Air Reduction Sales interior of plant. In 1942 Air Reduction Sales Co. opened up a oxygen gas production plant. Oxygen gas is used in large quantities for cutting steel plates in ship building and it is also used in welding. The plant will be able to support the war effort by producing the chemical necessary for government vessels, and making it available locally.

Factories--Tacoma; Machinery; Storage tanks--Tacoma; Air Reduction Sales Co. (Tacoma);

Sliced Forest Products, Moore dry kilns and knife. A machine used in making plywood and called a knife is in the foreground. A "peeler log" unwinds against a knife in a continuous strip of veneer which is then sent into the big Moore dry kiln where they are steamed and made ready for further processing. The kiln installed at Puget Sound Plywood in the mid-1940's was the only one of its size in the State of Washington.

Plywood; Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Sliced Forest Products (Tacoma);

DuCharme Belting and Rubber Conveyor Belt, machine to lift bricks up to brick layers. The machine is shown in use. Scaffolding is set near the wall for the workers to stand on and a brick is on the conveyor belt ready for a ride up to the current height of the wall. The conveyor belt is on wheels for easy placement during construction. Concrete blocks are also shown lying on the ground.

Machinery; Conveying systems--Tacoma--1940-1950; Bricklaying; Bricks;

Televed, Inc., Railway Exchange Building, Chicago, Illinois, for Mr. D.A. Highet. Three men with a gasoline-powered generator, on a movable housing made for riding on railroad tracks, which also has wheels with tires on one end to be pulled by trailer.

Railroad tracks--Tacoma; Railroad construction & maintenance--Tacoma; Electric generators--Tacoma; Laborers--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Televed, Inc., Railway Exchange Building, Chicago, Illinois, for Mr. D.A. Highet. An unidentified worker operates an electric tool, grinding or cutting a rail, powered by a gasoline-powered generator. Photograph was taken on September 5, 1945.

Railroad tracks; Railroads; Electric generators;

The partially built wooden hulls of at least four vessels can be seen in the two boat sheds of the Tacoma Boat Building Company in this photograph from October of 1945. Scaffolding is set up around each hull for workers to stand on while easing the timbers of the hull into shape. After the war the smaller boat building companies in Tacoma returned to building fishing boats and pleasure craft. They also found work converting mine sweepers into commercial fishing boats. Successful for many years, Tacoma Boat began to struggle in the 1980s; the Tacoma Boat Building Co. finally closed in the late 1990s. TPL-5547

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

Tacoma Boat yard shots. At least two hulls are under construction in the boat sheds at Tacoma Boat Building Company. As of August 1946 Tacoma Boat had turned out more than 90 hulls since the latter part of 1940. TPL-5547, TPL-8902

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

Machinery at Cammarano Brothers bottling company, Phillip Cammarano. The machinery shown is used to bottle, cap and label the carbonated beverages they bottled at the facility.

Bottling industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Cammarano Bros. (Tacoma);

Process photo of boat under construction.

St. Paul and Tacoma Lumber Company. A Rucker Brothers truck loaded with plywood is parked outside the retail yard for St. Paul and Tacoma Lumber. St. Paul and Tacoma Lumber Company bought this facility from the John Dower Lumber Company in 1942.

St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Trucks--Tacoma--1940-1950; Plywood;

Air Reduction Sales Co., an oxygen producer. A series of pipes, ranging in size, stand vertically against a wall. Chains, levers and shut-off valves are located along the pipes. A grating covers the floor area. Steps are seen at the left leading to an upper work area.

Air Reduction Sales Co. (Tacoma); Factories--Tacoma;

Douglas Fir Plywood Association. A young farm hand forks silage onto a conveyor belt system to move the material around in the interior of the silo. Silage is cut up material grown for feed. It is allowed to ferment in the silo and is then fed to livestock.

Farmers--Puyallup; Silos--Puyallup; Conveying systems--Puyallup; Plywood; Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950;

The Defiance Mill saw line for I.W. Johnson Engineering. Definace mill was started by three brothers, the Doud Brothers, from Wisconsin in 1901 when they built a mill in Buckley, Washington. Four years later they moved to Tacoma - 22 acres on Ruston Way. In 1929 they built a gang type plant to cut 75,000 feet in 8 hours.

Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Defiance Lumber Co. (Tacoma); Saws; Mills--Tacoma--1940-1950;

South Tacoma Welding. Several men are setting a double pole with the help of two trucks with pole-setting rigs/cranes on their flat beds. One of the men is standing up in the rigging.

Machinery; Equipment; Trucks--Tacoma--1940-1950; Vehicles--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Douglas Fir Plywood Association. An exterior view of a building. Automobiles and a truck from the A.J. Johnson & Company are parked outside. The Tacoma skyline is in the distance.

Plywood; Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Automobiles--Tacoma--1940-1950; Trucks--Tacoma--1940-1950; Buildings--Tacoma--1940-1950;

For I.W. Johnson Engineering Company. An interior view of a sawmill near Packwood, Washington. A log, with one side already sawed off having passed through the "head-rig" of the mill, has been rotated to slice off the opposite side. Once a log had been squared it was milled into lumber.

Saws; Mills--Packwood--1940-1950; Logs; Lumber industry--Packwood--1940-1950; Woodcutting--Packwood--1940-1950;

For I.W. Johnson Engineering Company. An interior view of a sawmill near Packwood, Washington. The "head-rig", where large logs are "squared" prior to being broken down into lumber, is seen on the right. Chain, similar to that used on bicycles, is being pulled by gears. Because it has teeth on the edges, the chain is able to move lumber through the mill. (Fortune Magazine, April 1934)

Saws; Mills--Packwood--1940-1950; Logs; Lumber industry--Packwood--1940-1950; Woodcutting--Packwood--1940-1950;

Pacific Boat. Pan Pacific, a 103 foot salmon and tuna seiner, was built for Andrew Kuljis. She had an 830 hp Enterprise engine. She is out for her water trials. This view shows her starboard side with one upper deck. (Pacific Fisherman Yearbook 1949, p. 82 ans 171) TPL-8960

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

Tomato packing machine, machine for making card board containers, Mutual Fruit Company, Union Pacific Freight Terminal, Les Crawford. A large machine designed to fold heavy paper fruit cartons is operated by one man at the Mutual Fruit Company.

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

Scarlet Queen is owned by Arne Strom and Cecil Drake from San Diego, California, Strom is co-owner of Tacoma Boat and the managing partner for this tuna clipper. Tony Dutra is the skipper of the ship, he will have a crew of 18 fishermen, and Walter Darruss is the chief engineer. All tuna caught will be sent to the French Sardine Company of San Diego for packing. View of "Scarlet Queen" cruising at a speed of 12 knots (T. Times, 6/14/48, p. 1). TPL-8961

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

A huge Douglas Fir was trucked into Tacoma, recently cut near Kosmos, in eastern Lewis County. This tree was cut by Lloyd Sword, an independent logger. View of nine foot in diameter and thirty four foot long "Peeler" log recently cut, Oregon-Washington Plywood Company will convert this log into plywood panels, plywood laborers are measuring the log, crane in background (T. Times, 5/11/48, p. 1).

Logs; Trucks--Tacoma--1940-1950; Laborers--Tacoma; Trees--Tacoma; Woodcutting--Tacoma; Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Plywood; Oregon-Washington Plywood Co. (Tacoma);

Publicity shots at Permanente Metals, Bill Gorman. Two of the staff at Permanente are checking the pressure through a hose and narrow pipe on the arm of the young man in a chemical lab. Glass containers and tubing are set up on the counter in front of them. They both wear aprons with bibs. The woman has her goggles lifted up onto her forehead. TPL-4555

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

Publicity shots at Permanente Metals, Bill Gorman. Two workmen from the Permanente plant stand side-by-side, the older man has his arm around the shoulder of a younger man. The older man is wearing coveralls, a heavy shirt and a hat. He has goggles hanging around his neck. The other, younger man is wearing a jacket, a plaid shirt, and a hat. They are both smiling. The plant facilities are seen in the background. TPL-4555

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

Douglas Fir Plywood Association was having a plywood product and "uses" presentation at the Winthrop Hotel. Plywood was originally just uses for doors and furniture drawers, but in the 1920's builders began experimenting with plywood and using it for interior wall panels, cabinets, and eventually prefabricated houses, exterior and interior wall panels. View of three plywood businessmen standing below a "Douglas Fir Plywood The Wood of 1000 Uses" sign.

Plywood; Molded plywood; Signs (Notices); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Business people--Tacoma--1940-1950; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma);

Tacoma's Douglas Fir plywood industry is divided between seven plywood factories, they employ over 1,700 employees, making this one of the largest industries in Tacoma and Western Washington. There are 43 plywood plants between Washington, Oregon and California, these plants are owned by 37 different companies, with no single firm owning more than three plants. Douglas Fir Plywood Association has really helped the plywood industry expand throughout the building and construction industries. View of DFPA representative standing behind a podium, during his "Plywood Sales Demonstration".

Plywood; Molded plywood; Signs (Notices); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Business people--Tacoma--1940-1950; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma);

Plywood can be used to make furniture, houses, garages, advertising, movie theaters, boats, and thousands of other items. Douglas Fir Plywood Association ensures consumers that they are getting the finest quality plywood panels, they are continuously testing and coming up with new ideas for the use of plywood products. View of DFPA representatives using Douglas Fir plywood during his presentation.

Plywood; Molded plywood; Signs (Notices); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Business people--Tacoma--1940-1950; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma);

Dressed as a train engineer, wearing hat, jacket and gloves, Leon Titus, the president of Titus Motor Co. fulfilled a longtime dream on May 7, 1948. Mr. Titus was given special permission to ride in the cab of Union Pacific locomotive # 3981. The huge 122-foot long engine was the largest in the pacific northwest, and was used on the Seattle-Tacoma-Portland run. He was allowed to ride to Seattle and back in the cab. (T.N.T., 5/9/48, p. A-13). TPL-9867

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

Interior view of newly expanded and remodeled Sperry Flour Mill, workman is measuring two grain slides, the grains go through processing machinery before they are made into flour and cereal. The expansion project should be completed later this year, General Mills should have their new facilities in full operation by the end of this year.

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

General Mills Sperry flour plant was one of the oldest businesses in Tacoma and had been in the flour and grains industry for over 96 years. The plant was conveniently located in Tacoma's waterfront area by Commencement Bay which gave the plant easy water and railroad access. Interior view of facility taken on May 31, 1948 with grain processing equipment on right side, workmen on left side.

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

In 1947 Centennial Flour Mills was completely destroyed by a fire, for some time, Centennial was unsure whether they would rebuild. General Mills was hoping to acquire the old Centennial Mills site and begin remodeling and expanding their facilities. Sperry and Centennial went through extended negotiations to determine whether Sperry Flour could lease the property. Interior view of Sperry Flour plant.

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);