This aerial view of Tacoma shows the American Smelting & Refining Company's (ASARCO) smoke stack, plant and the surrounding area as it looked in July of 1953. The ASARCO smoke stack was a dominant feature in the Tacoma skyline from its construction in 1917 to its implosion in 1993. The plant stood near Point Defiance. Here large vessels can be seen pulled up to the dock to be loaded with metals to be shipped throughout the world. To the left can be seen part of the marina of the Tacoma Yacht Club and to the lower right, the city of Ruston. TPL-8483

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

Aerial of Bethlehem Steel, Seattle. Located on a tract of 45 acres along West Spokane Stree, just west of Duwamish Waterway, the Seattle plant is a compact and highly efficient steelmaking unit. When operating at full capacity, the plant has a work force of about 1450. They represent a broad spectrum of skills and trades needed in the manufacture of steel.

Steel industry; Bethlehem Pacific Coast Steel Corp. (Seattle); Aerial photographs; Factories--Seattle;

On a wet and bleak day in March, 1968, Star Iron & Steel Co. employees tested a new 100-ton gantry crane meant for dam work. The men are dwarfed by the sheer size of the crane located outside of company headquarters at 326 Alexander Ave. in the Tideflats. The heavy crane, standing 64 feet high, actually weighs in at 125 tons. It was built for the Army Corps of Engineers to handle powerhouse intake and spillway gates on the Little Goose Lock & Dam on Snake River. Photograph ordered by Star Iron & Steel Co. (TNT 3-17-68, C-21)

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

Exterior - Star Iron & Steel. Star Iron & Steel Co. would move into new quarters in the Port Industrial area in 1963. Bldg. 407 shown above in this April 9, 1963, photograph, held the company's offices, which were in a separate building from the large plant. Owned by Edward N. Allen, Star Iron was one of the oldest steel fabricating companies in the Pacific Northwest. They specialized in building cranes, hoists, towers, and equipment for the lumber industry. During WWII, they made some of the heaviest and largest cranes for the U.S. Navy. Photograph ordered by Bethlehem Pacific Coast Steel. (TNT 7-24-63, A-11)

Star Iron & Steel Co. (Tacoma); Steel industry--Tacoma--1960-1970; Facades--Tacoma--1960-1970; Signs (Notices);

Interior of new Star Iron & Steel Co. plant on Alexander Avenue. Richards Studio notes indicate these are "fixed wheel gates" in process of being assembled. Photograph ordered by Star Iron & Steel Co.

Star Iron & Steel Co. (Tacoma); Steel industry--Tacoma--1960-1970;

Additional view of Star Iron & Steel Co.'s "Porta Tower" in operation at the Cotten Bros. logging site located in Packwood. These towers could be moved from logging camps to other logging camps with relative ease with transport by heavy-duty trucks. "Porta Towers" were mobile steel spur trees. See A139670-4 for another view of "Porta Tower" in use. Photograph ordered by Star Iron & Steel Co.

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

Scenes from Fick Foundry. A Fick Foundry employee is pictured on October 16, 1969, in a workshop area of the foundry. What appears to be a giant propeller lies on a long rectangular work table before him. Fick Foundry had long been established at 1005 East D St. and were manufacturers of metal castings for machine, marine and general use. Photograph ordered by Winston Fournier & Associates, Dallas.

Fick Foundry Co. (Tacoma); Foundries--Tacoma--1960-1970;

Scenes from Fick Foundry. An unidentified worker at Fick Foundry, 1005 East D St., is pictured on October 16, 1969, one-handedly stirring a metal container of boiling liquid hung from a winch. Masses of steam obscure the contents. Drops of the molten metal escape the container and some appear to land on or near the worker. Photograph ordered by Winston Fournier & Associates, Dallas.

Fick Foundry Co. (Tacoma); Foundries--Tacoma--1960-1970; Founding--Tacoma--1960-1970; Hoisting machinery;

1969 Scenes from Fick Foundry. A shimmering cascade of sparks streams from a machine used in Fick Foundry's operations. The unidentified foundry employee grips the metal tongs of the machine while wearing heavy gloves and protective goggles. Fick Foundry was established by Samuel Fick in the early 1920's and with his two sons' help, primarily produced iron manhole rings and covers and window sash weights. The company would grow and eventually move to manufacture high-integrity castings to meet modern technology's demands. Photograph ordered by Winston Fournier & Associates, Dallas. (Morgan: South on the Sound, p. 176)

Fick Foundry Co. (Tacoma); Foundries--Tacoma--1960-1970; Metalworking--Tacoma;

Scenes from the steel industry. Star Iron & Steel Co. of Tacoma was in the process of manufacturing winch components for Everett Alumina Crane in the early part of February, 1969. Work was being done primarily in building 532. Photograph ordered by Star Iron & Steel Co.

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

Henry M. Botnen of Star Iron & Steel Company examines a large hoist drum being manufactured for the royal government of Afghanistan in October of 1972. The drum has been placed in a lath and is undergoing truing. Star Iron & Steel, located at 326 Alexander Avenue on Tacoma's tideflats, was a decades-old company whose work involved steel fabrication and heavy crane manufacture. Photograph ordered by Star Iron & Steel Co. (Additional identification provided by a reader)

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

This Hardhat Saved A Life Studio set up of hard hat tilted against a 20.1 lb. piece of steel. An arrow points to the damage incurred on the hard hat, presumably by the 20.1 lb. of steel which impacted it. It looks like Star Iron & Steel Co. employee Ed Sweet's life was saved by the use of safety equipment - in this case, a hard hat - which withstood the weight and force of the steel. Photograph ordered by Star Iron & Steel Co.

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

1976 Daily operations at foundry. An unidentified female technician at Atlas Foundry & Machine Co., 3012 Wilkeson St., conducts quality control tests using a Tinius Olsen machine in the company's tech center. The Tinius Olsen machine would be measuring the foundry products' strength and performance. Atlas Foundry has been a presence in Tacoma since 1899 when it began manufacturing iron castings for the local logging industry. It then branched out to steel castings and further steel production. The foundry's name was changed in 2002 to Atlas Castings & Technology. Photograph ordered by Atlas Foundry & Machine Co. (www.atlascastings.com)

Atlas Foundry & Machine Co. (Tacoma); Foundries--Tacoma--1970-1980; Steel industry--Tacoma--1970-1980; Product inspections--Tacoma--1970-1980; Testing--Tacoma--1970-1980;

ca. 1978. ASARCO plant. Exterior view in early 1978 of the American Smelting & Refining Company (ASARCO) with focus on large diameter fiberglas reinforced pipe manufactured by Chemical Pipe & Tank (owned by Barthel Co.) and the Barthel Co. and installed by the National Blower & Sheet Metal Co., fabricators of structural steel and miscellaneous iron. The lines may have been 33 inches on the smaller line and six feet diameter on the larger one. Photograph ordered by National Blower & Sheet Metal Co. (Additional information provided by a reader)

American Smelting & Refining Co. (Tacoma); National Blower & Sheet Metal Co. (Tacoma); Chemical Pipe & Tank Co. (Tacoma); Barthel Chemical Construction Co. (Tacoma);

ca. 1978. Elevated view of the American Smelting & Refining Co. (ASARCO) in early 1978. Photograph ordered by the National Blower & Sheet Metal Co. of Tacoma who had probably built and installed the pipes shown above. They were involved in industrial air pollution control, dust collecting and ventilating systems, metal fabrications for industrial requirements as well as building sheet metal work and electric and heli-arc welding.

American Smelting & Refining Co. (Tacoma); National Blower & Sheet Metal Co. (Tacoma); Industrial facilities--Tacoma--1970-1980;

Gate hoist. The above gate hoist was built for use on the Bonneville Dam, Columbia River, by Star Iron & Steel Co. of Tacoma. Hoist is shown on September 16, 1971, prior to shipment. Star Iron & Steel had contracts of about $14 million for 1971. The firm would be sold late in September to Breeze Corporations, Inc. of New Jersey. Star Iron & Steel would be a wholly owned subsidiary of Breeze and continue to operate under present management. Photograph ordered by Star Iron & Steel. (TNT 9-22-71, D-14 - article on sale to Breeze)

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

American Smelting and Refining Company (ASARCO), Tacoma. Worker directing activity of a large crane constructed over railroad tracks at the edge of Commencement Bay. Ships were loaded and unloaded at this point. The mechanical crane could carry 5 tons of ore on each dip into the hold. For J. Gius, reporter.

American Smelting & Refining Co. (Tacoma); Smelters--Tacoma--1930-1940; Copper industry--Tacoma--1930-1940; Industrial facilities--Tacoma;

American Smelting and Refining Company (ASARCO), Tacoma. Arrival of a European ship delivering ore from Russian mines to the smelter. Close-up view of ship with workers and rigging at smelter dock. To the left can be seen the outline of the giant mechanical crane used to unload the ships. At this time, Russian lacked the technology and infrastructure to process the ore themselves. In 1934, Russia produced 15.6% of the world's gold. Russian production was second only to Africa.

American Smelting & Refining Co. (Tacoma); Smelters--Tacoma--1930-1940; Copper industry--Tacoma--1930-1940; Industrial facilities--Tacoma;

In January of 1935, 9,600 tons of gold bearing ore were removed from the holds of the Soviet freighter "Brandon" by huge iron buckets at the ASARCO refinery in Ruston. In 1935, The Soviet Union did not have a large enough smelter of its own to process the tons of ore being extracted from its mines. The "Brandon" had come from Leningrad. The American Smelting & Refining Company expected to receive 100,000 tons of gold rich ore from The Soviet Union in 1935. Mr. S. Raiz, a representative of the Soviets, was sent to Tacoma to keep a close eye on the process - and the gold. Photograph ordered by the American Smelting & Refining Co. (ASARCO) (TNT 1-15-35, p. 1-article; TNT 1-23-35, p. 1-article) TPL-807

American Smelting & Refining Co. (Tacoma); Smelters--Tacoma--1930-1940; Copper industry--Tacoma--1930-1940; Industrial facilities--Tacoma;

American Smelting and Refining Company (ASARCO), Tacoma. Worker, with foot in trough, working under steel beams at glowing industrial oven. For J. Gius, reporter.

American Smelting & Refining Co. (Tacoma); Smelters--Tacoma--1930-1940; Copper industry--Tacoma--1930-1940; Industrial facilities--Tacoma;

Star Iron & Steel White truck at their foundry at 435 E 11th St, Tacoma

Industries; Star Iron & Steel; Trucks; Tideflats;

Star Iron &Steel machinery on track at their foundry at 435 E 11th St, Tacoma

Industries; Star Iron & Steel; Machinery; Tideflats;

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;

Conveyor system pictured at Port of Tacoma in January, 1967. Built by Star Iron & Steel of Tacoma, the elevated conveyor equipment is set up to load and unload materials to the domed storage tank in the background. Photograph ordered by Star Iron & Steel Co.

Star Iron & Steel Co. (Tacoma); Conveying systems--Tacoma--1960-1970; Storage tanks--Tacoma;

Another view of the giant crane shown in D153667, Image 1. Cranes manufactured by Star Iron & Steel underwent rigorous testing before they were released to buyers. The Army Corps of Engineers required that the crane be fully assembled and operable before delivery. Once performance testing was completed, the crane would be dismantled and shipped. This 100-ton crane was destined for work on the Snake River at the Little Goose Lock & Dam. Similar cranes were built by Star Iron & Steel for usage on the Hoover, Mossyrock, Mayfield, Grand Coulee, Shasta and Bonneville dams. Photograph ordered by Star Iron & Steel Co. (TNT 3-17-68, C-21)

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

Scenes from the steel industry. View of crane work at Star Iron & Steel Co. Star Iron & Steel was one of the northwest's oldest fabricating companies. In February of 1969, the company was involved in manufacturing winch components for the Everett Alumina Crane. This crane may have been eventually used by the Port of Everett to move alumina ore, one of the port's chief imports. Photograph ordered by Star Iron & Steel Co.

Star Iron & Steel Co. (Tacoma); Steel industry--Tacoma--1960-1970; 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;

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;