On April 4, 1942, after several aborted attempts, the Northwest Hauling Company successfully raised a 150 foot smokestack at the new plant of Puget Sound Plywood located at 230 E. "F" Street. The huge steel stack weighed 13 tons and was constructed by Seattle Boiler Company. Once lifted into place on its 30 foot tall base, it jutted 180 feet into the air over the tideflats. The plant was expected to be fully operational in 30 days. The erection of the stack required several days of planning by the hauling company owned by Dan Cooney. Puget Sound Plywood, the first cooperative plywood plant in Tacoma, opened June 1, 1942. It had 298 members who each contributed $1,000 and received the same hourly pay and percentage of the company's profits. It was built on 3 1/2 acres at the mouth of the City Waterway. (T. Times 4/6/1942, pg. 2)

Puget Sound Plywood, Inc. (Tacoma); Plywood; Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Northwest Hauling Co. (Tacoma); Smokestacks; Cooperatives--Tacoma;

Shipyard bowling teams. Painters and fitters from the Seattle Tacoma Shipbuilding Corp. Portrait of the champion team identified as (standing) Roy Besam, captain, Frank LaFleur and Al Levorson. On the front row are Jack Olson and Robert Robbins.

Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corp. (Tacoma)--People; Bowlers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Bowling balls; Besam, Roy; LaFleur; Levorson, Al; Olson, Jack; Robbins, Robert;

Sea-Tac Shipyard bowling teams. Painters and Fitters. Back row, standing: Pip Koehler, C. Skidmore, Jim Cartwright. Front row: George Winegarden, Ralph Conklin (captain)

Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corp. (Tacoma)--People; Bowlers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Bowling balls; Conklin, Ralph; Cartwright, Jim; Olson, Jack; Winegarden, George;

American Red Cross publicity. Pledge Board at Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation. TPL-1961

Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corp. (Tacoma); American Red Cross Pierce County Chapter (Tacoma);

On January 19, 1942, hard hatted workers at the Seattle-Tacoma shipyard lined up to purchase Red Cross buttons from two lovely female volunteers in a booth. Genevieve Hyde is pictured pinning a button on Rudolph Wolfe. The shipyard's goal was to raise $10,000 for the Red Cross emergency war fund. (T. Times 1/21/42, pg. 3)

Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corp. (Tacoma); American Red Cross Pierce County Chapter (Tacoma); Fund raising--Tacoma--1940-1950; World War, 1939-1945--Social aspects--Tacoma; Hyde, Genevieve; Wolfe, Rudolph;

Workers at the Seattle-Tacoma Shipyard are serenaded by the shipyard band during the kickoff for the Red Cross button sale. The shipyard had pledged to raise $10,000 for the Red Cross emergency war fund. For Keel Magazine. (T. Times 1/21/1942, pg. 3)

Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corp. (Tacoma); Charitable organizations--Tacoma--1940-1950; American Red Cross Pierce County Chapter (Tacoma); Fund raising--Tacoma--1940-1950; World War, 1939-1945--Social aspects--Tacoma;

Crowd of men reporting to work at the Seattle-Tacoma shipyards. During World War II, the shipyard was Tacoma's biggest employer. By June of 1942, over 20,000 persons were employed, with plans to add another 5,000 in July. Nineteen thousand of those were directly involved in the production of ships, with 1,000 more working in the office. Tacoma had to make special arrangements for transportation and construct housing for the influx of workers. The original houses at Salishan off Portland Ave. were built to house war workers. For a work force the size of a small city, the shipyard even had its own police force totaling 130. The private uniformed police force was the same size as that of the city of Tacoma. For Pacific First Federal Savings window display.

Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corp. (Tacoma); World War, 1939-1945--Economic & industrial aspects--Tacoma; Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation. Highway traffic on Tacoma tideflats. A bus can be seen in the middle of the picture. The city was running three 60 passenger World's Fair buses, three 23 passenger, six 25 passenger and three 36 passenger buses. The buses were also getting stuck in the traffic congestion, slowing down their schedule. Plant personnel at the yard was expected to double by years end. (TT 5/8/1942, PG. 1)

Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corp. (Tacoma); World War, 1939-1945--War work--Tacoma; Automobiles--1940-1950; Traffic congestion--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Exterior of Sperry Flour Milling Co.

Sperry Flour Milling Co. (Tacoma);

Power Cranes putting up truss in Petrich Shipbuilding Corp., a new shipyard located on former Vermont Marble Company site, where the 11th Street Bridge crossed the City Waterway. This was the second of two plants operated by the Petrich family, headed by Martin Petrich Sr. The first was Western Boatbuilding on the Tideflats. The new yard had two parallel ways, capable of building ships up to 160 feet long. During the war, this yard would specialize in the mass production of wooden ships for the Army. They were used for Army South Seas and Alaska freight, passenger and supply transport. Note: Negative released to Michigan Power Shovel Company, Benton Harbor, Michigan.

Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Petrich Shipbuilding Corp. (Tacoma); Waterfront--Tacoma;

Seventy five members of the brewing and allied industries gathered in Tacoma October 24, 1942 to pay tribute to Otto Birkmaier. Mr. Birkmaier was celebrating his 25th anniversary as brewmaster at Columbia Brewery, a position he had held since 1917. He held the longest record of continuous service of any brewmaster in the district. Some of the guests are pictured at the Saturday afternoon luncheon at the Brewery.

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

Sperry Flour Co. Sperry Flour Co. has gone through regular expansion in order to remain one of the top three flour mills in Tacoma. Exterior view of plant where flour gets loaded into train cars.

Flour & meal industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; General Mills, Inc., Sperry Division (Tacoma); Railroad freight cars--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Western Boat. Western Boat Building Co. is about to launch a tuna clipper. They have recently completed two, as well as many other ships for the Navy. The company is owned by Martin Petrich Sr. and his three sons. View of gathering prior to boat launching. TPL-8867

Launchings--Tacoma--1940-1950; Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Western Boat Building Co. (Tacoma);

Tacoma Boat Facilities. A view of the exterior of Tacoma Boat Building Company situated along City Waterway. TPL-6646

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

Pacific Carbide exterior and interior for record. The Pacific Carbide & Alloys Co. plant used a new system of production that was highly efficient. Interior view of plant.

Coke industry--Tacoma; Pacific Carbide & Alloys Co. (Tacoma);

Interior view of Tacoma plant with General Electric Company machinery.

Machinery;

Exterior view of Western Boat Building Co. plant number two. Martin Petrich, Sr. and others started Western Boat in 1916. By 1944, Petrich's five sons Hervey, Allen, Martin Jr., Jim and Jack were all active in Tacoma's shipbuilding industry. During World War II, many Tacoma shipyards received government contracts to build various vessels for the Army, Navy and Coast Guard which were essential to the war effort. (T. Times, 9/1/44, p. 20).

Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Vessels--Tacoma; Western Boat Building Co. (Tacoma);

Martinac Shipbuilding was founded by Joseph M. Martinac, he established himself as an expert boat builder in Tacoma. Martinac has built minesweepers, purse seiners, sardine and tuna boats, pleasure boats and has converted fishing vessels into Navy patrol boats. View of unidentified launching sponsor and her son standing with unidentified ship crew members.

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

Western Boat Building Co. was a well equipped Tacoma shipyard building vessels for the Army, Navy and Coast Guard. Western Boat was about to launch a YP627, self propelled patrol craft, for the navy, in honor of Navy Day. View of unidentified Navy ship crew, their family members and the launching sponsor, Mrs. Kenneth Jones, in center holding roses (T. Times, 10/30/44, p. 7).

Launchings--Tacoma--1940-1950; Government vessels--Tacoma; Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Western Boat Building Co. (Tacoma);

Henry Mill shots of hardware and quantity. Henry Mill & Timber Co. was a leader in the pre-fabricated lumber field. Pre-fabricated lumber helped speed the war effort in filling their government orders. Henry Mill also had their products throughout Tacoma housing projects. Exterior view of Henry Mill & Timber Co. plant.

Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Lumberyards--Tacoma; Prefabricated buildings--Tacoma; Henry Mill & Timber Co. (Tacoma);

Side view of "Hustler"at dock after launching at Western Boat in early June of 1945. Several men are aboard in the stern. The fishing vessel was owned by R. Tom Muchlinski and home port listed as Ketchikan, Alaska. Shortly after being placed in service, the "Hustler" was acquired by the U.S. government.

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

Interior of the remodeled Great Northern Railroad Ticket Office in November of 1942. Pictured are the long, curved ticket counter with the agents' desks lying beyond. Three large landscape paintings decorate the walls. The office was located in the Drury building. It was part of "Transportation Row," 112-18 So. 9th St., which housed the ticket offices of all area railroads.

Railroad companies--Tacoma; Offices--Tacoma--1950-1960; Ticket offices; Great Northern Railway Co. (Tacoma);

Early in 1943, scaffolding still surrounds the dry dock and ways built at 223 East F St. for Peterson Boat Building. The small shipyard was founded by father and son partners George and John Peterson. They remained at this site until it burned to the ground in 1969. TPL-9442

Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Charts; Peterson Boat Building Co. (Tacoma);

Buffelen Lumber and Manufacturing Company.

Buffelen Lumber & Manufacturing Co. (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Henry Mill, construction of prefabricated trusses. During the war, Henry Mill was active in lumber prefabrication.

Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Trusses--Tacoma; Structural frames--Tacoma; Building construction--Tacoma; Henry Mill & Timber Co. (Tacoma);

Sea-Tac Shipyard Swing Shift bowlers. Several bowlers have name tags on their jackets including "Rich" (2nd row far left), "Roy" (2nd row far right), and "Harry" (kneeling at right). [Also dated 03-27-1943]

Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corp. (Tacoma)--People; Bowlers--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Initiation of SeattleTacoma Shipbuilding Corporation employees at Elk's Club. Ten men on stage with ship's wheel. [Also dated 03-29-1943]

Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corp. (Tacoma); World War, 1939-1945--Economic & industrial aspects--Tacoma; Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Elks Club (Tacoma);

Henry Mill was located at the foot of No. Starr St., right at the waterfront. It was on the 28 acre site of the old Tacoma MIll Co. During the war, Henry Mill specialized in prefabricated elements for the military. The company was taken over in 1945 by Tacoma Lumber Fabricating Co. The photograph shows lots of stored lumber as well as a couple of cranes.

Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Henry Mill & Timber Co. (Tacoma); Mills--Tacoma--1940-1950; Waterfronts--Tacoma--1940-1950; Piers & wharves--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Henry Mill and Timber Company. Burner and lumber storage dock along the Tacoma waterfront. Henry Mill began operations at this site in 1925. It was formerly the site of the Old Tacoma Mill Co. TPL-8381

Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Henry Mill & Timber Co. (Tacoma); Mills--Tacoma--1940-1950; Waterfronts--Tacoma--1940-1950; Piers & wharves--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Henry Mill and Timber Company. Lumber storage dock along the Tacoma waterfront. Began operations at this site in 1925.

Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Henry Mill & Timber Co. (Tacoma); Mills--Tacoma--1940-1950; Waterfronts--Tacoma--1940-1950; Piers & wharves--Tacoma--1940-1950;