The Tacoma Afifi Shriners were boarding a special train at Union Depot and heading to Helena, Montana for the Pacific Northwest Shrine Association Annual Conclave. They would first travel to Spokane, where additional train cars would be added and Spokane Shriners would travel with them to Helena. The Shriners would be sleeping in the train cars during their trip, due to a shortage of lodging in Montana. View of Afifi Shriners with their families seeing them off at Union Depot (T. Times, 4/25/47, p. 1).
Railroad locomotives--Tacoma; Railroads--Tacoma; Fraternal organizations--Tacoma; Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (Tacoma); Union Station (Tacoma); Railroad travel--Tacoma--1940-1950;
Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad's "Hiawathian" would make daily round trips between Tacoma and Avery, Idaho. This new train had a modern diesel engine, with two pistons to each cylinder, which came together on compression and separated on explosion. The two crankshafts are geared together at one end, and the lower crankshaft is the main one that drives the generator and air compressor on the same shaft (T. Times, 2/26/47, p. 3-A).
Railroad locomotives--Tacoma; Railroad cars--Tacoma; Railroads--Tacoma; Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad Co. (Tacoma);
Cheney Lumber Company. Three loggers in one of the Cheney Lumber camps prepare to bring down another large tree to be cut into lumber. Ben B. Cheney started the Cheney Lumber Company 1936. Prior to this time large amounts of wood were wasted in the production of railroad ties and studding used in construction. Mr. Cheney was troubled by this and had an idea that by making studding in a standard 8 foot length much of the waste could be saved. He went to the tie mills and bought their waste and cut it into studs, thereby making an industry. Cheney Lumber Company's 7 plants produced 1 million studs per day. Ben Cheney was credited with standardizing architecture in America with his methods for mass-producing studing. (TNT, 6/11/1960)
Douglas Fir Plywood Association. Two men stand by a display for K-Veneer and its uses. Numerous new plywood products were exhibited such as surfacings for panels and combination products, some manufactured from sawdust and other substances previously considered waste. (T.Times, 6/11/1947, p.1)
Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Meetings--Tacoma--1940-1950;
Demonstration of farm machinery, Machinery Manufacturing and Sales Inc., Bob Airey. Logs are moved up to a portable sawmill along a chain conveyor belt. Men operate the machinery while others watch the machinery in operation. Harrison Brothers, building materials and excavating contractors, are seen on the adjacent property at 225 Wakefield Drive. Taller buildings are seen in the background. TPL-3826
Logs; Machinery; Machinery industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Machinery Manufacturing & Sales, Inc. (Tacoma);
Pacific Boat Building Company, sea trials of "Sun King". A view of Sun King's starboard side. Pacific Boat Building Company was operated by John B. and Robert J. Breskovich and Joseph S. Rosin at this time. TPL-8933
Pacific Boat Building Company, sea trials of "Sun King". An aerial view of Sun King showing her decks. This tuna clipper was 112 ft. x 26.5 ft. x 14 ft. She was built for Joseph Fernandes and Sun Harbor Packing Company of San Diego. She was a sister ship of Sun Voyager and had a 550 h.p engine. (Pacific Fisherman Yearbook 1949, p. 301 & 320) TPL-8932
Window Display at Union Pacific Railroad ticket office. Promotion for Streamliner Passenger Rail Service from Tacoma to Portland in center, small World War II poster at right. The office was housed in the Drury building. The main address for the office was 112-18 So. 9th St. Known as Transportation Row, it housed the offices of the Northern Pacific, Great Northern, Union Pacific and Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul railroads from 1926-1975. The office had been remodeled in May of 1942.
Railroad companies--Tacoma; Union Pacific Railroad Co. (Tacoma); Offices--Tacoma--1950-1960;
The newly constructed office building at Peterson Boat Building Co. The shipyard was founded by father and son George and John Peterson. Their yard adjoined the Foss Yard (225 E F) at the outer edge of the Middle Waterway. The small yard was in the final stages of construction in early 1943 and preparing for operation. Their specialty was fishing vessels. They continued in business at this site, until it burned in 1969.
Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Charts; Peterson Boat Building Co. (Tacoma);
Auxiliary Motor Minesweeper YMS 241. The minesweeper was built at Tacoma Boat Building, with the hull laid in May of 1942 and the vessel completed by February of 1943. It was commissioned as the USS YMS 241. The boat was transferred to the Soviet Union in July of 1945 as T-591. It was struck from the naval register in October of 1956 and scrapped. During the war, it was used to sweep mines laid by enemy subs. (www.navesource.org)
Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Tacoma Boat Building Co., Inc. (Tacoma); Boats--1940-1950;
Photographs from a dinner for Charles D. Gillet, hosted by the Seattle-Tacoma Shipyard. Mr. Gillet is listed in the 1942 City Directory as a "loftsman" at Sea-Tac. He and his wife Louise resided at 5112 N. 46th St. The location of the dinner party is unknown.
Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corp. (Tacoma)--People; Gillet, Charles D.--Celebrations;
Henry Mill and Timber Company along the Tacoma waterfront. Henry Mill began operations at this site in 1925. Prefabricated trusses can be seen in the foreground. During the World War II, the company specialized in prefabricated bridges and hangars for the military.
Pacific Iron & Steel Works, 1602 Canal St.(now Portland Ave.) The worker appears tiny next to a large piece of machinery in the foundry and the steel manufactured piece that he is working on.
Pacific Iron & Steel Works (Tacoma); Foundries--Tacoma--1940-1950; Steel industry--Tacoma-- 1940-1950;
Interior of Pacific Iron & Steel Works at 1602 Canal St. (now Portland Ave.) The foundry was built in 1914. The company produced heavy machinery for logging, hoisting, dredging and farming, as well as steel castings. The 1942 City Directory gives the company address as 1602, the pattern shop as 1801 Canal and the plant as 1601 Canal.
Pacific Iron & Steel Works (Tacoma); Foundries--Tacoma--1940-1950; Steel industry--Tacoma-- 1940-1950;
Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Company. An exterior view showing a cooling system at the rear of the building. Refer to D28,041-2 for a more detailed view of the cooling system.
Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington (Tacoma); Chemical industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Factories--Tacoma;
Connors Steel & Supply. A railroad car with a winch on one half of the car, the other half is covered with a light structure similar to a caboose. A man stands leaning against the siding of the structure.
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
Shiploading aluminum ingots at Shaffer Terminal #3, Permanente Metals, Pat Love. An artistic shot of shiploading at Shaffer Terminals, Inc. The men are loading aluminum from Permanente Metals Corporation through the hatch of an Argentine government freighter, the Palamar. (T.Times, 8/28/1947, p.1)
Shiploading aluminum ingots at Shaffer Terminal #3, Permanente Metals, Pat Love. An artistic shot of shiploading at Shaffer Terminals, Inc. Aluminum from Permanente Metals Corporation is being loaded through the hatch of an Argentine government freighter, the Palamar. The aluminum was produced at Permanente Metals Corp.'s Spokane reduction plant. It was hauled across the state by rail and delivered to Shaffer Terminals. (T.Times, 8/28/1947, p.1)
