The "DUPONT" is docked awaiting delivery of cargo from the adjacent boxcars in a September 19, 1957, photograph. Railroad tracks run right up to the cargo ship which would make delivery easier and more efficient. This was one of the shipping methods used by the E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. to transport their explosives and other products. TPL-9247

Railroad tracks; Railroad locomotives; Railroad freight cars; Cargo ships; E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. (Dupont);

Exterior - Airco. A modern one-story concrete and brick building housed the Air Reduction Pacific Co., commonly known as Airco, in the 1950's. Located on Ross Way, close to E. 11th St., Airco were oxygen manufacturers and sellers of welding supplies. View of building facade shows large picture windows through which displays of welding masks and other products can be spotted. A customer is standing at the counter being assisted by an Airco employee. Airco, along with the Ohio Chemical Pacific Co. and the Pure Carbonic Co., were divisions of Air Reduction Co., Inc. Photograph ordered by Air Reduction Pacific Co.

Air Reduction Pacific Co. (Tacoma); Facades--Tacoma--1950-1960;

The George R. Marvin Co. was a steel fabrication plant located on Taylor Way in the Tideflats. Besides manufacturing cranes and other hoists, they also were involved in fabricated steel products. A model in an October 4, 1957, photograph is examining a piece of machinery manufactured by the Marvin Co. The exact use of the product is not known; it does appear to be solidly constructed and capable of containing either solids or liquids. What appears to be an Air Force fuel tank is in the background of the photograph. Photograph ordered by the George R. Marvin Co.

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

A view across the Tideflats and adjacent pond shows the expanded Kaiser Aluminum plant in November, 1957. Built originally for Olin Corporation in 1942, and purchased by Kaiser four years later, heavy demand for aluminum products post-war made expansion of the plant necessary. Kaiser spent nearly three million dollars in 1952 to improve their Tacoma plant facilities which led to a large increase in aluminum production. Photograph ordered by Kaiser Aluminum.

Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corp. (Tacoma); Aluminum industry--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Weber Lumber Co., on January 8, 1958, was the site of a series of photographs taken on behalf of the Douglas Fir Plywood Association on the usage of plywood for a variety of products. Here an employee appears to be measuring a long sheet of plywood against a box beam. The sheet of plywood may have eventually covered the open box beam. These box beams may have been especially constructed to be used at the South Tacoma Airport.

Plywood; Weber Lumber Co. (Tacoma); Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma);

Bethlehem Pacific Coast Steel's works were booming in the 1950's, necessitating a $25 million dollar expansion in Seattle, as well as improvements and new construction elsewhere. New electric furnaces promised to boost steelmaking capacity 70% to 420,000 tons annually. Workers are pictured on March 6, 1958, seemingly dwarfed by the size of the huge equipment used in the Seattle plant. A cascade of sparks and smoke stream from an open hearth. The men are wearing hard hats and long coats for protection.

Bethlehem Pacific Coast Steel Corp. (Seattle); Steel industry--Seattle; Industrial facilities--Seattle;

A man, possibly Don Jaenicke, gives his shoes a high glossy shine as he has one foot on a plywood step containing an Esquire shoe shine kit. Cans of polish and a towel can be tucked away inside the plywood container and the container itself be stored in a closet. A convenient shoe rack is already in this Sylvan Park closet and space could be found for the shoe shine device as well. Photograph ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association.

Plywood; Shoe shining--Tacoma; Shoes; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma);

St. Regis Paper Co. employee leans over a Langston machine on September 29, 1961. Man appears to be working with small roll of kraft paper. The Samuel M. Langston Co. made machines, basically rewinders, for the corrugated container industry. Based in Camden, N.J., they were in operations for more than one hundred years. Photograph ordered by the Samuel Langston Co.

Machinery; Paper industry--Tacoma--1960-1970; St. Regis Paper Co. (Tacoma)--1960-1970;

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;

ca. 1963. Studio display of Hartz Western Style Pilsener beer. Packaged in a convenient cardboard open-end container, the six-pack of canned beer was brewed by the Silver Springs Brewing Co. in Tacoma. Specifically targeting the western market, the cans and container are decorated with totem poles, deer, and tall fir trees.

Beer--Tacoma;

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;

Built on the site of the old Cheney Field/Tiger Field, the new Washington Natural Gas Co. building is ablaze with light on a late summer evening in 1963. This picture was taken from across the road on So. 38th St.; the symmetry of construction with its two wings adjoining the massive walkway and two shimmering fountains is readily apparent. The fountains were lit with underground lights. Photograph ordered by Bozell & Jacobs Advertising.

Washington Natural Gas Co. (Tacoma);

Peggy Robinson, Washington Natural Gas Co. home economist, happily prepares a meal on an up-to-date efficient gas stove on August 27, 1963. Two of the burners are being used at the moment. This stove typically would have automatic burners, instant controls and smokeless broiling. Natural gas vied with electricity for dominance in the home market with both claiming low costs and clean, efficient appliances. Peggy (Mrs. Clifford) Robinson was known professionally as June Holladay and was the Washington Natural Gas Southern Division home economist. Photograph ordered by Bozell & Jacobs Advertising. (TNT 9-10-63, B-15, TNT 9-20-64, D-11)

Washington Natural Gas Co. (Tacoma); Stoves--Tacoma; Cookery--Tacoma; Robinson, Peggy;

Five unidentified men stand outside of a Weyerhaeuser Co. building believed to be part of their warehouse operations on September 23, 1963. Weyerhaeuser may have furnished the wood for production of plywood Santas in time for the Christmas season. Photograph ordered by Cole & Weber Advertising.

Weyerhaeuser Timber Co. (Tacoma);

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;

A Brute Crane manufactured by the Star Iron & Steel Co. of Tacoma is in the process of hoisting lumber at the Seattle Export Lumber Co. There are piles of lumber on both sides of the crane. Date of original photograph is unknown; copy made on September 17, 1963.

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

Porta Tower in operation at the Cotten Bros. logging site in Packwood on October 23, 1963. Used as portable steel spur trees, "Porta Towers" were manufactured by Star Iron & Steel Co. of Tacoma for use in the logging industry. Star Iron & Steel was well known for their cranes and specialized equipment which included hydraulic presses, log barkers, radio and television towers, and chip handling buckets. Photograph ordered by Star Iron & Steel Co.

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

The hands of a craftsman, possibly Panther Woodworking owner George Panther, carefully screw on a small piece of wood to a long rod in a May 3, 1957, photograph. The rod is being held steady between the fingers of one hand while the other hand is simultaneously using the screwdriver. Other screws and rubber rings are close by on the table. Photograph ordered by the Douglas Fir Plywood Association.

Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Panther Woodworking (Tacoma); Woodworking--Tacoma--1950-1960; Screws;