Museum of History & Industry
Sophie Frye Bass Library
2700 24th Avenue East
Seattle, WA 98112
Phone: 206-324-1126
URL: http://www.seattlehistory.org

Guide to the PSF Industries, Inc. and PSF Mechanical, Inc. Records, 1900-2003


2004.27





Finding aid prepared by Madeline Mundt

Finding aid encoded by Madeline Mundt, 2007
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.


Overview of the Collection
 
Repository Name:
 

Museum of History & Industry
Sophie Frye Bass Library

2700 24th Avenue East
Seattle, WA 98112
Phone: 206-324-1126
URL: http://www.seattlehistory.org
 
Collection Number:
 

2004.27
 
Creator:
 

PSF Industries, Inc.; PSF Mechanical, Inc.
 
Title:
 

PSF Industries, Inc. and PSF Mechanical, Inc. Records
 
Dates:
 

1900-2003 (inclusive)
 
Quantity:
 

3 boxes
1 linear foot
 
Languages:
 

Collection materials are in English. 

 
Summary:
 

Papers and photographs related to the first 100 years of the history of the two related companies PSF Industries, Inc. and PSF Mechanical, Inc.
 
Location of Collection:
 

15A.2.1
poster drawer VIa.12
 

Historical Note

Puget Sound Sheet Metal Works Company was founded in 1900 by Edward Hite, Robert S. Raven, and Joseph W. Callahan and incorporated in 1902 as Puget Sound Sheet Metal Works, Inc. (PSSMW) by Raven, Hite, and David Bowen. Bowen led the company until his death in 1944; his son Harry was also on the Board (eventually becoming president) until shortly before his death in 1956. PSSMW began as a sheet metal and roofing company, but over the course of its history the company was involved a wide variety of projects, including the manufacture of stainless steel brewing equipment beginning in the 1930s and special train cars to transport 747 parts. During World War I and World War II, the company produced war-related materials such as lifeboats and aircraft parts.

In its early years, PSSMW was located at 1328 Western Avenue (1900-1905), Railroad, Wall, and Elliot Avenues (1909-1918: in one building 1905-1909, and in a new building after the first one was destroyed by fire in 1909), and 3631 E. Marginal Way (1918-1945). During World War II, the company also established aircraft part manufacturing facilities at First Avenue S. and Spokane Street, and Airport Way and Hardy Street. In 1949 the company opened a new plant at 3670 E. Marginal Way after the old one was destroyed by fire.

After Harry Bowen’s resignation as president in 1955, his son-in-law Gordon Anderson became president and changed the company’s name to Puget Sound Fabricators, Inc (by that point, sheet metal was only a small percentage of PSF’s business). Although Anderson remained president, Bowen’s death in 1956 led to a struggle with Pacific National Bank for control of the company and financial problems during the late 1950s and early 1960s. Anderson regained control of PSF from the bank, but sold his shares in the company to Jim Beardsley shortly thereafter in 1964; Beardsley became president and majority owner. He established a new plant and offices at 65 S. Horton Street in 1965, which was followed by another name change to PSF Industries, Inc in 1967. In 1991, the mechanical contracting division became a separate company called PSF Mechanical, headed by Warren Beardsley. 1995 brought changes in company leadership as Jim Critchlow became president and CEO of PSFM and Stanley R. Miller purchased PSFI from Jim Beardsley.

(adapted from The First One Hundred Years: History of PSF Industries, Inc. and PSF Mechanical, Inc., by Nile Thompson)

Content Description

This collection documents the history of the companies known today as PSF Industries, Inc. and PSF Mechanical, Inc. These materials include records from this same body under three previous names: Puget Sound Sheet Metal Company (1900-1902), Puget Sound Sheet Metal Works, Inc. (1902-1955), and Puget Sound Fabricators, Inc. (1955-1966).

As a part of PSF’s one-hundredth anniversary celebrations, Nile Thompson wrote a history of the company from 1900-2000 entitled The First One Hundred Years: A History of PSF Industries, Inc. and PSF Mechanical, Inc. The PSF Industries, Inc. and PSF Mechanical, Inc. Records contain items assembled and used by Thompson in writing the history, as well as a copy of the book itself. The collection contains over 40 photographs of work done by PSF (including both finished projects and work in progress) as well as an album of photographs of PSSMW’s history prior to 1945, which depict life around the office and manufacturing plants as well as work completed (with series of photographs related to PSSMW during World War I and World War II). In addition to the photographs, the collection contains flyers and advertisements for PSF’s work, articles that reference the company, and company documents such as a bid book and a book of stock certificates (the majority of these items date from the first 60 years of the company’s history). The collection also contains 13 folders of notes and partial transcripts produced from oral history interviews with current and former PSF employees and owners (Nile Thompson conducted the interviews in the course of researching PSF’s history for The First One Hundred Years).

Arrangement

Arranged in four series:

  • Photograph Albums
  • Photographs
  • Research Materials
  • Papers and Publications

Administrative Information

Acquisition Information 

Received from PSF Industries, Inc. and PSF Mechanical, Inc. on August 25, 2004.

Separated Materials 

2 oversize calendars have been moved to the poster drawer.

Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Access 

The collection is open to the public by appointment.

Restrictions on Use 

The Museum of History & Industry is the owner of the materials in the Sophie Frye Bass Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from MOHAI before any reproduction use. The museum does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright owners.

Preferred Citation 

PSF Industries, Inc. and PSF Mechanical, Inc. Records, Museum of History & Industry, Seattle

Related Information

Bibliography 

Thompson, Nile. The First One Hundred Years: A History of PSF Industries, Inc. and PSF Mechanical, Inc. Seattle: Elton-Wood Publishing, 2002.

Subjects

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings.

 
PSF Industries, Inc.
PSF Mechanical, Inc.
Seattle (Wash.)
Industrial facilities--Washington (State)--Seattle
Metallurgical industry--Washington (State)--Seattle
Oral History--Washington (State)--Seattle
PSF Industries, Inc. -- History
PSF Mechanical, Inc. -- History
Puget Sound Sheet Metal Works -- History
Photograph albums
Photographic prints
Other Creators :
Puget Sound Sheet Metal Works

Detailed Description of the Collection

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.


PSF will be used here to indicate materials related to the companies currently known as PSF Industries, Inc. and PSF Mechanical, Inc. as well as all of their predecessors, PSSMW will be used with materials related to Puget Sound Sheet Metal Works Company and Puget Sound Sheet Metal Works, Inc. only, and PSFI and PSFM will be used for PSF Industries, Inc. and PSF Mechanical, Inc. respectively.
 

Photograph Albums, 1900-1945

Dudley, Roger
1 album containing 71 photographs concerning PSSMW’s history. Some photographs are Dudley’s reprints of earlier photos (unknown creator).
 
 
Container(s)
Description
Dates
 
box
1

Puget Sound Sheet Metal Works photograph album
  1900-1945
 
page
1

David Bowen
   undated
 
2-4

Pre-fire plant locations
   1900-1909
 
5-8

Railroad Fire
   1909
 
9-14

Second railroad building & World War I manufacturing
   1909-1918
 
15-18

Exterior photographs of E. Marginal Way plant
   1918-1945
 
21-28

Interior views of E. Marginal Way plant
   1918-1945
 
19-20 and 29-52

World War II aircraft parts plants
  1940-1945
 
53-71

Innovations developed by company to save time and labor
   undated
 

Photographs, 1947-2003

Black/white 8x10 photographs of work done by PSF except as noted.
 
 
Container(s)
Description
Dates
 
box/folder
1/1

PSFI Brewery tanks
   undated
 
1/2

PSFI Welding
   undated
 
1/3

PSFI Interior of brew kettle metal fabricating
  1975
 
1/4

PSFI Two men in shop
  undated
 
1/5

PSFI Man welding in shop
  undated
 
1/6

PSFI
   undated
 
1/7

PSFI Man welding in shop
  undated
 
1/8

PSFI
   undated
 
1/9

PSFI Brewery tank
   undated
 
1/10

PSFI Three men welding on floor
  undated
 
1/11

PSFI
   undated
 
1/12

PSFI Man marking a board
  undated
 
1/13

PSFI Utility evaporator tank loaded on truck outside shop
  1973
 
1/14

PSFM Sheet metal in shop
   undated
 
1/15

PSFM Duct work
   1982-1987
 
1/16

PSFM Sheet metal
   undated
 
1/17

PSFM Metalwork & air conditioning, Internat’l House of Pancakes, Sea-Tac Mall, Federal Way Washington
   mid-1970s
 
1/18

PSFM Metalwork & air conditioning, Lamonts, Sea-Tac Mall, Federal Way Washington
   mid-1970s
 
1/19

PSFM Bronze work, University of Washington Admissions Building, Seattle Washington
   1947-1949
 
1/20

PSFM Industrial metalwork, Pacific First Federal Savings, Seattle Washington
   mid-1970s
 
1/21

PSFM Industrial metalwork, St. James Cathedral, Seattle Washington
   mid-1970s
 
1/22

PSFM industrial metalwork, Kent City Library, Kent Washington
   mid-1970s
 
1/23

PSFM Industrial metalwork, Nordstrom, Seattle Washington
   early 1970s
 
1/24

PSFM Duct work
   mid-1970s
 
1/25

PSFM Man working with sheet metal
   mid-1970s
 
1/26

Man working with sheet metal
   mid-1970s
 
1/27

Hand & sheet metal (detail)
   mid-1970s
 
1/28

Woman and man drafting
   mid-1970s
 
1/29

PSFI Interior with industrial metalwork
   undated
 
1/30

PSFI Tanks
  undated
 
3x5 black and white
 
1/31

PSFI Industrial metalwork close-up
   undated
 
1/32

PSFI Cranes installing metalwork
   undated
 
1/33

PSFI Installation
   undated
 
1/34

PSFI Man & equipment in shop
   undated
 
1/35

PSFI Office & shop (exterior)
   undated
 
1/36

PSFM Staff at PSF First 100 Years Celebration
   2003 March 8
 
Color photograph
 
1/37

PSFM & PSFI retirees at PSF First 100 Years Celebration
   2003 March 8
 
Color photograph
 
1/38

PSF past & present owners at PSF First 100 Years Celebration
   2003 March 8
 
Color photograph
 
1/39

Bowen family at PSF First 100 Years Celebration
   2003 March 8
 
Color photograph
 
3/10

Bob Burd, PSF employee
   undated
 
Color laser print
 
3/14

PSF tanks installed at Olympia Brewery
   1966-1967
 
2 photocopied photographs
 
3/16

Christmas lunch at Construction Division’s new offices
   1975 December
 
Small Polaroid snapshot
 
3/22

Job site
   undated
 
5 photographs
 
3/25

New heat exchanger, Asarco smelter installation, El Paso, Texas
  1996
 
Color photograph
 

Research Materials, 2000-2002

Materials related to The First One Hundred Years
 
 
Container(s)
Description
Dates
   
Oral History Interviews
   2000-2001
 
Field notes and partial tape transcriptions of oral history interviews conducted by Nile Thompson.
 
box/folder
2/3

Greg Beardsley
   2000 July 25
 
2/4

Jim Beardsley
   2000 June 6 – 2001 October 22
 
9 interviews
 
2/5

Warren Beardsley
   2000 July 11
 
2/6

Bill Bisyak
   2001 January 23
 
2/7

Bob Burd
   2000 June 1, 2000 June 5
 
2 interviews
 
2/8

Tim Burns
   2001 July 11
 
2/9

Dorothy Buzzard
   2000 June 27
 
2/10

Virginia Caley
   2000 June 26
 
2/11

Jim Clark
   2000 June 22, 2001 May 30
 
2 interviews
 
2/12

Jim Critchlow
   2000 July 11, 2001 June 1
 
2 interviews
 
2/13

Harry Diehm
   2000 June 26, 2000 July 10
 
2 interviews
 
box
2

Copy of The First One Hundred Years by Nile Thompson
  2002
 
box/folder
3/24

Early working draft of chapter 24 of The First One Hundred Years by Nile Thompson and related materials
   circa 2001
 

Papers and Publications, 1900-2001

Includes flyers and advertisements for PSF’s work, articles that reference the company, and company papers such as a bid book and a book of stock certificates.
 
 
Container(s)
Description
Dates
 
box/folder
2/1

Company bid book
   1931-1936
 
2/2

Original stock certificate book (certificates 1-46)
   1902-1907
 
2/21

PSF Industries brochures
   1975-2000
 
5 brochures
 
2/22

Puget Sound Sheet Metal Works brochure
   undated
 
8-page color brochure
 
2/23

PSF Mechanical brochures with list of company projects & business card for James D. Critchlow, VP/General Manager
   circa 1990, circa 2000
 
2 brochures
 
2/24

PSF building & equipment sale flyer
   1963
 
2/25

PSFM quarterly newsletters
   2001-2003
 
7 newsletters
 
2/26

PSFI quarterly newsletters
   1999-2000
 
2 newsletters
 
3/1

PSFI “Qualification Book” submitted to BP Amoco Oil Company
   1999 April 26
 
Book contains scanned photos of site installations
   
PSFM project specifications
  circa 2000
 
3/2

DeVry Technical College (Federal Way, Washington)
   circa 2000
 


1700 7th Ave (Seattle, Washington)
   circa 2000
 


Capital One Processing Center (Federal Way, Washington)
   circa 2000
 
3/3

Corporate minutes, notes, & clippings from PSSMW
  1941-1955
 
Photocopies
 
3/4

PSF general ledger
   1953-1956
 
3/5

PSF private ledger
   1957 December 31
 
3/6

Daily Journal of Commerce article, “Sheet Metal Firm Acquires Site for Expansion”
   1946 October 28
   
Articles of Incorporation
   1901-1902
 
Photocopies
 
3/7

Puget Sound Roofing & Refining Co
   1901 May 25
 


PSSMW
   1902 March 28
   
PSFI Letters of Compliment
   1976-1987
 
5 letters
Photocopies
 
3/8

Weyerhaeuser (Springfield, Oregon)
   1984 February 17
 


Union Carbide Corporation (Magna, Utah)
   1986 December 12
 


Western Kraft Paper Group (Salem, Oregon)
   1976 March 18
 


Pope & Talbot, Inc. (Portland, Oregon)
   1985 November 15
 


Boise Cascade Paper Group (St. Helens, Oregon)
   1987 February 3
 
3/9

PSFI birthday log
   1971 December
 
3/11

“A Tank Farm on a Roof” by George T. Dexter & William T. Hamilton
   1973 August
 
Article reprint from Brewer’s Digest
 
3/12

PSFI hire/termination log
   circa 1997
 
3/13

Average labor/hour: sheet metal vs. boilermakers
   1938-1957
 
3/15

Newspaper clippings about PSFI special 747 railroad cars
   1967
 
3 photocopied clippings
   
Company histories
   1907-1997
 
Written by/based on drafts by George Taylor
 
3/16

From King County and its Emerald City, Seattle
  1997
 


From unknown book
   undated
 


From Sketches of Washingtonians
  1907
 
3/18

Newspaper articles
   1961-1973
 
6 photocopies, 9 originals
   
PSFM employee documents
   2000
 
3/19

Office Personnel Policies and Procedures Manual
   2000 June 15
 


Employee’s Expense Report (blank)
   undated
 


Personal History & Hire Record (blank)
   undated
   
PSFM management documents
   undated
 
3/20

Quotation form/terms & conditions on reverse
   undated
 


Company letterhead (blank)
   undated
 


Business card: Marsha L. Stubbins, Office Manager
   undated
 


Job expenditures tracking form
   undated
 
3/21

PSFM flyer on HVAC design, fabrication & installation
   circa 1991
 
2 copies
1 copy from when Mechanical Design Division was part of PSFI; 1 copy with taped on new name, logo, & address for PSFM
 
3/23

PSSMW Time book
   1919-1922
 
3/26

Article from Wilhelm Trucking Co. Newsletter about installation of PSF brew kettle
   1970
 
Original pasted to cardstock
 
3/27

PSFI 75th anniversary invitation and guest list
   1975 November 1
 
3/28

Seattle Business magazine (articles on Seattle’s business pioneers)
   1976 August 9
 
3/29

Articles from business publications
   1970
 
drawer
VIa.12

PSFI calendars
   2000, 2001
 
2 calendars