South Tacoma wetlands and warehouses, 1927

This print from a damaged glass plate negative shows an aerial view of South Tacoma taken in February of 1927. The massive South Tacoma Shops, owned by the Northern Pacific Railway, are located in the center. The plant repaired all Northern Pacific railroad locomotives and cars west of the Mississippi. The shops were composed of 36 separate brick buildings spread out over 15 acres. The grounds were over 1 1/2 miles long, and the work force of 1,250 employees from 20 expert crafts commanded a payroll of $1,500,000 per year. Established in 1890 as Edison Car Shops, the shops closed in 1974. The body of water in the foreground just west of the "shops" was a wetlands area affectionately known to residents of the area as the "South Tacoma Swamp." The road at the right, near the south end of the swamp, is 56th Street.