ca. 1888. Eight loggers pose with two large sections of logs that are sitting on a flat-bed railroad car. On the side of the railroad car are the words - W. F. McKay, Tacoma, Wash. T. One of the logs is larger in diameter then the out stretched arm of one of the loggers. Two loggers hold a long hand saw. The Puget Sound Directory for 1888 lists a William F. McKay as a logger.

Loggers; Logs; Lumber industry--Tacoma--1880-1890

ca. 1910. An unidentified logger stands in front of a logging shed, circa 1913. The shed is labelled "Grays Harbor Logging Co., Camp #2." The Grays Harbor Logging Company was located on the East Fork of the Wishkah River, outside of Aberdeen in Grays Harbor County, where they maintained three logging dams. The head of the company was Calvin Herbert "Bert" Shutt, who drowned in one of his own logging ponds on the river November 18, 1915. The company was in operation from around 1909-1920. By 1913, the company also maintained offices in Aberdeen, located on "Skidroad," near the corner of Hume and F St. The secretary/treasurer of the company was F.E. Burrows. ("They Tried to Cut It All" by Edwin Van Syckle) (photograph courtesy of Dan Powell) TPL-9835

Grays Harbor Logging Co. (Aberdeen); Lumber industry--Grays Harbor;

ca. 1910. A grouping of rough loggers, probably employees of the Grays Harbor Logging Co., posed for the camera on and around a downed giant tree, circa 1910. The early era of the Grays Harbor lumber industry was often called the "Timber Rush," as fortunes were made in the attempt to clear cut the great stand of Douglas Fir. The Grays Harbor Logging Co. was in operation from 1909-1920. They had logging camps on the East Fork of the Wishkah River and maintained offices in Aberdeen. The company's president was C. H. Shutt and the Secretary/Treasurer was F.E. Burrows. ("They Tried to Cut It All" by Edwin VanSyckle") (photograph courtesy of Dan Powell) TPL-9833

Grays Harbor Logging Co. (Aberdeen); Lumber industry--Grays Harbor; Loggers; Woodcutters;

Back of Photo:
Aerial view of Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad terminals and Shaffer terminals at Tacoma, Washington.

Chapin Bowen Inc. Photographers

Back of Photo:
"NEWS 3/17/89 (Photo by Russ Carmack)
Judy Slaney puts a Mazda decal on the tail gate of a Mazda 4x4 pick-up truck at the Mazda import facility at the Port of Tacoma. Congress is taking a critical look at Foreign Trade Zones to see if they help or hinder the U.S. economy. Port of Tacoma has the second largest Free Trade Zone in the country, and the port officials consider it an important economic development too. Mazda adds accessories and detailing to cars imported from Japan and Korea.

Man on platform of Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Company chlorine tank car in this photograph dated July of 1940. Hylebos Waterway in background.

Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington (Tacoma); Chemical industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Railroad tank cars--Tacoma; Hylebos Waterway (Tacoma);

Close-up of chlorine tank cars for Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Company. Three men on top of tank car adjusting equipment overhead in this photograph dated July 2, 1940.

Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington (Tacoma); Chemical industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Railroad tank cars--Tacoma;

Close up of chlorine tank cars for Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Company. Two men working on top of rail car, one is inside porthole. Photograph taken on July 2, 1940.

Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington (Tacoma); Chemical industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Railroad tank cars--Tacoma;

Damage to a lye tank at Pennsalt. Hoisting equipment is being used to remove the damaged tank from its perch on June 5, 1956. Photograph ordered by the Whiting Corp.

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

ca. 1956. Aerial view of Washington Steel Products Inc. at 1940 E. 11th St. 11th Street is shown intersecting with Thorne Road. The larger building on Thorne is Blake, Moffitt and Towne at 1157 Thorne Rd. The body of water at the bottom of the picture is the Sitcum Waterway. The railroad tracks run between the waterway and 11th Street. At the left hand side of the intersection of Thorne and 11th Streets is the Tideflats Texaco gasoline station, beside the station is B & M Distributing Co. Washington Steel Products was the only Northwest manufacturer of builder's hardware, including rolling door hardware and Kitch'n-Handy cabinet attachments. The company began operation in Seattle in 1945 and moved to Tacoma in 1948. The company was sold to Ekco Products Company of Chicago in October of 1959. At the time of the sale, the company had 475 workers, with 200 in manufacturing, and a payroll of 1 1/2 million. (TNT 09-03-1956)

Washington Steel Products, Inc. (Tacoma); Blake, Moffitt & Towne, Inc. (Tacoma); Paper industry--Tacoma--1950-1960

ca. 1956. Aerial view of Washington Steel Products Inc. at the intersection of 11th Street and Milwaukee Way. The company was the only manufacturer of builders' hardware in the Pacific Northwest. This plant was constructed in 1948, with additions in 1950, 1952 and a million dollar expansion in 1953. In 1956, the plant occupied 120,000 square feet and turned out more than 450 products for national and foreign markets. The company manufactured small hardware such as drawers, knobs, pulls and hinges. Also pictured on 11th Street is Blake, Moffitt and Towne at 1157 Thorne Rd. Blake, Moffitt & Towne were wholesale distributors of printing and wrapping paper and stationery and were formerly located on Jefferson Avenue. (TNT 9/3/1956)

Washington Steel Products, Inc. (Tacoma); Blake, Moffitt & Towne, Inc. (Tacoma); Paper industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Hardware;

Flat cars for advertising use for Pennsylvania Salt. Man explaining pipe adjustment on equipment to workman at chemical plant. Industrial safety mask close by. Photograph was taken on May 17, 1940.

Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington (Tacoma); Gas masks;

Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington; yard employees' Christmas party. Pennsalt president and general manager Fred C. Shanaman, in center, enjoys a bowl of soup with employees. Pennsalt, at 40 acres on the Hylebos Waterway, was one of the largest plants in the Tideflats industrial area. Materials were brought into the plant by ship and rail. The company was also the major user of Tacoma power & water.

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

Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington; yard employees' Christmas party. The lone female at this gathering laughs out loud while the man behind her seems to be offering to help her with her soup. The Pennsalt plant manufactured chemicals used in industrial processing, sanitation and also insect irradication. The company later changed its name to Penwalt.

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

Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington: yard employees' Christmas party. Employees sit at long tables arranged between what appear to be containers of the company's chemicals. Employees eat a holiday meal of soup, bread and coffee poured from a large urn into paper cups.

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

Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington: yard employees' Christmas party. Employees chat over bowls of soup, paper cups of coffee and long loaves of French bread. The Pennsalt plant manufactured caustic chemicals used in paper, pulp and plywood manufacturing. It was one of the largest plants in the Tacoma Tideflats industrial area.

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

E.L. Cliffe (L), plant superintendent, and Col. Edward Schmitt, commanding officer of the Army Personnel Center, Ft. Lewis, met with Pennsalt employee William Otto at the company's facilities on November 10, 1954. Col. Schmitt toured the plant in preview of industry tours for military personnel on Armed Forces Appreciation Day, November 30th. Mr. Otto shows the two men the machinery used in making corrosion-resistant molds used in the manufacture of chlorine and caustic by Pennsalt. Other companies, including Puget Sound Plywood, Brown & Haley, Heidelberg Breweries and Hooker Electrochemical, would also be offering tours for the military on Armed Forces Appreciation Day. (TNT 11-21-54, B-11)

Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington (Tacoma); Chemical industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Machinery; Cliffe, E.L.; Schmitt, Edward; Otto, William;

Elevated view of Tacoma's downtown and industrial area. Smoke from various lumber and chemical companies in Tacoma's industrial area blends into the sky. Busy plants meant employment for thousands of local residents. The Tacoma Hotel and Tacoma Savings & Loan can also be spotted on the left of this September 2, 1954, photograph, taken from the seventh floor of the Winthrop Hotel.

Industrial facilities--Tacoma--1950-1960; Tacoma Savings & Loan Association (Tacoma); Tacoma Hotel (Tacoma);

Caught in mid-song are four members of a Pennsalt barbershop quartet in March, 1954. They are clutching top hats and dressed in the Gay 90's style, complete with false mustaches. Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington was a major producer of caustic soda and chlorine for several decades.

Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington (Tacoma)--People; Singing--Tacoma--1950-1960; Barbershop quartets; Mustaches;

Seven Up Bottling Co. A breakfast for twenty featuring the bubbling soda. 7UP's slogan at this time was "You like it, it likes you." The breakfast was part of the meetings scheduled around the 37th annual convention of the Washington Bottlers of Carbonated Beverages held in Tacoma at the Winthrop Hotel. The three day run of meetings had its kickoff on Sunday, 2/7/1954, with a reception and smorgasbord at the hotel. Over 250 bottlers and their families were expected to attend. (TNT 2/7/1954)

Washington Bottlers of Carbonated Beverages (Wa.); Meetings--Tacoma--1950-1960; Carbonated beverages;

Pennsalt; 8 people at a desk. The man in the lab coat holds a glass bottle with a grainy substance inside.

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

Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. Family Day; employees' picnic and open house. Photograph labelled, left to right, Sgt. Bob Marshall, Mr. Fred Shanaman & Ed Sorger. Sgt. Marshall was the head of the Tacoma Police Department's Safety Division, Fred Shanaman was president and general manager of the company and Ed Sorger was Washington State's Safety Supervisor. The trio stand in front of a display case containing a trophy, certificates and memorabilia of the company's safety record. In 1950 & 52, Pennsalt won the National Safety Council's Award of Merit for no "lost time accidents" and the Pennsalt national award for best yearly safety record. Pennsalt opened on the Tideflats in June of 1929. The 40 acre plant manufactured industrial chemicals. (TNT 9/6/1953, pg. A-12)

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

Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. Family Day; employees' picnic and open house. An unidentified group of employees stands in front of a display case set up for the open house. Wives, husbands and children of employees were invited on this day to tour the plant. A brief program was devoted to safety measures practiced at the plant. Lunch for 300 employees and their visitors was followed by a tour of the plant. The manufacturing facility opened on the Tideflats in June of 1929 as Tacoma Electro-Chemical Co. Despite its deceptive name, Pennsalt manufactured industrial chemicals, some of which were used in the manufacture of pulp and paper. (TNT 9/6/1953, pg. A-12)

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

Pennsylvania Salt, 2901 Taylor Way. Industrial sections of the City of Tacoma. Industries on the Tacoma Tideflats including an overhead pipe line and electric rail lines. This site is believed to be part of the Penn Salt plant as viewed in July of 1938.

Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington (Tacoma); Industrial facilities--Tacoma--1930-1940;

One of the groups of workers pose together at American Rock Wool Corporation. John S. Tillman was manager of the Tacoma plant at this time. American Rock Wool Corporation bought the Feltrok Insulation Manufacturing Company in 1952. In 1959, American Rock Wool was purchased by the US Gypsum Co. The Tacoma company was located on 15 acres on the Tideflats and employed 70 workers in its six buildings. The Tacoma plant was one of 8 American Rock Wool plants in the US. (TNT 4/24/1959, pg. 1)

American Rock Wool Corp. (Tacoma)--People; Laborers--Tacoma--1950-1960; Factories--Tacoma--1950-1960;

One of the groups of workers pose together at American Rock Wool Corporation. John S. Tillman was manager of the Tacoma plant at this time. American Rock Wool Corporation bought the Feltrok Insulation Manufacturing Company in 1952. American Rock Wool was purchased in 1959 by the US Gypsum Co. The company manufactured rock wool from slag obtained from the Tacoma smelter. The rock wool was used as home and industrial insulation. American Rock Wool had 8 plants in the United States, including its 15 acre site on the Tideflats. (TNT 4/24/1959, pg. 1)

American Rock Wool Corp. (Tacoma)--People; Laborers--Tacoma--1950-1960; Factories--Tacoma--1950-1960;

This group of workers from the American Rock Wool Corporation posed in front of bags of insulation at their Tideflats plant located at 2301 Taylor Way in late September of 1952. John S. Tillman was manager of the Tacoma plant at this time. American Rock Wool Corporation bought the Feltrok Insulation Manufacturing Company in 1952. It, in turn, was purchased by US Gypsum in 1959, who bought all eight American Rock Wool plants nationwide. American Rock Wool manufactured rock wool insulation from slag obtained from the Tacoma smelter. The rock wool was used for home and industrial installation. (TNT 4-24-59, p. 1-article on US Gypsum purchase)

American Rock Wool Corp. (Tacoma)--People; Laborers--Tacoma--1950-1960; Factories--Tacoma--1950-1960; Building materials;

Philip H. Fisher received a four-year scholarship of $300 annually to the University of Washington based on his scholastic record in August of 1952. The scholarship was provided by Fred C. Shanaman, president of Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Company, to a son or daughter of a company employee. Congratulating Philip at the Tacoma Club are, L-R, Fred C. Shanaman, Philip H. Fisher, Harry S. Fisher, Philip's father, and Kenneth C. Jones, superintendent of Federal Way High School where Philip was a student. (TNT, 9/12/1952, p.A-8)

Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington (Tacoma)--People; Shanaman, Frederick Charles, 1901-1982; Men--Tacoma--1950-1960; Tacoma Club (Tacoma); Fisher, Philip H.; Fisher, Harry S.; Beitzel, George B.;

Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Company facilities, Portland. Exterior of office building, modern Colonial-style building with second story dormers and cupola on roof. Note: Lines in print due to diacetate film deterioration.

Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. (Portland, Or.); Chemical industry--Oregon--Portland--1940-1950;

Two men are making specialized molds at the Portland plant of Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Company

Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. (Portland, Or.); Chemical industry--Oregon--Portland--1940-1950;