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;

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;

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);

Exterior view of large Carstens Packing Co. plant taken in mid-August of 1926. The meat packing firm was located at 1623 East "J" St. in the Tideflats, now the site of the Northwest Detention Center. Carstens relocated to Tacoma in 1903 and would later be known as the largest meat packing company on the West Coast with plants in Tacoma, Spokane and Seattle. In 1926 Carstens put forth plans to build a new four-story unit to hold the sausage factory, sausage coolers, lard refinery and smoke houses, beef coolers and beef sales coolers. The company sought to replace annually older, outdated buildings with permanent reinforced concrete construction. The gradual replacement meant that no sections of the plant would be out of commission before their replacements were erected. Fires in 1914, 1916 and shortly after caused the company to incur $750,000 in losses. The replacement of wooden buildings by concrete structures would make the plant more modernized as well as fireproof. (TDL 3-27-26, p. 10-article; TNT 3-31-27, p.6-article)

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

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;

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;

Circa 1910.

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.