ca. 1946. A section of Douglas Fir tree trunk almost 14 feet in diameter arrives at the Northwest Door Co. plywood plant. Anthony A. "Spike" Maras perches on top of the trunk, which is marked with a white 14 and sits on a logging truck. The "14" is the measurement of the diameter of the tree. On the ground, Fred R. Davis, left, and Percy J. Maras crane their necks to see the top of the trunk. The men are the owners of the Davis & Maras Co., which was hired by Northwest Door to fell the tree. The giant trunk will not be made into plywood, but will be put on display. (identification supplied by Anthony "Spike" Maras)

Logs; Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Northwest Door Co., Inc. (Tacoma); Tree stumps--Tacoma--1940-1950; Logging trucks--1940-1950; Maras, Anthony A.; Davis, Fred R.; Maras, Percy J.;

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;

A workman at the Northwest Door Company kneels on the top of a huge section of an old growth douglas fir. He is using a long buck saw to slice off a section from the piece of wood. This 12ft 9 inch diameter slice of trunk will be on display at the door company. The tree was cut on the company's holdings west of Packwood.

Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Northwest Door Co., Inc. (Tacoma); Logs; Tree stumps--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Kulien & Wollander home in Lakeside project for D.F.P.A. Plywood was used for both interior and exterior residential purposes. It was used for prefabricated housing for war workers. Plywood was known for its strength and flexibility in construction. It was often used for concrete molds. (TNT, 2/1942)

Plywood; Kulien & Wollander Co. (Lakewood); Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Houses--1940-1950;

Henry Mill shots of hardware and quantity. Henry Mill & Timber Co. was a leader in the pre-fabricated lumber field. Pre-fabricated lumber helped speed the war effort in filling their government orders. Henry Mill also had their products throughout Tacoma housing projects. Exterior view of Henry Mill & Timber Co. plant.

Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Lumberyards--Tacoma; Prefabricated buildings--Tacoma; Henry Mill & Timber Co. (Tacoma);

Wheeler Osgood was a leader in the lumber industry, they manufactured doors and plywood panels. The company has been doing business in Tacoma for many years, they are one of the oldest businesses in Tacoma. In 1947 Wheeler Osgood was considering expanding their facilities, no changes had yet started, although the exterior of plant had been painted in October of 1947. Exterior view of Wheeler Osgood Company facilities.

Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Plywood; Building materials industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Industrial facilities--Tacoma; Wheeler, Osgood Co. (Tacoma);

This birds eye view of the old Weyerhaeuser mansion, "Haddaway Hall", at 4301 North Stevens St. and the surrounding area was taken in 1948. By then the estate, which had changed hands several times, was in the possesion of the Dominican Sisters of Marymount, who operated it as a school, Tacoma Catholic College, and as a convent. Completed in 1922, the Elizabethan English Tudor home was built for lumber baron John Philip Weyerhaeuser and his wife Anna. The name comes from Weyerhaeuser's comment that Anna always "had her way," so the home became "Haddaway Hall." The estate consisted of the main house, carriage house, greenhouses and the servant quarters house (now 4224 No. Stevens.) It was surrounded by 8 acres of grounds. The formal gardens were designed by the Olmstead brothers, Frederick Law and Charles, and were brought to life by T.B. Morrow. It was built on the site of the former Allen C. Mason mansion and Whitworth College. It is now the home of the Northwest Baptist Seminary, and is on both the City and National Registry of historic buildings.

Weyerhaeuser, John Philip--Homes & haunts; Haddaway Hall (Tacoma); Estates--Tacoma; Tacoma Catholic College (Tacoma); Universities & colleges--Tacoma;

Cheney Lumber Company. A catcher seems proud to point at a sign announcing "Soft Ball Prohibited". He is wearing his mitt on his belt and his uniform has a horse insignia over his heart. The red horse was an emblem for the Cheney Studs, the 8 foot 2 x 4 introduced by Ben Cheney into the construction industry that credited him with standardizing architecture in America.

Cheney Lumber Co. (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Baseball--Tacoma--1940-1950; Baseball players--Tacoma--1940-1950; Softball--Tacoma;

Douglas Fir Plywood Association. A view of a construction site using plywood forms for the reinforced concrete exterior walls for the new gymnasium nearing completion at the College of Puget Sound. It is being built by the Roy T. Early Company, contractors. Mock & Morrison were the architects. Several workmen are seen both on the ground and above the top of the wall securing the plywood forms. (T.Times, 1/2/1949, p.34)

Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Construction--Tacoma--1940-1950; Reinforced concrete construction--Tacoma--1940-1950; Progress photographs; College of Puget Sound (Tacoma)--1940-1950; Gymnasiums--Tacoma;

Tacoma was the nation's leader in the plywood industry. Douglas Fir Plywood Association and the Plywood Research Foundation were working on developing new and additional products that could be manufactured from parts of the tree not already being utilized. View of two unidentified DFPA representatives at the annual DFPA conference, being held at the Winthrop Hotel; conference welcome sign in background.

Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Business people--Tacoma--1940-1950; Meetings--Tacoma--1940-1950; Signs (Notices); Plywood; Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma); Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma);

DFPA. A workman is laying a plywood sub-floor at what is believed to be the Devlin home. The walls have been covered with plywood as well. An edge of a brick fireplace is seen on the right. Large floor-to-ceiling windows are seen on the left. The beams are left open on the ceiling. The home was being restored after purchase earlier in 1949.

Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Plywood; Devlin, Charles E.--Homes & haunts; Floors--Lakewood--1940-1950;

Truck loaded and dumping lumber, St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber, Helgeson. Three large logs are loaded on the trailer of a Rucker Brothers truck. The enormous logs are on their way to the St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Company. Robert G. Helgeson was a forester with St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Company. TPL-8290

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

ca. 1947. Plywood testing, ordered by the Douglas Fir Plywood Association. The plywood industry was one of the most rigorously self regulated businesses in America. Its own labs were constantly testing its product, plywood, for new uses and limitations. All of the testing, promotion and self regulation were performed under the banner of the Douglas Fir Plywood Association. Here plywood is being tested at extremely high temperatures, also under what appears to be a weight. Wires lead from sensors to meters being monitored by the tester.

Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Plywood; Experiments; Product inspection;

Great Northern Box Car being loaded by Sperry Flour Company at Ocean Dock, DFPA, Edith Leik. A view inside the box car. Bags of flour are being moved by a forklift to fill the upper spaces in the box car. The interior of the freight car is lined with plywood and paper to protect the flour and meal being shipped. TPL-10457

Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Great Northern Railway Co. (Tacoma); General Mills, Inc., Sperry Division (Tacoma); Railroad freight cars--Tacoma; Railroad tracks--Tacoma; Flour & meal industry--Tacoma; Hoisting machinery;

Several operations in plant, Tacoma Lumber Fabricating, Mr. Patterson. Young men work alongside older men in creating the structural beams for which Tacoma Lumber Fabricating was well known. The company created prefabricated portions of buildings for an entire prefabricated house as well as curved beams used to roof large buildings. The top floor of their modern office building was the plant loft for giant layout work. They had a complete sawmill and planing mill plant. (T.Times, 1/16/1949, p.18)

Tacoma Lumber Fabricating Co. (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Building materials industry--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Several operations in plant, Tacoma Lumber Fabricating, Mr. Patterson. Workmen are dipping completed trusses into a liquid mixture using a pulley system. Stacks of lumber are seen further back in the plant's yard. The company manufactured materials from heavy timbers such as power line cross arms, bridge timbers and roof trusses to little pieces four feet long for refrigerator car rack slabs. (T.Times, 1/16/1949, p.18)

Tacoma Lumber Fabricating Co. (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Building materials industry--Tacoma--1940-1950;

St. Regis mills can be found in 23 locations across the United States, they have six plants in Canada, and one in Belgium, Brazil and Argentina. View of the St. Regis Paper Company's crew at Camp #2, located in Mineral, Washington; logs have been loaded onto trucks and will be transported to the Tacoma plant.

Loggers--1940-1950; Paper industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Logs; Firs; Forests--Mineral; Cutover lands--Mineral--1940-1950; Woodcutting--Mineral; Trucks--Mineral; St. Regis Paper Co. (Mineral);

Modular Structures, Incorporated was a structural engineering business firm, they worked on residential and commercial contracts. The company officers were: Win E. Wilson, President; James E. Dallas, Vice-President; and Mabel Wilson, Secretary-Treasurer. View of unidentified laborers working on prefabricated plywood panels that will be used for prefabricated grain bins; photo ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association.

Plywood; Laborers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Industrial facilities--Tacoma; Construction industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma)--Products; Modular Structures, Inc. (Tacoma);

A hanging, mobile sign promoting Douglas Fir Plywood. Ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association.

Plywood; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma);

A young man is building a cabinet or desk. Legs that look like pipes are sticking straight up as he tightens a screw in one of the supporting members.

Plywood; Woodworking--Tacoma--1950-1960;

The interior Weyerhaeuser's bleached Kraft mill at Longview, Washington, showing overhead duct work and machinery in place. Ordered by Drew Engineering Company, Portland, Oregon, manufacturers of industrial air systems.

Weyerhaeuser Timber Co. (Longview); Mills--Longview; Lumber industry--Longview; Drew Engineering Co. (Portland); Machinery;

The interior Weyerhaeuser's bleached Kraft mill at Longview, Washington, showing the "wet end" of the paper producing process. The prepared pulp is diluted in the "headbox" with large quantities of water and evenly distributed on a fine, large, bronze wire woven as an endless belt 130 feet long and 216 inches wide and traveling at a speed of several hundred feet a minute. Ordered by Drew Engineering Company, Portland, Oregon, manufacturers of industrial air systems.

Weyerhaeuser Timber Co. (Longview); Mills--Longview; Lumber industry--Longview; Drew Engineering Co. (Portland); Machinery; Fans (Machinery);

Plywood was used for sheathing and concrete forms during construction at the new Custer School. The school was designed by Lea, Pearson & Richards. The building was dedicated September 30, 1953. Ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association.

Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Construction--Tacoma--1950-1960; Reinforced concrete construction--Tacoma--1950-1960; Custer School (Lakewood);

New DFPA offices in the Fuller Building as pictured on September 18, 1953. This appears to be the mailroom. The Douglas Fir Plywood Association's headquarters in Tacoma was the center of the industry's national promotion of fir plywood. The cost of this promotion was over 2.5 million a year, much of it spent in postage. The DFPA was the highest volume customer of the Tacoma Post Office. TPL-8393

Plywood; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Offices--Tacoma--1950-1960; Office workers--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Douglas Fir Plywood Association created laboratories to maintain high quality standards of its plywood; plywood was constantly being tested for durability and to detect any flaws. View of sheets of plywood in the D.F.P.A. warehouse undergoing testing. Photograph ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association.

Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Plywood; Product inspection--Tacoma; Testing--Tacoma;

United States Plywood Corp.'s logging operation at Kosmos, Wa., eight miles southeast of Morton in south central Lewis County. A tall timber is circled by ropes and pulleys. A piece of large hoisting machinery can be seen. The ropes possibly helped bring down the trees down safely when the timber was cut.

Plywood; Lumber industry--Kosmos--1950-1960; United States Plywood Corp. (Seattle);

St. Paul and Tacoma Lumber Company milled lumber used by 20th Century Construction Company in building DeLong School. View from off-site of building under construction with rough framing and roof beams in place.

St. Paul and Tacoma Lumber Company milled lumber used by 20th Century Construction Company in building DeLong School. Interior view of office building or house. Plan for school on panel; signs leaning against wall describing concrete subfloors.

The exterior of the Georgia Pacific Plywood Company building in Olympia, Washington. The two-story building with a flat roof reflects 1950's styling and architecture. A smoke stack with the letters "GP" on it can be seen on the left.

Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Georgia Pacific Plywood Co. (Olympia);

A stark office in the Georgia Pacific Plywood Company building in Olympia provides desks and equipment for fourteen people. Each desk has been provided with a calculator in the middle of the desk with a waste can to catch the tape as it runs from the machine. Telephones are seen on a few of the desks and most of them also have a typewriter on a pull-out shelf on the left. Florescent lighting provides a bright overhead light. Companies were attempting to apply assembly-line techniques to office work.

Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Georgia Pacific Plywood Co. (Olympia); Offices--Olympia;