This is the office of Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. (commonly known as Pennsalt), located in Tacoma's tideflats area, in January of 1952. The big chemical plant covered 40 acres on the Hylebos Waterway. The Ionic columns are believed to have been manufactured by the (Washington) Mutual Fir Column Co. who were neighbors of Pennsalt.

Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington (Tacoma); Chemical industry--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington had its headquarters in Tacoma. Despite its name, Pennsalt did not produce table salt but instead was a basic manufacturer of chemicals from salt. It, along with Hooker Electrochemical, supplied caustic soda and chlorine to the Pacific Northwest's pulp and paper industry. View of some of the machinery used by Pennsalt in their Tideflats plant; these are believed to be rotary converters used to convert AC power to direct current. Photograph ordered by Edwin Cliffe, supt. of Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington. (Additional information provided by a reader)

Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington (Tacoma); Chemical industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Machinery;

Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington had long been established in Tacoma; it was to celebrate its 25th anniversary locally in 1954. It started with a 40 acre tract of land on the Hylebos Waterway and has steadily expanded, adding new buildings and machinery, to fill the needs of the pulp and paper industry. View of machinery in Pennsalt plant; this may be a large burner. Photograph ordered by Edwin Cliffe.

Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington (Tacoma); Chemical industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Machinery;

Interior view of Tacoma Electrochemical Co.'s Tideflats plant was taken on March 1, 1932. An unidentified worker watches the gauge on tank #3 as he turns the wheel. This site would eventually become the Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington. G33.1-151

Tacoma Electrochemical Co. (Tacoma); Industrial facilities--Tacoma--1930-1940; Gauges; Chemical industry--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Interior view of Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington plant which was taken in June of 1937. The chemical firm was established on 40 acres located in the industrial Tideflats area. It produced chlorine and other chemicals to serve the pulp and paper industry. This view of one section of the plant shows ladders, ductwork, gauges and steel/concrete beams.

Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington (Tacoma); Industrial facilities--Tacoma--1930-1940; Chemical industry--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Mayor John Anderson (left) assists Edwin L. Cliffe, superintendent of the Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington, with a chemistry demonstration on April 3, 1957. Mr. Cliffe was explaining the benefits of the chemical industry to the mayor in preparation for National Chemical Progress Week April 8-12th. The Tacoma area, home to Hooker Electrochemical, Kaiser Aluminum, Pennsalt, Reichhold Chemicals, St. Regis Paper Co., and DuPont de Nemours of DuPont, was the hub in the Pacific Northwest for the production and sale of chemicals. Publicity for Pennsalt Chemical Company. (TNT 4-10-57, D-3 article) ALBUM 14

Mayors--Tacoma--1950-1960; Anderson, John H.; Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington (Tacoma); Pennsalt (Tacoma); Cliffe, Edwin L.; Chemical industry--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Worker at Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Company inspecting pressure gauge. During World War II Penn Salt produced chemicals important in manufacturing ammunitions products. (T.Times, 2/23/44)

World War, 1939-1945--Economic & industrial aspects--Tacoma; Chemical industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Working class--Tacoma--1940-1950; Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington (Tacoma); Factories--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Two men are pictured hard at work, the one on the right reading a gauge, in May of 1943 at the Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co.

World War, 1939-1945--Economic & industrial aspects--Tacoma; Chemical industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Working class--Tacoma--1940-1950; Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington (Tacoma); Factories--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Two male and one female employees are pictured in May of 1943, hard at work at the Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co.

World War, 1939-1945--Economic & industrial aspects--Tacoma; Chemical industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Working class--Tacoma--1940-1950; Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington (Tacoma); Factories--Tacoma--1940-1950;

A man is working with machinery in May of 1943 at the Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. "PennSalt" manufactured chemicals for use in other industries. During World War II, they stepped up production to include chemicals needed to make ammunitions.

World War, 1939-1945--Economic & industrial aspects--Tacoma; Chemical industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Working class--Tacoma--1940-1950; Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington (Tacoma); Factories--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Two employees are pictured in May of 1943 with drums of chemicals manufactured by Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. The man is jotting down notes on a clipboard.

World War, 1939-1945--Economic & industrial aspects--Tacoma; Chemical industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Working class--Tacoma--1940-1950; Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington (Tacoma); Factories--Tacoma--1940-1950;

One of the business offices was photographed in May of 1943 at the Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. "Penn Salt" manufactured chemicals used by other industries. During World War II, they increased production to included chemicals needed by the ammunitions industry.

World War, 1939-1945--Economic & industrial aspects--Tacoma; Chemical industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Working class--Tacoma--1940-1950; Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington (Tacoma); Factories--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Worker at Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Company inspecting pressure gauge in May of 1943. During World War II Penn Salt produced chemicals important in manufacturing ammunitions products. (T.Times, 2/23/44)

World War, 1939-1945--Economic & industrial aspects--Tacoma; Chemical industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Working class--Tacoma--1940-1950; Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington (Tacoma); Factories--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Three security officers were photographed in May of 1943 outside of the Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co.

World War, 1939-1945--Economic & industrial aspects--Tacoma; Chemical industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Working class--Tacoma--1940-1950; Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington (Tacoma); Factories--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Two men wheel barrels of chemicals on dollies, preparing to load them for shipment at the Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. "PennSalt," during World War II, manufactured chemicals for use in the ammunitions industry.

World War, 1939-1945--Economic & industrial aspects--Tacoma; Chemical industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Working class--Tacoma--1940-1950; Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington (Tacoma); Factories--Tacoma--1940-1950;

In 1943 the United States celebrated the second wartime Mother's Day of WWII. Hundreds of local mothers took jobs in Tacoma's industrial plants to help the war effort. Women employees like these photographed at the Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. helped the company that year achieve the coveted "E" pennant for efficiency in production. During the war, much of the American work force was composed of women who had replaced the thousands of men serving in the Armed Forces. (T.Times 5-8-43, p. 1-article)

World War, 1939-1945--Economic & industrial aspects--Tacoma; Chemical industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington (Tacoma); Factories--Tacoma--1940-1950; Women--Tacoma--1940-1950;

A male and a female worker were photographed during their regular daily tasks in May of 1943 at the Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co.

World War, 1939-1945--Economic & industrial aspects--Tacoma; Chemical industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Working class--Tacoma--1940-1950; Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington (Tacoma); Factories--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Worker with oil can at Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Company plant. After the war Penn Salt would return to manufacturing household and industrial goods: chlorine, hydrogen gas, caustic soda, sodium arsenate, sodium and potassium chlorate, and sodium hypochlorite. (T.Times, 2/23/43)

World War, 1939-1945--Economic & industrial aspects--Tacoma; Chemical industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Working class--Tacoma--1940-1950; Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington (Tacoma); Factories--1940-1950;

Two workers at the Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. are photographed loading a freight railroad car with barrels of chemicals for shipment. During World War II, the company manufactured chemicals vital to the war industry.

World War, 1939-1945--Economic & industrial aspects--Tacoma; Chemical industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Working class--Tacoma--1940-1950; Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington (Tacoma); Factories--Tacoma--1940-1950;

A group of workmen posed in May of 1943 at the Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co.

World War, 1939-1945--Economic & industrial aspects--Tacoma; Chemical industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Working class--Tacoma--1940-1950; Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington (Tacoma); Factories--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Exterior of Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Company with one of the plant's gardeners in overalls and cap admiring the iris bed. Penn Salt was located on the Tacoma tideflats, along the Hylebos Waterway. TPL-8556

World War, 1939-1945--Economic & industrial aspects--Tacoma; Chemical industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Working class--Tacoma--1940-1950; Gardens--Tacoma--1940-1950; Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington (Tacoma);

Worker in leather gloves was photographed working on a piece of machinery in May of 1943 at the Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co.

World War, 1939-1945--Economic & industrial aspects--Tacoma; Chemical industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Working class--Tacoma--1940-1950; Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington (Tacoma); Factories--Tacoma--1940-1950;

In May of 1943, workers at Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. move barrels of chemicals on dollies. Many of these barrels will be shipped to the ammunitions industry.

World War, 1939-1945--Economic & industrial aspects--Tacoma; Chemical industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Working class--Tacoma--1940-1950; Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington (Tacoma); Factories--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Interior view of Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Company with man in overalls and cap reading gauges and dials on Boiler No. 2 Control Panel. Also shown are paper readouts, other gauges, a clock and pipes with turn-off valves.

World War, 1939-1945--Economic & industrial aspects--Tacoma; Chemical industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Working class--Tacoma--1940-1950; Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington (Tacoma);