Pipes and equipment at Hooker Electrochemical Co. as photographed on September 24, 1931. Hooker's large plant in Tacoma was built in 1928 and celebrated its grand opening in February of 1929. Chemicals manufactured by Hooker aided the area's pulp and paper industry. G33.1-163

Hooker Electrochemical Co. (Tacoma); Chemical industry--Tacoma--1930-1940; Industrial facilities--Tacoma--1930-1940; Equipment;

Various types of equipment located at Hooker Electrochemical's plant were photographed on September 24, 1931. The chemical producing company was located at 605 Alexander Avenue and would celebrate over 50 years in business here in Tacoma. After several name changes, it would close down about 2002. G33.1-164

Hooker Electrochemical Co. (Tacoma); Chemical industry--Tacoma--1930-1940; Industrial facilities--Tacoma--1930-1940; Equipment;

ca. 1932. Hooker Electrochemical Company, circa 1932. Alcohol tank (upright at rear), top of storage tank and group of fittings. (filed with Argentum)

Chemical industry--Tacoma--1930-1940; Hooker Electrochemical Co. (Tacoma);

ca. 1932. Hooker Electrochemical Company, machine room, circa 1932. View from above floor area. (filed with Argentum)

Chemical industry--Tacoma--1930-1940; Hooker Electrochemical Co. (Tacoma);

ca. 1932. Hooker Electrochemical Company, machine room, circa 1932. Kroeshell carbonic system. (filed with Argentum)

Chemical industry--Tacoma--1930-1940; Hooker Electrochemical Co. (Tacoma);

Industrial sections of the City of Tacoma. Hooker Electrochemical Company. Artistic exposure of brick buildings framed by the massive wrought iron gates of the plant. The plant was built on the site of the old Foundation Shipyard and opened in February of 1929. Photograph was taken on February 15, 1938, nearly nine years from its establishment.

Hooker Electrochemical Co. (Tacoma); Chemical industry--Tacoma--1930-1940; Gates--Tacoma;

Hooker Electro Chemical Company. Mr. Stafford. Large tank or boiler, conical bottom, with chain around it and on top. [Also dated 08-24-1938]

Chemical industry--Tacoma--1930-1940; Hooker Electrochemical Co. (Tacoma);

Hooker Electrochemical Company. Mr. Stafford. Large Tank or boiler with legs on bottom. [Also dated 08-24-1938]

Chemical industry--Tacoma--1930-1940; Hooker Electrochemical Co. (Tacoma);

Hooker Electrochemical Co. was awarded the Army Navy "E" award by Major General Joseph D. Patch and Navy Officer W. C. Gilbert. An impressive ceremony was held at plant. Music was provided by the 440th Army Service Forces. Acting Mayor C. Val Fawcett was the Master of Ceremonies (T. Times, 1/10/45, p. 3).

Military decorations--Tacoma; Awards; Flags; Rites & ceremonies--Tacoma; Hooker Electrochemical Co. (Tacoma); Chemical industry--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Acting Mayor Val Fawcett leads the singing of "God Bless America" during a Army-Navy "E" award ceremony at Hooker Electro-Chemical Company. Employees were honored for outstanding production of materials vital to the war effort. ALBUM 14. TPL-6654

Military decorations--Tacoma; Awards; Rites & ceremonies--Tacoma; Hooker Electrochemical Co. (Tacoma); Mayors--Tacoma--1940-1950; Fawcett, Clarence Valdo, 1900-1965; Chemical industry--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Hooker Electrochemical Co. was awarded the Army Navy "E" award by Major General Joseph D. Patch and Navy Officer W. C. Gilbert. An impressive ceremony was held at plant. Music was provided by the 440th Army Service Forces. Acting Mayor C. Val Fawcett was the Master of Ceremonies (T. Times, 1/10/45, p. 3).

Military decorations--Tacoma; Awards; Rites & ceremonies--Tacoma; Hooker Electrochemical Co. (Tacoma); Chemical industry--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Brine Tanks at Hooker Chemical. Two tanks are shown from ground level. A man is climbing towards the top of one of the tanks on a wooden stairway adjacent to the tanks. Several piles of dark materials are in the foreground and wooden walkways lead past the tanks. Hooker Chemical manufactured chemicals: chlorine used in the manufacture and bleaching of pulp and paper and to sterilize water and sewage; caustic soda used in oil refining and the manufacture of soap, and synthetic ammonia used in pulp and paper mills, fertilizers and explosives. The name was changed in 1982 to Occidental Chemical.

Chemical industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Hooker Electrochemical Co. (Tacoma); Storage tanks--Tacoma;

Brine Tanks at Hooker Chemical. Two tanks are shown from above. Two men are standing on the walkway over the tank, man on right has been identified as Loyd Johnson, Hooker chemist. The Tacoma Hooker Chemical plant was started in 1929 by Elon Huntington Hooker. Albert Huntington Hooker, Jr., long-time western sales manager of the electrochemical concern, was Elon Huntington Hooker's nephew.

Chemical industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Hooker Electrochemical Co. (Tacoma); Storage tanks--Tacoma; Johnson, Loyd;

Hooker Electro-Chemical parking area. One of the buildings at the far end of the parking lot and the water tower remind workers of "Safety First". Hylebos waterway can be seen in the background as well as cranes used for loading and unloading materials from ships and barges.

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

Hooker Electrochemical parking area. This view shows the Hylebos waterway and a ship moored at the company's dock. Railroad tracks run through the plant to make more transportation accessible. TPL-2489.

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

Hooker fine and heavy chemicals included: Acid chlorides, bleaching powder, metallic chlorides, muriatic acid, naphthalene derivatives, sulfide derivatives, toluene derivatives, hydrogenated products, fatty acid esters, chlorine liquids, chlorinating agents, chlorinated paraffins, caustic soda, aliphatic chlorides, benzene derivatives and benzoates. Interior view of plant and chemical producing machinery.

Machinery; Equipment; Chemicals; Chemical industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Industrial facilities--Tacoma; Hooker Electrochemical 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);

Hooker Electrochemical Co. was focusing on post war prospects which included an increase in funding for the development and research department. This department was concentrating on projects for the further diversification of their chemical products, as well as, looking at the expansion of sales and broadening of markets. The research department was an invaluable component of the company. Interior view of plant.

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

Hooker Electrochemical Co. has helped Tacoma with industrial growth. They are a leader in their field and provide Tacoma with a stable, successful and prosperous industry. They employ award winning chemists and scientists, who help keep this company on top of the chemical industry. They stated a well trained staff is the key to success. Exterior view of plant, the tank says "Safety First". Image is of Hooker-Dextrex solvent plant.

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

Hooker Electrochemical Co. plant in Tacoma was spread throughout 47 acres. They were located on the Hylebos Waterway for easy access to Puget Sound and they also had easy railway access. Large storage tanks for the chemicals produced were located on site, then transported throughout the West coast plants. Interior view of plant.

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

Hooker Electrochemical Co. Tacoma plant was the second chlor-alkali plant in the United States and the first caustic soda plant in the Northwest. The Tacoma plant began producing chemicals in 1929 and it was an essential industry needed during World War II. The Tacoma Hooker plant received two Army-Navy E Awards for war achievement during 1945. Interior view of plant where a cell house was being constructed. Chlorine and caustic soda would be produced through an electrolytical process. (Additional information provided by a reader)

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

Aerial view of Hooker Chemicals Plant on the tideflats. A recent merger brought Hooker Electrochemical Company of Tacoma and Niagara Falls, New York and the Detrex Corporation of Detroit, Michigan together, bringing a new company in the chemical industry to Tacoma. The Hooker-Dextrex plant can be seen towards the the top of the image (north), just lower left of the ship yard's water tower. Hooker companies were spread throughout 47 acres in Tacoma (T. Times, 2/26/1947 3B).

Aerial views; Aerial photographs; Waterfronts--Tacoma; Industrial facilities--Tacoma; Hooker Detrex, Inc. (Tacoma); Hooker Electrochemical Co. (Tacoma);

Hooker Electrochemical plant workman is filling a chemical storage tank, marked Detrex Corporation, the Toledo "No Springs, Honest Weight" scale indicates the tank weighs 550 pounds, the weight capacity is 1,000 pounds. Detrex Corporation and Hooker Electrochemical Company had recently merged, making the chemical industry in Tacoma larger and stronger.

Weights & measures--Tacoma; Scales; Scientific equipment--Tacoma; Measuring--Tacoma; Storage tanks--Tacoma; Industrial facilities--Tacoma; Hooker Electrochemical Co. (Tacoma); Chemical industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Toledo Scale Co. (Tacoma);

In November of 1947, an unidentified employee at the Hooker Electrochemical plant , at 605 Alexander Avenue on Tacoma's tideflats, used an industrial scale to weigh large chemical storage canisters. The scales he was using were manufactured by the Toledo Scale Company, which had opened an office in Tacoma in 1927 and maintained an office here for 30 years.Toledo scales, like these "No Spring, Honest Weight" units could be found in grocery stores, farmers markets and industrial plants throughout the Northwest. The Hooker Chemical Company, which in its final years was owned by Pioneer Companies, Inc. closed in 2002.

Weights & measures--Tacoma; Scales; Scientific equipment--Tacoma; Measuring--Tacoma; Industrial facilities--Tacoma; Storage tanks--Tacoma; Hooker Electrochemical Co. (Tacoma); Chemical industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Toledo Scale Co. (Tacoma);

This aerial photograph from November 1948 shows the Hooker Electrochemical Company located at 605 Alexander Avenue on the Tacoma tideflats. The waterway above the plant, dotted with log booms, is the Hylebos Waterway. Small houses and businesses line the shore on the other side of the waterway along Marine View Drive. Hooker changed its name to Occidental Chemical Co. in 1982. In 1997 the company was purchased by Pioneer Companies Inc.; the plant closed in 2002. TPL-7977

Aerial photographs; Hooker Electrochemical Co. (Tacoma); Chemical industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Logs; Hylebos Waterway (Tacoma); Harbors--Tacoma; Factories--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Sunnen Hauling Company was owned by Joe Sunnen. There were two facilities in Washington, one in Tacoma and one in Seattle. The company's Tacoma site was at 301 East 25th Street; they were fully insured and bonded. View of Sunnen Hauling Company installing a new top on liquid caustic storage tank at Hooker Electrochemical Company; two Lorraine cranes in restricted quarters put eight ton top on tank (T. Times, 1/30/49, p. 17).

Shipping--Tacoma; Moving & storage trade--Tacoma; Storage tanks--Tacoma; Pulleys; Hoisting machinery; Sunnen Auto Freight & Heavy Hauling Co. (Tacoma); Hooker Electrochemical Co. (Tacoma); Chemical industry--Tacoma--1940-1950;

A close-up of insulated caustic evaporation tanks and piping at Hooker Chemical. The Tacoma plant was expanded in 1950 and was fully operational by Januray 1951. The increase in production helped the company meet enlarged requirements of its current customers and to supply several important new consumers with caustic soda and liquid chlorine. (Hooker Electrochemical Company Annual Report, 1950)

Chemical industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Hooker Electrochemical Co. (Tacoma);

Hundreds of electrolytic cells, in row after row, work 24 hours a day at Hooker Electrochemical producing the basic ingredients of all Hooker Chemicals. In each of the Hooker cells, under the action of direct electric current, salt and water are broken down into a constant flow of caustic soda, chlorine, and hydrogen. Many other large producers of chlorine were licensed to use the Hooker cels in their own plants. Thus Hooker Cells, continually improved in design and efficiency, accounted for nearly half of all the chlorine produced in the United States. (Hooker Electrochemical Company Annual Report, 1950)

Chemical industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Hooker Electrochemical Co. (Tacoma);