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);

Buck & Sons manufactured farm machinery, sold Ford and Ferguson Tractors, repaired tractors and sold tractor tires. Exterior view of their building, Ferguson System tractor sign above entrance, shop windows, garage on left side.

Agricultural machinery & implements--Tacoma; Machinery; Tractors--Tacoma; Storefronts--Tacoma; Buck & Sons Tractor & Implement Co. (Tacoma);

Buck & Sons manufactured farm machinery, sold Ford and Ferguson Tractors, repaired tractors and sold tractor tires. Exterior view of their building, Ferguson System tractor sign above entrance, also visible are Puget Sound Paint and Hardware store and Signal gas station.

Agricultural machinery & implements--Tacoma; Tractors--Tacoma; Gasoline pumps--Tacoma; Storefronts--Tacoma; Buck & Sons Tractor & Implement Co. (Tacoma);

Buck and Sons was holding a tractor and farming equipment demonstration for the local farmers. They were showing their new merchandise and their new and modern facilities. Buck and Sons had modern equipment and supplies to meet a farmer's needs. Interior view of Buck and Sons.

Agricultural machinery & implements--Tacoma; Tractors--Tacoma; Meetings--Tacoma; Buck & Sons Tractor & Implement Co. (Tacoma);

Hooker Electrochemical Co. also had a large plant in Niagara Falls, New York. The company was always expanding and had many smaller plants and offices throughout the United States. Since the end of World War II, they had substantially grown and were looking at the possibility of opening up an office in Vancouver, British Columbia. Exterior view of Hooker-Dextrex solvent plant, where Hooker produced chemicals PCE and TCE from 1947-1973. The water tank (safety first!) is on an adjoining shipyard property. Additional image information provided by patron.

Chemical industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Industrial facilities--Tacoma; Hooker Electrochemical Co. (Tacoma);

General Mills produced over 12,900 barrels of flour per day, their output had doubled in just five years. They were one of the oldest flour mills in the Pacific Northwest. The Tacoma plant handled most of the international exporting. Interior view of storage building with thousands of sacks of Sperry flour stacked up.

Flour & meal industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Grains--Tacoma; Bags; Food storage buildings--Tacoma; Storage facilities--Tacoma; General Mills, Inc., Sperry Division (Tacoma);

Wilkeson Products interior and exterior of mine. Many mines in Wilkeson, Washington closed in 1938, but then reopened to assist in the production of coke needed for the war effort. Exterior view of Wilkeson Coal & Coke Co. mining plant. TPL-6617

Coke industry--Wilkeson; Coal mining--Wilkeson; Wilkeson Coal & Coke Co. (Wilkeson);

Wilkeson Products interior and exterior of mine. In 1888 Wilkeson Coal & Coke Co. began producing the best grade of coke available in the West. Wilkeson Co. mine employed 200 employees, they lived with their families in Wilkeson, Washington, a small mining town in eastern Pierce County. View of buildings at Wilkeson. TPL-6393

Coke industry--Wilkeson; Coal mining--Wilkeson; Wilkeson Coal & Coke Co. (Wilkeson);

Special order for special edition, Studio, by Tacoma Times, George Beckingham. Two men are reviewing the quality of the ground material being loaded onto a railroad freight car at the General Mills-Sperry plant. The mill produced all white flours, whole wheat, pancake and cake flours, cereals and mixed feed.

Railroad freight cars--Tacoma; Shipping--Tacoma; Railroad companies--Tacoma--1940-1950; Southern Pacific Lines (Tacoma); General Mills, Inc., Sperry Division (Tacoma);

Tomato packing machine, machine for making card board containers, Mutual Fruit Company, Union Pacific Freight Terminal, Les Crawford. One man watches to be sure the tomatoes are properly fed into the packing machine and another man watches to be sure they are wrapped correctly coming out of the machine before packing the cartons into wooden crates.

Mutual Fruit Co., Inc. (Tacoma); Packaging; Machinery; Conveying systems--Tacoma--1940-1950; Fruit--Tacoma--1940-1950; Tomatoes--Tacoma--1940-1950; Fruit industry--Tacoma--1940-1950;

View of sand blasting and re-painting of boat "Eileen", work is being done by Machinists Incorporated, a repair shop from Seattle, Washington, the job is being done at Tacoma Boat Building facilities. The workman is painting the side of the boat, he is using a paint sprayer and wearing a face mask. The boat is expected to be completed in a few days, photo ordered by Machinists Inc. TPL-8956

Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Boats & boating; Fishing boats--Tacoma; Maintenance & repair--Tacoma; Sand blast; Tacoma Boat Building Co., Inc. (Tacoma); Machinists, Inc. (Seattle);

Johnnie B a recently launched purse seiner, built by Pacific Boat Building Company. Pacific Boat was owned by John B. Breskovich, he was also Vice-President of Puget Sound Boat Building Corporation. Pacific Boat Building plant and facilities were located at 759 Port of Tacoma Road. View of two people waving from "Johnnie B" fishing boat (Steve Mullan on right). TPL-10567

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

General Mills supervisors, Mr. Meinecke, Sperry Flour Division. Eight men from the Sperry Flour plant in their work clothes and one men in a business suit in this photograph taken on May 3, 1948. All but one of them wears a hat. At the far left is John W. Geddis. Mr. Geddis was a management trainee in 1948 which involved rotating through various training and supervisory assignments. He later became head of all General Mills Production and Distribution west of the Rocky Mountains. (Additional identification & information provided by a reader)

General Mills, Inc., Sperry Division (Tacoma); Flour & meal industry--Tacoma; Mills--Tacoma; Employees--Tacoma--1940-1950; Geddis, John W.;

The Bechtel Corporation from California was the company working on the General Mills Sperry Division flour mills expansion project. The project was approved in 1947 and was expected to be completed in 1948. Exterior view of Sperry plant, Bechtel sign advertising their services is on top of office building. The safety signs indicates building construction is in progress.

Industrial facilities--Tacoma; Building construction--Tacoma; Construction industry--Tacoma; Engineering--Tacoma; Remodeling--Tacoma; General Mills, Inc., Sperry Division (Tacoma); Bechtel Corp. (Tacoma);

Wheeler Osgood was a leader in the lumber industry, they manufactured doors and plywood panels. The company has been doing business in Tacoma for many years, they are one of the oldest businesses in Tacoma. In 1947 Wheeler Osgood was considering expanding their facilities, no changes had yet started, although the exterior of plant had been painted in October of 1947. Exterior view of Wheeler Osgood Company facilities.

Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Plywood; Building materials industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Industrial facilities--Tacoma; Wheeler, Osgood Co. (Tacoma);

Publicity shots at Permanente Metals, Bill Gorman. One of Permanente's employees sits at his desk checking lists of figures and order forms. A map of the United States hangs on the wall behind him. Clip boards of additional data also hang on the wall along with schedules. A telephone sits to his right on the desk. The man is wearing a sports jacket, a sweater vest and a tie. He also wears a large ring on his left hand. A pencil protrudes from his jacket pocket. TPL-4555

Permanente Metals Corp. (Tacoma)--Employees; Aluminum industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Employees--Tacoma--1940-1950; Paperwork; Maps; Telephones;

Publicity shots at Permanente Metals, Bill Gorman. A view of one of the switchboard operators at the Permanente plant in Tacoma and the switchboard panel. She is wearing a headset to enable her to use both hands when operating the cords on the switchboard. A telephone dial is seen beyond her right arm and other office machinery is in the background. The young woman is wearing a two piece suit, a white blouse and a plaid scarf. Permanente acknowledged the high value of each employee in their annual reports. TPL-4555

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

Northern Pacific Railway's new freight station and office building was constructed using brick building materials. The building provided modern office space and efficient freight handling facilities. The office portion is 70 feet by 57 feet, and the freight station is 55 feet by 250 feet. The new facilities include parking space and pavement along Puyallup Avenue, this will be used exclusively by the freight station.

Railroad companies--Tacoma; Railroad stations--Tacoma; Industrial facilities--Tacoma; Offices--Tacoma--1940-1950; Shipping--Tacoma; Northern Pacific Railway Co. (Tacoma);

Leon Titus was allowed to ride in the cab of a 122 foot long locomotive, this train makes the Seattle--Tacoma--Portland run daily. Leon would get to ride to Seattle and back to Tacoma. Mr. Titus has been a longtime enthusiast about railroading. View of Leon Titus dressed in his train-wear, he is standing with the Union Pacific train conductor (T.N.T., 5/9/48, p. A-13). TPL-9868

Railroad locomotives--Tacoma; Railroads--Tacoma; Businessmen--Tacoma; Railroad companies--Tacoma; Union Pacific Railroad Co. (Tacoma); Union Station (Tacoma); Titus, Leon E.;

Interior view of General Mills Sperry Division plant in Tacoma. In 1947 the company had decided to expand their facilities. Sperry Flour products were exported throughout the world and shipped throughout the United States, the company was producing over 12,000 barrels of flour per day in order to fill the world's needs.

Flour & meal industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Industrial facilities--Tacoma; Grains--Tacoma; Grain industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Grain elevators--Tacoma; Remodeling--Tacoma; General Mills, Inc., Sperry Division (Tacoma);

Interior view of "Coronado's", a Peterson built boat, shaft alley. This room is the distribution center for bait water, brine circulation and refrigeration control. The shaft alley connects to the main engine room and refrigerated storage units. "Coronado" was a 103 foot tuna clipper (Pacific Fisherman, 1949 Yearbook Number, 1/25/49). TPL-8974

Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Equipment; Machinery; Fishing boats--Tacoma; Control rooms--Tacoma; Peterson Boat Building Co. (Tacoma);

Interior view of "Coronado's", a Peterson built fishing boat, steering and navigation room. This room is also finished in mahogany plywood panels, compasses, steering wheel and engine controls are all located in this compartment. "Coronado" was furnished with the most modern navigation accessories and equipment (Pacific Fisherman, 1949 Yearbook Number, 1/25/49). TPL-8971

Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Fishing boats--Tacoma; Navigation; Steering wheels; Compasses; Peterson Boat Building Co. (Tacoma);

Permanente Metals of Tacoma was setting up a new metallurgical research lab, it was expected to be in full operation this fall. The Tacoma plant was one of the newest and most modern aluminum reduction plants in the country. The research facilities would serve the Tacoma and Spokane plants and would focus on aluminum reduction questions and research. Exterior view of Permanente Metals Corporation industrial plant (T. Times, 8/23/48, p. 5).

Industrial facilities--Tacoma; Research facilities--Tacoma; Railroad freight cars--Tacoma; Aluminum industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Permanente Metals Corp. (Tacoma);

Potato chip and popcorn factory, Nalley's, Henry Willis. A group portrait of twenty-one employees from Nalley's, eighteen women and three men, posed at work on August 25, 1948. They all wear aprons and/or uniforms. During work periods on the assembly-line the staff wore white caps.

Nalley's, Inc. (Tacoma)--Employees; Food--Tacoma--1940-1950; Food industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Women--Tacoma--1940-1950; Group portraits;

Potato chip and popcorn factory, Nalley's, Henry Willis. Many women are at work at several different work stations in the assembly-line system used at Nalley's in cooling, bagging, and preparing the potato chips for shipment. A separate facility was built on part of the 15-acre tract on South Tacoma Way for the manufacture of potato chips. The chip plant in Spokane had reached its capacity and still the demand was high. This new plant was the home of one of the subsidiary companies, United Foods, Inc. TPL-9607

Nalley's, Inc. (Tacoma); Food--Tacoma--1940-1950; Food industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Assembly-line methods--Tacoma--1940-1950; Women--Tacoma--1940-1950; Potato chips;

Puget Sound Boat. "Liberty" is out for sea trials. She was a 100 foot tuna clipper built for Ed Madruga & Associates. She was the "high boat" for its class for the first 8 months of the 1949 season with an Enterprise DMG-6 engine. (Pacific Fisherman Yearbood 1949, p.83; Pacific Fisherman Yearbook 1950, p.41, Pacific Fisherman March 1950 p.1) TPL-8977

Puget Sound Boat Building Corp. (Tacoma); Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Fishing boats--Tacoma--1940-1950; Ship trials--Tacoma--1940-1950;

This birds eye view of the old Weyerhaeuser mansion, "Haddaway Hall", at 4301 North Stevens St. and the surrounding area was taken in 1948. By then the estate, which had changed hands several times, was in the possesion of the Dominican Sisters of Marymount, who operated it as a school, Tacoma Catholic College, and as a convent. Completed in 1922, the Elizabethan English Tudor home was built for lumber baron John Philip Weyerhaeuser and his wife Anna. The name comes from Weyerhaeuser's comment that Anna always "had her way," so the home became "Haddaway Hall." The estate consisted of the main house, carriage house, greenhouses and the servant quarters house (now 4224 No. Stevens.) It was surrounded by 8 acres of grounds. The formal gardens were designed by the Olmstead brothers, Frederick Law and Charles, and were brought to life by T.B. Morrow. It was built on the site of the former Allen C. Mason mansion and Whitworth College. It is now the home of the Northwest Baptist Seminary, and is on both the City and National Registry of historic buildings.

Weyerhaeuser, John Philip--Homes & haunts; Haddaway Hall (Tacoma); Estates--Tacoma; Tacoma Catholic College (Tacoma); Universities & colleges--Tacoma;

Four or Five displays at plant, Nalley's, Jack Walrath. Nalley's displayed their "Lumber Jack Syrup" in two glass-bottle sizes: wide-mouth quart jars and smaller jars with smaller, pourable tops. Cartons that the syrup was shipped in are used to make the display.

Nalley's, Inc. (Tacoma)--Products; Food--Tacoma--1940-1950; Food industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Merchandise displays--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Progress photographs at St. Regis, St. Regis Paper Company, Kraft Pulp Division. An elevated view of the new construction going on at St. Regis that expanded the existing paper plant and added a multiwall bag plant. According to the company's 1949 Annual Report, Tacoma was the focal point of the company's expanding pulp, paper and multiwall bag operations in the west.

St. Regis Paper Co. (Tacoma)--1940-1950; Paper industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Factories--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Light poles prior to turning in machine, Cascade Pole at Port of Tacoma Road, Vic Monahan. A view of several poles that have been creosoted on one end as a preservative for the portion of the wooden pole that would be buried under ground. Creosote is obtained by the distillation of wood tar. The yard is shown with railroad sidings running straight ahead and curving to the right. Piles of poles are seen on the left.

Cascade Pole Co. (Tacoma); Utility poles--Tacoma--1940-1950; Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Railroad sidings--Tacoma--1940-1950; Factories--Tacoma--1940-1950;