Wheeler Osgood, different sides of buildings, Paul Smith. This view shows the exterior of the plant with lots of unused metal tubing and a funnel lying on the ground both inside and outside a fenced area. Four tall stacks reach upwards from the building and a water tower stands over the building. An automobile is parked in the foreground. At this time Wheeler Osgood is considering expanding by purchasing the outstanding capital stock of the Fir Manufacturing Company of Myrtle Creek, Oregon. (T.Times, 9/3/1947, p.2)
Wheeler, Osgood Co. (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Factories--Tacoma--1940-1950; Smokestacks--Tacoma--1940-1950; Water towers--Tacoma--1940-1950;
Hot presses allowed for mass production of exterior plywood panels. The machine was steam powered and could produce many tons of exterior plywood panels per week, these panels were used for prefabricated homes and commercial buildings. View of hot press in use at Oregon-Washington Plywood Company, workman is holding an exterior plywood panel, photo ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association (T. Times, 12/22/47, p. 10).
Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Presses; Equipment; Plywood; Oregon-Washington Plywood Co. (Tacoma); Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma);
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. Interior view of Plywood Research Foundation, unidentified man is recording plywood test information, photo ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association (T. Times, 12/22/47, p. 10).
Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Testing--Tacoma; Recording & registration--Tacoma; Research facilities--Tacoma; Plywood Research Foundation (Tacoma); Plywood; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma);
Douglas Fir Plywood Association and the Plywood Research Foundation were always promoting their products and checking for quality control to insure the best products. Testing took place at many sites throughout Washington, therefore giving customers the highest quality materials. View of unidentified man standing by silo at the Washington State experimental station in Puyallup, photo ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association.
Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Testing--Tacoma; Recording & registration--Tacoma; Research facilities--Tacoma; Silos--Tacoma; Plywood; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Plywood Research Foundation (Tacoma);
Twin brothers Burrell and Murrell Rucker opened the Rucker Brothers Trucking Co. shortly after WWII. Building on the L.E. Rucker and Son Trucking Co. started by their father, they were located at 733 East 11th Street, a location they shared with the St. Paul and Tacoma Lumberyard. Although the Rucker Brothers did a lot of hauling for this lumberyard, they also had contracts with many other lumber companies. View of Rucker Brothers truck with Burrell Rucker behind the wheel; the truck is loaded with St. Paul and Tacoma lumber. This photograph was commissioned as the anchor photo in a calender the Ruckers intended to print and share with their customers. The truck had been freshly washed and "tire black" applied. Extra effort was made to whiten the lettering on the tires and cleanly bundle the load of local lumber. A decision was made by the Ruckers to superimpose the image of the truck in front of Mount Rainier. This image was ultimately printed and distributed for the Rucker Brothers calendar. Burrell Rucker died in April of 2010 at age 96. His brother, Murrell, died in January of 2011 at the age of 97. (Additional information provided by Judy Hyers, daughter of Burrell Rucker)
Puget Sound Plywood was founded in 1942, it was the first cooperative plywood plant in Tacoma. A group of Tacoma businessmen with a vested interest in the lumber industry joined together and created the company. In 1947 Alfred Anderson was President and John H. Martinson was the Vice-President. Interior view of plant, plywood production is in progress, lathe peeling plywood with laborers on all sides, logs ready for peeling are in background.
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;
Douglas Fir Plywood Information Bureau provided information about Douglas Fir Plywood products to interested individuals, businesses and industries. View of plywood information display with two panels explaining the difference between exterior and interior types of plywood panels; in addition, a Plywood Listening Post is set up to listen to comments in a confidential atmosphere. Photograph was taken on January 2, 1948.
Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Advertisements--Tacoma; Research facilities--Tacoma; Plywood; Douglas Fir Plywood Information Bureau (Tacoma); Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma);
On February 5, 1948, thirty-five students from a special merchandising course at the University of Washington received first-hand knowledge of plywood, door and millwork production at several Tacoma plants. At the Wheeler Osgood plant, 1216 Saint Paul Ave., students watched William Holecheck operate a machine which clamped together the various plywood and wood parts of a 3-panel door. They also visited Coast Sash and Door. Photograph ordered by Mr. McCallum. (T.Times, 2/6/1948, p.15 and TNT, 2/6/1948, p.17)
Interior, machine at plant, Wheeler Osgood, Miss Lindgren. An interior view of the plant that was known as the world's largest manufacturer of wooden doors. Stacks and stacks of finished doors are seen throughout this part of the plant.
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;
Installation of sheathing at home of Joe Weston, Douglas Fir Plywood Association, Edith Link. A view in March of 1948 of the exterior of Joseph and Carol Weston's residence where a new addition is being added to the existing structure. Joe was a supervisor at DFPA. Douglas Fir Plywood Association was eager to show the potential uses of plywood.
Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Construction--Tacoma--1940-1950; Weston, Joseph--Homes & haunts; Dwellings--Tacoma--1940-1950;
DFPA. "Another Custom Built Home by Harry R. May", progress photograph (D32206-7). Joseph and Carol Weston began this addition to their residence in March of 1948. The basic structure has been completed, the chimneys added, the roof is nearing completion and the sides are enclosed by plywood. One exterior wall is being finished with a large bank of windows.
Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Construction--Tacoma--1940-1950; Weston, Joseph--Homes & haunts; Dwellings--Tacoma--1940-1950; Progress photographs;
The log was trucked over a mountainous highway and busy highways, over 100 miles, one it reached Tacoma it was delivered to the Oregon-Washington Plywood Company, the log skidded off the truck and into the company's receiving pond, located just below Dock Street. View of nine foot in diameter and thirty four foot long "Peeler" log recently cut, Oregon-Washington Plywood Company will convert this log into plywood panels, plywood lumberman is measuring the log (T. Times, 5/11/48, p. 1).
A huge Douglas Fir was trucked into Tacoma, recently cut near Kosmos, in eastern Lewis County. This tree was cut by Lloyd Sword, an independent logger. View of nine foot in diameter and thirty four foot long "Peeler" log recently cut, Oregon-Washington Plywood Company will convert this log into plywood panels, plywood laborers are measuring the log, crane in background (T. Times, 5/11/48, p. 1).
View of nine foot in diameter and thirty four foot long "Peeler" log recently cut, Oregon-Washington Plywood Company will convert this log into plywood panels, plywood lumbermen are getting the log ready to unload. This log will provide 24,000 square feet of plywood, it will be converted into plywood panels used for housing. This log will provide enough plywood to build four all plywood five room houses (T. Times, 5/11/48, p. 1). TPL-10298
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.
Douglas Fir Plywood Association was having a plywood product and "uses" presentation at the Winthrop Hotel. Plywood was originally just uses for doors and furniture drawers, but in the 1920's builders began experimenting with plywood and using it for interior wall panels, cabinets, and eventually prefabricated houses, exterior and interior wall panels. View of three plywood businessmen standing below a "Douglas Fir Plywood The Wood of 1000 Uses" sign.
Plywood; Molded plywood; Signs (Notices); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Business people--Tacoma--1940-1950; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma);
Douglas Fir Plywood Association was presenting reasons for choosing plywood over other building materials. An advantage to converting Douglas fir logs into plywood is the efficient use of the timber. View of DFPA representative using charts and graphs during his presentation, including "Value and Market Value", "Building Material Prices", "Interest Rates", "National Real Estate and Business Cycles" and "Commodity Prices...".
Plywood; Molded plywood; Signs (Notices); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Charts; Presentation drawings (Proposals); Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma);
Douglas Fir Plywood Association helped establish the Plywood Research Foundation in Tacoma. The lab is consistently testing the plywood for strength and durability, testing sites are located throughout Washington State. Douglas Fir plywood is advertised as the "Wood of 1000 Uses", although several thousand uses have been determined. View of man giving a plywood product durability demonstration.
Plywood; Molded plywood; Signs (Notices); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma);
In 1947 1,600,000,000 square feet of plywood was produced in the Pacific Northwest. Plywood firms in Tacoma are: Buffelen, Wheeler-Osgood, Northwest Door, Oregon-Washington Plywood, Puget Sound Plywood, and Donald W. Lyle Plywood Company; the first three mentioned plants also manufacture doors. View of plywood presentation, DFPA representative is showing the strength and durability in the plywood panels.
Plywood; Molded plywood; Signs (Notices); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma);
Tacoma's Douglas Fir plywood industry is divided between seven plywood factories, they employ over 1,700 employees, making this one of the largest industries in Tacoma and Western Washington. There are 43 plywood plants between Washington, Oregon and California, these plants are owned by 37 different companies, with no single firm owning more than three plants. Douglas Fir Plywood Association has really helped the plywood industry expand throughout the building and construction industries. View of DFPA representative standing behind a podium, during his "Plywood Sales Demonstration".
Plywood; Molded plywood; Signs (Notices); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Business people--Tacoma--1940-1950; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma);
Plywood can be used to make furniture, houses, garages, advertising, movie theaters, boats, and thousands of other items. Douglas Fir Plywood Association ensures consumers that they are getting the finest quality plywood panels, they are continuously testing and coming up with new ideas for the use of plywood products. View of DFPA representatives using Douglas Fir plywood during his presentation.
Plywood; Molded plywood; Signs (Notices); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Business people--Tacoma--1940-1950; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma);
Aerial view of barge towing logs into the Port of Tacoma. Ordered by Columbia Breweries, possibly to display in their future newly remodeled facilities.
Plywood used for diecutting base at Ridgeway Lithographing Co., ordered by the DFPA (Douglas Fir Plywood Association.) Lithography is a process of printing from a plane surface, such as a smooth stone or metal plate, where the image to be printed is ink-receptive and the blank areas are ink-repellant.
St. Paul and Tacoma Lumber Co., for the Condon Co. Advertising Agency. A man stands at an assembly table with the packing of a box of plywood fanned out. The box contains Plyaloy Siding, an exterior plywood product. The "Tree Life Forest Products" logo belongs to St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. Other boxes contain Knotty Pine plywood,Textured One-Eleven, Moire and Select Cabinet Stock.
St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Plywood; Clapboard siding;
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);
Workers are laying plywood in apparent preparation for testing by the Douglas Fir Plywood Association's laboratory in March, 1954. Nearly all sections of plywood have been fastened with only a few sheets left to attach. Plywood was constantly being tested to assure consumers and the industry that all standards were being met.
Plywood; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Testing--Tacoma; Product inspection--Tacoma;
