The Tacoma plant of the Permanente Metals Corporation accomplished its first casting of "pigs" from molten metal in November of 1947. Plant employees in the pot room were photographed getting the newly molten metal in the ladle ready to pour into a mold to form pigs. Cast pigs could weigh from fifty and one thousand pounds depending on size and composition. Once cooled, the pigs were stacked on pallets and transported to the rolling mill at Trentwood, located near Spokane, Washington. The pigs from the Mead and Tacoma plant would later be re-melted in furnaces where other metallic elements were added to form standard alloys. Tacoma's Permanente plant produced aluminum in commercial quantities for Henry J. Kaiser's industrial operations. (PMC Annual Report, 1947-1948; T.Times 11-19-47, p. 18-alt. photograph & article).

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

Permanente would be producing 42,000,000 pounds of pure aluminum per year at the Tacoma plant. Tacoma's output will supplement the Mead Reduction plant near Spokane, Washington. Permanente Metals delayed their plant opening, until the newest generator of the Grand Coulee power plant was in operation. View of Permanente technicians checking equipment (T. Times, 10/31/47, p. 1).

Aluminum industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Industrial facilities--Tacoma; Control rooms--Tacoma; Permanente Metals Corp. (Tacoma)--Employees;

Permanente Metals Tacoma plant was a modern aluminum reduction plant. The plant had two pot lines that produced about 42,000,000 pounds of aluminum per year. This plant was located in the Tide Flats area and was spread over 129 acres, the plant went into official production on October 31, 1947. View of Permanente employee using the time clock (T. Times, 10/31/47, p. 1).

Aluminum industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Industrial facilities--Tacoma; Time; Time clocks; Permanente Metals Corp. (Tacoma)--Employees;

Pictures of assembly line at Nelson Boiler for Pacific Iron & Steel. Nelson Boiler Co. strengthened the company by consolidating with the iron and steel industry. They relocated into expanded facilities in order to fill Navy orders for steel barges. Interior view of covered plant while laborers are working.

Steel industry--Tacoma; Iron & steel workers--Tacoma; Defense industry--Tacoma; Nelson Boiler Co. (Tacoma);

ca. 1950. The ASARCO stack dominated the Tacoma sky line from its elevated position near Point Defiance along the Tacoma waterfront from 1917 until it was demolished January 17, 1993. It was the largest smokestack in the world when it was built at 571 feet. It was shortened to 562 feet during repairs in 1937. TPL-6600

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

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;

Labor problems at American Smelter and Refining Company (ASARCO) led to a walkout by workers on November 3, 1950. The refinery workers felt overworked, underpaid, and unappreciated by management at the plant. Although the workers returned to work on Monday the 6th, there were new walkouts two days later and, on November 8th, management shut down the plant. The strike and lockout lasted until November 27th. The union voted 950 to 250 to accept a pay increase of 15 cents per hour and management began calling back workers. Ordered by the Tribune, Larry Shanklin. (TNT, 11/27/1950) TPL-7908

American Smelting & Refining Co. (Tacoma)--Employees; Demonstrations--Tacoma--1950-1960; Labor unrest--Tacoma--1950-1960; Strikes--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Dust collecting equipment at Tacoma Smelter. The steps taken in the production of copper and other metals at the American Smelting and Refining Company included crushing the raw materials that were delived to ASARCO by ship and by rail from all parts of the world. Following crushing the different types of concentrates and ores required for each refined metal were processed by Bedding and Roasting prior to Smelting. These processes were followed by Converting and Electrolytic Refining. Ordered by American Air Filter Company, c/o R.E. Chase & Company, Mr. Warren. (Tacoma Progress, June 1955)

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

Photo of a worker running a sheet of metal through a large piece of machinery at Ace Furnace & Steel Co. This machine is either a shear press or a brace press. The company was built in 1930 and was owned by Alvin T. Davies. Davies also owned North End Lockers and was the president of Birchfield Boiler Inc. and Tacoma Boiler Works. He and his wife Ellen lived on Day Island. Ace Furnace produced steel and sheet metal products- furnaces, tanks, stacks and did electrical welding.

Ace Furnace & Steel Co. (Tacoma); Iron construction--Tacoma; Iron & steel workers--Tacoma; Metalworking--Tacoma;

A tire with a new type of tire chains attached to it. The castings for the chains' components were made by Fick Foundry Company.

Fick Foundry Co. (Tacoma); Cast ironwork--Tacoma; Tires;

A view of the yard at George R. Marvin's plant on the Tacoma tideflats was taken on August 14, 1952. Stacks of materials used in the manufacture of cranes, special hoists and machinery of fabricated structural steel are stacked around the yard and a man is operating a mobile crane near the center. A long tank truck is seen at the rear.

George R. Marvin Co. (Tacoma); Steel industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Hoisting machinery;

An elevated view of the huge crane being built at Star Iron and Steel Company shows the opening in the crane over which the upper trolly can move. Enormous rolls of cable on top of the crane would be used to lift heavy materials vertically and the trolly could transfer the material horizontally.

Star Iron & Steel Co. (Tacoma); Steel industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Hoisting machinery; Factories--Tacoma--1940-1950;

A huge crane is being built at Star Iron and Steel Company to be installed from the roof of a welding shack. The Star Iron and Steel Company manufactured heavy cranes and logging machinery. They made some of the largest and heaviest cranes used by the US navy and industry. Roy N. Allen was president and manager of the company at this time.

Star Iron & Steel Co. (Tacoma); Steel industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Hoisting machinery; Factories--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Aerial view of American Smelting & Refining Co's (ASARCO) smokestack, smelter plant and surrounding area. The plant occupied a large area near Point Defiance with its own docks for shipping. The smokestack at 562 feet dominated the skyline for miles around. Thousands lined up in 1993 to say goodbye to this landmark when it was imploded.

American Smelting & Refining Co. (Tacoma); Smelters--Tacoma--1950-1960; Copper industry--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Fabrication and boring mill at Star Iron & Steel. Two men shown at work at Star Iron & Steel, 326 Alexander Ave. in the Port Industrial area, on August 8, 1966. They may have been working on "B" and "A" cranes. Photograph ordered by Star Iron & Steel.

Star Iron & Steel Co. (Tacoma); Industrial facilities--Tacoma--1960-1970; Steel industry--Tacoma--1960-1970; Hoisting machinery;

This large hoist drum was being manufactured by Star Iron & Steel Co. for the royal government of Afghanistan in October of 1972. The local firm had built hoisting machinery, cranes and special machinery for decades. Photograph ordered by Star Iron & Steel Co.

Star Iron & Steel Co. (Tacoma); Steel industry--Tacoma--1970-1980;

ca. 1971. 1971 Richards color stock footage. View of ASARCO smelter ca. 1971. Once the tallest smokestack in the world, it was demolished in January of 1993, some eight years after the plant closed due to environmental and economic reasons. TPL-5856

American Smelting & Refining Co. (Tacoma); Industrial facilities--Tacoma; Smokestacks--Tacoma; Chimneys--Tacoma;

Star Iron & Steel Co. employees. Employees of Star Iron & Steel Co. pose happily on September 28, 1970, in front of company headquarters at 326 Alexander Ave. These men were the crew responsible for the building of the 100-ton floating cranes for the U.S. Navy. Star Iron & Steel was under contract to build several of these massive cranes for the government. Photograph ordered by Star Iron & Steel Co.

Star Iron & Steel Co. (Tacoma); Steel industry--Tacoma--1970-1980; Hoisting machinery;

Star Iron & Steel Co. operations. An unidentified Star Iron & Steel worker alertly keeps his eyes on the machine before him in this March, 1971, photograph. Star Iron & Steel had a backlog of unfilled contracts totaling $14,500,000, most scheduled for completion in 1971. The plant would have been bustling as there had been a 500% increase in sales over the last five years. Employment had tripled at the plant to handle the multitude of orders. Photograph ordered by Star Iron & Steel Co. (TNT 12-13-70, C-21- article)

Star Iron & Steel Co. (Tacoma); Steel industry--Tacoma--1970-1980; Machinery;

The bulkhead has completed its move from Star Iron & Steel's Alexander Ave. location to the Port of Tacoma's waterfront. This February 4, 1971, photograph shows the floating bulkhead in place. Four days later, Star Marine Industries, a subsidiary of Star Iron & Steel, would begin moving the 114-ton, $165,000 bulkhead to the Little Goose Lock & Dam on the Snake River. There the concrete bulkhead with watertight compartments would be used in maintenance and repair work. Photograph ordered by Star Iron & Steel. (TNT 2-6-71, p. 21 - article)

Star Iron & Steel Co. (Tacoma); Steel industry--Tacoma--1970-1980; Retaining walls--Tacoma;

Dirt pours out of the opened clam shovel which is suspended by thin cables in this July 31, 1962, photograph taken at Graystone of Tacoma. The shovel is believed to have been manufactured by the Star Iron & Steel Co. of Tacoma. Star Iron built cranes and specialized equipment to handle everything from salmon to missiles; their products were used in WWll to help clear the Pearl Harbor disaster. Its crane capacities ranged to more than 350 tons. Photograph ordered by Star Iron & Steel.

Star Iron & Steel Co. (Tacoma); Hoisting machinery;

Star Iron & Steel - complete engineering, structural shop and machine shop facilities. Notes from the Richards Studio indicate that their photographer took this April 13, 1963, view of the new Star Iron & Steel Co. facilities from one of the company's own overhead cranes. Several cranes and steel structures are visible as well as the waterways separating the industrial Tideflats area from downtown businesses. Star Iron had moved from its longtime E. 11th St. location to the Port Industrial area that year. The new plant was ideally located for shipment of its products by truck, rail or water. Employment at the plant had apparently more than tripled from 63 to 250 since the move to a new location. It had cost $500,000 to double the plant capacity. Star Iron & Steel was one of the oldest steel fabricating businesses in the Pacific Northwest, having been founded in 1908. It specialized in custom design and manufacture of cranes, hoists, and special machinery. Star Iron's products were shipped for installation throughout the United States and also to foreign countries. There was a total of 97,000 square feet under roof currently being used with another 54,000 square feet available for future expansion. (TNT 7-24-63, A-11; SIS booklet, c. 1965)

Star Iron & Steel Co. (Tacoma); Industrial facilities--Tacoma--1960-1970; Steel industry--Tacoma--1960-1970; Hoisting machinery;

Pencil in hand, an architect at Star Iron & Steel Co. surveys a model of a steel sign and girts on April 9, 1963. His glasses rest on a large sheet holding design data. Besides being well-known for their hoisting machinery, Star Iron also built towers, fabricated structural steel for buildings, bridges, and grandstands, and equipment for the lumber industry. They moved from their longtime location on E. 11th St. to Alexander Avenue in the Port Industrial area in 1963. Photograph ordered by Bethlehem Pacific Coast Steel.

Star Iron & Steel Co. (Tacoma); Steel industry--Tacoma--1960-1970; Architectural models; Blueprints; Eyeglasses;

Part of a series of photographs of a 275-ton powerhouse crane constructed by Star Iron & Steel Co. of Tacoma for the Barkley Power Plant on the Cumberland River. This July 15, 1963, view is described as the general arrangement and trolley with main and auxiliary hoists.

Star Iron & Steel Co. (Tacoma);

Bushnell Co. of Jacksonville, Florida, supplied crane service to this tower under construction at an unspecified harbor in this undated photograph. Customer print was copied on September 17, 1963, for Star Iron & Steel Co. of Tacoma.

Star Iron & Steel Co. (Tacoma); Hoisting machinery;

A "Porta Tower" built by Star Iron & Steel extends at a 45 degree angle in a September 19, 1963, photograph taken outside company headquarters. Porta Towers were described as mobile steel spur trees that replaced spar trees in logging operations. A "Porta Tower" could be erected and ready to work in two hours, much less time than it would take to rig a spar tree. Photograph ordered by Star Iron & Steel. (TNT 10-13-63, B-9)

Star Iron & Steel Co. (Tacoma); Steel;

Built by Star Iron & Steel, an imposing 90 foot "Porta Tower" is parked outside of company headquarters on September 19, 1963. Star Iron & Steel was well known for its crane and tower construction. The "Porta Towers" would be utilized as mobile steel spur trees. "Porta Towers" were self-erecting and ready to work in two hours. Star Iron & Steel had been founded in 1908 at 435 E. 11th St. It moved to its new quarters in the Port Industrial area in 1963. Photograph ordered by Star Iron & Steel. (TNT 7-24-63, A-11, TNT 10-13-63, B-9)

Star Iron & Steel Co. (Tacoma); Steel;

Another view of the Brute Crane operated by the George Scofield Co. taken on March 28. 1930, by Marvin Boland; see A139500-30 for additional shot. The crane is apparently in the process of scooping up material. Brute Cranes were manufactured by Star Iron & Steel Co. of Tacoma. Photograph ordered by Star Iron & Steel Co.; copy made of customer print on September 17, 1963.

Star Iron & Steel Co. (Tacoma); Hoisting machinery;