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STENGER-0115 Front

Carsten's Packing Company opened in Tacoma in 1903 at 1623 East "J" Street. It became part of Hygrade Food Products in 1954, and closed in 1990. circa 1909.

A120685-1

Carsten- Hygrade employees pose in the yard at the meat packing facility at 1623 East "J" St. According to Richards Studio notes, the picture is of 300-400 people. The locally owned Carstens Meat Packing got its start in Tacoma in 1903. In 1954, it was sold to the Hygrade Food Products Corporation. In 1990, the company made the decision to close its Tacoma plant.


Carstens Packing Co. (Tacoma); Meat industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Carstens-Hygrade (Tacoma)--Employees;

D98943-2

Dressed beef hangs from hooks at the Carstens meat packing plant. The meat is ready for final distribution in this chilled display of choice prime US Government graded Kimberley Fed Beef at Carstens, now part of the Hygrade Food Products Corporation. The meat comes direct from Hygrade's own feed lots. Carstens-Hygrade had served Tacoma for over half a century. In 1956, they employed 350 people in their Tacoma plant. (TNT 9/3/1956, pg. C-5) TPL-8127


Merchandise displays--Tacoma--1950-1960; Carstens Packing Co. (Tacoma); Meat industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Carstens-Hygrade (Tacoma);

D87390-14

Dressed sides of beef hanging from hooks in a cold storage locker at Carstens Packing Co. Photograph taken in conjunction with Carsten's Open House, celebrating their 50th anniversary in the meat packing business. In 1903, Seattle butcher and German immigrant Thomas Carstens bought 12 deserted acres on the Tideflats, the former home of the old Pacific Meat Company's plant, and began setting up what would become the largest meat packing plant on the Pacific Coast. The company eventually branched out into three processing plants: Tacoma, Seattle & Spokane. It was a huge operation that raised its own livestock, slaughtered and processed it and sold it in their own retail outlets. The company founder died in 1931 and his sons, Thomas and Philip, took over the business until they sold it in 1954 to Hy-Grade Food Products Corp. of Detroit. Hy-Grade closed the plant in 1990, citing it as out dated and not complying with EPA standards. TPL-8123


Merchandise displays--Tacoma--1950-1960; Carstens Packing Co. (Tacoma); Meat industry--Tacoma--1950-1960;

BOLAND-B15260

These cattle were confined within the Carstens Packing Co.'s stockyards in July of 1926. Feeding troughs were built within the pens and many of the cattle pictured have their heads buried deep inside the bins. Carstens was a major meat packing firm located in the Tideflats since 1903. The stockyards had space for 1,200 cattle. The cattle would have been fattened up, slaughtered, and their meat processed by Carstens' large workforce. (TNT 3-31-27, p. 6-article on Carstens plant)


Cattle--Washington; Carstens Packing Co. (Tacoma); Meat industry--Tacoma--1920-1930; Stockyards--Tacoma--1920-1930;

BOLAND-B15263

Unidentified Carstens Packing Co. employee stands in front of a heavy duty truck with trailer on July 10, 1926, at the company plant, 1623 East J St. in the Tideflats. The truck and accompanying trailer are labeled "Carstens Products" and state that the U.S. government has inspected meats processed by the firm. Customers could be assured that the meat was safe to eat, no small worry after the horrors of the meat packing industry uncovered decades before by novelist Upton Sinclair.


Trucks--Tacoma--1920-1930; Carstens Packing Co. (Tacoma); Meat industry--Tacoma--1920-1930;

BOLAND-B15546

Carstens Packing Co. crane with unidentified worker photographed in late August of 1926. The large meat packing firm was located in the Tideflats at 1623 East "J" St. TPL-5821; TPL-7935; G49.1-188; G34.1-165


Hoisting machinery; Carstens Packing Co. (Tacoma);

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