Cheney Lumber Company. Men move large, cut timbers from a flat-bed truck onto railroad freight cars using long-handled hooks. The first Cheney stud mill was at National, Washington, near Eatonville. Mills were later established at Willapa Harbor, Vancouver, Chehalis and Tacoma. Later mills were established in Oregon and California as well. The eight foot 2" x 4" pieces he began creating from scrap lumber were first known as "shorts." Viewing this as a derogatory term, Ben Cheney conceived a new logo to be stamped on each stud, using the silhouette of a well endowed Belgian stud horse. He also painted the two-by-four ends with bright red wax for instant identification. His product was no longer a "short." It had become a "Cheney Stud." (Med Nicholson, "The Sou'wester", Fall, 2000) TPL-5674
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);
Several views of Wheeler-Osgood Buildings, Wheeler-Osgood, spec. An evening view of the exterior of the Wheeler-Osgood office building with the Tacoma skyline in the distance. An automobile stands across the street under a large tree and several more automobiles are parked beside the building.
Douglas Fir Plywood was always being tested for durability and alternative uses. The research organization was supported by the plywood industries of Tacoma, this ensured Tacoma remaining at the top of plywood production. View of unidentified man applying Douglas Fir plywood panels in the interior of Riley and Catharine Denton's home, located at 1320 South Trafton Street. Riley Denton was the superintendent of Rainier Plywood Company. TPL-10297
Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Plywood; Houses--Tacoma--1940-1950; Remodeling--Tacoma--1940-1950; Laborers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Denton, Riley W.--Homes & haunts;
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);
Douglas Fir Plywood Association held their annual meeting to discuss the Douglas Fir plywood industry at the Winthrop Hotel. Douglas Fir plywood is the "Wood of 1000 Uses", used in houses, advertising, boats, and hundreds of other products. View of unidentified DFPA representative at the annual DFPA conference, which is being held at the Winthrop Hotel; DFPA plywood sign in foreground.
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);
Douglas Fir Plywood Association was hosting their 13th annual meeting in Tacoma's Winthrop Hotel in May of 1949. Tacoma continued to be the worldwide leader in plywood production. View of informational Douglas Fir Plywood charts, these indicate: "Effective Promotion + Aggressive Selling = Healthy Order Files;" chart on left side has information about the Douglas Fir Plywood industry today.
Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Conference rooms--Tacoma; Charts; Meetings--Tacoma--1940-1950; Signs (Notices); Plywood; Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma); Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma);
The brand "Douglas Fir" plywood is known as the "wood of 1,000 uses." This plywood undergoes a series of laboratory and field tests. The Douglas Fir Plywood Association has helped establish and maintain Tacoma as the plywood center of the world, by setting up a industry maintained quality control laboratory here. View of U. S. Senator, Harry P. Cain (right) with a DFPA representative at the annual DFPA conference, being held at the Winthrop Hotel on May 13, 1949.
Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Business people--Tacoma--1940-1950; Meetings--Tacoma--1940-1950; Plywood; Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma); Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Legislators--Washington--1940-1950; Cain, Harry P., 1906-1979;
Use of plywood in new Washington Hardware Wholesale Building, DFPA, Hal Dixon. The building, made of reinforced concrete, was designed by Lance, McGuire and Muri, Architects. Norman Strom was the contractor of the 210 foot by 211 foot, 50,000 square foot, building.
Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Reinforced concrete construction--Tacoma--1940-1950;
Roadside fireworks stand, DFPA, Hal Dixon. Two men are erecting a temporary stand for selling fireworks in June of 1949. The walls are made of sheets of plywood. A small, permanent structure is behind them with large signs advertising wholesale fireworks, Zebra and Boa brands. Ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association.
Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Fireworks--Tacoma--1940-1950; Plywood; Construction--Tacoma--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;
A huge log sent spray flying into the air when it plunged into the large log pond next to the St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Company on the tide flats in this photograph from June, 1949. Logs were dumped into one of the three log ponds at the waterway near St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber. The log ponds had a total area of 75 acres and combined log storage capacity of 15,000,000 feet. The logs would later be removed from the water when it was their turn in the lumber mill. Other parts of the lumber mill facility are seen in the background. Ordered by Helgeson. (American Lumberman, 5/21/1921)
St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma); Logs; Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950;
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;
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);
An unidentified driver and two St. Regis timber workers sent a load of logs on its way from Camp #2 in Mineral, Washington to the company's paper mill in Tacoma in August of 1949. In 1949, St. Regis was making kraft paper in six of their mills; they manufactured about 360,000 tons of kraft paper per year. Tacoma was the newest kraft paper producing mill; paper production began there January 5, 1949. St. Regis purchased a pulp mill in Tacoma in 1930; they spent years modernizing and expanding the company's facilities. Before 1949 they had only manufactured pulp and multiwall bags at the Tacoma plant. In 1985 the mill became Simpson Tacoma Kraft Co. when it was purchased by Simpson Paper Co. of San Francisco. TPL-6875
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);
Forests throughout Washington helped maintain the the paper production in the Tacoma plant. View of the St. Regis Paper Company's crew at Camp #2, located in Mineral, Washington; Matt Zoffel is logging superintendent for operations at the camp where the crew is harvesting giant Douglas Fir trees. TPL-6319
Loggers--Mineral--1940-1950; Paper industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Logs; Firs; Forests--Mineral; Cutover lands--Mineral--1940-1950; Woodcutting--Mineral; St. Regis Paper Co. (Tacoma)--1940-1950;
Modular Structures, Incorporated has their business located in South Tacoma at 4702 South Tacoma Way. View of workmen working on prefabricated plywood panels, which will be used to make grain bins. View of railroad freight car in background, the plywood panels are being loaded into the car; photo ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association.
Plywood; Laborers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Construction industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma)--Products; Modular Structures, Inc. (Tacoma);
Modular Structures, Incorporated was a structural engineering business firm, they worked on residential and commercial contracts, and specialized on prefabricated plywood products. View of laborer moving prefabricated plywood panels with a "Towmotor" forklift; the panels will be used for prefabricated grain bins. Photo ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association.
Plywood; Laborers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Hoisting machinery; Construction industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma)--Products; Modular Structures, Inc. (Tacoma);
Modular Structures, Incorporated company officers were: Win E. Wilson, President; James E. Dallas, Vice-President; and Mabel Wilson, Secretary-Treasurer. View of two 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);
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);
Modular Structures, Incorporated has their business located in South Tacoma at 4702 South Tacoma Way. 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);
Cascade Pole Company manufactured poles and posts using Tacoma lumber. They manufactured their own creosote, and pressure creosoted their products for longer durability. The company officers were: Victor C. Monahan, President; J. R. McFarland, Vice-President; and C. Henry Thue, Secretary-Treasurer. Cascade Pole Company had just completed the building of a new employee lunch room; view of Cascade pole staff.
Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Men--Employment--Tacoma--1940-1950; Laborers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Industrial facilities--Tacoma; Cascade Pole Co. (Tacoma);
A man inspects a large stack of Hemlock boards in the yard at the St. Paul Lumber Company. The boards are ready for dry kilns where they would remain 2 to 4 days. Each tier of lumber is stripped to separate the pieces, which allows heat and steam to circulate freely when the load is in the kiln. After drying, the load is ready to be unstacked and sent to the planers. (Tree Life Hemlock, St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co.)
Lumber industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma);
The exterior of the St. Paul Restaurant was located in one corner of the St. Paul Lumber Company building. A public pay telephone stands at the corner under a sign for the restaurant that slants away from the building. This photograph was taken on a cold day when snow still lay on the ground and covered the limbs of the trees and the top of the telephone booth. The restaurant was owned by S.R. and Mrs. E.J. Hull.
Lumber industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma); St. Paul Restaurant (Tacoma); Restaurants--Tacoma; Telephone booths--Tacoma--1950-1960; Snow--Tacoma--1950-1960;
Calf shelter made of plywood at Western Washington Experiment Station. The Station, created in 1893, was located approximately seven miles from the city of Tacoma, in the Puyallup Valley. The Station engaged in research on western Washington agricultural problems. Photograph ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association.
Plywood; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Western Washington Experiment Station (Puyallup); Barns--Tacoma
Calf shelter made of plywood at Western Washington Experiment Station. The Station, affiliated with Washington State College, opened 7/1/1895. Its approximately 155 home acres were used to develop satisfactory farm practices in the fields of dairying, poultry production, and the growth of fruits, vegetables, specialty crops, ornamentals and bulbs. It employed approximately 70 people from the Tacoma/Puyallup area, 20 of those in research. Photograph ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association.
Plywood; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Barns--Tacoma; Western Washington Experiment Station (Puyallup);
Grosvenor House apartments, 500 No. Wall, Seattle, under construction. Photo for Douglas Fir Plywood Association. Photograph was taken on March 5, 1950.
Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Grosvenor House Apartments (Seattle); Construction--Seattle; Apartment houses--Seattle; Progress photographs--1950-1960;
St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. lumber yard where hoisting machinery moves a long piece of lumber from one location to another. St. Paul & Tacoma, established in 1888, was one of the first sawmills on Commencement Bay.The company prospered until its MIll "C," located on the Thea Foss Waterway, became the largest in the world, cutting a million board feet of timber a day.
Lumber industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma); Hoisting machinery;
A worker at the St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. retail yard walks on top of a large piece of timber, preparing to hook up the hoisting machinery to it, and move it from the truck to a stack of lumber. St Paul's three mile long lumber yard was believed to be the largest in the world by the 1940's. St. Paul was a pioneer in the plywood industry, and also in reforestation.
Lumber industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma); Hoisting machinery;
