View of three ships including a sidewheeler at the Northern Pacific dock, Tacoma, Washington Territory. The sidewheeler included in this circa 1885 photograph is possibly the "North Pacific," an early steamboat that operated in Puget Sound. Several people are already on board. KING-004, TPL-1096
Three-masted ship "Eldorado" at old coal bunkers, Tacoma, Washington Territory, circa 1885. These are believed to be the Northern Pacific coal bunkers projecting into Commencement bay that were completed in 1882 at a cost of $250,000 and considered at that time to be the most modern of their type on the North Pacific Coast. Ships like the "Eldorado" were a common sight waiting to take on loads of coal. (Hunt, "The Coal Bunkers," History of Tacoma) KING006, TPL 1076
Wharf scene on Commencement Bay, terminus of the Northern Pacific Railroad, Tacoma, Washington Territory. Photograph was taken circa 1885. Masted ships are docked waiting to unload/load cargo.
ca. 1968. View of USS Ready, an Asheville Class gunboat, which had been commissioned on January 6, 1968. The PG-87 was built by Tacoma Boatbuilding and named after a town in Kentucky. The 165-foot aluminum gunboat was launched on May 12, 1967. Tacoma Boatbuilding had a contract to build twelve gunboats; the USS Ready was the sixth in the series. (TNT 5-13-67, p. 2; www.navsource.org/archives/12/11087.htm)
Gunboats--United States; Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1960-1970; Tacoma Boat Building Co., Inc. (Tacoma);
This unidentified vessel, believed to be a Navy gunboat, was in dry dock at Tacoma Boatbuilding in January of 1970. It appears that the paint on the boat has been stripped.
Gunboats--United States; Tacoma Boat Building Co., Inc. (Tacoma); Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1970-1980;
Undated photograph of gunboat #12 as it churns through calm waters. The ship is flying the American flag. It is possible that the patrol vessel was undergoing sea trials at the time. Photograph ordered on October 28, 1974, by Tacoma Boatbuilding.
Gunboats; Tacoma Boat Building Co., Inc. (Tacoma);
Ship "Phoenix" in Tacoma. Large cargo vessel with small superstructure amidships, another with funnel at the stern. Wooden warehouses on pier, lumber mills and Tacoma skyline in background, pod of logs floating in foreground. (filed with Argentum)
On Saturday afternoon October 15, 1938, the Danish ship "Nordhval" left port in Tacoma bound for Japan. The "Nordhval" carried 2,500 tons of scrap metal, made up mostly of old streetcar rails, from Tacoma and a similar amount of scrap loaded earlier in Portland. Tacoma's Shaffer Terminals, Dock No. 2, on the Milwaukee Waterway was the ships last stop before sailing to Japan. In 1938 Japan was at war with China. The Tacoma News Tribune ran an editorial on October 15th titled "A New Japanese Invasion."
Cargo ships--Tacoma--1930-1940; Shipping--Tacoma--1930-1940; Shaffer Terminals, Inc. (Tacoma);
Cannaregio loading at Port piers, ordered by Chauncey Griggs. Pasquale Mazella, master of the Italian ship "Cannaregio" holds a sextant in this photograph from August of 1947. While in Tacoma he told of his wartime experiences: during World War I he lost his ship in the Mediterranean, during World War II he dodged torpedoes from American submarines and was taken prisoner in Japan after his ship was scuttled while being overhauled in Kobe and was imprisoned for three years. (T.Times, 8.7.1947, p.10)
Cannaregio loading at Port piers, ordered by Chauncey Griggs. The captain, Pasquale Mazella, and his crew pose with their ship, the Cannaregio. The Italian ship was in Tacoma loading cottonwood and other material for Ireland. (T.Times, 8/7/1947, p.10)
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 the C. R. Martinolich yacht with Martinolich family members on board.
Yachts--Tacoma; Ships--Tacoma; Martinolich, Carl R.--Family;
Pacific Boat, the "Julia B." is out for her water trials. She was a 66 foot purse seiner built for owner, Spiro Babich with a 200 hp Washington engine. (Pacific Fisherman Yearbook 1949, p.82 and p.170)
The Gretna Victory, which was designated the Northwest Christmas Ship for this voyage, pulled out of dock in Tacoma before dawn on January 31, 1948. The 10,000 ton vessel was carrying food and clothing donations from the four Northwest states and Alaska to Bremen, Germany. The ship's holds were jammed with thousands of tons of flour, wheat, canned vegetables and meats, canned milk, clothing and shoes for the needy of Germany and Austria. One of the many local companies to donate was Brown & Haley; they contributed 150 cases of raisins. (TNT, 1/31/1948, p.1)
Sea port shipping, Ken Kenney shiploading, bundled pulp. Longshoremen are maneuvering a stack of bundled pulp into the hold of a ship using ropes and pulleys. One of the waterways in the Tacoma tideflats and industrial facilities are shown on the left.
Three tanks full of chlorine are are tightly wedged into place on board a barge in April, 1954. The vessel, Mogul, is docked nearby. By 1954, Tacoma was home to many large chemical producing companies, including Hooker Electrochemical and Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Company of Washington. Chlorine and also caustic soda were made and then shipped, by boat and rail, to pulp and paper mills. Photograph ordered by Griffith Steamship Ltd.
Cargo ships--Tacoma; Storage tanks--Tacoma; Chemical industry--Tacoma--1950-1960;
Views of the American freighter "Wildwood" unloading their Russian bound cargo in Tacoma at Commercial Dock. Matthewson Shipping Company. Fear of an Allied blockade had caused the vessel to turn about in mid Pacific. They were shipping 7,000 tons of copper, brass and machinery owned by Amtorg, the Russian trading organization. Representatives of Amtorg were in Tacoma to take over the cargo. (T. Times 4/8/1940, pg.1)
Cargo ships; Shipping--Tacoma--1940-1950; Piers & wharves--Tacoma--1940-1950; Commercial Dock (Tacoma);
Views of American freighter "Wildwood" unloading at Commercial Dock. Matthewson Shipping Company. The vessel is unloading $4,500,000 worth of cargo originally consigned for Vladivostok, USSR. The vessel was turned around in the mid Pacific and returned to Tacoma, under the direct orders of F.R. Clark, president of the American Foreign Steamship Co. Clark feared that the vessel would run into the British blockade with her "hot" cargo and that it would be confiscated. This event marked the extension of the European War into the Pacific trade routes. (T. times 4/8/1940, pg. 1)
Cargo ships; Shipping--Tacoma--1940-1950; Piers & whaves--Tacoma--1940-1950; Commercial Dock (Tacoma);
Crew of the freighter Wildwood stand on dock by bow of ship in Tacoma in this photograph dated April 18, 1940. Walter Arntz, Captain, shown in left top inset. The vessel had returned to Tacoma from mid Pacific to unload her hot cargo of copper, brass and machinery.
Interior of the pleasure craft Acania, restored by J.M. Martinac and available for charter through Emmett T. Krefting, Charter Representatives, 903 Commerce St. This March of 1950 photo shows the food preparation galley, which is the size of a land based kitchen.
Interior of the pleasure craft Acania, restored by J.M. Martinac and available for charter through Emmett T. Krefting, Charter Representatives, 903 Commerce St. This photo shows the sleeping berths.
Interior of the pleasure craft Acania, restored by J.M. Martinac and available for charter through Emmett T. Krefting, Charter Representatives, 903 Commerce St. This photo shows the dining area which seats fifteen comfortably.
The "Carmelita the Second" underwent sea trials at the Old Town Dock on August 23, 1950. The 55-foot fishing boat is stationary; no visible sign of captain aboard. The dinghy has been hauled up and stored in the boat's stern. The boat was sold to Mexican interests for use in the Gulf of Mexico shrimp fleet. Photograph commissioned by Birchfield Boiler, Inc.
Polaris Steamship Co.- view of ship "Franklin Berwin" with New York registry. The large ship flies the American flag. It is docked at the grain elevators for loading. The large metal tubes extending from the ship to an area above may be used to fill this ship's hold with grain.
Polaris Steamship Co.- view of ship "Franklin Berwin" with New York registry. Ship is docked at the grain elevators for loading. Long tubes extend from the raised platform on the dock into the ship. These tubes were possibly used to load the ship's cargo holds with grain.
