• St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Company, at 1220 Saint Paul Avenue, was established in 1888 and played a major role in the economy of the region. It merged with St. Regis in 1957. circa 1930.
• Printed on front: From millpond to lumber yard go the logs through one of the big sawmills in Tacoma, Washington.

ca. 1935. Workers coming through the gate at the St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. mill in Tacoma, 1220 Saint Paul Ave., around 1935. The mill was established in 1888 on a tideflat island called the "Boot," which lay between the two principal outlets of the Puyallup River. The mill began operation in April of 1889. Production rose until, by 1940, the mill claimed the largest daily production in the world.

St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Company. Photos featuring "quality control" of hemlock at St. Paul. A man in a hard hat operates controls for the lumber processing machinery at St. Paul & Tacoma. He watches the gauge to the right as he moves the controls.

Lumber industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma);

Extended view of St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. planing mill and "monorail" as pictured in November of 1919. This may be the aerial tramway constructed to transport lumber from dry kilns to various other parts of the plant, replacing the old horse-and-truck system. St. Paul & Tacoma were putting in improvements to their sawmill on the Tideflats totaling nearly half-a-million dollars. Two new dry kilns were being built as well as an aerial tramway. The improvements were expected to reduce the cost of plant operation. St. Paul & Tacoma employed about 800 men at the time including a considerable night shift. G36.1-155 (T.Times 8-22-19, p. 12-article; TDL 7-19-20, p. 6-article)

Lumber industry--Tacoma--1910-1920; St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma);

St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. yard as photographed on November 24, 1919. As reported in the August 22, 1919, Tacoma Times newspaper, St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber was spending nearly $500,000 in improvements to its sawmill on the Tideflats. An aerial tramway was constructed to carry lumber from dry kilns to other parts of the plant. This would facilitate handling of lumber in the mill. The company was established in 1888 and provided steady employment for many residents for decades. It would merge with St. Regis Paper Co. in 1957. G36.1-083 (T.Times 8-22-1919, p. 12-article)

St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1910-1920;

St. Paul & Tacoma lumber yard. This November, 1920, progress photograph shows a fuel conveyor belt being constructed 24 feet above the ground at the St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. Two 2 ton locomotive cranes are pictured lifting a 106 foot truss into place. The 641 foot long aerial belt will run from the mill to a point on the waterway directly across from the Consumers Central Heating Co. The conveyor belt will be used to transport the mill's waste wood, formed into logs. The fuel will be dumped on barges and carried across to the heating plant where it will be burned to supply heat to the city. The conveyor belt was all wood with the exception of the belt itself and the roller bearings. Parallel chord lattice was used for the entire length with the exception of street crossings where 106 foot span Belfast type lattice trusses were used. (TDL 1/9/1921, pg. 6) TPL-2047; G36.1-163

Lumber industry--Tacoma--1920-1930; St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma); Belts & belting (Equipment); Fuel trade--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Northern Pacific cars loaded with logs at the St. Paul & Tacoma yard in May of 1922. The logs appears to be the same length as the flatcars. G75.1-055

Lumber industry--Tacoma--1920-1930; St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma); Logs; Northern Pacific Railway Co. (Tacoma); Railroad cars--Tacoma--1920-1930;

This was Consumers Central Heating Co.'s hogged fuel storage pile, located at the St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. yards, in September of 1922. The mill's waste wood was transported to the heating company's plant where the waste (or "hogged") fuel was burned to supply heat for the city. (Nitrate negative has deteriorated)

Fuel trade--Tacoma--1920-1930; Consumers Central Heating Co. (Tacoma); St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1920-1930;

St. Paul & Tacoma workers stand alongside a 48" x 48" x 70-foot sawn log on February 13, 1925. TPL-3237; G36.1-159

St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1920-1930;

This look at St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co.'s sprawling grounds was taken from the Puyallup Bridge on May 30, 1927. Col. Chauncey W. Griggs and associates had established one of Tacoma's first major sawmills located along Commencement Bay in 1888, one year before Washington became a state. Abundant sources of hemlock and Douglas firs were available for logging as St. Paul & Tacoma helped Tacoma become the "Lumber Capital of the World." One of the area's largest employers, St. Paul & Tacoma would eventually merge with St. Regis Paper Co. in 1957. (History of Pierce County, Vol. 1- pg. 10-11-article) TPL-3235; G36.1-134

St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1920-1930;

A four kiln unit building is being built at St. Paul and Tacoma Lumber Company, as part of their improvement plan. The kilns will be able to automatically stack lumber up to 12 feet high and 9 feet wide, and have a capacity of 2,500,000 board feet per month. Aerial view of St. Paul and Tacoma Lumber Company's kiln additions; four new drying kilns and concrete footings for green lumber storage in center (T. Times, 2/6/49, p. 17).

Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Kilns--Tacoma; Construction--Tacoma; Aerial views; Aerial photographs; Industrial facilities--Tacoma; St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma);

W.L. Bundy pulled the whistle cord on Monday morning, August 5, 1935, at the St. Paul and Tacoma mill sending returning lumber mill employees back to work after the settlement of a 13 week walk out. By a vote of 1,391 to 97 the members of the Tacoma local Sawmill and Timber Workers' Union accepted the terms offered by the 22 Tacoma mills affected by the strike. The terms of the agreement included a 40 hour work week, an 8 hour day and time and one-half for overtime. (T.Times 8/5/1935, pg. 1)

Bundy, W.L.; Labor unions--Tacoma; Lumber & Sawmill Workers Local 2633 (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1930-1940; Strikes--Tacoma--1930-1940; St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma);

Lumber mill employees entering the yards at St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. are happy to return to work today after the end of the strike that paralyzed activity for the past 13 weeks. The workers just voted positively on an agreement submitted by 22 Tacoma mill owners. The agreement called for a 50 cent minimum wage, a 40 hour work week, 8 hour day, time and 1/2 for overtime, reemployment of striking employees and recognition of the union. The vote on the agreement was 1391 to 97. (T. Times 8/5/1935, pg. 1)

Labor unions--Tacoma; Lumber & Sawmill Workers Local 2633 (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1930-1940; Strikes--Tacoma--1930-1940; St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma);

Two lumber workers watching an overhead crane move timbers, as the St. Paul & Tacoma lumber yard roars back into life after the settlement of a 13 week strike. Twenty two area mill operators agreed to meet employee demands for a 50 cent minimum wage, a 40 hour week, an 8 hour day, time and one half for overtime, reemployment of striking workers and recognition of the union. (T. Times 8/5/1935, pg.1)

Labor unions--Tacoma; Lumber & Sawmill Workers Local 2633 (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1930-1940; Strikes--Tacoma--1930-1940; St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma);

On Monday morning August 5, 1935 the Sawmill and Timber Workers' Union strike that had crippled Tacoma's mills for 13 weeks came to an end. Mill workers, like these at the St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Company returned to work. By a vote of 1,391 to 97 the union's members accepted the offer of the mill owners including a 40 hour week, an 8 hour day, and time and one-half for overtime. (T.Times 8/5/1935, pg. 1)

Labor unions--Tacoma; Lumber & Sawmill Workers Local 2633 (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1930-1940; Strikes--Tacoma--1930-1940; St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma);

This happy group of unidentified lumber mill workers, entering the yards of the St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. on August 5, 1935, were returning to work after the settlement of a strike that lasted 13 weeks. Some employees proudly wear their Union buttons on their hats, celebrating their new contract. The agreement called for a 50 cent minimum wage, a 40 hour work week, an 8 hour day, time and 1/2 for overtime, reemployment of striking employees and recognition of the union. The vote on the contract was 1391 to 97. (T. Times 8/5/1935, pg. 1)

Labor unions--Tacoma; Lumber & Sawmill Workers Local 2633 (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1930-1940; Strikes--Tacoma--1930-1940; St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma);

A returning lumber mill employee proudly wears his Union button on his hat after the settlement of a strike that lasted 13 weeks. The agreement called for a 50 cent minimum wage, a 40 hour work week, 8 hour day, time and 1/2 for overtime, reemployment of striking employees and recognition of the union. The vote on the agreement was 1391 to 97. (T. Times 8/5/1935, pg. 1)

Labor unions--Tacoma; Lumber & Sawmill Workers Local 2633 (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1930-1940; Strikes--Tacoma--1930-1940; St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma);

Transporting finished lumber on rail cars from the St. Paul and Tacoma Lumber Company mill to its lumber ship the "Lake Frances."

Lumber industry--Tacoma--1930-1940; St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma); Shipping--Tacoma--1930-1940; Railroad freight cars--Tacoma;

Founded in 1888, the St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Company located on Tacoma's tideflats was one of the largest lumber companies in the Pacific Northwest. Railroad cars have brought logs to the log holding area, called a log dump, in August of 1946. The company's plant is seen in the background. To the right of the buildings is a long ramp that conveys the logs into the facility from the holding pond. Lumber was still king in the late '40s among Tacoma industries. About 100 plants were involved in the production of raw lumber or finished lumber products. Lumber was needed to build millions of homes and buildings. The plywood industry was progressing with more and more uses found for the product and pulp was used for heavy wrapping paper, explosives and rayon. The lumber industry provided employment for thousands including the 1,000 working for St. Paul & Tacoma. (T.Times 8-30-46, p. 12-article on lumber industry)

Logs; Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma);

St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Company. Railroad cars have brought logs to the log pond in this August of 1946 photograph. The railroad cars have false bottoms that can be lifted by the crane allowing the logs to plunge into the log pond.

Logs; Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma); Hoisting machinery;

St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Company. Several railroad cars loaded with logs are standing in the yard at the St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Company. Large off-highway trucks, too large for state highways, brought logs down from forests to reload centers where logs were shipped to mills by railroad cars or on smaller trucks. This site of St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber was used as a large pulp mill.

Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma);

St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Company. Several railroad cars loaded with logs are standing in the yard at the St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Company. The railroad tracks run from further inland directly to and through the plant.

Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma);

St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Company. Several railroad cars loaded with logs are standing in the yard at the St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Company. The waterway can be seen at the right. The St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Company was founded by Col. Chauncey W. Griggs in 1889. He had been working in Minnesota with coal and railroad concerns when he came to the Northwest. He was interested in starting a lumber producing operation so he purchased 80,000 acres in 1887 and another 20 acres on the tideflats one year later.

Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma);

St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Company. Several railroad carsloaded with logs are standing in the yard at the St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Company. The City of Tacoma can be seen in the background. Since the company had their own rail spur they could deliver the logs to whatever part of the plant they needed or they could even dump them into the waterway which was nearby.

Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma);

New bulletin board being erected near time clock and time cards at Saint Paul and Tacoma Lumber Company, photo ordered by Tacoma Community Chest. Tacoma Community Chest was promoting enrollment and participation in Tacoma's Boy Scouts, the bulletin board asks the question "How Does Your Boy Use His Time?" Two men are standing by the board, one is holding a hammer, Tacoma Community Chest was displaying community information throughout Tacoma businesses.

Bulletin boards; Charitable organizations--Tacoma; Signs (Notices); Tacoma Community Chest (Tacoma); St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma);

A man, wearing a Douglas Fir Plywood Association lab coat, is adjusting the tension during plywood testing at St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber warehouse. Ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association, Tom Sias.

Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Plywood; Product inspection--Tacoma; Testing--Tacoma--1950-1960; St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Detail showing break points of stress tests on plywood at St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber. Ordered by Dave Countryman, civil engineer with Douglas Fir Plywood Association.

Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Plywood; Product inspection--Tacoma; Testing--Tacoma--1950-1960; St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Five men watch intently while one of them is tightening the pressure during plywood testing at St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber warehouse. Ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association, Dave Countryman.

Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Plywood; Product inspection--Tacoma; Testing--Tacoma--1950-1960; St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Detail of plywood testing at St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber warehouse. Ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association, Dave Countryman.

Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Plywood; Product inspection--Tacoma; Testing--Tacoma--1950-1960; St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1950-1960;

In October of 1950 organized labor encouraged all its members to do their part in supporting the Community Chest during its annual fund drive. Maxine Knauf signed up C.I.O. members, (l to r) Pat Ward, George McCann and Andrew Monset, at the St. Paul and Tacoma Lumber Company mill for membership in the "21 Club." To obtain membership, each participant promised to donate at least 25 cents to each of the 21 Red Feather agencies, for a minimum total subscription of $5.25. A club emblem was given to each member who reached his goal. Money donated to the Community Chest was disbursed to agencies such as the Boy Scouts, the Boys Club, the Tacoma Day Nursery and the Y.M.C.A., among others. (TNT 10-8-50, A-15, TNT 10-1-50, p. 1)

Tacoma Community Chest (Tacoma); Membership campaigns--Tacoma--1950-1960; St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma); Knauf, Maxine; Ward, Pat; McCann, George; Monset, Andrew;