Progress photograph, new building at Stauffer Chemical Company. Stauffer Chemical Company was just getting into production on the tideflats, manufacturing superphosphate fertilizer. The new plant would serve a market area of 200 miles with approximately 30,000 tons of its product a year. The Barthel Chemical Construction Company had installed lined acid tanks for Stauffer Chemical at this time. The plant was built on a 40 acre tract on the tideflats at the location of the old Rainier Steel facility. (TNT, 2/14/1950, p.A-7; 9/13/1949, clipping)

Stauffer Chemical Co. (Tacoma); Chemical industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Progress photographs; Building construction--Tacoma--1950-1960; Barthel Chemical Construction Co. (Tacoma);

Stauffer Chemical Co. opened a half million dollar plant in the spring of 1950 for the production of super phosphate fertilizer. The big chemical plant, erected on 14 acres of a 40 acre tract on the Tideflats, utilized phosphate rock from Wyoming and sulphuric acid from the newly constructed American Smelting and Refining acid plant to create super phosphate commercial fertilizer for a Pacific Northwest market area of 200 miles. The plant included a tank farm, mixing building, bulk storage facilities, finished product warehouses and office building. Phosphate storage towers and rail delivery system shown to the left of this picture. The original plant employed 20-30 and was capable of turning out 250 tons of fertilizer daily. The plant was expanded in 1955 to produce liquid aluminum sulphate.

Stauffer Chemical Co. (Tacoma); Chemical industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Fertilizer industry--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Opening of Stauffer Chemical Company. Several of Stauffer's leaders pose for a group portrait during the opening festivities of the company's new Tacoma fertilizer plant. The company manufactured agricultural chemicals including soil sterilants, insecticides, soil conditioners, and NPP fertilizer combinations based on superphosphate. Ordered by Wilson & George Meyer & Company.

Stauffer Chemical Co. (Tacoma); Chemical industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Business people--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Opening of Stauffer Chemical Company. Three men are enjoying a reception that was part of the opening of the new Tacoma fertilizer plant. Ordered by Wilson & George Meyer & Company.

Stauffer Chemical Co. (Tacoma); Chemical industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Receptions--Tacoma--1950-1960; Business people--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Opening of Stauffer Chemical Company. Ordered by Wilson & George Meyer & Company. Two men are admiring the quality of the superphosphate manufactured at Stauffer Chemical. Superphosphate is a soluble mixture of phosphates used as fertilizer and is made from insoluble mineral phosphates by treatment with sulfuric acid.

Stauffer Chemical Co. (Tacoma); Chemical industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Fertilizers--Tacoma;

Opening of Stauffer Chemical Company. Ordered by Wilson & George Meyer & Company. Tacoma Feed Company have backed their Diamond T delivery truck up to the loading dock to receive a load of superphosphate.

Stauffer Chemical Co. (Tacoma); Chemical industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Trucks--Tacoma--1950-1960; Diamond T trucks; Tacoma Feed Co. (Tacoma);

Opening of Stauffer Chemical Company. Dignitaries attending the opening ceremonies were given lab coats to keep clean while thery toured the chemical facilities. Tacoma was a phosphate fertilizer plant. Stauffer Chemical had two other phosphate fertilizer plants in Richmond and Vernon, California. Ordered by Wilson & George Meyer & Company.

Stauffer Chemical Co. (Tacoma); Chemical industry--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Opening of Stauffer Chemical Company. Ordered by Wilson & George Meyer & Company. Visiting dignitaries attending the opening of Stauffer Chemical's Tacoma plant are greeted by a young woman. A large bouquet stands beside the guest book on the wooden table.

Stauffer Chemical Co. (Tacoma); Chemical industry--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Opening of Stauffer Chemical Company. A workman is dwarfed by the huge piles of raw materials and a crane for moving the materials. The Tacoma plant made superphosphate using phosphate rock from its Leef, Wyoming, location and sulphuric acid from the Tacoma Smelter. The plant was capable of turning out 250 tons of fertilizer daily. Ordered by Wilson & George Meyer & Company. (TNT, 5/9/1950, clipping)

Stauffer Chemical Co. (Tacoma); Chemical industry--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Opening of Stauffer Chemical Company in Tacoma. A workman standing on a pile of phosphate rock directs another workman in moving the overhead crane. Various fertilizers made at the Tacoma branch were stored for curing and moved by the large clamshell to the milling units during shipping seasons. Both bulk and bagged material moved out during spring and fall seasons to farmers and mixers throughout the state of Washington and Oregon via truck and rail. Stauffer Chemical manufactured Captan fungicide, Vapam soil sterilant, herbicide and insecticide formulations, aluminum sulphate, titanium tetrachloride and pelleted mixed fertilizers. As of 1956 they had plants in 44 locations. Ordered by Wilson & George Meyer & Company. (TNT, 5/16/1955, clipping)

Stauffer Chemical Co. (Tacoma); Chemical industry--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Opening of Stauffer Chemical Company. Dignitaries attending the opening of the Tacoma plant were given an opportunity to view the bag filling operations. Once a bag was filled at an upper level it was sewn shut and delivered to workers via a conveyor system. Bags were stacked on pallets and several bags are seen stacked against the far wall. Ordered by Wilson & George Meyer & Company.

Stauffer Chemical Co. (Tacoma); Chemical industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Conveying systems--Tacoma;

Opening of Stauffer Chemical Company. The exterior of the loading dock can be seen where a truck from the Tacoma Feed Company has backed in for loading. Dignitaries are being given a tour of the facilities. A railroad car sits next to the building and railroad tracks are seen crossing the yard. Materials could be delivered to and from the plant easliy. Ordered by Wilson & George Meyer & Company.

Stauffer Chemical Co. (Tacoma); Chemical industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Railroad freight cars--Tacoma; Railroad tracks--Tacoma;

Opening of Stauffer Chemical Company. Several men are visiting one of the labs at the new Tacoma plant. Quality control was maintained with frequent tests. Research and development of the company's products was mainly carried out at their Los Altos, California, and Chauncey, New York, research centers. Ordered by Wilson & George Meyer & Company.

Stauffer Chemical Co. (Tacoma); Chemical industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Laboratories--Tacoma;

Interior view of Stauffer Chemical Co. plant. Stauffer Chemical was located at 2545 Lincoln Ave. bordering the Blair (formerly Port Industrial) Waterway. At one time the large plant manufactured 20,000 tons of fertilizer annually. A July, 1976, look inside the plant shows what may have been mounds of fertilizer or dirt. Photograph ordered by Stauffer Chemical Co.

Stauffer Chemical Co. (Tacoma); Chemical industry--Tacoma--1970-1980; Industrial facilities--Tacoma--1970-1980;

Interior of Stauffer Chemical plant. Rows of 80-lb. bags are piled up on wooden pallets inside the Stauffer Chemical plant at 2545 Lincoln Ave. in July of 1976. These bags, marked "0-18-0," are believed to be filled with fertilizer. Photograph ordered by Stauffer Chemical Co.

Stauffer Chemical Co. (Tacoma); Chemical industry--Tacoma--1970-1980; Industrial facilities--Tacoma--1970-1980;

Offices of Stauffer Chemical Co. Two employees of Stauffer Chemical Co., 2545 Lincoln Ave., are pictured in July of 1976 at work in the company's offices. The woman is busily typing while the man is examining files from an open file cabinet. Modern office equipment including Pitney-Bowes and Western Union machines are located nearby. Photograph ordered by Stauffer Chemical Co.

Stauffer Chemical Co. (Tacoma); Chemical industry--Tacoma--1970-1980; Industrial facilities--Tacoma--1970-1980; Office workers--Tacoma--1970-1980; Office equipment & supplies;

Exterior view of Stauffer Chemical Co. as pictured in the summer of 1976. Stauffer Chemical was located on a nearly 18-acre section of land on the west side of the Blair (formerly Port Industrial) Waterway. It would be sold in 1987 to Rhone-Poulenc Basic Chemicals, a large French chemical company, who would only use a small portion of the plant to make alum, a water purifier, from aluminum sulfate. When Stauffer was in full production, it used to make about 20,000 tons of fertilizer annually. Photograph ordered by Stauffer Chemical Co. (TNT 9-8-93, C-1-article)

Stauffer Chemical Co. (Tacoma); Chemical industry--Tacoma--1970-1980; Industrial facilities--Tacoma--1970-1980;

A series of photographs were taken at the Stauffer Chemical Co. plant in the industrial Tideflats during the summer of 1976. Interior and exterior shots were taken of daily plant operations. An unidentified employee is pictured above in July of 1976 grasping a glass beaker while standing before a counter filled with various tubes and containers. Photograph ordered by Stauffer Chemical Co.

Stauffer Chemical Co. (Tacoma); Chemical industry--Tacoma--1970-1980; Industrial facilities--Tacoma--1970-1980;