author
Seattle Car and Foundry Company
What began as a small Seattle manufacturer of railway and logging equipment grew into the company that eventually became PACCAR. Its early story is rooted in the industrial growth of the Pacific Northwest and the ambitions of founder William Pigott Sr.
1 Audiobook
Seattle Car & Foundry Company, Catalogue No. 3, December, 1913
by Seattle Car and Foundry Company
About the author
Founded in 1905 by William Pigott Sr. as Seattle Car Manufacturing Company, the business originally built railway and logging equipment for a fast-growing regional economy. After a fire destroyed its Duwamish plant, the company opened a new factory in Renton in 1909 and renamed itself Seattle Car and Foundry Company in 1911.
In 1917, Seattle Car and Foundry merged with Portland-based Twohy Brothers to form Pacific Car and Foundry, a name the business kept for decades. That change marked a turning point, linking the company's local manufacturing roots to a much larger industrial future.
Today, Seattle Car and Foundry is best remembered as an early chapter in the history of PACCAR. Its story captures a moment when Seattle-area industry was expanding quickly and companies like this one helped shape the region's manufacturing identity.