Before a crowd of about 200, Tacoma Boat Building launched the YMS 244 on December 18, 1942. Later in the day, the company was presented with an "E Award" flag for excellence in the wartime production of minesweepers. More than 4,000 "E Pennants" were present to plants during WWII. They were a visible recognition of the patriotism and devotion of the company and its employees. (T. Times 12/19/1942, pg. 1)

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

December 18, 1942 was a very special day for Tacoma Boat Building. The company launched its newest minesweeper YMS 244 and received an Army/Navy "E" award flag. The "E" award was given for excellence in war production. The famous flag with the big "E" emblazoned on it became a badge of patriotism in action. The award consisted of a flag to be flown over the plant and a lapel pin for every employee within the plant. During the ceremony, an unidentified military officer makes a speech before a crowd of around 200. Music for the ceremony was supplied by the Coast Artillery Band.

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

Following the launching of the YMS 244 on December 18, 1942, Capt. A. C. Thomas presented "E" pins to the employees of Tacoma Boat Building. The pins were in recognition of their excellence in the production of mine sweepers. Various foreman from the Company's yard posed with Captain Thomas for this photograph. Pictured are, back row left to right, Lawrence Teasley, Clarence Hopkins, Bill Kvam, Clarence White, George Rau, John Kvamme and Walter Oliver. Front row, John Flintoff, F.L. Criswell, Capt. Thomas and Hugh McCreadie. (T. Times 12/23/1942, pg. 16)

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

December 18, 1942 was a Red Letter Day for Tacoma Boatbuilding. The company, owned by Arne Strom and Haldor Dahl, received an "E" Award flag and launched a minesweeper, the YMS 244. The "E" Award was from the Army & Navy for excellence in the wartime production of mine sweepers. The shipyard was located at 2142 E. "D." Arne Strom was able to be present but Mr. Dahl was at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester , Minn. and was unable to get there on time for the ceremony. (T. Times 12/19/1942, pg. 1)

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

Tacoma Boatbuilding Co. was busy building fishing boats for their UNRRA contract and also building pleasure boats for private owners. They were about to launch a fishing boat for Yugoslavia. View of Caterpillar 360 horse power diesel engine, used in the purse seiner, "F. D. Roosevelt". TPL-8905

Boat engines; Engine rooms--Tacoma; Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Tacoma Boat Building Co., Inc. (Tacoma);

Tacoma Boatbuilding Co. was working on a contract to build and repair fishing boats for China under the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration program. The boats are intended to rehabilitate China's fishing industry. Tacoma Boat's production line methods are helping get the boats ready for launching at a rapid pace. View of "Bertha J", a fishing boat. TPL-8324

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

This aerial view of the "head of the bay" (the south end of the Foss Waterway) shows the Tacoma Boat Building Company and the Reliance Lumber company (to the right) as they appeared in March of 1947. The Northern Pacific Railroad roundhouse can be seen at 2211 East D Street, just above Tacoma Boat. Tacoma Boat were the exclusive designers and manufacturers of "Northern Dragger" winches, "North" purse seine winches, "Northern" anchor winches and "Northern" purse seine and dandelion blocks. They built wood and steel trollers, purse seiners and tuna clippers. (T. Times, 2/26/47, p. 9-B).

Industrial facilities--Tacoma; Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Tacoma Boat Building Co., Inc. (Tacoma); Northern Pacific Railway Co. (Tacoma); Railroad roundhouses--Tacoma; Aerial photographs;

Tacoma Boat Facilities. Interior of Tacoma Boatbuilding Co. plant. Elaborate machiery was used for boatbuilding. TPL-6651

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

Tacoma Boat Facilities. Meeting the Army and Navy compliance for the wood and diesel type ships is an important part of the building process for Tacoma Boatbuilding Co. TPL-8862

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

Tacoma Boat Building. At the time of this July 27, 1946 photograph, Tacoma Boat Building was nearing completion of "West Point," their first all-steel tuna clipper. She was launched August 17, 1946, and christened by Christine Jangaard. The vessel is 112 feet by 26 1/2 feet, powered by a 675 hp Cooper-Bessemer engine. TPL-8906

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

Taken for Tacoma Boat Building Company. This shot shows the waterfront adjacent to the Tacoma Boat Building facility. Debris is caught in the water and it looks cloudy. At this time Tacoma Boat is working on a contract for the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration for nine 85 foot combination purse seiner drag boats, five steel and four wood. (T.Times, 8/21/1946, p.5) TPL-6534

Waterfronts--Tacoma--1940-1950; Tacoma Boat Building Co., Inc. (Tacoma);

Taken for Tacoma Boat Building Company. A view of the water and waterfront adjacent to the Tacoma Boat Building Company along City Waterway. Some plant material or other substance is floating on the water. TPL-6535

Waterfronts--Tacoma--1940-1950; Tacoma Boat Building Co., Inc. (Tacoma);

Launching at Puget Sound. Rear view of the C. R. Martinolich yacht, belonging to Carl R. Martinolich, the company's Machinist Superintendent. The Martinolich Shipbuilding Corp. relocated their shipbuilding plant to San Francisco, California in July 1940.

Yachts--Tacoma; Ships--Tacoma;

Launching at Puget Sound. The Martinolich Shipbuilding Corp. was operated by four brothers here in Tacoma up until July 1940, when two of the brothers relocated the plant to San Francisco, CA. Carl R. Martinolich was the Machinist Superintendent for the company. View of Carl's yacht, prior to launching.

Yachts--Tacoma; Ships--Tacoma;

Tacoma Boat Facilities. Tacoma Boat Building Company is working on its 18th minesweeper for the government. They are one of two shipyards in Tacoma to be honored with the Army-Navy "E" pennant. Interior view of workshop showing laborers at work. TPL-6647

Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Tacoma Boat Building Co., Inc. (Tacoma); World War, 1939-1945--Economic & industrial aspects--Tacoma;

Tacoma Boat Building Company completed the sardine seiner, North American, in 1944. Tacoma Boat Building was owned by H. Dahl and A. Strom, who were dedicated to building quality fishing vessels for North Pacific fishermen. View of North American's helm, compass and engine controls. TPL-8880

Helms; Control rooms; Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Tacoma Boat Building Co., Inc. (Tacoma);

The Hortensia-Bertin sits in the ways building at Tacoma Boat Building ready for launching into Commencement Bay. The large tuna clipper was designed by Arthur DeFever of San Pedro, and measured 103' x 24'10". O.E. Bertin would be her captain. She would have outstanding communication capabilities with radiophone and code instruments, a Northern Radio sending set and a National receiver. She was capable of carrying a crew of 20 and 185 tons of fish at 10 knots. Her home port was to be Tegucigalpa, Honduras. (TNT, 1/5/1950, p.21; Pacific Fisherman, April 1950, p.26; Pacific Fisherman, October 1950, p.12) TPL-9024

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

Machinists Incorporated was a Seattle based business, owned by Thomas J. Barley and Ralph H. LaBossier, located at 751 Michigan Street in Seattle, Washington. View of sand blasting on boat "Eileen", the fishing boat will be re-painted and refurbished at Tacoma Boat Building facilities in Tacoma. "Eileen" will be a new modernized faster speed engine and will have the power of a new 1948 boat, photo ordered by Machinists Inc. TPL-8955

Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Boats & boating; Fishing boats--Tacoma; Maintenance & repair--Tacoma; Sand blast; Tacoma Boat Building Co., Inc. (Tacoma); Machinists, Inc. (Seattle);

View of damaged machinery at Tacoma Boat Building's massive fire of August 24, 1951. The entire construction yard consisting of five connected buildings was leveled in the multi-alarm fire which occurred in the early morning hours of August 24th. Damages were estimated at one million dollars, part of which is probably covered by insurance. Photograph commissioned by the Board of Marine Underwriters of San Francisco. (TNT 8-24-51, p. 1)

Tacoma Boat Building Co., Inc. (Tacoma); Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Fires--Tacoma--1950-1960; Fire fighting--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Tacoma Boatbuilding Co. was working on a contract to build and repair fishing boats for China under the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration program. The boats are intended to rehabilitate China's fishing industry. Tacoma Boat's production line methods are helping get the boats ready for launching at a rapid pace. View dock area for Tacoma Boat facilities.

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

Tacoma Boat was a long time builder of fishing boats, government vessels, UNRRA boats and pleasure boats. They were the exclusive manufactures of the "Northern Line" winches. View of main boat engine, Tacoma Boat is able to utilize this compact space making this equipment easy to access for servicing and maintenance. TPL-8923

Engine rooms--Tacoma; Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Boat engines; Tacoma Boat Building Co., Inc. (Tacoma);

Marine Engine and Machinery Corp. Representatives from Gray Marine Engines Company and Marine Engine and Machinery Corp. complete arrangements for the complete line of Gray Marine Engines to be sold in Pierce and Thurston Counties by Marine Engine and Machinery Corp. Standing, L-R, are Haldor Dahl, Jack Wilson, Lewis E. Boen, and Charles Bevis. Seated, L-R, are Arne Strom and S.O. Jules. Harold Dahl and Arne Strom are co-partners in Tacoma Boatbuilding Company as well as this new distributorship. (T.Times, 6/19/1945, p.3)

Marine Engine & Machinery Corp. (Tacoma); Gray Marine Engines Co.; Dahl, Haldor; Wilson, Jack; Boen, Lewis E.; Bevis, Charles; Strom, Arne; Jules, S.O.; Deals;

Tacoma Boat, fishing boat "Silverland." The "Silverland" sits at dock with the Tacoma waterfront in the background. Tacoma Boat Building Company was widely known for the quality of craftsmanship in their fishing boats. TPL-9107

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

Tacoma Boat, fish boat "Silverland". A view of the starboard side of the "Silverland" while she is tied to the dock. The Tacoma waterfront is in the background. Tacoma Boat Building Company easily returned to building high quality fishing vessels after having built mine sweepers during the war.

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

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;

In April of 1946, the USS "Agile" and the "Queen of the Yipees" returned home to Tacoma Boat Building Co. for conversion to fishing boats after Naval service in Dutch Harbor, Ak., as a minesweeper and a patrol boat during the war.Tacoma Boatbuilding Co. was working on a contract to build and repair fishing boats for China under the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) program. The boats were intended to rehabilitate China's fishing industry. View of laborers working on fishing boats. TPL-8323 ( T. Times 4/17/1946, pg. 7)

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

Scarlet Queen was originally a military vessel, ATR-69, a World War II rescue tug. It was converted into the largest tuna clipper in the world by Tacoma Boatbuilding Company. View of a Gyro compass, radar unit, and loran; these highly technical and advanced instruments are located in the navigation and engine room. (Tacoma Boatbuilding Co., Inc. Catalog 1954). TPL-8965

Fishing boats--Tacoma; Navigation; Compasses; Control rooms--Tacoma; Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Tacoma Boat Building Co., Inc. (Tacoma);

Interior view of "Scarlet Queen's" navigator's quarters, separate from the steering room. The navigator's quarters was a miniature communications center, through which the vessel maintains frequent checks on its position and contact with other vessels and shore stations (Tacoma Boatbuilding Co., Inc. Catalog 1954). TPL-8969

Fishing boats--Tacoma; Navigation; Compasses; Control rooms--Tacoma; Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Tacoma Boat Building Co., Inc. (Tacoma);

Men survey the massive fire damage to the Tacoma Boat Building Company's boatworks on August 24, 1951. Twelve land companies and the city's fireboat were called to battle the extensive blaze; however, due to the large amounts of dry materials present, the firemen were unable to save the construction yard of five connecting buildings. Damages were estimated by Fire Chief Charles Eisenbacher at approximately one million dollars. It was Tacoma's sixth major fire of 1951. Owners Haldor Dahl and Arne Strom shortly after announced plans for a new plant on Sitcum Waterway to replace the City Waterway installation; the main building would be 244 feet by 300 feet plus an additional large machine shop and spacious office building. (TNT 8-24-51, p. 1, TNT 10-7-51, B-2) TPL-9119

Tacoma Boat Building Co., Inc. (Tacoma); Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Fires--Tacoma--1950-1960; Fire fighting--Tacoma--1950-1960;