ASARCO was one of the largest industries in Tacoma, with over 1,304 employees and a payroll of over $345,000. Last year the company smelted over 383,129 tons of ore and 106,870 tons of copper were refined. The company was a long and interesting history of ownerships, mergers and stockholders; including a time when the Guggenheim's were in control of the business. View of "Safety First" display during ASARCO's open house (T.N.T., 4/3/49, p. A-15 & 4/5/49, p. 1).

Industrial facilities--Tacoma; Celebrations--Tacoma; Safety equipment; Smelters--Tacoma; Laborers--Tacoma; Copper industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; American Smelting & Refining Co. (Tacoma)--Anniversaries;

Since September 1948, ASARCO has had 30,318 stockholders, with no one person owning as much as 3% of the company, making it one of the largest companies in the United States to be owned by the public. Six ASARCO employees, including Gustav Nordberg (third from right) are pictured at the company's 50-year celebration. Mr. Nordberg would pass away less than a year after this April, 1949, photograph was taken. He died on February 1, 1950. He lived on 49th & Frace, close to the smelter, and walked to work nearly every day. (T.N.T., 4/3/49, p. A-15 & 4/5/49, p. 1). (Additional identification & information provided by a reader)

Industrial facilities--Tacoma; Celebrations--Tacoma; Smelters--Tacoma; Laborers--Tacoma; Copper industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; American Smelting & Refining Co. (Tacoma)--Anniversaries; Nordberg, Gustav;

J. M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corporation just finished building another Tacoma built fishing boat. The beautiful tuna clipper "Mary S." was built for Captain Manuel Sousa and Associates of San Diego, California. "Mary S." is 109 feet long and has a 600 horsepower engine, the vessel cost $300,000. View of "Mary S."; Martinac boat building plant in background (T.N.T., 4/15/49, p. 29). TPL-8993

Launchings--Tacoma--1940-1950; Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Fishing boats--Tacoma--1940-1950; J.M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corp. (Tacoma);

The "Mary S" slid down the ways at Martinac Shipbuilding on April 14, 1949. The , launching of the 109-foot tuna clipper drew the attendance of L. L. Livesly, partner and managing owner of Manuel Sousa and Associates of San Diego, California. Mrs. Joe Martinac Jr. and Mrs. L. L. Livesly were the launching sponsors for the "Mary S." (T.N.T., 4/15/49, p. 29). TPL-8994

Launchings--Tacoma--1940-1950; Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Fishing boats--Tacoma--1940-1950; J.M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corp. (Tacoma);

Columbia Powder Company officials would not release any information regarding the explosion until they received clearance from the company headquarters, located on the East Coast. Dan Cope, his wife, two daughters and two sons were killed in the explosion; the family had a home near the plant. Aerial view of Columbia Powder plant site where a three story building was destroyed following a massive explosion (T. Times, 3/15/49, p. 1).

Industrial facilities--Frederickson; Nitrates; Chemical industry--Frederickson; Explosions--Frederickson; Disasters--Frederickson; Columbia Powder Co. (Frederickson);

Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corporation was a building materials and insulation products business located at 710 2nd Avenue in Seattle, Washington. Edmund N. Still was the manager of Owens-Corning. View of Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corporation representative demonstrating the many advantages of this cold storage insulation product to Mr. Osgood.

Industrial facilities--Tacoma; Business people--Tacoma--1940-1950; Sales personnel--Tacoma; Building materials; Selling--Tacoma; Building materials industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corp. (Seattle);

American Smelter and Refining Company (ASARCO) was celebrating 50 years of business with an open-house. ASARCO was founded in 1899 in New Jersey, by Henry H. Rogers and associates. The original smelter at this local site was founded by five Tacoma businessmen, the company merged with ASARCO in 1905. View of ten unidentified ASARCO employees standing in front of a welcome sign (T.N.T., 4/3/49, p. A-15 & 4/5/49, p. 1).

Industrial facilities--Tacoma; Celebrations--Tacoma; Copper industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Smelters--Tacoma; Laborers--Tacoma; American Smelting & Refining Co. (Tacoma)--Anniversaries;

Upwards of 7,000 people from throughout the Puget Sound region visited the ASARCO smelter on April 4, 1949 when the American Smelting & Refining Co. held an open house to celebrate their 50th anniversary. The smelter in Tacoma was actually over 50 years old at the time, having been started in 1890 by W. R. Rust. The celebration marked the anniversary of ASARCO which was founded in 1899 and bought the Tacoma smelter in 1905. (T.N.T., 4/3/49, p. A-15 & 4/5/49, p. 1).

Industrial facilities--Tacoma; Celebrations--Tacoma; Smelters--Tacoma; Spectators--Tacoma; American Smelting & Refining Co. (Tacoma)--Anniversaries; Smokestacks--Tacoma;

American Smelter and Refining Company (ASARCO) was celebrating 50 years of business with an open-house. ASARCO was proud of their continuous modernization of their facilities, and the local Tacoma plant had recently undergone modifications and was about to expand their production of products. View of people who attended ASARCO's open house (T.N.T., 4/3/49, p. A-15 & 4/5/49, p. 1).

Industrial facilities--Tacoma; Celebrations--Tacoma; Smelters--Tacoma; Spectators--Tacoma; Copper industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; American Smelting & Refining Co. (Tacoma)--Anniversaries;

Pacific Boat Building Company just completed the "Maria Rose" a 62 foot purse seiner, valued at $50,000. The purse seiner was built for Mato Ivanovich and named after his daughter. Rose Marie Ivanovich (second from left) will be the launching sponsor; view of other members of the Ivanovich family standing by the "Maria Rose" prior to her launching (T.N.T., 4/18/49, p. 14). TPL-10217

Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Industrial facilities--Tacoma; Fishing boats--Tacoma; Launchings--Tacoma--1940-1950; Pacific Boat Building Co. (Tacoma); Ivanovich, Mato--Associated objects; Ivanovich, Rose Marie;

J. M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corporation's officers were: Joseph M. Martinac, President, Joseph S. Martinac, Vice-President, Reuben C. Carlson, Secretary, and Fred C. Borovich, Treasurer. The company designs and builds fishing, commercial and pleasure vessels; their plant was located at 1501 Railroad Avenue. Progress photograph and interior view of J. M. Martinac ship building plant, ship builders are working on a boat. TPL-8992

Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Laborers--Tacoma; Industrial facilities--Tacoma; Construction industry--Tacoma; Boats--Tacoma; J.M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corp. (Tacoma);

Left end of bridge and trolley, Harry S. Pearson and R.E. Morgan. Large rolls of paper are lying on the floor of a storage room while a man moves one of the rolls using a hoist maneuvered from a control booth near the ceiling.

Paper--Tacoma--1940-1950; Paper industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Hoisting machinery;

Interior views at Columbia Breweries, Griffith, Pick, Phillips and Coughlin, James Bull. A view of the bottling line where filled bottles are rinsed prior to labeling.

Columbia Breweries, Inc. (Tacoma)--1940-1950; Brewing industry--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Interior views at Columbia Breweries, Griffith, Pick, Phillips and Coughlin, James Bull. A view of the bottling line. A man is seated along the bottling line at Columbia Breweries. The bottles pass in front of a lighted panel and the man is able to detect any flaws in the bottle, the filling, or the cap. In 1946 Heidelberg was brought back on the market in long-neck, 12 oz. brown bottles. In 1947, when machinery became more readily available, the brewery converted to stubby containers.

Columbia Breweries, Inc. (Tacoma)--1940-1950; Brewing industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Bottles;

Tacoma Boat Building Company.The Virginia R, a new tuna clipper built by the Tacoma Boat Building Company for Captain Manuel Ribiero, was completed January 29, 1949. This elevated view shows the 108' x 26' x 13.6" fishing boat on her sea trials. A covered bait deck is shown on her stern. Tacoma Boat advertised as of 1954 that they had wooden "sticks" for keels up to 16" x 18" x 108'. (TNT, 2/15/1949, p. B-5) TPL-9001

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

Pacific Boat, Dreamland launching. The 66-foot fishing boat, Dreamland, is headed down the ways at Pacific Boat Building Company on February 12, 1949.

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

Publicity for Permanente News and Times Industrial Page, Permanente Metals, Bill Gorman. Travis Crowe, one of the storeroom attendants at Permanente Metals Corporation, readies a set of nuts and bolts for use on the aluminum furnaces at the Kaiser aluminum plant on the tideflats. A wall of bins holds all sized nuts and bolts in the storeroom. (T.Times, 2/25/1949, p.49)

Permanente Metals Corp. (Tacoma)--Employees; Aluminum industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Crowe, Travis; Laborers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Bolts & nuts; Workshops--Tacoma--1940-1950;

There's nothing wrong with this chest, it's been x-rayed says Dave Schrader to Bill Courtney, employees at Permanente Metals Corp. As part of a U.S. Public Health Service campaign, all the employees at the Kaiser Aluminum plant in Tacoma received chest x-rays in 1949. In February of 1949, Permanente employed over 3,600 men in their three Washington plants with a combined payroll exceeding $12 million. (Publicity for Permanente News, and Times Industrial Page, Permanente Metals, Bill Gorman) (T.Times, 2/25/1949, p.37) TPL-3686

Permanente Metals Corp. (Tacoma)--Employees; Schrader, David A.; Courtney, William E.; Radiography; Health care--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Pacific Boat, "Dreamland" launching. "Dreamland" was launched at Pacific Boat Building Company on February 12, 1949. The 66-foot, 75 gross-ton fishing boat was christened by Kathryn Martinis (pictured above with bouquet of roses) for her dad, Paul Martinis, of Everett. "Dreamland" was powered by a 160 hp diesel engine. (TNT, 2/14/1949, p.2- alt. photograph)

Pacific Boat Building Co. (Tacoma); Launchings--Tacoma--1940-1950; Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Fishing boats--Tacoma--1940-1950; Martinis, Kathryn; Martinis, Paul--Family;

Publicity for Permanente News and Times Industrial Page, Permanente Metals, Bill Gorman. Two workmen move alumina into the reduction pots before closing the corrugated cover. Permanente produced more aluminum at this time than was produced by the entire industry in 1937, the third largest producer of aluminum in the nation. The average age of their employees was 35 years. The daily uses of aluminum were multiplying as manufacturers became acquainted with its lightness, strength, corrosion resistance, formability and appearance. (T.Times, 2/25/1949, p.36)

Permanente Metals Corp. (Tacoma)--Employees; Aluminum industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Laborers--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Publicity for Permanente News and Times Industrial Page, Permanente Metals, Bill Gorman. One of the employees at Permanente Metals Corporation leans back with his feet up on a pull-out board on a desk to review a worksheet. Clip-boards, a calendar and a map hang on the wall behind him. He is wearing work boots and a hat while relaxing into this review.

Permanente Metals Corp. (Tacoma)--Employees; Aluminum industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Laborers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Desks; Boots;

Her hair in disarray, a harried phone operator at Permanente Metals listens to one of many calls to the big plant at 3400 Taylor Way on February 9, 1949. Permanente, producers of Kaiser Aluminum, ran round-the-clock operations to keep up with the heavy demand by industry and the military for aluminum. Opened in Tacoma in 1947 as one of three big plants in Washington State, the company was the third largest producer of aluminum in the nation, exceeding over 20% of national production. (T.Times 2-25-49, p. 36-article)

Permanente Metals Corp. (Tacoma)--Employees; Aluminum industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Telephone operators--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Martinac Shipbuilding Corp., interior and exterior, Mr. Joe Martinac. A view of a ship's galley and table. Condiments are lined up along the center line of the table. A fire extinguisher is attached to the wall to the left. The large galley has a sink, stove and lots of storage area. Coffee pots are seen against the wall. TPL-8986

J.M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corp. (Tacoma); Fishing boats--Tacoma--1940-1950; Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Galleys (Ship kitchens); Kitchens--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Martinac Shipbuilding Corp., interior and exterior, Mr. Joe Martinac. A view of the helm with wooden paneling and navigating devices. TPL-9000

J.M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corp. (Tacoma); Fishing boats--Tacoma--1940-1950; Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Helms;

Boat interior. The interior of a Tacoma built fish boat showing the switchboard, the control panel for the electrical elements of the boat. TPL-9003

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

Boat interior. The interior of a newly completed fishing boat showing a small chapel. This is most likely the Virginia R completed by Tacoma Boat Building Company on January 29, 1949. TPL-9004

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

Boat interior. The engine room of a fishing boat newly completed by Tacoma Boat Building Company, most likely the Virginia R who was completed January 29, 1949. She carried a 16 cylinder GM diesel engine and had the capacity to carry up to 250 tons of frozen tuna. TPL-9002

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

This photograph from February, 1950, shows part of the engine rebuilding shop at TAM Engineering Corp, 3033 So. Lawrence St. Four workmen are assembling and bench testing rebuilt Ford "flathead" V8 engines. The TAM plant was the most modern Ford Authorized engine rebuilding plant in the Pacific Northwest. By 1950, they had already rebuilt over 50,000 engines and small parts for dealers in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. TAM Engineering Corp. was acquired by the Oklahoma City-based firm, Autocraft Industries, in 1995. (TNT 2-14-1950, A-4) TPL-8482

Machine shops--Tacoma; TAM Engineering Corp. (Tacoma);

New machinery, TAM Engineering Corporation. Interior of Ford engine rebuilding shop. Workman measures cylinder bore of Ford "flathead" V8 engine block attached to a honing machine during rebuilding.

Machine shops--Tacoma; TAM Engineering Corp. (Tacoma);

Progress photograph, new building at Stauffer Chemical Company. Stauffer Chemical Company was just getting into production on the tideflats, manufacturing superphosphate fertilizer. The new plant would serve a market area of 200 miles with approximately 30,000 tons of its product a year. The Barthel Chemical Construction Company had installed lined acid tanks for Stauffer Chemical at this time. The plant was built on a 40 acre tract on the tideflats at the location of the old Rainier Steel facility. (TNT, 2/14/1950, p.A-7; 9/13/1949, clipping)

Stauffer Chemical Co. (Tacoma); Chemical industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Progress photographs; Building construction--Tacoma--1950-1960; Barthel Chemical Construction Co. (Tacoma);