Scenes from Potlatch Forests' Lewiston plant. A series of photographs were taken in mid-October of 1969 of the Potlatch Forests, Inc., Lewiston, Idaho plant on behalf of New York industrial consultant Malcolm McGhie. The photographs primarily focused on plant operations, both interior and exterior. There were no identifying captions accompanying the pictures. A Potlatch employee is shown above seemingly dwarfed by the enormous metal containers and tanks outside the facility. A Nooter Corp. (St. Louis) pipe-shaped tank or boiler emerging in the center of the photograph may be the same shown in D157221, image 64, as it enters the wall-less metal structure.

Potlatch Forests, Inc. (Lewiston, ID); Paper industry--Idaho--1960-1970; Lumber industry--Idaho--1960-1970; Storage tanks--Idaho--Lewiston;

Scenes from Potlatch Forests, Inc., operations. View of exterior of mill at Lewiston, Idaho. Two men are pictured strolling toward the enormous Potlatch Forests mill located in Lewiston, Idaho, on July 8, 1968, while another worker seemingly tips his hat to the Richards photographer. The operating mill at Lewiston had been enlarged and modernized several times in the preceding decades. Photograph ordered by Malcolm McGhie, industrial consultant, New York.

Potlatch Forests, Inc. (Lewiston, ID); Lumber industry--Idaho--1960-1970; Paper industry--Idaho--1960-1970; Mills--Idaho--Lewiston;

ca. 1925. The Defiance Lumber Company was an export mill. It cut 80,000,000 feet of lumber in 1926 and it was all shipped away to Europe, Asia, Australia, California, South America or the East Coast. The Defiance Mill did nothing but saw wood, and only fir wood. The plant had dry kilns with a capacity of 50,000 feet a day, a completely equipped planing mill and a lath mill adding to the completeness of the plant. (TNT, 8/10/1927) (filed with Argentum)

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

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;

This 109-car train bears logged old growth timber from the St. Paul & Tacoma Camp 5, near the junction of the Puyallup and Mowitz Rivers, to the city in October of 1935. Men standing on the logs demonstrate their mammoth size. The largest of the trees was a 700 year old giant, 10 1/2 feet across that was cut into four sections for transportation. (T. Times 10-19-1935, pg. 1)

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

West Coast Logging Company. Three men standing in front of a huge log loaded on a rail car. The log was one of the largest ever marketed up to this point. It was 11 1/2 feet in diameter and was sound to the core. At 36 feet long, it contained 14, 500 feet of marketable lumber. The tree was cut down near Mineral. (T. Times 7/9/1936, pg. 3)

Lumber industry--Tacoma--1930-1940; West Coast Logging Co. (Tacoma); Logs;

West Fork Logging Company. Unidentified man posed for portrait in front of huge log loaded on rail car. An old growth tree, harvested near Mineral, produced this log with an 11 1/2 foot diameter. It was one of the largest logs ever marketed here up to this point. (T. Times 7/9/1936, pg. 3)

Lumber industry--Tacoma--1930-1940; West Fork Logging Co. (Tacoma); Logs;

West Fork Logging Company. Six men posed for a portrait with a huge log loaded on a rail car in July of 1936. This tree, logged near Mineral, was one of the largest logs ever marketed. It was 11 1/2 feet in diameter and 36 feet long, containing 14,500 feet of marketable lumber. It will be sent to the Washington Veneer Co. in Olympia. Wa. The Washington Veneer Co. is one of the few local plants that can handle such a large "peeler log." Members of the boom crew are pictured with the log: seated at top Fred Kopaske, center Lawrence Aus, standing on car, left to right, D. Mackay, Eyler Plumb, Pete Peterson and Al McCoy. (T. Times 7/9/1936, pg. 3)

Lumber industry--Tacoma--1930-1940; West Fork Logging Co. (Tacoma); Logs; Kopaske, Fred; Aus, Lawrence; Plumb, Eyler; Peterson, Pete; McCoy, Al;

In May of 1936, L. A. Case, peeking around the tree on the left, and Jack Kasbaum, on the right, used a long, crosscut saw, called a "Misery Whip", to fell a 750-year-old fir tree near Kent. An 18 foot section from the tree made a nation wide tour to advertise Washington state finishing at the Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas, expositions. The day appears hot and Jack Kasbaum's undershirt is stained with sweat and dirt from his exertions. Although expert loggers, the two spent an entire day at work; careful to keep the bark and tree intact in its fall to earth. The bottle on the left of the picture is filled with kerosene oil, used to cut the pitch which gathers on the saw. The tree stood over 200 feet high and was nine feet in diameter. After a two year search, it was selected as a typical Northwest timber tree.The section of tree was bound with heavy steel bands and mounted on a semi trailer for its tour. The "Washington to Texas" tour also featured displays from Northwest manufacturers and stopped in hundreds of cities before reaching the Texas exposition. Afterward, the tour made a circuit of the principal Eastern cities.(T.Times 5/6/1936). for more images of the same event see T96 images 1 & 3

Lumber industry--Tacoma--1930-1940; Firs; Loggers; Case, L.A.; Kasbaum, Jack;

ca. 1925. Men unloading lumber from a ship at the Defiance Lumber Co. dock. The men are unloading cut lumber that appears to be almost two feet by two feet, showing why Tacoma was known as the "Lumber Capital of the World." A rolling crane emblazoned with the company's name can be seen in the background. The crane, of a type first built by Star Iron & Steel Co., was capable of lifting 5 tons from the dock to the ship. The Defiance Lumber Co. and mill was built in 1905 and closed in December of 1951, citing a lack of usable wood. (TNT 6/3/1926, pg. 9- different picture, article on cranes) GTPL-013, TPL-9541

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

Five workers are pictured on June 12, 1924, in an Olympia mill loading sheets of plywood for the Pacific Mutual Door Co. The men wear gloves, overalls and the ever-present caps. G75.1-024

Lumber industry--Olympia--1920-1930; Sawmills--Olympia; Plywood;

The Tidewater Mill, on the east side of the Hylebos Waterway, was photographed on September 2, 1921 as the large steamship "Quinault" was being loaded with timber. The mill was built in 1918 on six acres of soggy land purchased from Gen. James Ashton. The land was filled in and the mill was built. It was one of only a handful on the Pacific Coast capable of producing the longest timbers. Tidewater could cut timbers up to 130 feet in length. The mill site's major advantage was 750 feet of deep water moorage, allowing the loading of several vessels at a time. (TDL 12/22/1918, pg. B-8) G49.1-071; TPL-9251

Tidewater Mill Co. (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1920-1930; Cargo ships--1920-1930; Piers & wharves--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;

Sawmill operations. There are no walls in this part of St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co.'s new sawmill but an open beamed ceiling provides cover for the tracks below. This was Mill "C" which would start operating on May 22, 1922. St. Paul & Tacoma had spent much money in getting their plant in the best condition. The entire plant was modernized, Mills "A" and "B" electrically updated, and new docks and additional warehouses built. G36.1-035 (TDL 5-23-22, p. 7-article)

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

This is part of the damage resulting from a fire near the Mineral Lake Logging Co. Camp 17 in 1926. It looks like there was a significant loss of timber, including the blackened logs above. Not shown is a company railroad bridge made of logs which was partially destroyed in the fire.

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

On March 15, 1927, an unidentified logging crew at Camp #1 was taking a lunch break next to giant logs stacked and ready to be transported. Some of the men found that a cut log makes a fairly comfortable perch. Metal lunch pails were scattered around the area and there were clumps of snow visible. TPL-2445; G75.1-102

Loggers; Logs; Lumber industry--1920-1930; Eating & drinking;

Log train headed for St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. yards in July of 1927. Mount Tacoma (Rainier) in background. Many trees near the tracks have already been topped.

Logs; Lumber industry--1920-1930; St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma); Rainier, Mount (Wash.);

On June 13, 1928, two unidentified workers posed with an acetylene torch at St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co.'s new mill. The mill in question is believed to be the new sawmill for cutting hemlock logs built in the Tideflats on the site of the old Foundation shipyards near the Union Bag & Paper Corporation pulp mill still under construction. The sawmill would begin operations on June 18th. G35.1-082 (TNT 6-15-28, p. 10-article)

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

Unidentified machinery at St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co.'s new mill, as photographed on June 12, 1928. Established in 1888, the company would merge with St. Regis Paper in 1957.

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

Defiance Lumber Co. plant and stacks, as photographed on June 19, 1928, for a court case. Photograph also includes hill and tracks. The court case possibly involved a $10,000 claim in superior court whereby an individual charged that smoke and refuse from the lumber company's stacks was so heavy that it was a nuisance when the wind blew from the north or northeast. G36.1-117

Defiance Lumber Co. (Tacoma); Smokestacks--Tacoma--1920-1930;

This was the Olympia plant of Washington Veneer Co., as pictured in April of 1925. The plywood company was less than a year old at the time, having been incorporated in June of 1924. It was located on land leased from the Port of Olympia, about 3/4th of a mile from Olympia's business center, and conveniently located near water and rail transportation. Already on site was a sawmill and retail lumber yard, both to be operated for many years by Washington Veneer. Plywood production began in February of 1925 at a rate of 65,000 feet daily. Among other innovations, manager Ed Westman installed the first belt-free lathe on the Pacific Coast. Marketing of Washington Veneer's panel production was handled primarily through the Wheeler-Osgood Company of Tacoma. A second plywood plant, called Capitol Plywood Co., was built about 1/4th mile from the site of the original plant in 1929. Washington Veneer was acquired several times and finally closed down in the late 1960s. (www.apawood.org) G73.1-011

Washington Veneer Co. (Olympia); Lumber industry--Olympia--1920-1930;

It is hard to tell in this rather faded picture taken on a foggy day in October of 1930 but it appears that water is spurting from what may be the hold of a cargo ship. Three unidentified men are observing the scene. Photograph ordered by St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. G36.1-158

St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma);

Two unidentified men are looking down at stacks of lumber piled on St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. property in October of 1930. A large crane can be seen dimly in the background. G36.1-156

St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma); Hoisting machinery;

Three unidentified men posed at a logging site in Mineral, Washington, on the first of March, 1936. The hillside beyond the men is strewn with fallen timber. The men are sitting and leaning against a much bigger log. G75.1-098

Lumber industry--Mineral; Logs; Woodcutting--Mineral;

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

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

Tacoma Lumber Company's crane at 2363 E 11th St, Tacoma.

Industries; Cranes; Tacoma Lumber Company; Tideflats

Tacoma Harbor Lumber Company's crane at 2363 E 11th St, Tacoma

Industries; Tacoma Harbor Lumber Company; Cranes; Tideflats

Tacoma Harbor Lumber Company's crane at 2363 E 11th St, Tacoma

Industries; Tacoma Harbor Lumber Company; Cranes; Tideflats

Defiance Lumber Company's Cranes at their mill at 4601 Ruston Way, Tacoma

Industries; Defiance Lumber Company; Cranes; Ruston Way

Defiance Lumber Company's cranes at their mill on Ruston Way

Industries; Defiance Lumber Company; Cranes; Ruston Way