Tacoma is the chief flour milling city of the Pacific Northwest. The product of its flour mills in 1903 was valued at $4,075,000. The Puget Sound Flouring Mills Company operate the largest flour mill in the State at Tacoma. The Tacoma Grain Company’s mill adjoining Elevator A was erected in 1902. The Sperry Milling Company, the largest millers in California, in connection with the Tacoma Warehouse & Elevator Company, are erecting a large mill on the waterfront adjoining Elevator B. The Albers Brothers Milling Company are about to erect another large flour and cereal mill on the City Waterway. The plant of the Pacific Starch Company, erected at a cost of $108,000 and opened in August, 1903, for the manufacture of non-chemical wheat starch, is the largest wheat starch factory in the United States. The Coast Cereal Company have erected this year and are now operating a large cereal plant at South Tacoma.
Brewing and Malting Establishments.
Tacoma has two large breweries. The plant of the Pacific Brewing & Malting Company has been enlarged by the erection of three large cellars, increasing the capacity of the plant to 150,000 barrels a year. Malt is manufactured at Tacoma, not only by local brewers for their own use, but also for the trade. The Puget Sound Malting Company is the only plant on the Coast north of San Francisco engaged exclusively in the manufacture of malt, and supplies the trade in Eastern Washington, Oregon and Alaska, besides the Sound cities. The plant has been doubled in capacity to 240,000 bushels per year since January 1, 1904.
Tacoma has the largest stockyards and slaughtering and meat packing establishment west of the Missouri River Valley. The new plant of the Carstens Packing Company on the tideflats is pronounced to be the best equipped and most complete and up-to-date packing house in the United States. Its capacity is 250 cattle, 500 sheep and 500 hogs per day. It will shortly be in full operation employing 300 men. The plant of the Pacific Cold Storage Company prepares meats for a large trade in Alaska. Tacoma has also large fish canneries, pickling and preserving works, bottling establishments, mineral and soda-water works, coffee and spice mills, flavoring extract and chemical works and candy factories. A large plant is now being erected for the manufacture of crackers and biscuits.
Views Along the Tacoma Eastern Railroad.
- 1—Unloading Logs at Tacoma.
- 2—Sluskin Falls, Paradise River.
- 3—Lake Kapowsin Station.
- 4—Mount Tacoma from Paradise Valley.
- 5—Train Leaving Tacoma.
- 6—In the Mountains.
Among the other lines of industry in Tacoma not already enumerated are mills or factories for the manufacture of brick and tile; brushes and brooms; artificial ice; soap; tannery products; shoe uppers; boots and shoes; buggy-tops; furs and for goods; clothing; shirts; overalls; stockings; underwear; knit-goods; tents, awnings and sails; paper boxes; fish baskets; oilskin garments and other goods; cigars; cigar boxes; metal bedsteads and woven-wire bed springs; cotton felt; carpets and rugs; excelsior; egg cases; enamels; furnaces and stoves; blank books, ledgers; stencils; rubber stamps; trunks and traveling bags; paints and varnish, and many other articles. TACOMA IS THE LEADING MANUFACTURING CITY OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST.