Four tall smokestacks on an industrial building.

Industrial building with laborer in hardhat working in the foreground.

American Smelting and Refining Company (ASARCO), Tacoma. Worker grasping tongs as he reaches into small, industrial oven. For J. Gius, reporter.

American Smelting & Refining Co. (Tacoma); Smelters--Tacoma--1930-1940; Copper industry--Tacoma--1930-1940; Industrial facilities--Tacoma;

Tacoma Smelter. Once the tallest smoke stack in the world, the brick structure billows smoke as it looms far above the refinery's steel gates. The stack was imploded in the 1990s after the refinery closed. Unchanged, the traffic tunnel remains in use.

American Smelting & Refining Co. (Tacoma); Smelters--Tacoma--1930-1940; Copper industry--Tacoma--1930-1940; Industrial facilities--Tacoma;

Permanente Metals began production at their newly equipped aluminun plant on Taylor Way in Tacoma on October 31, 1947. Permanente purchased the former Olin Corp. facility, built in 1942, from the federal government and spent two years modernizing the plant. The remodeled Tacoma plant was the first in the nation to have self cleaning reduction pots with scrubbing systems, minimizing pollution released into the environment (PMC Annual Report, 1947-1948).

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

Charles P. Love, General Superintendent of Permanente Metals, along with plant technicians activated the first pot line in Tacoma, making October 31, 1947 the first official day of operations. Other pot lines will be activated, once the plant can make certain everything is operating without problems. The plant is expected to be producing at full capacity by the end of November. View of plant technician checking dials and control system (T. Times, 10/31/47, p. 1).

Aluminum industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Industrial facilities--Tacoma; Control rooms--Tacoma; Permanente Metals Corp. (Tacoma)--Employees;

Atlas Foundry, crane for Broderick & Bascomb, wire rope. Atlas Foundry and Machine Company supplied castings for firms building new machines which kept the company in touch with the general building up of all industries in the area after the war. (T.Times, 8/28/1946, p.5)

Atlas Foundry & Machine Co. (Tacoma); Foundries--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Atlas Foundry, crane for Broderick & Bascomb, wire rope. A crane is being used to set a pole alongside a railroad track. Atlas Foundry and Machine Company was engaged at this time in work for plywood, pulp and paper, railroad and other industries. The company reports work was coming in from all over the west coast. This photograph was used in a newspaper article, Tacoma News Tribune, February 14, 1950, about the poles manufactured by Cascade Pole Company, located on Port of Tacoma Road, that were used for telephone and telegraph poles throughout the world. (T.Times, 8/28/1946, p.5)

Atlas Foundry & Machine Co. (Tacoma); Hoisting machinery; Railroad cars--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Star Iron and Steel Company, interior of plant showing machinery. The information from the upper right corner is: S328 - 1945; Typical Turret Frame Assembly for 50 Ton Capacity Dry Dock Crane, Star Iron & Steel Co., Tacoma, Wash. The Star Iron and Steel Company manufactured heavy cranes and logging machinery. They made some of the largest and heaviest cranes used by the US navy and industry. (T. Times, 2/26/46)

Star Iron & Steel Co. (Tacoma); Steel industry--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Publicity for Permanente News and Times Industrial Page, Permanente Metals, Bill Gorman. Travis Crowe, one of the storeroom attendants at Permanente Metals Corporation, readies a set of nuts and bolts for use on the aluminum furnaces at the Kaiser aluminum plant on the tideflats. A wall of bins holds all sized nuts and bolts in the storeroom. (T.Times, 2/25/1949, p.49)

Permanente Metals Corp. (Tacoma)--Employees; Aluminum industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Crowe, Travis; Laborers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Bolts & nuts; Workshops--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Crust breaking machine at Permanente, Bill Gorman. A specialized machine has been manufactured to perform the work that had previously been done manually. A crust would form at the openings to the reduction pots where alumina was melted into raw pig aluminum. The plant had two potlines containing 240 reduction pots producing 41 million pounds of alumium per year. (Permanente Metals Corp. 1947-1948 Annual Report)

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

When the Rainier Steel Corporation began operations at 2201 Lincoln Avenue, on Tacoma's tideflats, in December of 1948 it became Tacoma's only steel plant at that time. Here an unidentified employee of Rainier Steel, in special safety glasses, monitors work being done in the facility. Eugene Cunningham, president and general manager, started the Rainier Steel Corporation because of the acute steel shortage after WWII. Rainier Steel used scrap iron as its raw material and their furnaces melted the iron and produced steel. The company planned to employ fifty people once they reached full operating capacity which was 100 tons daily with the present equipment. The steel was sent to Detroit for use in the automotive industry. (T. Times, 12/13/48, p. 5-article).

Foundries--Tacoma; Founding--Tacoma; Iron & steel workers--Tacoma; Steel; Steel industry--Tacoma; Hoisting machinery; Industrial facilities--Tacoma; Furnaces--Tacoma; Rainier Steel Corp. (Tacoma);

The first steel plant in Tacoma opens on December 3, 1948, at 2201 Lincoln Avenue, on the tideflats. Rainier Steel Corporation's owner, President and General Manager is Eugene Cunningham. View of Phil E. Haglund (left) and Eugene Cunningham standing by the furnace on the first day of operations at Rainier Steel Corporation (T. Times, 12/13/48, p. 5).

Foundries--Tacoma; Founding--Tacoma; Iron & steel workers--Tacoma; Steel; Steel industry--Tacoma; Industrial facilities--Tacoma; Furnaces--Tacoma; Rainier Steel Corp. (Tacoma);

The Rainier Steel Corporation is the first company in Tacoma and in this regional area of its kind. The steel produced is being used to manufacture automobiles, company representatives stated the automobile companies are offering the best prices for their products. View of steel workers watching the first pouring of steel at Rainier Steel Corporation (T. Times, 12/13/48, p. 5).

Foundries--Tacoma; Founding--Tacoma; Iron & steel workers--Tacoma; Steel; Steel industry--Tacoma; Industrial facilities--Tacoma; Furnaces--Tacoma; Rainier Steel Corp. (Tacoma);

Northwest Hauling, view of crane at Tacoma Smelter, Mr. Don Cooney. The crane is seated on a trailer pulled by a large truck cab. It is used to lift trusses and materials to the construction crew at upper levels of the new building at ASARCO.

American Smelting & Refining Co. (Tacoma); Northwest Hauling Co. (Tacoma); Hoisting machinery; Smelters--Tacoma--1940-1950; Building construction--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Publicity shots at Permanente Metals, Bill Gorman. One of Permanente's employees sits at his desk checking lists of figures and order forms. A map of the United States hangs on the wall behind him. Clip boards of additional data also hang on the wall along with schedules. A telephone sits to his right on the desk. The man is wearing a sports jacket, a sweater vest and a tie. He also wears a large ring on his left hand. A pencil protrudes from his jacket pocket. TPL-4555

Permanente Metals Corp. (Tacoma)--Employees; Aluminum industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Employees--Tacoma--1940-1950; Paperwork; Maps; Telephones;

Publicity shots at Permanente Metals, Bill Gorman. A view of one of the switchboard operators at the Permanente plant in Tacoma and the switchboard panel. She is wearing a headset to enable her to use both hands when operating the cords on the switchboard. A telephone dial is seen beyond her right arm and other office machinery is in the background. The young woman is wearing a two piece suit, a white blouse and a plaid scarf. Permanente acknowledged the high value of each employee in their annual reports. TPL-4555

Permanente Metals Corp. (Tacoma)--Employees; Aluminum industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Telephone switchboards--Tacoma--1940-1950; Telephone operators--Tacoma--1940-1950; Women--Tacoma--1940-1950;

The American Smelting and Refining Co. had celebrated its 50th anniversary as a business in 1949. It was one of the largest employers in Tacoma with well over a thousand employees. As its name indicates, it was primarily involved in the smelting of ore and refining of copper. View of storage tanks at smelter, with truck parked alongside fence. Photograph ordered by David Somerville.

American Smelting & Refining Co. (Tacoma); Smelters--Tacoma--1950-1960; Copper industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Industrial facilities; Storage tanks--Tacoma;

Bethlehem Pacific Coast Steel, steel in railroad boxcars being loaded onto Foss tugs for shipment to Alaska. This is the first shipment in a service announced jointly by Alaska Governor B. Frank Heintzleman and Henry Foss, president of Foss tugs. Foss will load railroad cars aboard the Foss 250, a car barge with transportation service to Alaska, at the Milwaukee Railroad's dock on the Milwaukee waterway. This marks the first time that railroad cars will come out of Alaska after discharging their cargo. The car barge will be towed by the tug Justine Foss. In the future, the car barges will leave every 8-10 days. (TNT 7/5/1953, pg. B-3)

Steel industry; Bethlehem Pacific Coast Steel Corp. (Seattle); Foss Launch & Tug Co. (Tacoma); Tugboats--Tacoma--1950-1960; Railroad freight cars--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Bethlehem Pacific Coast Steel, steel in railroad boxcars being loaded onto Foss tugs. The current service extends to Ward Cove, 8 miles north of Ketchikan, and site of the $47,000,000 construction project by Ketchikan Pulp & Paper Co. The eight 53 ft. cars, containing steel primarily, will be emptied at Ward Cove and returned to Tacoma. The Foss 250 can carry twenty 40 foot cars on her four sets of tracks and bulk tanks have been built in the barge hull to carry 1,000 tons of caustic soda north for paper plant production. The one way trip to Ward Cove takes 3 1/2 - 4 days. (TNT 7/5/1953, pg. B-3)

Steel industry; Bethlehem Pacific Coast Steel Corp. (Seattle); Foss Launch & Tug Co. (Tacoma); Tugboats--Tacoma--1950-1960; Railroad freight cars--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Aerial view of American Smelting & Refining Co.'s (ASARCO) smokestack, smelter plant and surrounding area. ASARCO occupied a large area near Point Defiance and contributed greatly to Tacoma's economy in the fifties. As we know now, the by products of the smelting process were highly toxic, and qualified this area as a Superfund clean up area. TPL-9290

American Smelting & Refining Co. (Tacoma); Smelters--Tacoma--1950-1960; Copper industry--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Bethlehem Pacific Coast Steel Corp. A variety of bars and structural shapes are rolled on the 12 inch and 8 inch finishing mills. The hot steel is looped by hand from one set of rolls to the next, until it is rolled to finished size and shape. Three finishing mills at the Seattle plant turn out bars and structural shapes in hundreds of different sizes and shapes. Hot steel billets are fed directly into these mills were grooved rolls transform them into angles, channels, I-beams, rounds, squares, flats, strip, reinforcing bars and special sections. ("Bethlehem Coast Steel, in the Northwest" - brochure)

Factories; Steel industry; Bethlehem Pacific Coast Steel Corp. (Seattle); ;

Exposure of large machinery dwarfing the laborers at Ace Furnace & Steel Co. This machine is either a shear press or a brace press. The company was built in 1930 and was owned by Alvin T. Davies. Ace produced steel and sheet metal products- furnaces, tanks, stacks and did electrical welding.

Ace Furnace & Steel Co. (Tacoma); Iron construction--Tacoma; Iron & steel workers--Tacoma; Metalworking--Tacoma;

A new type of tire chains were made of heavy castings by Fick Foundry Company. Fick Foundry Company manufactured machine castings for many machinery manufacturers in the Northwest. Castings were made of grey iron, steel, bronze and aluminum. Fick Foundry was owned by Joseph M. and Samuel Fick.

Fick Foundry Co. (Tacoma); Cast ironwork--Tacoma;

Steel and aluminum fabricating at George R. Marvin Company. The George R. Marvin Company advertised as manufacturing bridge cranes, gantry cranes, floating cranes, hammerhead cranes, special hoists and machinery of fabricated structural steel. The large, open building has railroad tracks running through the length of it. Men and equipment are working along both sides.

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

Waste - heat boilers at Tacoma Smelter - mass of pipe within steel frame at angle. (filed with Argentum)

American Smelting & Refining Co. (Tacoma); Smelters--Tacoma--1930-1940; Copper industry--Tacoma--1930-1940; Industrial facilities--Tacoma;

Waste-heat boilers at Tacoma Smelter (ASARCO) showing pipes within frame work, some pipes continue to floor below. (filed with Argentum)

American Smelting & Refining Co. (Tacoma); Smelters--Tacoma--1930-1940; Copper industry--Tacoma--1930-1940; Industrial facilities--Tacoma;

Waste - heat boilers at Tacoma Smelter - mass of pipe within steel frame at angle. (filed with Argentum)

American Smelting & Refining Co. (Tacoma); Smelters--Tacoma--1930-1940; Copper industry--Tacoma--1930-1940; Industrial facilities--Tacoma;

Aerial view of Atlas Foundry and Machine Company looking west along railroad tracks and northwest along Center Street. Nalley Valley. [Also dated 08-26-1941]

Atlas Foundry & Machine Co. (Tacoma); Foundries--Tacoma--1940-1950; Aerial photographs;

Furnace at Atlas Foundry, photographed open.

Atlas Foundry & Machine Co. (Tacoma); Foundries--Tacoma--1930-1940; Steel industry--Tacoma--1930-1940;