbuilding Corp., Tacoma.

U.S. Army Transportation Corps; Boats--Tacoma--1940-1950; World War, 1939-1945--Transportation--Tacoma; Petrich Shipbuilding Corp. (Tacoma);

Peterson boat "Americano." Peterson Boat Building Co. was founded by George Peterson in 1942. They are a small but busy shipyard who recently received a government contract to build Army tugs. View of "Americano," a tuna clipper built by Peterson Boat Building Co. TPL-8866

Fishing boats--Tacoma--1940-1950; Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Peterson Boat Building Co. (Tacoma); Ship trials--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Peterson boat "Americano." View of fishing boat taken on July 10, 1944, probably in Commencement Bay. Peterson Boat Building Co. was founded by George Peterson in 1942. They are a small but busy shipyard. Peterson Boat Building Company's general manager was George J. Peterson, the company's plant was located on 223 East F Street in Tacoma. View of "Americano," a tuna clipper built by Peterson Boat Building Co. TPL-8997

Fishing boats--Tacoma--1940-1950; Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Peterson Boat Building Co. (Tacoma); Ship trials--Tacoma--1940-1950;

The U.S. Army tug ST-472 was launched by Pacific Boat Building Co. on March 5, 1944. The wood ship is pictured above sliding down the ways.

Launchings--Tacoma--1940-1950; Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Tugboats--Tacoma--1940-1950; Pacific Boat Building Co. (Tacoma);

Sea Boy launching. Sea Boy is the 10th boat built and the 9th launched from the Puget Sound Boatbuilding Corp. site. It is the fourth seine boat built at this shipyard. View of Sea Boy, an 85 ft. sardine boat being launched into City Waterway (T. Times, 7/1/44, p. 4). TPL-8865

Launchings--Tacoma--1940-1950; Fishing boats--Tacoma; Puget Sound Boat Building Corp. (Tacoma);

This is the newly launched Tug ST-472 on March 5, 1944. She was built by Pacific Boat Building Co. of Tacoma for the U.S. Army.

Launchings--Tacoma--1940-1950; Tugboats--Tacoma--1940-1950; Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Pacific Boat Building Co. (Tacoma);

Pacific Boat Building Co. received a government contract to build four barges for the Army. All vessels were to be built with wood, diesel powered and sea-going. View of hull building progress for 88 foot self propelled cargo barge at Pacific Boat plant.

Barges--Tacoma; Structural frames--Tacoma; Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Pacific Boat Building Co. (Tacoma);

Western Boat Building Co. was started by Martin Petrich Sr. With the help of his five sons, Harvey, Allen, Martin Jr., Jim and Jack, it became a well known and respected business in Tacoma. They built government vessels, commercial fishing vessels and pleasure boats. Allen Petrich, Sr., is pictured above in September of 1944, driving the "Patty," a modified tuna tender. The tuna tender was a small boat that could be carried aboard the large tuna clippers and used to get to a dock and back. (Additional identification and information provided by a reader)

Boats--Tacoma--1940-1950; Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Western Boat Building Co. (Tacoma); Petrich, Allen;

Tacoma Boat Building Company completed the sardine seiner, North American, in 1944. This boat was said to be one of the most modern sardine boats ever to be built. Tacoma Boat Building was owned by H. Dahl and A. Strom, who were dedicated to building quality fishing vessels for North Pacific fishermen. View of two unidentified men aboard the North American. TPL-8879

Fishing boats--Tacoma; Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Tacoma Boat Building Co., Inc. (Tacoma);

Puget Sound boat. Sea Boy is an 85 ft. sardine boat built by Puget Sound Boat Building Corp. It was built for Bill and Ted Healy. This boat is the fourth seine boat built at the Puget Sound yard. View of Sea Boy out on Puget Sound. TPL-9116

Fishing boats--Tacoma; Puget Sound Boat Building Corp. (Tacoma); Ship trials--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Pacific Boat Building Co. was working on four barges for the Army in 1944 and also had other government contracts to build purse seiners. View of the U. S. Army B.S.P. 3131, an 88 foot self propelled cargo barge and Paddy_Craig boat, built by Tacoma Boatbuilding Co.

Government vessels--Tacoma; Barges--Tacoma; Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Pacific Boat Building Co. (Tacoma);

Pacific Boat Building Co. was working on four barges for the Army, they also had other government contracts to build purse seiners. View of three unidentified ship builders on board the U. S. Army B.S.P. 3131, an 88 foot self propelled cargo barge. The barge was made of wood, diesel powered and would be a sea going vessel.

Government vessels--Tacoma; Barges--Tacoma; Laborers--Tacoma; Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Pacific Boat Building Co. (Tacoma);

Pacific Boat Building Co. received a government contract to build four barges for the Army. View of U. S. Army B.S.P. 3131, an 88 foot self propelled cargo barge with double diesel powered engines. The B.S.P. 3131 is the second barge, of the order, to be completed and launched by Pacific Boat.

Government vessels--Tacoma; Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Pacific Boat Building Co. (Tacoma);

Pacific Boat Building Co. received a government contract to build four barges. The U. S. Army B.S.P. 3135 was the first barge completed of the four barges ordered by the Army. Stern view of U. S. Army B.S.P. 3135, an 88 foot self propelled cargo barge with double diesel engines.

Government vessels--Tacoma; Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Pacific Boat Building Co. (Tacoma);

Minnie (Mrs. John) Flintoff smiled at the camera above her enormous bouquet of roses after sponsoring the launch of the minesweeper YMS 244 on December 18, 1942. Her husband John was the outfitting foreman at Tacoma Boat Building Co. She posed next to her daughter Dorothy. The Flintoff family resided at 1112 So. Oakes and included John Jr. and Bentley, who was serving with the US Air Corps. (T. Times 12/23/1942, pg. 16)

Launchings--Tacoma--1940-1950; Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Tacoma Boat Building Co., Inc. (Tacoma); Flintoff, Minnie; Flintoff, Dorothy; Flintoff, John--Family;

Pacific Boat Building Co. completed the second of four barges ordered by the Army. The U. S. Army B.S.P. 3131, was an 88 foot self propelled cargo barge with double diesel engines. Interior view of engine room with steering wheel, compass, gauges and engine controls visible.

Helms; Engine rooms--Tacoma; Government vessels--Tacoma; Compasses; Pacific Boat Building Co. (Tacoma);