General overview of the American Smelting and Refining Company (ASARCO), Tacoma, as it appeared in 1935. Once the tallest smoke stack in the world, the brick structure billows smoke as it looms far above its industrial buildings. The stack was imploded in the 1990s after the refinery closed. (T. Times 1/19/1935, pg. 1)

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

American Smelting and Refining Company (ASARCO), Tacoma. Worker directing activity of a large crane constructed over railroad tracks at the edge of Commencement Bay. Ships were loaded and unloaded at this point. The mechanical crane could carry 5 tons of ore on each dip into the hold. For J. Gius, reporter.

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

American Smelting and Refining Company (ASARCO), Tacoma. Arrival of a European ship delivering ore from Russian mines to the smelter. Close-up view of ship with workers and rigging at smelter dock. To the left can be seen the outline of the giant mechanical crane used to unload the ships. At this time, Russian lacked the technology and infrastructure to process the ore themselves. In 1934, Russia produced 15.6% of the world's gold. Russian production was second only to Africa.

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

In January of 1935, 9,600 tons of gold bearing ore were removed from the holds of the Soviet freighter "Brandon" by huge iron buckets at the ASARCO refinery in Ruston. In 1935, The Soviet Union did not have a large enough smelter of its own to process the tons of ore being extracted from its mines. The "Brandon" had come from Leningrad. The American Smelting & Refining Company expected to receive 100,000 tons of gold rich ore from The Soviet Union in 1935. Mr. S. Raiz, a representative of the Soviets, was sent to Tacoma to keep a close eye on the process - and the gold. Photograph ordered by the American Smelting & Refining Co. (ASARCO) (TNT 1-15-35, p. 1-article; TNT 1-23-35, p. 1-article) TPL-807

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

American Smelting and Refining Company (ASARCO), Tacoma. Worker, with foot in trough, working under steel beams at glowing industrial oven. For J. Gius, reporter.

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

American Smelting and Refining Company (ASARCO), Tacoma. Worker handling a steel plate on machinery, above which hangs a load of bricks suspended by a heavy chain. For J. Gius, reporter. (WSHS)

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

ca. 1931. boys looking at ASARCO smokestack

Unseen operators in the small George Scofield Co. crane house handle the controls of a large Brute Crane in this March 28, 1930, photograph originally taken by Marvin Boland. Piles of what appear to be pipe segments are in the foreground. A Union Pacific sign is on top of a building near the waterway. Brute cranes were manufactured by Star Iron & Steel Co. of Tacoma. Photograph ordered by Star Iron & Steel Co; customer print copied on September 17, 1963.

Star Iron & Steel Co. (Tacoma); Hoisting machinery;

Another view of the Brute Crane operated by the George Scofield Co. taken on March 28. 1930, by Marvin Boland; see A139500-30 for additional shot. The crane is apparently in the process of scooping up material. Brute Cranes were manufactured by Star Iron & Steel Co. of Tacoma. Photograph ordered by Star Iron & Steel Co.; copy made of customer print on September 17, 1963.

Star Iron & Steel Co. (Tacoma); Hoisting machinery;

Pierce County Airport, Lakewiew (now Lakewood) Wa. Steel hangar designed and developed by Star Iron & Steel.

Industries; Star Iron & Steel; Airports; Construction;

Crew at a Enumclaw, WA lumber yard demonstrates the use of a Star Iron & Steel built lumber carrier.

Industries; Star Iron & Steel; Lumber; Enumclaw;

A lumber carrier built by Star Iron & Steel hard at work in a lumber yard in Enumclaw, WA.

Industries; Star Iron & Steel, Lumber, Enumclaw

Star Iron & Steel built lumber carrier at work in a lumber yard in Enumclaw, WA.

Industries; Star Iron & Steel; Lumber; Enumclaw;

Steel plate girder manufactured by Star Iron & Steel for the Masonic Temple at 47 Saint Helens Ave, Tacoma.

Industries; Star Iron & Steel; Construction; Masonic Temple;

These ornamental iron light poles, manufactured by Atlas Foundry, will be placed along Commence St. in downtown Tacoma in the fall of 1926. Atlas had been in business in Tacoma since 1899.

Atlas Foundry & Machine Co. (Tacoma); Foundries--Tacoma--1920-1930; Lampposts--Tacoma;

Star Iron &Steel machinery on track at their foundry at 435 E 11th St, Tacoma

Industries; Star Iron & Steel; Machinery; Tideflats;

Star Iron & Steel White truck at their foundry at 435 E 11th St, Tacoma

Industries; Star Iron & Steel; Trucks; Tideflats;

ca. 1925. ASARCO smokestack and NP tracks coming out of the Nelson Bennett Tunnel to the west of Point Defiance Park. Photograph was taken circa 1925. BU-13881

Machinery at Star Iron & Steel foundry at 435 E 11th St, Tacoma

Industries; Star Iron & Steel; Machinery; Tideflats

Cranes built by Star Iron & Steel for the ASARCO smelter at 5300 N 52nd St, Tacoma

Industries; Star Iron & Steel; ASARCO; Smelters;

Cranes built by Star Iron & Steel for the ASARCO smelter at 5300 N 52nd St, Tacoma

Industries; ASARCO; Star Iron & Steel; Smelters;

Feed belts at Tacoma Smelter. The belts were located under the ore dock where concentrates and ore were received from ships. View of smelter operations taken in November of 1923. G37.1-193 (Additional information provided by a reader)

American Smelting & Refining Co. (Tacoma); Smelters--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Machinery at Star Iron & Steel foundry at 435 E 11th St, Tacoma

Industries; Star Iron & Steel; Machinery; Tideflats;

Machinery at Star Iron &Steel Foundry at 435 E 11th St, Tacoma

Industries; Star Iron & Steel; Machinery; Tideflats

ca. 1920. Smelter operations at ASARCO. Steam rises as ore is poured via hoisted ladle onto giant cylinders at the American Smelting & Refining Co.'s plant in Ruston circa 1920. Other large ladles are on the floor waiting to be filled with ore. TPL-899; G37.1-184

American Smelting & Refining Co. (Tacoma); Smelters--Tacoma--1920-1930; Industrial facilities--Tacoma--1920-1930;

ca. 1920. Smelter operations at ASARCO. These employees of the American Smelting & Refining Co. (ASARCO) are carefully monitoring what may be the pouring of molten ore in this circa 1920 photograph. It seems to have caught the attention of several other workers in the area. TPL-2351; G37.1-191

American Smelting & Refining Co. (Tacoma); Smelters--Tacoma--1920-1930; Industrial facilities--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Interior of a section of the Tacoma Smelter taken in March of 1919. This was the copper refinery. Copper anodes from the smelter were inserted between copper cathodes in a copper-sulfuric acid bath. Copper was transferred from the anode to the cathode. The two raised frameworks in the photograph's middle were stands for "slapping copper starter sheets" before they were inserted into the bath as cathodes. The American Smelting & Refining Co., better known by its acronym, ASARCO, was a major employer in Ruston for nearly a hundred years. G32.1-023 (Additional information provided by a reader)

American Smelting & Refining Co. (Tacoma); Smelters--Tacoma; Industrial facilities--Tacoma;

Employees of Star Iron Works posed aboard their patriotic "float" for the 1918 Labor Day Parade. The float was stopped just south of the Union Station at 1717 Pacific Avenue. They were part of the nearly 20,000 representatives of organized labor who marched in the largest Labor Day parade the city of Tacoma had seen to that date. There were eight large divisions of labor, 12 bands including two from Camp Lewis, floats and pretty girls on display. Working men and women, from boiler makers to cigar makers to cooks, all marched in countless lines during the hour-long parade which ended at Wright Park. Industries were booming during the war years as noted by the increase of shipworkers marching in the parade - 4,700 compared to the 47 the year before. G38.1-041 (TDL 9-2-18, p. 1-article; TDL 9-3-18, p. 1-article; TNT 9-2-18, p. 1-article)

Star Iron & Steel Co. (Tacoma); Parades & processions--Tacoma--1910-1920; Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1910-1920;

ca. 1906. Tacoma smelter smokestack. At the time of its completion in 1905, this was the largest concrete chimney in the world. It was located on the grounds of the American Smelting & Refining Co. (ASARCO) plant in Ruston. It would be superceded by the 571-foot smokestack completed in 1917. (Tacoma New Herald Annual NWR 917.97 T119N 1906)

American Smelting & Refining Co. (Tacoma); Smelters--Tacoma; Industrial facilities--Tacoma; Smokestacks--Tacoma;

ca. 1900. This is a copy of an early photograph of the Atlas Foundry & Machine Co., originally taken circa 1900. The copy was made in 1978. Atlas Foundry (since renamed Atlas Castings & Technology) was established in 1899 as a manufacturer of iron castings. Steel and brass were later added to its catalog of moldable metals. Its sprawling complex is still located between Center St. and South Tacoma Way.

Atlas Foundry & Machine Co. (Tacoma); Foundries--Tacoma--1900-1910;