ca. 1956. Port McNeil, logging. This appears to be company owned row housing or bunk houses built for the loggers working at the Port McNeil location. The small houses are all identical and two raised wooden sidewalks lie between the two rows of houses. Several men are sitting or lounging on the sidewalks. Housing arrangements like this were provided for the over 2,000 Canadian loggers.
ca. 1956. Port McNeil, aerial, logging. The logging camp sits on the shore surrounded by old growth forests. A dock extends out into the water and rafts of logs lie in the water. Established in 1953, Alaska Pine's logging camp at Mahatta River, on Vancouver Island, is one of three modern logging communities that provide wood for the Port Alice, B.C., chemical cellulose mill. Logs are rafted to the mill, entirely within the protected waters of Quatsino Sound. Non pulp species are barged to the Vancouver area sawmills. (1957 Annual Report, Rayonier Inc.)
ca. 1956. Timber industry scenes from Grays Harbor and the Olympic Peninsula, ordered by Malcolm McGhie. The sign identifies this as an experimental forest established in 1948 by the U.S. Forest Service cooperating with the St. Regis Paper Co. Trees were now being viewed as a renewable resource. They were being raised to support the pulp, paper and wood chemical industry. In the meantime, old growth forests were clear cut to supply timber for commercial purposes.
Lumber industry--Grays Harbor--1950-1960; Trees; St. Regis Paper Co. (Tacoma)--1950-1960;
ca. 1956. Alaska Pine, sawmill plant at New Westminster, B.C. During 1956, Alaska Pine set up a new high speed production line, part of which is shown here, for processing western red cedar bevelled siding. The sawmills at the Marpole and New Westminster Divisions produced a variety of products for wholesale markets in the United States and Canada. The products included hemlock and Douglas fir two-inch dimension lumber, sheathing and boards, cedar siding and shingles and industrial grades for such uses as garage doors, ladders and millwork. Alaska Pine was a leading promoter of the use of cedar, especially as siding. (Rayonier's annual report for 1956)
ca. 1956. Alaska Pine, Rayflo plant at Marpole. This is the new plant being constructed in Vancouver, B.C. at the Marpole Sawmill Division of Alaska Pine for the production of the chemical rayflo. Alaska Pine was the Canadian subsidiary of Rayonier Inc. Rayflo was produced from hemlock residuals obtained from the Marpole mill. The chemical was a dispersant that could be added to oil well drilling mud to control its viscosity and chemical properties. Rayflo was one of a new breed of "silvichemicals" being developed from the byproducts of cellulose manufacture by Rayonier. (Rayonier's annual report for 1956)
Lumber industry--British Columbia--1950-1960; Trees; Logs; Chemical industry--British Columbia--1950-1960; Alaska Pine & Cellulose Limited (Vancouver B.C.);
ca. 1956. Alaska Pine, Rayflo plant at Marpole. Alaska Pine & Cellulose Limited, a Canadian subsidiary of Rayonier Inc., was constructing a new plant at Vancouver B.C. for the production of Rayflo, a chemical used in oil well drilling, and its distribution to foreign markets. Rayflo was a new chemical developed from experimentation with the byproducts of cellulose production. It was produced from hemlock residuals obtained from the Marpole sawmill. It was used to control the chemical and physical properties of oil well drilling mud. Rayflo was the result of product development by Rayonier Inc. (Rayonier's annual report for 1956)
Lumber industry--British Columbia--1950-1960; Trees; Logs; Chemical industry--British Columbia--1950-1960; Alaska Pine & Cellulose Limited (Vancouver B.C.);
ca. 1956. Alaska Pine, Rayflo plant at Marpole. Rayflo was a chemical used in the oil industry. When added to oil well drilling mud, it made it possible to control the chemical and physical properties of the mud. Although developed only a few years earlier, rayflo was in demand. The new factory was being built by Alaska Pine, the Canadian Subsidiary of Rayonier, for production of the new chemical. It was previously produced in Grays Harbor, Wa. (Rayonier's annual report for 1956)
Lumber industry--British Columbia--1950-1960; Trees; Logs; Chemical industry--British Columbia--1950-1960; Alaska Pine & Cellulose Limited (Vancouver B.C.);
ca. 1956. Timber industry scenes from Grays Harbor and the Olympic Peninsula, ordered by Malcolm McGhie. Two hard hatted workers from Rayonier Inc. stand in an old growth forest. This photograph really shows the size of these enormous trees, the loggers appear tiny next to them. This stand of hemlock is approximately 80 years old. The trees are 110 - 125 feet high and average 24 inches in diameter. This track was recently thinned to promote growth of the best trees. Rayonier and its Canadian subsidiary Alaska Pine produced chemical cellulose, pulp, paper and lumber. They were also experimenting in developing new products called "silvichemicals" from the by products of cellulose manufacture. (Rayonier's annual report for 1956)
Lumber industry--Grays Harbor--1950-1960; Trees; Logs; Rayonier, Inc. (Grays Harbor);
ca. 1956. Portrait of a timber worker in a hard hat bearing the green cross safety logo. Photograph was taken on Rayonier Grays Harbor timber lands and ordered by Malcolm McGhie. Timber and forests fueled the economy of the Olympic Peninsula.
Lumber industry--Grays Harbor--1950-1960; Trees; Logs; Rayonier, Inc. (Grays Harbor);
ca. 1956. Alaska Pine, sawmill plant at New Westminster, B.C. During 1956, Alaska Pine set up a new high speed production line, part of which is shown here, for processing western red cedar bevelled siding. The sawmills at the Marpole and New Westminster Divisions produced a variety of products for wholesale markets in the United States and Canada. The products included hemlock and Douglas fir two-inch dimension lumber, sheathing and boards, cedar siding and shingles and industrial grades for such uses as garage doors, ladders and millwork. Alaska Pine was a leading promoter of the use of cedar, especially as siding. (Rayonier's annual report for 1956)
ca. 1956. Alaska Pine, Marpole Division sawmill plant, Vancouver B.C. Semi-finished hemlock lumber waits on kiln-cars to roll into the dry kilns. Alaska Pine was a pioneer in kiln drying of hemlock and developing it as a commercial product. The company kiln-dries about 60% of its lumber output, including practically all of the hemlock products. Properly dried hemlock makes excellent construction lumber. This stimulated broader use of a timber still abundant in the fifties. The company was also promoting the use of cedar, particularly as siding. (Rayonier's annual report for 1956)
ca. 1956. Alaska Pine, Marpole Division sawmill plant, Vancouver B.C. Big logs are brought to the mill in large rafts towed from the company's logging operations hundreds of miles away. They are cut into 20 foot lengths in the water and pushed onto the loghaul, which carries them into the mill. (Rayonier's annual report for 1956)
ca. 1956. Alaska Pine, Rayflo plant at Marpole. Two men stand on the scaffolding erected around the tank being constructed for Alaska Pine's new plant in Vancouver, B.C. The plant will produce rayflo, a chemical manufactured from Hemlock byproducts and used in the production of oil well drilling mud. Alaska Pine was the subsidiary of Rayonier Inc. and one of the largest timber concerns on the west coast. (Rayonier's annual report for 1956)
Lumber industry--British Columbia--1950-1960; Trees; Logs; Chemical industry--British Columbia--1950-1960; Alaska Pine & Cellulose Limited (Vancouver B.C.);
ca. 1956. Timber industry scenes from Grays Harbor and the Olympic Peninsula, ordered by Malcolm McGhie. A log train chugs along on the Rayonier owned main line railroad in Washington. The locomotive is one of two new diesel-electric locomotives put in service in 1956, replacing steam. While the two main lines were being improved, spur railroad tracks were being replaced by company owned truck roads. By May of 1957, the conversion to truck logging would be complete. (Rayonier annual report for 1956)
ca. 1956. Timber industry scenes from Grays Harbor and the Olympic Peninsula, ordered by Malcolm McGhie. A locomotive owned by Rayonier Inc. hauls logs across a railroad trestle; carrying them to a mill or paper plant for processing. In 1956, Rayonier was replacing the spur railroad lines with private truck roads that led to two company owned main logging railroads. Funds were spent to improve the main tracks, trestles and replace the steam locomotives with new diesel-electric ones. By May 1957, it was projected that the conversion to truck logging would be complete. This shows a Rayonier Baldwin diesel putting a logging train across the Hoko River Bridge on the Olympic Peninsula. (Rayonier annual report for 1956)
Interior views of U.S. Plywood plant. Full sheets of plywood are being roughly sanded at the Seattle plant of U.S. Plywood in early January, 1956. One man carefully turns the wheels controlling the machine as the second man, standing at one end, removes the smoother sheet. See also D95927-3 for additional view. Photograph ordered by U.S. Plywood Corporation.
Plywood; Lumber industry--Seattle--1950-1960; United States Plywood Corp. (Seattle);
Two employees of the U.S. Plywood Corporation examine sheets of plywood in their Seattle plant on January 6, 1956. They were manufacturers of the "Weldwood" brand of Douglas fir plywood. U.S. Plywood had two locations in Seattle including a lumber division on E. Marginal Way. It also had plants in Mapleton, Oregon, and a 60 million foot capacity mill in Anderson, California. By 1954, with the addition of Associated Plywood Mills' two holdings, U.S. Plywood was capable of 342 million feet annually. (Cour: Plywood Age, p. 158-59)
Plywood; Lumber industry--Seattle--1950-1960; United States Plywood Corp. (Seattle);
Aerial view of the Cheney Lumber Co. at the Port of Tacoma. Lumber is stacked for shipment in the railroad cars at the back of the picture. Log booms float in the water. Ben Cheney started in the lumber business with the production of railroad ties. Soon Cheney was concerned with the waste of the side cut slabs, often 2/3 of the log. His solution was to provide the housing industry with standard 8 ft studding, the same length as railroad ties. Production took off and the new product soon established the standard room height in residential construction in the U.S. by using formerly wasted timber. The 8 ft pieces, formerly known as "shorts" in the lumber trade, were now "Cheney Studs" emblazoned with the logo of a silhouette of a Belgian stud horse Cheney had seen at the Puyallup Fair. ("The Sou'wester" Fall, 2000; Volume xxxv, Number 3) TPL-6329
Ordered by the Douglas Fir Plywood Association; plywood being used in the construction of a commercial "chicken house." Plywood is being attached to the exterior of the beams to form the curved roof of the chicken house. The entrance area and a ventilation window can be seen. This is the back of the house. This is possibly the Fife farm of the Guy Conine family. The family raised poultry in three chicken houses, one conventional and two of the quonset hut design. They raised Van Tress hybrid crosses, Washington Whites and Lancaster Whites. The laminated beam construction of the two quonset hut variety eliminated the need for posts for support. All feeding and watering was automatic. (TNT 10/28/1956, pg. B-6)
Ordered by the Douglas Fir Plywood Association; plywood being used in the construction of a commercial "chicken house." Plywood is being attached to the exterior of the beams to form the curved roof of the chicken house. The laminated beam construction eliminated the need for posts for support. This is possibly the West Side Dairy Road poultry farm of the Guy Conine family in Fife. They operated one conventional chicken house and two of the quonset hut design. (TNT 10/28/1956, pg. B-6)
Ordered by the Douglas Fir Plywood Association; plywood being used in the construction of a commercial "chicken house." These curved beams will support the plywood roof. The metal "lids" lying on the ground are possibly part of the incubators, or brooders. This mammoth house will hold many chickens, a far cry from a Mom and Pop operation. This is possibly the operation belonging to the Guy Conine family of Fife. Located on West Side Dairy Road south of Fife, the family raised 31,000 chickens in 3 fryer houses. The 3 year old operation was one of the largest in Western Washington. The newest poultry house was 250 x 50 feet and built for $6,000. Its laminated beams eliminated the need for posts and natural sawdust covered the ground floor. It had 16 gas warmed brooders. (TNT 10/28/1956, pg. B-6)
Ordered by the Douglas Fir Plywood Association; plywood being used in the construction of a commercial "chicken house." The huge curved roof structure is followed by another just like it, indicating the size of this poultry company. This is possibly the Fife farm of the Guy Conine family. They had three chicken houses, one of the conventional type and two of the quonset hut variety. The first quonset was 180 x 50 feet. The most recently built one was 250 ft x 50 ft. Mrs. Conine went into the poultry business when her growing family required her to go to work. At her husband's suggestion, rather than working in an office or store, she decided to stay home and raise chickens. The 3 year old operation is now one of the largest in Western Washington. (TNT 10/28/1956, pg B-6)
In April of 1956, workers at the Cheney Lumber Co. prepared packages of two by four "Cheney Studs" for shipment in the railroad cars behind. In the late 1930's, as timber became more difficult to obtain cheaply, Ben Cheney became concerned over the side-cut slab wastage, often 2/3 of the log, in the production of railroad ties. He came up with the idea of supplying the housing market with standard 8 foot studding, the same length as railroad ties were cut. At that time, ceilings were often 8 1/2 - 12 feet. A skilled marketer, Cheney renamed the "shorts," as these 8 foot pieces had been called, "Cheney Studs." The horse logo was based on a Belgian stud horse he had seen at the Puyallup Fair and the 2x4 ends were painted with bright red wax for instant identification. Cheney is credited with standardizing the room height in US residential construction. ("The Sou'wester" Volume xxxv, Number 3, Fall 2000)
Cheney Lumber Co.; packages of two by four "Cheney Studs" being readied for shipment in the railroad cars behind. Ben Cheney got his start in the lumber business in 1936 during the depression. By the late 1930's, he was supplying railroad ties nationally and internationally. Cheney was wholesaling the production of 140 portable mills throughout the northwest, selling their ties on a commission basis. As timber became more difficult to obtain cheaply, he became concerned over the side-cut slab wastage, often 2/3 of the log. He came up with the idea of supplying the housing market with standard 8 foot studding, the same length as railroad ties were cut. He even obtained a lower transportation cost from the Interstate Commerce Commission, making production even more economical. Cheney renamed the "shorts," as these 8 foot pieces had been called, "Cheney Studs." Studs became the standard in the building trade and Cheney is credited with standardizing the roof height in US residential construction. ("The Sou'wester" Volume xxxv, Number 3, Fall 2000)
The busy mail room of the Douglas Fir Plywood Association. A large mailer is being prepared. Some women fold the materials to be mailed and others stuff the envelopes. One of the jobs of the association was the promotion of the plywood product and the industry itself. One of the association's main sources of self promotion was the U.S. mail and the company maintained a large mail room to meet its demands.
Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Offices--Tacoma--1950-1960; Office workers--Tacoma--1950-1960; Correspondence;
Cheney Lumber Company's booth at the 1956 Home Show. Each year the Greater Tacoma Home Show filled the College of Puget Sound fieldhouse with company sponsored booths, highlighting topics of interest to home owners. Hung behind this booth is a photo collage of the lumber industry. Below the collage is a model of one of Cheney's lumberyards. (See D99015 image 1 for a closer view of the model.) To the left of the booth is a display of Cheney sponsored sports teams for kids, utilizing photographs and trophies. A young Cheney midget league footballer watches the demonstration. Each year, Ben Cheney sponsored amateur athletic teams; keeping money from being an obstacle between kids and sports. Cheney teams played football, baseball and basketball.
Lumber industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Lumberyards--Tacoma; Lumber--Tacoma; Building materials industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Cheney Lumber Co. (Tacoma); Greater Tacoma Home Show (Tacoma);
Cheney Lumber Company's booth at the 1956 Greater Tacoma Home Show. A young Cheney Studs football player poses in uniform with one of the trophies. His uniform features the Cheney "stud" horse logo on the chest. "Studs" were what Cheney renamed the 8 foot 2 x 4 lumber "shorts" that revolutionized the building materials industry. On the back wall are photos of the young man's football team mates, as well as other Cheney teams. One sign points out that the amateur Cheney Studs baseball team was the national runnerup in the 1955 American Baseball Congress.
Lumber industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Lumberyards--Tacoma; Lumber--Tacoma; Building materials industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Cheney Lumber Co. (Tacoma); Greater Tacoma Home Show (Tacoma); Awards; Football players--Tacoma--1950-1960;
A model of one of Ben Cheney's lumberyards is displayed at the Cheney booth at the 1956 Greater Tacoma Home Show. Miniature stacks of Cheney "studs" dot the landscape. The Tacoma Home Show was held May 11-20, 1956 at the College of Puget Sound Fieldhouse. Over 100 local and national companies set up exhibit booths emphasizing products for the home. Cheney "studs" were 8 foot lengths of 2x4 timber that established the residential ceiling height in America.
Lumber industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Lumberyards--Tacoma; Lumber--Tacoma; Building materials industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Cheney Lumber Co. (Tacoma); Greater Tacoma Home Show (Tacoma); Models;
Douglas Fir Plywood Association, 20th annual meeting. The Plywood and Veneer safety award is being presented to Williard Burrell of Weyerhauser by A.P. Stinchfield. Weyerhauser Timber's branch in Springfield Oregon was being presented the 1955 award for its low incidence of accidents. The trophy resembling a roller perched on a block of wood is the Carleton L. Smith Memorial Safety Award.
Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Weyerhaeuser Timber Co. (Springfield, Ore.); Burrell, Williard; Stinchfield, A.P.; Awards;
Retail lumber dealers meeting; photographs ordered by the Douglas Fir Plywood Association. The group of men, in coats and ties, are looking at a model of a new home. One man is removing the roof on the model. The men are surrounded by artists' renderings of new homes and press and customer information regarding "Signature Homes." The covering on the table and walls has the logo for the Fir Plywood Golden Jubilee 1905-1955.
