Wheland Foundry and United States Pipe and Foundry Company photographs
Scope and Contents
The Wheland Foundry and United States Pipe and Foundry Company photographs collection contains images, product models, and the draft of an employee booklet, "Wheland Facts for Wheland People." Materials are related to foundries in Chattanooga, Tennessee, between 1875 and 1972, primarily documenting activity in the 1950s. The majority of the content documents daily operations and personnel in the mid-twentieth century at Wheland Foundry with images of employees, the factory floor, and advertising material showing products made by The Wheland Company and by Chattanooga electric power transmission equipment company Sherman and Reilly. There are also aerial shots of Wheland Foundry and the nearby U.S. Pipe and Foundry Company.
Dates
- Creation: 1875-1972
Language of Materials
This collection contains materials in English.
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
The copyright status of this collection has not been evaluated.
Biographical / Historical
United States Pipe and Foundry Company, founded in 1887, started its South Broad plant in Chattanooga in 1936. Wheland Foundry was established in Athens, Tennessee, in 1866 by George W. Wheland, who moved operations to Chattanooga in 1873. The Wheland Company produced iron castings, sawmill machinery, and oil well drilling equipment. During World War I and World War II, Wheland made items directed toward war efforts, including guns and anchor windlasses. Wheland Foundry ceased operations in 2002. The U.S. Pipe and Foundry Company closed its Chattanooga facility in 2006.
“Introduction," Welcome to the South Broad District Study, Chattanooga Design Studio, Accessed April 3, 2023, https://southbroaddistrict.org/.
UTC Communications and Marketing, “UTC Library Special Collections Receives Grant to Document Chattanooga's Labor History,” UTC News, November 29, 2022, https://blog.utc.edu/news/2022/11/utc-library-special-collections-receives-grant-to-document-chattanoogas-labor-history/.
“Wheland Foundry To Close All Operations By End Of Month,” Chattanoogan.com - Chattanooga's source for breaking local news, February 1, 2002, https://www.chattanoogan.com/2002/2/1/17445/Wheland-Foundry-To-Close-All-Operations.aspx.
Extent
1.26 Linear Feet (3 containers)
Immediate Source of Acquisition
This collection was deposited with the Chattanooga History Center on an unknown date by an unknown source. The Chattanooga History Center donated this accession to the Chattanooga Public Library and University of Tennessee at Chattanooga on 2017 June 12.
Existence and Location of Copies
Digital reproductions of the collection are available electronically at https://digital-collections.library.utc.edu/digital/collection/p16877coll45.
Processing Information
Processing of this collection is complete.
Support for processing this collection was funded, in part, by a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission distributed by the Tennessee Historical Records Advisory Board in 2023.
Subject
- Wheland Foundry (Organization)
- Title
- Wheland Foundry and United States Pipe and Foundry Company photographs
- Status
- Completed
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Collection Area Details
Part of the Chattanooga History Collections Collection Area
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Library
c/o Special Collections
600 Douglas Street
Chattanooga Tennessee 37403 United States
archives@utc.edu