Although motorized logging trucks were becoming more common in the lumber industry, horses were still being used in August of 1919. A pair of horses are pictured above at an unidentified sawmill waiting patiently as planks are being loaded onto an open cart. Photograph ordered by the Wilson Logging Co. TPL-6636 G36.1-052

Logging industry--1910-1920; Wilson Logging Co.;

Mill operations. Interior view of machinery and wood at St. Paul & Tacoma's new sawmill on May 21, 1922. Mill "C" started operation the following day. It was the latest of improvements done by the company. The new mill had a capacity of 200,000 feet of lumber every eight hours. It was electrically operated throughout and had all the latest safety devices. (TDL 5-23-22, p. 7-article)

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

Two men in heavy topcoats to ward off chilly weather stand next to a large cut log on October 28, 1922. On the end of the log are words welcoming delegates to the 13th Pacific Logging Congress. 500 representatives of the logging industry met in Tacoma from October 25 to the 28th . On the last day of the convention they journeyed to the St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. camp at Kapowsin where the above photograph is believed to have been taken. TPL-2118; G75.1-136 (TDL 10-23-22, p. 5-article; TDL 10-25-22, p. 1-article; TDL 10-26-22, p. 1-article)

Pacific Logging Congress; Meetings--Tacoma--1920-1930; Lumber industry--Tacoma--1920-1930; Logs;

Delegates to the 13th annual Pacific Logging Congress Convention observe logging operations in October of 1922. A steam donkey next to a spar tree is assisting in the yarding procedures. The visiting lumbermen watched the modern methods of logging at the St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. camp at Kapowsin. G75.1-092 (TDL 10-23-22, p. 5-article; TDL 10-25-22, p. 1-article; TDL 10-26-22, p. 1-article)

Pacific Logging Congress; Meetings--Tacoma--1920-1930; Lumber industry--Tacoma--1920-1930; Logs; Steam donkeys;

Poles are stacked and loaded onto railroad flatcars by the heavy crane nearby. This December, 1922, photograph was ordered by the Cascade Timber Co. G36.1-071 (print has deteriorated)

Lumber industry--1920-1930; Cascade Timber Co.; Railroad freight cars; Hoisting machinery;

Exterior view of the East Side Lumber Co., taken on December 21, 1922. Mill was located in Olympia. Henry Mallory was an early president of the firm. 1922 was also the year that the first local Port District was formed. The new port flourished and within a few years would serve 30 lumber mills, including East Side Lumber, five shingle mills, two large veneer plants and the Olympia Door Co. G36.1-060 (negative damaged) (www.ci.olympia.wa.us--article)

East Side Lumber Co. (Olympia); Lumber industry--Olympia--1920-1930;

Logging operations at West Fork Logging Co. site #1. Logs are being "loaded," per photographer Marvin Boland's notes. This was probably located in the Seabeck, Washington, area, in March of 1924. (Additional information provided by a reader)

West Fork Logging Co.; Lumber industry--1920-1930;

Log dump next to railroad tracks as pictured on August 14, 1925. G36.1-086

Logs; Railroad tracks--Tacoma--1920-1930;

The "Silksworth" was docked at the Tidewater Mill, 3901 E. 11th St., the first stop of four, on November 19, 1925. She would continue on to the Defiance Lumber on November 22nd, and then on to Dickman and St. Paul mills. The Australian-bound vessel, on her first visit to Tacoma, was under the command of Captain R. Deans. The 429-foot "Silksworth" was a relatively new ship, in operation less than three years, and had a 53-foot beam. She would be taking 4,080,000 feet of lumber to Australia, 3 million feet of which would be loaded in Tacoma. As the ship is tied up at Tidewater, numerous logs, waiting to be processed, float in the waterway. The mill, located on the east side of the Hylebos Waterway, exported most of its timber. Because of its 750 feet of deep water moorage, Tidewater Mill was capable of loading several vessels at the same time. (photograph has been damaged) (TNT 11-21-25, p. 5-article on the "Silksworth")

Tidewater Mill Co. (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1920-1930; Logs; Cargo ships--1920-1930; Shipping--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Fire damage at Mineral Lake Logging Co. Camp 17 as viewed on September 3, 1926. In the right foreground are scorched tree stumps. G75.1-086 (photograph is marked B15570; however, correct image # should be B15569, per photographer Boland's notes.)

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