Pacific Northwest History
Regional Trade & Industry
"Interior view of Superior Laundry Company's facilities"
"In 1943 Superior Service Laundry purchased the rights to use the "Lusterize" process, which was originally invented in Spokane, Washington. "Lusterized" dry cleaning was an entirely new method of dry cleaning, it was developed after eleven years of extensive research. "Lusterized" clothing would stay clean longer, press better, resist spotting and wear longer."
- From Northwest Room at The Tacoma Public Library, (D25094-5)
(click on image to enlarge, cited below)
Featured Online Collections
- Canneries on the ColumbiaFrom the Oregon History Project - includes narratives from those who worked in the fish canneries along the Columbia river.
- Clark Kinsey & the Documentation of the Pacific Northwest Logging IndustryAn online exhibit with various articles and images, and additional sources pertaining to the logging industry
- The Hidden Faces of Oregon's Workers, circa 1900-1940A digital collection from the University of Oregon
- Idaho RailRoad Visual HistoryA collection of images from the Digital Collections at the Idaho State Archives.
- Industrialization, Technology, and Environment in WashingtonFrom the Center of the Study of the Pacific Northwest
- Labor Archives of Washington - UW Digital Collections"The Labor Archives contains more than 300 collections of labor and labor-related materials from individuals and organizations."
- The Museum of History and Industry - SeattleFocused on the history of industry in the area, the museum website provides online exhibits and additional info.
- Seattle General Strike ProjectGet info on the Seattle strike of 1919 - includes photos and other primary documents, as well as information on labor unions and civil rights activists and events in the area.
- Ships & Shipping Index - Tacoma Public Library"The Ships & Shipping Index contains more than 13,000 individual records with indexed information on ships built on the Pacific Coast, and ships with a connection to the Pacific Northwest. It includes the names (and former names) of vessels, their builders, careers and dispositions."
- Strikes! Labor and Labor History in the Puget SoundA collection of primary and secondary source materials on Labor history in the area - from the Special Collections at the University of Washington Libraries
- Tacoma Public Library: Northwest RoomCollection includes photographs, obituary information, historical building indexes, and northwest people databases.
Featured Background Articles
Linked below are articles found freely online, as well as in the library's collection.
- Agriculture in Washington 1792 to 1900From HistoryLink.org
- Brewing industry in OregonFrom the Oregon Encyclopedia
- A brief history of Washington’s economy.An article from the Washington State Department of Commerce.
- Commerce, Climate, and Community: A History of Portland and its PeopleFrom the Oregon History Project
- Evergreen State: Exploring the History of Washington’s ForestsAn article about the lumber industry in the area, from the Center for the Study of the Pacific Northwest
- Frederick Weyerhaeuser makes one of the largest land purchases in United States history on January 3, 1900.A 2003 article from HistoryLink.org about Weyerhaeuser and the logging industry
- Fur Trade in Oregon CountryFrom the Oregon Encyclopedia
- Hudson's Bay CompanyFrom the Oregon Encyclopedia
- Industry and Agriculture in the Railroad EraFrom the Oregon History Project
- Making a Timber IndustryFrom the Oregon History Project
- Northern Pacific Railroad and Seattle DevelopmentArticle from HistoryLink.org
- North West CompanyFrom the Oregon Encyclopedia
- Puyallup: The Hop Industry in the Puyallup ValleyFrom www.puyallup.com - this webpage has a brief history about the hops industry in the city of Puyallup
- West coast waterfront strike of 1934From the Oregon Encyclopedia
- Weyerhaeuser Companyan article from Historylink.org
- Wine in WashingtonAn article from Historylink.org
Sources used on this page:
[Interior view of Superior Laundry Company's facilities]. (1948, December 14). Richards Studio (D25094-5). Tacoma Public Library, Tacoma, WA, United States. https://tacomalibrary.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p17061coll21/id/28132/rec/15
Trades in the Region
As the PNW grew in population, so too did the various jobs people held and growing industries. Consider the list of topics here, and the links below.
- The hunting & fur trade
- Shipping & maritime industry, including fishing & canning
- Westward expansion & homesteading
- Agriculture - livestock and produce such as berries, flowers, and hops
- Logging and the lumber and paper mills
- Rail line work with the Northern Pacific and other railroads
- Shopkeeping, sales, merchants
- Educators & clergy
- Mining - coal, copper, silver, gold (ARSCO Smelter)
- Construction work, building homes, and city promotion
Featured Books & eBooks
Click on the book, or title, below to learn more
Tainted Earth: Smelters, Public Health, and the Environment
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