Exterior at new ammonia plant, Hooker Electrochemical. In the plant, hydrogen and nitrogen are mixed in the proper proportion for anhydrous ammonia, subjected to 5,000 pounds to a square inch pressure and then sent to a converter and combined to make the gas. The ammonia is placed in storage tanks outside the plant to await shipment. Shipment is done entirely by railroad tank car. Each car holds 26 tons. (TNT 10-19-1952)

Hooker Electrochemical Co. (Tacoma); Factories--Tacoma--1950-1960; Chemical industry--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Exterior at new anhydrous ammonia plant, Hooker Electrochemical, completed in May of 1952. Design and erection of the plant were supervised by the Chemical Construction Corporation. The general contractor for the construction of buildings and erection of equipment was Roy T. Earley Co. of Tacoma. The plant went into production in June of 1952, with a output of 40 tons every 24 hours. It operated 24 hours a day, seven days a week. (TNT 10-19-1952)

Hooker Electrochemical Co. (Tacoma); Factories--Tacoma--1950-1960; Chemical industry--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Exteriors new anhydrous ammonia plant, Hooker Electrochemical, completed in May of 1952. Hooker also produced liquid chlorine, caustic soda and muriatic acid. The ammonia plant began operation in June of 1952 with an output of 40 tons every 24 hours. It was immediately deemed too small and scheduled for a $6 million expansion, which would increase production by 50 per cent. The plant operated 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and employed 18 men. (TNT 10-19-1952)

Hooker Electrochemical Co. (Tacoma); Factories--Tacoma--1950-1960; Chemical industry--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Kaiser Aluminum, Tacoma Works rectifier station addition. Exterior of building with train tracks beside it. The Kaiser plants were taken over from the federal government in 1947 by Henry J. Kaiser. The plant in Tacoma was an aluminum reduction plant; it produced pig aluminum from treated ore and then sent it to a fabricating plant to be made into a finished product. The plant underwent a expansion and modernization program in 1952, at a cost of $2,850,000, to increase capacity by 1/3, an annual production of 66, 400,000 pounds.

Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corp. (Tacoma); Aluminum industry--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Tacoma works rectifier station addition, Kaiser Aluminum. Other side of building with plant and yard on right, Dodge truck lower left. The plant underwent an expansion and modernization program, beginning in 1952, to increase production. Construction in the expansion program included an extension to the rectifier station building. The rectifier station is where power is converted from alternating to direct current.

Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corp. (Tacoma); Aluminum industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Dodge trucks; Trucks--Tacoma--1950-1960;

An aerial view of Philadelphia Quartz' plant on the Tacoma tideflats. Since earlier in July 1952 the company has added another large tank on the left making a total of three and a smaller, vertical tank to the right of the main building and one at the far end of that building.

Chemical industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Minerals; Philadelphia Quartz Co. of California (Tacoma);

Kaiser Aluminum's Tacoma plant near the southeasterly edge of Tacoma's tideflats was expanded at a cost of $2,850,000 in 1952, increasing by one third the plant's aluminum output. November 1952 marked the fifth anniversary of the operation of the Tacoma plant. Four alumina storage towers are seen in front of the plant facilities. Mount Rainier is seen rising majestically over the Tacoma tideflats. (TNT Supplement, 11/2/1952, p.3) TPL-9617

Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corp. (Tacoma); Aluminum industry--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Exterior view of Barthel Chemical Construction Company. Barthel Chemical was actually listed as an chemical engineering firm in the 1953 City Directory which was owned and operated by Adolph Barthel. The business was located in the Tideflats at 2434 E. 11th, next door to McKenzie Fuel. Barthel Chemical worked with brick and tile and rubber pipe linings to create acid and alkali-proof construction materials. They were also the first rubber vulcanizing plant in the Pacific Northwest.

Barthel Chemical Construction Co. (Tacoma); Industrial facilities--Tacoma;

ca. 1952. Control room for production of anhydrous ammonia at the new ammonia plant, Hooker Electrochemical. Anhydrous ammonia is ammonia in the form of a gas. It is composed of three parts hydrogen to one of nitrogen. The hydrogen is obtained from electrolytic cells, which convert salt brine into caustic soda, chlorine and hydrogen. The rock salt used is obtained from the San Francisco bay area solar evaporation ponds. The nitrogen is obtained from the air by liquefying equipment manufactured by L'Aire Liquide of Montreal. (TNT 10-19-1952)

Hooker Electrochemical Co. (Tacoma); Factories--Tacoma--1950-1960; Chemical industry--Tacoma--1950-1960;

ca. 1952. Interiors new anhydrous ammonia plant, Hooker Electrochemical. The new $2 million plant was completed in May of 1952. The plant had an output of 40 tons every 24 hours. Eighteen men were employed in the plant, which operated 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The plant began operation in June of 1952 with its entire production already contracted for. Plans were made immediately for a $6 million dollar expansion. (TNT 10-19-1952)

Hooker Electrochemical Co. (Tacoma); Factories--Tacoma--1950-1960; Chemical industry--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Kaiser Aluminum Chemical Plant at Trentwood, near Spokane. Photographed is what was, in 1953, the world's largest aluminum plate stretcher. The giant stretcher allowed the company to produce enormous sizes of stretched plate for the aircraft, and other, industries. The Trentwood plant, at 53 acres, was the largest facility of its kind in the west.

Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corp. (Spokane); Aluminum industry--Spokane--1950-1960;

Kaiser Aluminum Chemical Plant at Trentwood, near Spokane. The Trentwood aluminum plate and sheet rolling mill covered 53 acres, the largest facility of its kind in the west. Almost all metal produced in Tacoma was shipped by rail to Trentwood. The machine pictured was, in 1953, the world's largest aluminum plate stretcher. The giant stretcher permitted the company to furnish aircraft and other industries with stretched aluminum plates in sizes never before available.

Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corp. (Spokane); Aluminum industry--Spokane--1950-1960;

Hooker Electrochemical Company. Railroad barge owned by Griffco and tug "Mogul" moored side by side at wharf. Barge loaded with Hooker chemical tanks. Railroad yard in background.

Chemical industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Hooker Electrochemical Co. (Tacoma); Barges; Shipping--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Hooker Electrochemical Company. Railroad barge and tug. Barge loaded with Hooker chemical tanks. Night scene. Man walking along barge with waterway in background.

Chemical industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Hooker Electrochemical Co. (Tacoma); Barges; Shipping--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Hooker Electrochemical Company. Railroad barge and tug "Mogul." Barge loaded with Hooker chemical tanks. Scene from waterway with railroad yard in background. Photograph is from September of 1953.

Chemical industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Hooker Electrochemical Co. (Tacoma); Barges; Shipping--Tacoma--1950-1960; Tugboats--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Hooker Electrochemical Company. Railroad barge and tug. Barge owned by Griffco loaded with Hooker chemical tanks. Tug "Mogul" out of Vancouver, B.C. in foreground. Railroad yard, shacks, waterway, roads, and bridges appear in background.

Chemical industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Hooker Electrochemical Co. (Tacoma); Barges; Shipping--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Hooker Electrochemical Company. Railroad barge and tug. Barge loaded with Hooker chemical tanks. Night scene of men connecting large hose lines which are spread along wharf and onto tank cars.

Chemical industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Hooker Electrochemical Co. (Tacoma); Barges; Shipping--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Hooker Electrochemical Company. Railroad barge and tug "Mogul". Barge loaded with Hooker chemical tanks. Waterway in the foreground.

Chemical industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Hooker Electrochemical Co. (Tacoma); Barges; Shipping--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Pennsalt; Plant & employees for magazine. This appears, from the large number of adding machines, to be the accounting department. Construction of the Pennsylvania Salt plant began in 1928; production of chemicals began in 1929. The 40 acre Tacoma plant was the western headquarters for the Philadelphia, Pa., parent company. Raw materials were brought to the plant by ship and rail. Pennsalt was the major consumer of city water and power.

Chemical industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington (Tacoma)--Employees;

Pennsalt; Plant & employees for magazine. President and general manager Fred C. Shanaman sits at the desk. Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co., with 40 acres on the Hylebos Waterway, was one of the larger plants in the Tideflats industrial section of Tacoma. It was the Western headquarters for its parent company, the world's largest chemical manufacturing firm. The company had other branches at Portland and Bryan, Texas. Together, the three branches produced an estimated 6 million dollars worth of products annually. The main products were sodium arsenate, hydrogen & sodium hypochlorite, chlorine salt, caustic soda and DDT. These products were used in pulp, paper, plywood and soap manufacturing and in sanitation.

Chemical industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington (Tacoma)--Employees; Shanaman, Frederick Charles, 1901-1982;

Pennsalt; Plant & employees for magazine. As the western headquarters for Pennsylvania Salt, the Tacoma plant also employed a large office staff. This group may have been attached to the sales department. The chemicals produced at Pennsalt were sold mainly to pulp, paper, plywood and soap manufacturers.

Chemical industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington (Tacoma)--Employees;

Pennsalt, exposure of man reutering.

Chemical industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington (Tacoma)--Employees;

Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corp. At Kaiser's Tacoma reduction plant, ore is carefully analyzed. Dick Hildebrandt, plant chemist, performs an analysis of petroleum pitch, used in the production of carbon anodes for the electrolytic aluminum reduction process. One of the plant's largest regional purchases in 1954 was $214,000 worth of petroleum pitch. (TNT 5/16/1955, pg. 11)

Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corp. (Tacoma); Aluminum industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Hildebrandt, Dick;

Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corp. Pig aluminum, stacked and banded, is being loaded onto railroad cars for transportation to Kaiser's Trentwood, Wa. rolling mill to be made into a finished product. The Tacoma plant was an aluminum reduction facility. It produced the pig aluminum from treated ore. Each "pig" weighs 50 pounds and contains higher that 99% pure aluminum. The plant capacity in 1953 was 64 1/2 million pounds a year. (TNT 9/5/1955, pg. C-8)

Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corp. (Tacoma); Aluminum industry--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Kaiser Aluminum used models to demonstrate safety programs. The model pictured in this November 18, 1955, photograph is wearing a hard hat but otherwise is barefoot and dressed only in a two-piece bathing suit. She is grasping a long metal apparatus which may have been used as a raking tool. Photograph ordered by Kaiser Aluminum.

Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corp. (Tacoma); Fashion models--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Arms akimbo, this barefoot model stretches on tiptoes during a November 18, 1955, Kaiser Aluminum photo shoot. Kaiser employed models for their safety programs. This young model is only wearing a brief swimsuit although she is wearing a regulation Kaiser hard hat. Photograph ordered by Kaiser Aluminum.

Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corp. (Tacoma); Fashion models--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Kaiser Aluminum manufactured chemical products as well as aluminum and steel. In this November 18, 1955, photograph, a fashion model is shown raking Calcined Alumina with a long metal apparatus. Kaiser used models for their safety programs, possibly to ensure that employees would be paying attention to the warnings and instructions. This model, although wearing a regulation hard hat and sturdy boots, is dressed simply in a colorful two-piece swimsuit. Photograph ordered by Kaiser Aluminum. TPL-9097

Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corp. (Tacoma); Fashion models--Tacoma--1950-1960;

A Hooker Electrochemical Co. employee carefully monitors the gauges that demonstrate the company's automatic bleach liquor system on November 30, 1955. Hooker may have set up this equipment for a show of some kind. The apparatus is safely protected from the elements by a prefabricated patio cover. Photograph ordered by Hooker Electrochemical.

Hooker Electrochemical Co. (Tacoma); Chemical industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Machinery; Signs (Notices);

For their plant safety campaign, Kaiser Aluminum used this young unidentified bikini clad model to demonstrate the correct way to use a gas hole bar in December of 1955. Besides her swimsuit she wore fireproof covers over her shoes, thick gloves, safety glasses and a hard hat. Six metal poles labeled "pot rake, puddle rake, pot skimmer, smasher, stud straightener, gas hole bar" are on a cart behind her. A simplified painting of Kaiser's industrial facility on the tideflats, complete with Mt. Rainier, served as a backdrop. Photograph ordered by Kaiser Aluminum.

Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corp. (Tacoma); Aluminum industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Equipment; Fashion models--Tacoma--1950-1960;

A swimsuit model may be demonstrating proper lifting techniques for Kaiser Aluminum's December, 1955, safety programs. She is in a squatting position attempting to pick up a hundred pound bag of Kaiser chemicals bagged in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Although she is not wearing much clothing, she does protect her hands and eyes with the proper safety equipment. Photograph ordered by Kaiser Aluminum.

Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corp. (Tacoma); Aluminum industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Chemical industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Fashion models--Tacoma--1950-1960;