This is a view of the devastation caused by fire racing through timbered lands near the Mineral Lake Logging Co. Camp 17 in Lewis County in late summer of 1926. Trees are tossed about like matchsticks and the railroad bridge pictured above may also have been damaged by flames.

Mineral Lake Logging Co. Camp 17; Fires; Lumber industry--Washington--1920-1930;

These ornamental iron light poles, manufactured by Atlas Foundry, will be placed along Commence St. in downtown Tacoma in the fall of 1926. Atlas had been in business in Tacoma since 1899.

Atlas Foundry & Machine Co. (Tacoma); Foundries--Tacoma--1920-1930; Lampposts--Tacoma;

On display at the Union depot, 1717 Pacific Avenue, in early February of 1927 was the giant Great Northern electric locomotive #5007. It had made its way from East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Washington State, a distance of 2600 miles. This unidentified group of men, some of the hundreds in attendance, took the opportunity to have their photograph taken with the latest "Iron Horse" before it left town. #5007 weighed in at 715,000 pounds and had an overall length of 94'4". G44.1-097; G44.1-069 (TNT 2-3-27, p. 14-article)

Railroad locomotives--Tacoma--1920-1930; Union Station (Tacoma);

The new Point Defiance to Gig Harbor ferry, "Defiance." The 180-foot wooden ferry constructed of Douglas fir, with a capacity of 70 cars, was built by the Skansie Shipbuilding Co. in Gig Harbor and started on her Gig Harbor run on April 3, 1927. She had her "builders trial test" the day before. The new ferry was designed to speed up traffic between Tacoma and the Gig Harbor peninsula. She was licensed to carry 500 foot passengers and 70 cars. Skansie Brothers was founded in 1912 by four Yugoslavian brothers, Pete, Mitchell, Andrew and Joe Skansie. Beginning in 1922, the company was one of the first yards to build automobile ferries. They also were pioneers in the use of diesel ferry engines. By 1926, Mitchell Skansie had also begun an early ferry service company called the Washington Navigation Co. It had taken over operation of all ferries in Pierce County on January 1, 1927. By the 1930's, the company had many ferries running on contracted routes in the south Puget Sound. (Neal & Janus "Puget Sound Ferries") TPL-8269; G66.1-101 (TNT 1-15-27, p. 14-article; TNT 1-17-27, p. 15-article; TDL 4-2-27, p. 1-article; TDL 4-3-27, A-11)

Ferries--1920-1930; Skansies Shipbuilding Co. (Gig Harbor);

Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad, Engine #10250. The electric bipolar Class EP2 locomotives, manufactured by Alco-GE, were put in service from Othello to Tacoma in 1920. They performed beyond all expectations, with great economy and low maintenance, surviving until they were scrapped in the 1960s. TPL-2377; G44.1-087

Railroad locomotives--Tacoma; Railroad cars--Tacoma; Railroads--Tacoma; Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad Co. (Tacoma);

Nine unidentified men were photographed in front of the large St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. store on April 17, 1930. St. Paul & Tacoma, established in 1888, was one of Tacoma's pioneer industries. Its lumber concerns would provide employment for hundreds of local residents. It would merge with St. Regis Paper Co. in 1957.

St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1930-1940;

View across railroad tracks of the Northern Pacific Railway locomotive #4007 as seen on January 4, 1932. #4007 is pulling a long line of cars. Four unidentified men, including the driver, are present. TPL-2383; G44.1-104

Northern Pacific Railway Co. (Tacoma); Northern Pacific Railway Co. (Tacoma)--Employees; Railroad locomotives--Tacoma; Railroad tracks--Tacoma--1930-1940;

1936 Daily operations at St. Regis. Although the specific St. Regis plant was not identified by the photographer, this was probably the Tacoma St. Regis located at 801 Portland Ave. Various sections of the facility and its machinery were photographed in a two-day period in December of 1936 by the Boland studios. The machine above may have been used to dry pulp since steam is shown rising from the rear roller. A million dollars had been spent to transform the Tacoma plant into a modern facility so that production of 60,000 tons of bleached pulp per year could be achieved. G37.1-016 (T.Times 10-14-36, p. 5-article; T.Times 11-25-36, p. 5-article)

St. Regis Paper Co. (Tacoma)--1930-1940; Machinery; Paper industry--1930-1940; Lumber industry--1930-1940; Mills--Tacoma--1930-1940;

1936 Daily operations at St. Regis. View of large funnels and other unidentified machinery in photograph taken on December 21, 1936. Plant is believed to be the St. Regis Tacoma location, 801 Portland Ave. The Tacoma facility had recently undergone an expensive remodeling to be transformed into a modern plant where 60,000 tons of bleached pulp were expected to be produced a year. Over 800 men had been employed in the reconstruction process boosting St. Regis' payroll to $15,000 a week. Much new machinery was purchased including electric saws and machines to bark logs. By late November of 1936, the Tacoma St. Regis had commenced operations with a crew of 250. A bleaching unit would be ready in three months. (T.Times 10-14-36, p. 5-article; T. Times 11-25-36, p. 5-article)

St. Regis Paper Co. (Tacoma)--1930-1940; Machinery; Paper industry--1930-1940; Lumber industry--1930-1940; Mills--Tacoma--1930-1940;

1936 daily operations at St. Regis. In late 1936 St. Regis Kraft Co.'s Tacoma plant began operating with a crew of 250 at its newly remodeled and modernized facility in the Tideflats. Boland studios paid visits to the pulp plant on December 21-22, 1936, to photograph the new interiors including machinery. Here two unidentified St. Regis employees focus their attention of one of the new machines. G37.1-048 (T.Times 10-14-36, p. 5-article; T. Times 11-25-36, p. 5-article)

St. Regis Paper Co. (Tacoma)--1930-1940; Paper industry--1930-1940; Lumber industry--1930-1940; Mills--Tacoma--1930-1940; Machinery;

1936 daily operations at St. Regis. The Tacoma St. Regis underwent expansion and modernization of its facility in the Tideflats during most of 1936. New machinery was brought in as the demand for bleached pulp grew. By the end of November of that year, the pulp plant had started operating with an initial crew of 250. Eventually the plant would run continuously on a 24-hour schedule with four staggered shifts of eight hours and provide employment for many Tacomans. (T.Times 10-14-36, p. 5-article; T. Times 11-25-36, p. 5-article)

St. Regis Paper Co. (Tacoma)--1930-1940; Paper industry--1930-1940; Lumber industry--1930-1940; Mills--Tacoma--1930-1940; Machinery;

Unidentified equipment at St. Regis. St. Regis Kraft in Tacoma had undergone a $1,000,000 modernization project so that the company could move into bleached pulp production. New machinery was purchased and the site expanded. The purpose of the tall structure shown above was not provided; each row had six concrete or metal handles. G37.1-027

St. Regis Paper Co. (Tacoma); Paper industry--1930-1940; Lumber industry--1930-1940; Mills--Tacoma--1930-1940; Equipment;

Reconstruction and expansion of the St. Regis Kraft facility in the Tideflats was nearly completed in late December of 1936. The company had spent $1,000,000, a tidy sum in the Depression years, to update their large pulp plant to handle the production of bleached pulp. New machinery was purchased to deal with 25,000 short logs per hour, including electric saws to cut the logs into irregular-shaped chunks and machines to bark the logs before going to regular pulp chippers. The bleaching unit would be ready in early 1937. G34.1-104 (T.Times 10-14-36, p. 5-article; T.Times 11-25-36, p. 5-article)

St. Regis Paper Co. (Tacoma); Paper industry--1930-1940; Lumber industry--1930-1940; Mills--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Huge sheets of bleached pulp are being manufactured at the Tacoma St. Regis Kraft plant in February of 1937. The plant had recently reopened a few months ago after much remodeling and expansion. St. Regis was moving into the growing bleached pulp business. According to the Tacoma Times, five million board feet of giant hemlock logs were chewed into chips every month and converted into pulp to be used in the manufacture of paper. This meant that the Tacoma plant produced 150 tons of pulp daily; the whole process from sawing logs to chipping to cooking with chemicals, washed and dried and finally baling took about six hours. St. Regis Kraft was a wholly owned subsidiary of the St. Regis Paper Co. Pulp from Tacoma supplied the eastern paper mills of the St. Regis Paper Co. as well as being exported to foreign countries, including Japan. G37.1-061 (T.Times 1-27-37, p. 1, 5-articles on St. Regis)

St. Regis Paper Co. (Tacoma)--1930-1940; Paper industry--1930-1940; Lumber industry--1930-1940; Mills--Tacoma--1930-1940; Machinery;

Close-up of floating log rafts in the City (now Thea Foss) Waterway. These logs were probably destined for pulp production. Washington was third in the nation at this time in pulp producing. The abundance of hemlock and accessibility of water transportation plus low utility rates made Tacoma a prime location for the manufacture of pulp and other lumber products. Photograph taken in March of 1937. TPL-3236; G36.1-080 (T.Times 1,5-articles on pulp)

Logs; City Waterway (Tacoma);

Construction on the new John Dower Lumber Company headquarters building at 733 East 11th Street began in late November, 1921. The company held an open house for the general public on March 11, 1922. The building, designed by Bullard & Mason, was one of the most unique lumber offices in the country. The finish on the exterior was designed to resemble a log house; the interior was finished in selected native woods, stained and varnished to bring out their natural colors. In 1922 the John Dower Lumber Company was one of the largest retail lumber companies in the United States. The St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Company purchased the Dower yard and headquarters building in 1942. BU-11057

Lumber industry--Tacoma--1920-1930; John Dower Lumber Company (Tacoma); Building construction--Tacoma--1920-1930;

This view of a boat loading lumber at the Defiance Lumber dock had been a common sight since 1906 when the Doud brothers, desiring a site closer to shipping facilities than Buckley, bought land on the Tacoma waterfront just south of the Tacoma Smelter. By 1907 a mill was built, 1400 feet of shoreline acquired among the 18 acres of land, and 150 men were employed. Ships from all nations visited Tacoma to load lumber and lumber was also transported via rail. WWI caused rail transportation to substantially decrease and ships once again entered the deep harbor to retrieve the fir products and bring them to as far away as Japan and the United Kingdom. The Defiance Lumber Co. would continue in business until December of 1951 when it closed its doors permanently. G36.1-013 (Martin: Leslie Lewis Doud; his family and ancestors, p.1-3; Bonney: History of Pierce County Washington, p. 656-659)

Defiance Lumber Co. (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1920-1930; Cargo ships--Tacoma--1920-1930; Shipping--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Machinery at Star Iron & Steel foundry at 435 E 11th St, Tacoma

Industries; Star Iron & Steel; Machinery; Tideflats

Henry Mill & Timber Company crane at 3001 N Starr St, Tacoma

Industries; Henry Mill & Timber Company; Cranes; Ruston Way

Buchanan Lumber Company crane at 3939 Ruston Way, Tacoma

Industries; Buchanan Lumber Company; Cranes; Ruston Way;

Buchanan Lumber Company crane at 3939 Ruston Way, Tacoma

Industries; Buchanan Lumber Company; Cranes; Ruston Way

Mountain Lumber Company crane at 919 E F St, Tacoma

Industries; Mountain Lumber Company; Cranes, Tideflats;

Crew at a Enumclaw, WA lumber yard demonstrates the use of a Star Iron & Steel built lumber carrier.

Industries; Star Iron & Steel; Lumber; Enumclaw;

Cranes built by Star Iron & Steel for the ASARCO smelter at 5300 N 52nd St, Tacoma

Industries; Star Iron & Steel; ASARCO; Smelters;

Delegates to the 13th annual Pacific Logging Congress Convention posed outdoors on October 28, 1922. The first convention was held in 1909 in Seattle and continues to be held annually. Educational and informational presentations about the logging industry and exhibitions of the newest logging equipment and supplies were staples of the conventions. G75.1-134 (www.pacificloggingcongress.org/history)

Pacific Logging Congress; Meetings--Tacoma--1920-1930; Lumber industry--Tacoma--1920-1930;

These were some of the 500 delegates to the 13th annual Pacific Logging Congress Convention held in Tacoma from October 25-28, 1922. Everett Griggs, president of the St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co., welcomed the delegates to Tacoma, the "Lumber Capital of America," in his October 25th address. The firm invited attendees to visit its lumber camp at Kapowsin on the final day of the convention where they are believed to be pictured above. There the group was able to observe the most up-to-date methods of logging by high leads and Lidgerwood skidders. L.T. ("Tom") Murray, founder of the West Fork Timber Co. of Tacoma, was president of the Congress and may have been included in the group congregated above. TPL-2043; G75.1-137 (TDL 10-23-22, p. 5-article; TDL 10-25-22, p. 1-article; TDL 10-26-22, p. 1-article)

Pacific Logging Congress; Meetings--Tacoma--1920-1930; Lumber industry--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Lumber has already been loaded onto Foss Launch & Tug Co. barges while large poles remain scattered on acreage belonging to City Lumber Co., 1001 E. "F" St. in February of 1923. The plant was located near the foot of the 11th St. Bridge (now Murray Morgan Bridge) and was headed by P.H. Johns as president and general manager. G36.1-045; BU14,076

City Lumber Co. (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Exterior view of Malone-Vance Lumber Co. mill. The Joe Vance Lumber Co. established a mill in the small community of Malone in the early 1900's. Malone was located in Grays Harbor county south of Elma. Malone was a "company town" in a remote location and the Vance Co. provided housing for its workers. The mill would later be sold to the Bordeaux Lumber Co. and remain in operation until the depression years when it eventually closed. The company owned homes were sold. Photographed ordered by E.J. Barry. (www.lib.washington.edu/specialcoll-article) G36.1-010

Malone-Vance Lumber Co. (Malone); Mills--Malone; Lumber industry--Malone;

Interior of power house at the Vance Lumber Co. plant in Malone, Washington. Photographed on October 8, 1923 as part of a series of photographs taken by Marvin Boland. Joseph Alexander Vance was in 1923 the president and sole owner of the Vance Lumber Co. who made the small town of Malone a company town for his employees. A native of Quebec, Canada, Mr. Vance arrived in Washington in 1890 and after several jobs, became involved in the lumber industry where in 1897 he founded a small mill near Elma. This venture would be the beginning of the Vance Lumber Co. In 1909 he purchased the Swan & Johnson holdings at Malone, five miles east of Elma, which consisted of a mill, timber and a 300-hundred acre farm. He then erected a hotel, homes for his workers, a store, a school and office buildings to improve Malone. Besides cutting lumber the company also manufactured shingles and erected a planing mill and factory. Mr. Vance's ill health forced him to dispose of his lumber interests in 1923 and he left the area for Seattle where he invested in commercial real estate. The mills in Malone closed during the Depression and the company owned homes were sold. G36.1-027 (Pollard: A History of the State of Washington, p. 177-178; Hunt: Washington, West of the Cascades, p. 636-639)

Malone-Vance Lumber Co. (Malone); Power plants--Malone; Lumber industry--Malone; Mills--Malone;

Feed belts at Tacoma Smelter. The belts were located under the ore dock where concentrates and ore were received from ships. View of smelter operations taken in November of 1923. G37.1-193 (Additional information provided by a reader)

American Smelting & Refining Co. (Tacoma); Smelters--Tacoma--1920-1930;