Damaged negative showning view of American Smelting & Refining Co. (ASARCO) looking toward Tacoma.

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

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 It would be superceded by the 571-foot smokestack completed in 1917.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. 1893. Tacoma smelter. This photograph of the Tacoma Smelting & Refining Co. (previously named the Ryan Smelter) was taken for the New England Magazine and published in their February, 1893, issue. The smelter was owned by prominent businessman William R. Rust who had purchased it four years before. The smelter was originally built to produce lead but in a few short years, would become a major supplier of copper. A comparison of an earlier view of the smelter, taken circa 1888, now shows a completed pier on the right and an additional large building on the property. In 1905 the American Smelting & Refining Co. (ASARCO) bought the company and it remained an important part of Tacoma's economy until its closure in 1985. (New England Magazine - February, 1893 p.800) (Scan of original print - no negative or print on file)

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

ca. 1893. Tacoma smelter. This photograph of the Tacoma Smelting & Refining Co. (previously named the Ryan Smelter) was taken for the New England Magazine and published in their February, 1893, issue. The smelter was owned by prominent businessman William R. Rust who had purchased it four years before. The smelter was originally built to produce lead but in a few short years, would become a major supplier of copper. A comparison of an earlier view of the smelter, taken circa 1888, now shows a completed pier on the right and an additional large building on the property. In 1905 the American Smelting & Refining Co. (ASARCO) bought the company and it remained an important part of Tacoma's economy until its closure in 1985. (New England Magazine - February, 1893 p.800) (See Rutter, image 01, for view of smelter circa 1888)

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

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;

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

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;

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

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

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;

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;

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

Industries; Star Iron & Steel; Machinery; Tideflats

This is the American Smelting & Refining Company smokestack in Ruston as pictured in September of 1935. At 571 feet, the ASARCO smokestack dominated the skyline near Point Defiance from its elevated position above the waterfront. At the time of its construction in 1917, it was the tallest smokestack in the world. It lost nine feet in height after repairs in 1937. The smelter stack was demolished on January 17, 1993.

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

ASARCO smelter (American Smelting & Refining Co.). A large crane mounted on tracks is unloading ore from the Norwegian motorship Bronnoy. The ship carried a $600,000 cargo of gold ore from Russian mines in the Urals. The mechanical crane could carry 5 tons on each dip into the ship's hold. The Bronnoy's 8,997 ton shipment will be refined at the rate of 900 tons a day. (T. Times 9/13/1935, pg. 3 & 1/19/1935, pg. 1)

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

ca. 1888. Tacoma smelter. This smelter on Ruston's waterfront was established as the Ryan Smelter in 1887 by Dennis Ryan. It was sold to William R. Rust in 1889 who then changed its name to the Tacoma Smelting & Refining Co. This photograph was taken around 1888 when the smelter was still in its early stages. Pilings jut out into the water at the right, tree stumps are abundantly scattered on the grounds, and the chimney in the photo's center was the first of three succeedingly larger smokestacks. The smelter would be sold to the American Smelting & Refining Co. (ASARCO) in 1905. (Print owned by Thomas Martin. Copy on file)

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

Industrial building with laborer in hardhat working in the foreground.

Four tall smokestacks on an industrial building.

Waste heat boiler at the Tacoma smelter (ASARCO) installed by Puget Sound Machinery Depot, August 24, 1939.

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

Aluminum panels nearly cover the entire roof of a new steel hangar at McChord Field on November 18, 1954. Two workers are in the process of marking and drilling nails into the panels. Aluminum and other steel products were seen as an alternative to wood design. Hangars were used to house and repair jet aircraft; McChord was finding it necessary to construct more of them because of the growing number of military aircraft stationed there. Photograph ordered by Bethlehem Pacific Coast Steel Corporation.

Bethlehem Pacific Coast Steel Corp. (Seattle); Building construction; Progress photographs; Steel; Hangars;

Workers appear to be trudging uphill on top of a new hangar in a November 18, 1954, photograph. They had been working for months on constructing new steel hangars for the military on McChord Field. These hangars would be used to house and repair jets. The two men shown here are carrying sections of aluminum to be used to cover the roof of the new hangar. The Seattle District Corps. of Engineers, U.S. Army, designed the hangar and supervised its construction. All steel for the framework was fabricated by the Seattle plant of Bethlehem Pacific Coast Steel and the framework itself had been erected by the company's steelworkers. Photograph ordered by Bethlehem Pacific Coast Steel Corporation. (TNT 12-26-54, C-11)

Bethlehem Pacific Coast Steel Corp. (Seattle); Building construction; Progress photographs; Steel; Hangars;

Workmen balance high atop the roof of a new hangar at McChord Field on September 24, 1954. They are in the process of inserting steel sections. One of the building's sides is already in place. The hangars were used to house and repair aircraft and were apparently made basically out of steel components rather than wood. Photograph ordered by Bethlehem Pacific Coast Steel Corporation.

Bethlehem Pacific Coast Steel Corp. (Seattle); Building construction; Progress photographs; Steel; Hangars;

Steel pieces of a new hangar are being hoisted into place by a Bethlehem Pacific Coast Steel Corporation crane on September 24, 1954. More space was becoming necessary at McChord Field to house and repair aircraft. Once completed, this new main hangar will encompass 22,000 square feet. The Seattle District Corps. of Engineers, U.S. Army, designed the hangar and supervised construction. All steel for the framework was fabricated by Bethlehem Steel 's Seattle plant and the framework itself erected by the company's steel workers. Photograph ordered by Bethlehem Pacific Coast Steel Corporation. (TNT 12-26-54, C-11)

Bethlehem Pacific Coast Steel Corp. (Seattle); Building construction; Progress photographs; Steel; Hangars;

Bethlehem Pacific Coast Steel Corp. A variety of bars and structural shapes are rolled on the 12 inch and 8 inch finishing mills. The hot steel is looped by hand from one set of rolls to the next, until it is rolled to finished size and shape. Three finishing mills at the Seattle plant turn out bars and structural shapes in hundreds of different sizes and shapes. Hot steel billets are fed directly into these mills were grooved rolls transform them into angles, channels, I-beams, rounds, squares, flats, strip, reinforcing bars and special sections. ("Bethlehem Coast Steel, in the Northwest" - brochure)

Factories; Steel industry; Bethlehem Pacific Coast Steel Corp. (Seattle); ;

Aerial of Bethlehem Steel, Seattle. Located on a tract of 45 acres along West Spokane Stree, just west of Duwamish Waterway, the Seattle plant is a compact and highly efficient steelmaking unit. When operating at full capacity, the plant has a work force of about 1450. They represent a broad spectrum of skills and trades needed in the manufacture of steel.

Steel industry; Bethlehem Pacific Coast Steel Corp. (Seattle); Aerial photographs; Factories--Seattle;

Aerial view of American Smelting & Refining Co's (ASARCO) smokestack, smelter plant and surrounding area. The plant occupied a large area near Point Defiance with its own docks for shipping. The smokestack at 562 feet dominated the skyline for miles around. Thousands lined up in 1993 to say goodbye to this landmark when it was imploded.

American Smelting & Refining Co. (Tacoma); Smelters--Tacoma--1950-1960; Copper industry--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Aerial view of American Smelting & Refining Co.'s (ASARCO) smokestack, smelter plant and surrounding area. ASARCO occupied a large area near Point Defiance and contributed greatly to Tacoma's economy in the fifties. As we know now, the by products of the smelting process were highly toxic, and qualified this area as a Superfund clean up area. TPL-9290

American Smelting & Refining Co. (Tacoma); Smelters--Tacoma--1950-1960; Copper industry--Tacoma--1950-1960;