A small group of visitors stand in front of the Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Company of Washington's Taylor Way plant. Nearby is a tank used to contain liquid chlorine, one of Pennsalt's many chemical products. The company opened its doors for a celebration of its parent firm's 100th anniversary which included tours, demonstrations, and refreshments. (TNT 8-6-50, p. A-9)

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

ca. 1943. Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Company, formerly Tacoma Electrochemical Company. Crowd gathered for star award ceremony outside office building, a one-story brick building with weather vane on roof. Photograph was taken circa 1943.

Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington (Tacoma)--Employees; Crowds--Tacoma--1940-1950; Chemical industry--Tacoma--1940-1950;

ca. 1943. Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Company, formerly Tacoma Electrochemical Company. Large crowd including employees watches as flags are raised during star award ceremony occurring circa 1943.

Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington (Tacoma)--Employees; Crowds--Tacoma--1940-1950; Chemical industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Flags--United States;

A Pennsalt guide explains to interested visitors how caustic-chlorine is created during Pennsalt's 100th anniversary open house. Despite its name, Pennsalt does not produce ordinary table salt. It does, however, produce caustic and chlorine from coarse gray California salt for pulp mills. Brine flows into cylinders and caustic soda drains off at the bottom with chlorine gas emerging from the top. These chemical products are then shipped back to California by tanker for a profit. (TNT 8-6-50, p.A-9, Seattle Times, 7-4-54, p.2)

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

A large display of drawings was exhibited at the Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Company of Washington's open house held at its tideflats plant on August 8, 1950. The display commemorates the 100th anniversary of the firm's parent company, Pennsalt, and shows a series of illustrations regarding its history.

Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington (Tacoma); Pennsalt (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;

Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. Family Day; employees' picnic and open house. An unidentified group of employees stands in front of a display case set up for the open house. Wives, husbands and children of employees were invited on this day to tour the plant. A brief program was devoted to safety measures practiced at the plant. Lunch for 300 employees and their visitors was followed by a tour of the plant. The manufacturing facility opened on the Tideflats in June of 1929 as Tacoma Electro-Chemical Co. Despite its deceptive name, Pennsalt manufactured industrial chemicals, some of which were used in the manufacture of pulp and paper. (TNT 9/6/1953, pg. A-12)

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

Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington: yard employees' Christmas party. Employees sit at long tables arranged between what appear to be containers of the company's chemicals. Employees eat a holiday meal of soup, bread and coffee poured from a large urn into paper cups.

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

Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Company. An interior view of the plant. Three large funnels are shown with large tanks in the background. One man is painting some of the metal surfaces of the internal structures. Another man is standing reviewing the process.

Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington (Tacoma); Chemical industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Factories--Tacoma;

Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Company. An interior view of the plant showing a line of very large storage tanks along the left side. On the right are stacks of bagged materials.

Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington (Tacoma); Chemical industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Tanks (Storage); Factories--Tacoma;

Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Company. A view of a large ventilating or cooling system on the exterior of one of the buildings at the plant yards. Several series of narrow tubes stand vertically with dials visible at the front. One series of four tubes run from underground to a square metal box near the middle of the apparatus.

Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington (Tacoma); Chemical industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Factories--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Several shots at plant to be used as mural at Poodle Dog, Penn Salt Manufacturing Co., Mr. Shanaman. Two workers check rows of tanks at Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Company. The company was a manufacturer of basic chemicals from salt including caustic soda, chlorine, sodium hypochlorite, hydrogen, dairy and poultry germicides, special chemical cleaners and dry cleaning products.

Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington (Tacoma); Factories--Tacoma--1940-1950; Chemical industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Poodle Dog (Fife);

Pennsalt; Plant & employees for magazine. This appears, from the large number of adding machines, to be the accounting department. Construction of the Pennsylvania Salt plant began in 1928; production of chemicals began in 1929. The 40 acre Tacoma plant was the western headquarters for the Philadelphia, Pa., parent company. Raw materials were brought to the plant by ship and rail. Pennsalt was the major consumer of city water and power.

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

Pennsalt; Plant & employees for magazine. President and general manager Fred C. Shanaman sits at the desk. Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co., with 40 acres on the Hylebos Waterway, was one of the larger plants in the Tideflats industrial section of Tacoma. It was the Western headquarters for its parent company, the world's largest chemical manufacturing firm. The company had other branches at Portland and Bryan, Texas. Together, the three branches produced an estimated 6 million dollars worth of products annually. The main products were sodium arsenate, hydrogen & sodium hypochlorite, chlorine salt, caustic soda and DDT. These products were used in pulp, paper, plywood and soap manufacturing and in sanitation.

Chemical industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington (Tacoma)--Employees; Shanaman, Frederick Charles, 1901-1982;

A view of the exterior of Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Company's facilities showing the proximity of the railroad spur to one of the buildings. A stack is seen over the building. Pennsalt's expansion program begun in 1951 was to include four structures, the largest of which was to be an 80 x 120-foot section of the primary production room. (TNT, 7/29/1951)

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

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;

A "Sreen", a high bias installation at Penn Salt.

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

Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. Family Day; employees' picnic and open house. Photograph labelled, left to right, Sgt. Bob Marshall, Mr. Fred Shanaman & Ed Sorger. Sgt. Marshall was the head of the Tacoma Police Department's Safety Division, Fred Shanaman was president and general manager of the company and Ed Sorger was Washington State's Safety Supervisor. The trio stand in front of a display case containing a trophy, certificates and memorabilia of the company's safety record. In 1950 & 52, Pennsalt won the National Safety Council's Award of Merit for no "lost time accidents" and the Pennsalt national award for best yearly safety record. Pennsalt opened on the Tideflats in June of 1929. The 40 acre plant manufactured industrial chemicals. (TNT 9/6/1953, pg. A-12)

Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington (Tacoma)--Employees; Chemical industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Factories--Tacoma--1950-1960; Marshall, Bob; Sorger, Ed; Shanaman, Frederick Charles, 1901-1982;

ca. 1940. Pennsylvania Salt Mfg. Co. Gauges for Boiler No.2. The large chemical producing company was located in the Tideflats, along the Hylebos Waterway.

Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington (Tacoma); Gauges; Chemical industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Industrial facilities--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Pennsalt display. Eight young women gather around a Pennsalt display on August 4, 1950. The large panel next to them shows the chemicals--caustic soda, chlorine, and hydrogen--that Pennsalt produces from raw salt and further illustrates in what these chemicals are used. These range from textile bleaching to commercial refrigeration to cosmetics. Pennsalt went on to celebrate its 100th anniversary on August 8, 1950, with a well-attended open house at its Tacoma plant on the tideflats. (TNT 8-6-50, p. A-9)

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

The Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Company of Washington's Taylor Way plant opened its doors for visitors to help celebrate its parent company's 100th anniversary. Founded in Natrona, Pennsylvania, in 1850, the firm has grown into a nationwide chain of eight manufacturing plants and research laboratories. Pennsalt does not make table salt. It does, however, make more than 300 chemical products ranging from small bottles of bactercide to multi-ton tank cars of acid. (TNT 8-6-50, p. A-9)

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

The Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Company of Washington's Taylor Way plant opened its doors for visitors to help celebrate its parent company's 100th anniversary on August 8, 1950. Founded in Natrona, Pennsylvania, in 1850, the firm has grown into a nationwide chain of eight manufacturing plants and research laboratories. Pennsalt does not make table salt. It does, however, make more than 300 chemical products ranging from small bottles of bactercide to multi-ton tank cars of acid. (TNT 8-6-50, p. A-9)

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

An unidentified group of men and women stand in front of the Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Company of Washington's Tacoma plant on August 8, 1950. They are there to celebrate the centennial of the founding of its parent firm. Pennsalt opened its doors in Pennsylvania in 1850 with household lye as its first profitable product. Pennsalt does not produce any common or table salt but does manufacture basic chemicals from salt. (TNT 8-6-50, p. A-9)

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

Visitors to the Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Company of Washington's open house on August 8, 1950, enjoy refreshments under a large tent. Food was catered by Ben-Dews, whose delivery truck is parked nearby. The plant, located at 2901 Taylor Way, opened its doors to celebrate the 100th anniversary of its parent firm, Pennsalt.

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

A large crowd awaits entry to the Pennsalt open house as the Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Company of Washington helps to celebrate its parent firm's 100th anniversary. The Tacoma plant went into operation in June, 1929, at its tideflats location of 2901 Taylor Way. Construction of the 40 acre plant had begun a year earlier when it was called Tacoma Electro-Chemical Co. (TNT 8-6-50, A-9)

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

The Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Company of Washington held an open house on August 8, 1950, to officially celebrate its parent firm's 100th anniversary. The Pennsalt tideflats location at 2901 Taylor Way welcomed a large crowd of visitors and employees. Despite its name, Pennsalt did not make common table salt but did manufacture more than 300 chemical products. (TNT 8-6-50, A-9)

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

Ten women pose in front of a Pennsalt display during the company's 100th anniversary celebration. Pennsalt's Tacoma location on Taylor Way opened its doors on August 8, 1950, so that visitors could tour the plant, examine displays, and become aware of the 300 and more products manufactured by Pennsalt. The Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Company of Washington has itself been a vital presence in the tideflats since 1929 and is one of Pennsalt's eight manufacturing plants in the nation. (TNT 8-6-50, p. A-9)

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

Visitors to the Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Company of Washington's open house celebration on August 8, 1950, enjoy one of the many interesting tours given that day. Pennsalt opened the doors to their Tacoma plant in the tideflats to help celebrate the 100th anniversary of its parent firm. Here the man in white shirt and tie gestures toward what appears to be large holding tanks. Pennsalt manufactures many kinds of chemical products, including caustic soda and liquid chlorine, from coarse gray salt. (TNT 8-6-50, A-9)

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

Damage to a lye tank at Pennsalt. Hoisting equipment is being used to remove the damaged tank from its perch on June 5, 1956. Photograph ordered by the Whiting Corp.

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