A group of Hawaiians visiting Carstens' plant on August 8, 1947, for O'Connell Ragan Company, Chuck Denton. A luxurious display of beef was presented by Carstens for the visiting business people from Hawaii. Four beef animals are hung and large cuts of meat are included in the display. One carcass has been sectioned and ribbons connect the cut of meat with the section of the animal it comes from. (T.Times, 8/9/1947, p1)

Merchandise displays--Tacoma--1940-1950; Carstens Packing Co. (Tacoma); Meat industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Business enterprises--Tacoma--1940-1950; Commerce; Meat cutting--Tacoma--1940-1950; Meat;

Carstens Packing Company offered the highest quality products including: "Kimberly Beef", "T.C. Bacon", pork, lamb, "T.C. Sausage", veal, canned meats and "Sweet-N-Tender Ham". View of Carstens employees enjoying their company's Christmas party, which is being held at the main office in Tacoma, staff members are getting ready to sing Christmas carols, photo ordered by O'Connell-Ragan advertising agency.

Offices--Tacoma--1940-1950; Office workers--Tacoma; Christmas carols; Christmas--Tacoma; Carstens Packing Co. (Tacoma)--People; O'Connell-Ragan Co. (Tacoma);

For many years Carstens Packing Company was a leader in the meat packing industry. They had the most modern packaging and shipping equipment located at their Tideflats plant. Carstens always offered their clients the highest quality products. View of Carstens employees enjoying Christmas turkey at the 1947 Carstens Christmas party held at the main office. Third from left is Jim P. Seabeck. Mr. Seabeck, now 96, resides in Spokane. Clay Lawrence has been identified as the man in the white coat seated at extreme left. He was the traffic manager at Carstens and worked there until his death in 1963. Photo ordered by O'Connell-Ragan advertising agency. (Additional identification provided by readers in 2010 and 2012)

Offices--Tacoma--1940-1950; Office workers--Tacoma; Eating & drinking--Tacoma; Christmas--Tacoma; Carstens Packing Co. (Tacoma)--People; Seabeck, Jim P.; Lawrence, Clay; O'Connell-Ragan Co. (Tacoma);

Group of kids at meat judging contest at Carstens, O'Connel, Ragan, Carstens Account, Bev Bolster. Many students stand around a table with samples of different cuts of meat on display. Several of the students are rating the meat on forms. Older men are seen in the background and a few younger children are seen in the group.

Carstens Packing Co. (Tacoma); Meat industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Teenagers--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Group of kids at meat judging contest at Carstens, O'Connel, Ragan, Carstens Account, Bev Bolster. Nine men stand in one of the meat coolers in front of several sides of hung meat. The man second from the left is wearing a ribbon and the designation of "Judge". TPL-8116

Carstens Packing Co. (Tacoma); Meat; Meat industry--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Young boys pose in front of Carstens Meat Packing Co. with a banner, "Future Farmers of American Pure Bred Livestock Project" and several young pigs. The pigs are shown in wooden crates and burlap bags. On May 23, 1942, the boys, members of the Future Farmers of America from Pierce and Kitsap counties, were presented with the young pure-bred female pigs. The pigs were donated by Sears, Roebuck and Co. in a national pig breeding project. Three male pigs were also donated in a "chain-litter" proposition. The females would be bred, and from each litter the boys would give 1-2 females to fellow FFA members. (T. Times 5/25/1942, pg. 12)

Future Farmers of America (Pierce County); Youth organizations--Pierce County; Swine; Sears, Roebuck & Co. (Tacoma); Carstens Packing Co. (Tacoma); Meat industry--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Three unidentified employees at the Carstens Packing Company plant, 1623 East J St., in Tacoma look over the sides of beef hanging in one of the Carstens' meat lockers. Carstens Packing Company was the largest independent meat packing company on the West Coast, with plants in Tacoma, Seattle and Spokane. They provided quality assured wieners, beef, bacon, ham, sausage, lamb, pork, veal and many other meat products. A copy of this photograph was ordered by the Poodle Dog Restaurant in Fife to be part of the Richard's Commercial Photography photo mural at the restaurant. The Carstens Packing Company was sold to Hygrade in 1952, and closed in 1990.

Industrial facilities--Tacoma; Meat industry--Tacoma; Meat; Meat cutting--Tacoma--1940-1950; Laborers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Carstens Packing Co. (Tacoma); Poodle Dog (Fife);

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.

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;

On May 15, 1947, employees of the Carstens Packing Company gathered around their new Kartridg-Pack machine. Some of the women were working on the sausage packing line, while other employees were admiring the end product. The new machinery packed the wieners side-by-side, bound together by paper loops instead of the usual method of stringing them tail-to-tail. The Kartridge-Pack had the ability to pack 3,200 pounds of wieners per 8 hour shift. (T.Times, 5/21/1947, p.7)

Carstens Packing Co. (Tacoma); Meat industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Frankfurters--Tacoma--1940-1950; Publicity; Bundling (Packing)--Tacoma--1940-1950;

O'Connell-Ragan, Carstens fleet of trucks at plant, Corey Wilbur. Carstens added refrigerated trucks to their fleet. Glenn Gray, supervisor of Carstens sausage sales, packs a delivery basket with sausages, ham, and other wrapped items from the air conditioned compartments to fill an order. The entire truck interior was lined with separate compartments. The temperature was maintained at 34 - 38 degrees. (T.Times, 6/18/1947, p.7)

Carstens Packing Co. (Tacoma); Meat industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Meat; Sausages--Tacoma--1940-1950; Trucks--Tacoma--1940-1950; Gray, Glenn;

New Ford truck at Carstens' garage, Titus Motor Company, Henry Zachow. Titus Motor Company was the authorized Ford Truck distributor in the Tacoma area. Carstens had a large fleet of trucks not all of which were Fords. They had at least two refrigerated trucks built on Chevrolet chassis.

Carstens Packing Co. (Tacoma); Meat industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Trucks--Tacoma--1940-1950; Ford trucks;

The Tacoma Post-war Jubilee Celebration had many parades, gatherings, contests and many other festivities during the ten day period. View of Carstens Packing Co. parade wagon, horses, and staff returning after the parade was wrapped up.

Carriages & coaches--Tacoma; Carts & wagons--Tacoma; Horses--Tacoma; Carstens Packing Co. (Tacoma);

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;

Circa 1910.

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);

Carstens Packing Co. building as viewed on October 13, 1932; two KMO antennae in sight. Completed in 1931, this $150,000 building housed the executive offices of the company. Despite the nation's economic woes, Carstens continued to do annual business of about 15 million dollars. TPL-5919; G34.1-166 (TDL 2-9-32, C-7-article & alternate photograph)

Carstens Packing Co. (Tacoma); Meat industry--Tacoma--1930-1940; Radio antennas--Tacoma;

Man standing with palomino horse at Carsten's Packing Co.

Palomino horse; Horses--Tacoma; Carsten's Packing Co. (Tacoma);

Carstens slogan said "Only the Best in the West is Labeled --- Carstens". Carstens Packing Company were the largest independent meat packers on the West Coast. The company had three packing plants located in Tacoma, Seattle and Spokane. View of three Carstens employees enjoying the company Christmas party at the main office in Tacoma, the woman is carrying a little lamb, photo ordered by O'Connell-Ragan advertising agency.

Offices--Tacoma--1940-1950; Christmas--Tacoma; Office workers--Tacoma; Sheep; Carstens Packing Co. (Tacoma)--People; O'Connell-Ragan Co. (Tacoma);

K. J. Maxwell was the President and General Manager of Carstens Packing Company, Thomas Carstens was the Vice-President and Assistant Manager, Phillip Carstens from Spokane was also a Vice-President. W. Z. Kerr, from Seattle, was the Chairman of the Board of Directors for the company. View of Carstens employees enjoying their company Christmas party at the main office, staff members appear to be singing Christmas carols, photo ordered by O'Connell-Ragan advertising agency.

Offices--Tacoma--1940-1950; Office workers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Christmas carols; Carstens Packing Co. (Tacoma)--People; O'Connell-Ragan Co. (Tacoma);