1936 daily operations at St. Regis. This is believed to be the St. Regis Paper Co. facility in Tacoma at 801 Portland Ave. as pictured in December of 1936. This exterior view of the plant shows its close proximity to railroad tracks which meant easier transport of its products. Pieces of lumber are strewn about and a wheelbarrow and other small carts are present. The Tacoma St. Regis Kraft Co. pulp plant had undergone modernization of its facility earlier in 1936 including new machinery and expansion of the plant. By the end of November, 1936, the plant was operating with a crew of 250. St. Regis expected that the bleaching unit would be ready in 90 days; until then, unbleached pulp as formerly produced would be manufactured. G37.1-021 (T.Times 10-14-36, p. 5-article; T. Times 11-25-36, p. 5-article)
St. Regis Paper Co. (Tacoma)--1930-1940; Paper industry--1930-1940; Lumber industry--1930-1940; Mills--Tacoma--1930-1940;
1936 daily operations at St. Regis. Interiors of the newly remodeled and expanded St. Regis Kraft Co. plant on the Tideflats were photographed on December 21-22, 1936. The company had spent a million dollars in the extensive remodeling project during 1936 which was nearly completed. This view appears to be of wood framed windows with two latches apiece. G37.1-014 (T.Times 10-14-36, p. 5; T. Times 11-25-36, p. 5-articles, no pictures, on both pages regarding remodeling)
St. Regis Paper Co. (Tacoma)--1930-1940; Paper industry--1930-1940; Lumber industry--1930-1940; Mills--Tacoma--1930-1940;
This internal view of St. Regis was taken in December of 1936. The location was not specified but it is believed to be the big paper mill at 801 Portland Ave., the former location of Union Bag & Paper Co. This particular view shows wet floors, drains, and machinery on both sides. It is possible that a washer had broken causing the wetness. TPL-6802; G37.1-013
St. Regis Paper Co. (Tacoma)--1930-1940; Paper industry--Tacoma--1930-1940; Mills--Tacoma--1930-1940; Machinery;
Workers at St. Regis Kraft Co. are in the process of wrapping and weighing stacks of pulp for shipment in this February 5, 1937, photograph. St. Regis' Tacoma plant had undergone a $1,000,000 modernization project in order to manufacture bleached pulp. New machinery was brought in and the plant was reopened in late December of 1936 to provide jobs for hundreds of Tacoma residents. G37.1-069
St. Regis Paper Co. (Tacoma)--1930-1940; Paper industry--1930-1940; Lumber industry--1930-1940; Mills--Tacoma--1930-1940; Machinery;
Huge sheets of bleached pulp are being manufactured at the Tacoma St. Regis Kraft plant in February of 1937. The plant had recently reopened a few months ago after much remodeling and expansion. St. Regis was moving into the growing bleached pulp business. According to the Tacoma Times, five million board feet of giant hemlock logs were chewed into chips every month and converted into pulp to be used in the manufacture of paper. This meant that the Tacoma plant produced 150 tons of pulp daily; the whole process from sawing logs to chipping to cooking with chemicals, washed and dried and finally baling took about six hours. St. Regis Kraft was a wholly owned subsidiary of the St. Regis Paper Co. Pulp from Tacoma supplied the eastern paper mills of the St. Regis Paper Co. as well as being exported to foreign countries, including Japan. G37.1-061 (T.Times 1-27-37, p. 1, 5-articles on St. Regis)
St. Regis Paper Co. (Tacoma)--1930-1940; Paper industry--1930-1940; Lumber industry--1930-1940; Mills--Tacoma--1930-1940; Machinery;
Two St. Regis employees, wearing white uniforms, are pictured at the Tacoma Kraft pulp plant on February 5, 1937. Steam is rising from some of the large unidentified machinery. St. Regis had undergone a $1,000,000 remodeling project to expand into the bleached pulp field. St. Regis was one of two pulp mills (Shaffer Pulp was the other) who manufactured high grade bleached and unbleached craft pulp for domestic and export markets. The plant was able to produce 150 tons of pulp daily. TPL-6804; G37.1-023 (T.Times 1-27-37, p.1, 5-articles on St. Regis)
St. Regis Paper Co. (Tacoma)--1930-1940; Paper industry--1930-1940; Lumber industry--1930-1940; Mills--Tacoma--1930-1940; Machinery;
Close-up of floating log rafts in the City (now Thea Foss) Waterway. These logs were probably destined for pulp production. Washington was third in the nation at this time in pulp producing. The abundance of hemlock and accessibility of water transportation plus low utility rates made Tacoma a prime location for the manufacture of pulp and other lumber products. Photograph taken in March of 1937. TPL-3236; G36.1-080 (T.Times 1,5-articles on pulp)
