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);

Two workmen put down membrane over the joints where the plywood panels butt together at the Puget Sound Plywood, Inc., on August 16, 1951. They have apparently completed a good portion of the job as the dark membrane covering the numerous rows of plywood panels can be seen. Puget Sound Plywood, established in 1942, was Tacoma's first cooperative plywood plant. Photograph commissioned by Tom Sias, Douglas Fir Plywood Association.

Plywood; Lumber industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Laborers--Tacoma; Puget Sound Plywood, Inc. (Tacoma); Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Cooperatives--Tacoma;

An employee of the St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Company gestures to have piles of 20 and 40 foot long 10x10 cut lumber carefully hoisted and stacked on board a ship in the summer of 1951. Positioning the heavy lumber was crucial to maximizing the total amount of lumber shipped and to also ensure that the load would not slip. The St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Company had utilized water transportation for many years in bringing their cut lumber to such ports as San Francisco and Alaska. St. Paul & Tacoma's lumber played an important part in rebuilding San Francisco after the massive 1906 earthquake and in the Alaskan gold rush boom. The St. Paul and Tacoma Lumber Co. was absorbed by St. Regis in the late 1950s. (A History of Pierce County, p. 11; Tree Life Hemlock, St. Paul & Tacoma lumber Co.)

St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Hoisting machinery;

Temporary multi-deck storage racks at plywood plant at Garibaldi, Oregon. Note conveyor belt on racks; each rack had a conveyor belt on which the thin veneer from the peelers was laid. Workers would feed veneer onto each shelf. As each rack was filled, it would be shifted so that there was always an empty rack to fill.

Plywood; Lumber industry--Oregon--1950-1960; Oregon-Washington Plywood Co. (Garibaldi, Or.);

Finished plywood goes out for shipment by truck from the plywood plant at Garibaldi, Oregon. All plywood is carefully inspected and graded to national standards, marked as to quality and carefully packaged for shipment. In the fifties, the fir plywood industry ranked among the most important in the Pacific Northwest. In Oregon, Washington and the northern part of California, the Douglas fir grew and provided a livelihood for many thousands. The best of this fir was taken to more than 100 mills in these states and peeled into veneer from which plywood is made. Fir plywood panels were called "America's busiest building material" and business boomed after World War II.

Plywood; Lumber industry--Oregon--1950-1960; Oregon-Washington Plywood Co. (Garibaldi);

Aerial view of the plywood plant at Garibaldi, Oregon. The log boom can be seen in the foreground. The best of the Douglas Fir from the Northwest's forests in brought into the mills to be barked, peeled, dried and coated with waterproof glue to produce plywood, America's #1 building material.

Plywood; Lumber industry--Oregon--1950-1960; Oregon-Washington Plywood Co. (Garibaldi);

Several open containers have been built using plywood. The narrower ends have been secured with metal rods and nuts to strengthen the joints. Ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association.

Lumber industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Equipment; Plywood; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma);

A man is using a forklift to move a large number of small pieces of wood into a large vat made of plywood at West Coast Chair. The vat has been made with plywood. A lid to the vat stands open at the back. Ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association.

Lumber industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Equipment; Plywood; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); West Coast Chair, Inc. (Tacoma);

Detail of plywood testing at St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber warehouse. Ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association, Dave Countryman.

Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Plywood; Product inspection--Tacoma; Testing--Tacoma--1950-1960; St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1950-1960;

New construction at Lakewood Center showing the use of hemlock. Additions to Lakewood Center began in May 1951. Lea, Pearson and Richards were the architects for the addition that would make room for a department store, a shoe store, candy shop and a bakery. A supermarket was to be included near a courtyard to connect with the present theater, dress shop, dining room and drug store. Ordered by St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber, Cordy Wagner. (TNT, 5/20/1951, p.C-15)

Lumber industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma); Building construction--Lakewood--1950-1960; Lakewood Community Center (Lakewood); Progress photographs; Shopping centers--Lakewood--1950-1960;

New construction at Lakewood Center showing use the of hemlock. This new addition to Lakewood Center was part of the long-range program to expand the center which was started in 1937. Ordered by St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber, Cordy Wagner. (TNT 5/20/1951, p.C-15)

Lumber industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma); Building construction--Lakewood--1950-1960; Lakewood Community Center (Lakewood); Shopping centers--Lakewood--1950-1960;

Two men are loading a sheet of plywood into one of Liberty Lumber Company's trucks along side the building. A large sign hanging out front announces that the lumber yard is, "Open for Business". They advertise General Paints with a sign over the store where they also carry metal garbage cans, screen doors, gardening tools, trellises and a garden arch. Neon letters spell out that, "We Cut Glass". The building materials company was owned by Kenneth Heiman.

Liberty Lumber Co. (Tacoma); Hardware stores--Tacoma; Building materials; Electric signs--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Tacoma Fire Station No. 16 under construction. Workers install roof sheathing by Douglas Fir Plywood Association. This area by the Narrows Bridge was just being developed. The fire station was built at a cost of $24,000 and dedicated on July 20, 1952. The fire station had a 12 man crew and one engine and provided fire protection to the Highlands district, from Stevens St. to the Narrows bridge, and University Place. This building was razed and replaced in 1999.

Plywood industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Carpentry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Construction--Tacoma--1950-1960; Fire stations--Tacoma; Tacoma Fire Department, Fire Station No. 16 (Tacoma);

Plywood veneer production at the Bellingham Plywood Company. After the veneer is cut from the peeler log and the moisture content is regulated, the veneer is again graded. At the glue spreader, the cross-banding veneer is covered with an even coat of glue and sheets are assembled with alternate dry veneer in three, five and seven ply panels. Workers pictured above are building up the layers of plywood. Man to the far right is the glue machine operator, a highly skilled position. ("The Plywood Age" by Robert M. Cour)

Plywood; Lumber industry--Bellingham--1950-1960;

Mill at Summit. Two men working with portable log sawing machinery on wooded site in this photograph dated November 23, 1951. For Export Pacific.

Lumber industry--1950-1960;

Mill at Summit. Two men working with portable log sawing machinery on wooded site. Pile of sawdust in foreground. For Export Pacific. Photograph taken on November 23, 1951.

Lumber industry--1950-1960;

A young woman is seen using the film cabinets made from plywood at Central School. Shallow drawers hold small cans of film while larger motion picture cans are files on shelves behind her. Ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association.

Plywood; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Central School (Tacoma); Audiovisual materials; Motion pictures;

Men are checking the conditions in the humidity chamber at the Douglas Fir plywood lab. A plywood board is filled with dials and levers for controling the conditions while performing tests on new products. Ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association.

Plywood; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Testing--Tacoma; Product inspection--Tacoma; Lumber industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Research facilities--Tacoma; Plywood Research Foundation (Tacoma);

Logs are being prepared to be turned into plywood at the Puget Sound Plywood company's plant on East F Street. A new lathe was purchased in 1950 to apparently speed and modernize production. Puget Sound Plywood was Tacoma's first cooperative plywood plant, formed in 1942.

Puget Sound Plywood, Inc. (Tacoma); Logs; Lumber industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Lathes; Machinery; Cooperatives--Tacoma;

Testing hardwood at the Plywood Research Foundation using testing equipment manufactured by The American Machine and Metals, Inc., in East Moline, Illinois. Ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association.

Plywood Research Foundation (Tacoma); Plywood; Research facilities--Tacoma; Lumber industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Laboratories--Tacoma--1950-1960; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Product inspection--Tacoma; Testing--Tacoma;

Henry Mill, construction of prefabricated trusses. Photograph shows piles of timber and a wood form that is being constructed at the Mill, located at the foot of Starr St., near the water. During the war, Henry Mill was active in lumber prefabrication.

Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Trusses--Tacoma; Structural frames--Tacoma; Building construction--Tacoma; Henry Mill & Timber Co. (Tacoma);

In 1922 the Henry Mill & Timber Comany bought 26 acres of land where the old Tacoma Mill Company used to stand to build a new company. The Henry Mill & Timber Company began in July 1925. On June 15, 1942 a major fire destroyed most of the plant. Only the planing mill and lumber piles were saved. When this picture was taken in 1944, they were still in the process of re-building. In 1945 the company was bought out by the Tacoma Lumber Fabricating Company.

Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Trusses--Tacoma; Structural frames--Tacoma; Building construction--Tacoma; Henry Mill & Timber Co. (Tacoma);

Henry Mill test assembly of truss. Henry Mill & Timber Co. specialized in pre-fabricated lumber products. They were a leader in the industry and received many government contracts. Exterior view of group examining assembly of truss. TPL-6661

Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950;Trusses--Tacoma; Henry Mill & Timber Co. (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);

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;

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);

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;

The trucks advertise the company's fur service. The trucks are painted in two tones, light colored bodies with darker fenders. Ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association, Hal Dixon.

Plywood; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Trucks--Tacoma--1950-1960; Dodge trucks; Cleaning establishments--Tacoma;

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

Cheney Lumber Co. (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Railroad freight cars--Tacoma; Shipping;

In 1950 Rainier Plywood became a co-operative plywood plant venture. The company did not change names and promised there would be no halt in production. As a co-op, every worker in the plant would be a share-holder; they also planned to increase production and increase the number of employees. Interior view of Rainier Plywood Company facilities, laborers are working on plywood panels; photo ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association. TPL-9375

Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Laborers--Tacoma; Plywood; Lumberyards--Tacoma; Industrial facilities--Tacoma; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Rainier Plywood Co. (Tacoma);