On April 4, 1942, after several aborted attempts, the Northwest Hauling Company successfully raised a 150 foot smokestack at the new plant of Puget Sound Plywood located at 230 E. "F" Street. The huge steel stack weighed 13 tons and was constructed by Seattle Boiler Company. Once lifted into place on its 30 foot tall base, it jutted 180 feet into the air over the tideflats. The plant was expected to be fully operational in 30 days. The erection of the stack required several days of planning by the hauling company owned by Dan Cooney. Puget Sound Plywood, the first cooperative plywood plant in Tacoma, opened June 1, 1942. It had 298 members who each contributed $1,000 and received the same hourly pay and percentage of the company's profits. It was built on 3 1/2 acres at the mouth of the City Waterway. (T. Times 4/6/1942, pg. 2)
A new Coe lathe was installed at the Puget Sound Plywood Company plant on Tacoma's tideflats in 1950. Four unidentified employees at the plant monitored the giant lathe which was used to peel a continuous sheet of thin veneer off a prepared log. The veneer sheets were then glued together to make plywood. When the Puget Sound Plywood plant at 230 East F Street was built in 1942, Tacoma was a major plywood manufacturing center with over half a dozen plywood factories. Puget Sound Plywood was the first cooperative plywood plant in Tacoma.
Puget Sound Plywood, Inc. (Tacoma); Lathes; Plywood; Lumber industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Cooperatives--Tacoma;
Exterior of Puget Sound Plywood. A vertical sign juts out from the Puget Sound Plywood, Inc.'s company offices indicating it was "Soundbilt" in a November 23, 1954, photograph. The company plant is apparently next door across the parking lot. Puget Sound Plywood was situated on 3 1/2 acres in the Tideflats between the City and Middle Waterways. Railroad tracks shown here indicate that there was direct rail access for easy shipment of the company's plywood products. Photograph ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association.
Puget Sound Plywood, Inc. (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Cooperatives--Tacoma;
An executive of Puget Sound Plywood, Inc., studies documents on November 23, 1954. The walls of his office are made of plywood; the wall closest to the door may be of knotted pine. His oversized desk is also made of wood; a copy of American Lumberman is visible on the top shelf of his inbox. Puget Sound Plywood was Tacoma's first cooperative plywood plant; it was founded in 1942 and had its facilities at 230 East F Street in the Tideflats. Photograph ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association.
Puget Sound Plywood, Inc. (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Office workers--Tacoma--1950-1960; Plywood; Desks; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Cooperatives--Tacoma;
Executives of Puget Sound Plywood, Inc., manufacturers of plywood, confer in the board room on November 23, 1954. The five executives all have documents in front of them and may be discussing an ad campaign as there is a copy of a cartoon introducing new usage for plywood. Harold Wenman (at right, in light coat) is apparently addressing his fellow workers. Mr. Wenman was an original shareholder of Puget Sound Plywood. The firm, the first cooperative plywood plant in Tacoma, opened on June 1, 1942. It had 298 members who each contributed $1000 and received the same hourly pay and percentage of the company's profits. Mr. Wenman had purchased his share before WWII and worked as the Office Manager for many years before becoming the General Manager from 1964-1970. A graduate of Knapps School of Business, he worked as an accountant for St. Regis, and then served as a staff sgt.in England during the war. Puget Sound Plywood continued to operate through the early 1980s but finally closed due to economic conditions. Photograph ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Assn. (Additional information provided by a reader)
Puget Sound Plywood, Inc. (Tacoma); Wenman, Harold; Lumber industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Plywood; Cooperatives--Tacoma; Office workers--Tacoma--1950-1960; Desks; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma);
An employee of Puget Sound Plywood is measuring an exceptionally large log on a log deck at the company's East "F" St. plant on February 20, 1958. Photograph ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association.
Puget Sound Plywood, Inc. (Tacoma); Logs; Lumber industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Cooperatives--Tacoma;
Multiple windows provide plenty of natural light for office employees of the Puget Sound Plywood company. In addition, there are several lengthy fluorescent lights overhead. Puget Sound Plywood was the first cooperative plywood plant in the city. It manufactured plywood and promoted the convenience and durability of plywood in a number of ways. Instructions were provided for the do-it-yourselfer or professional on the building of storage units, including showing the plans in 3-D format and also built-ins. Photograph ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association.
Puget Sound Plywood, Inc. (Tacoma); Puget Sound Plywood, Inc. (Tacoma)--Employees; Lumber industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Office workers--Tacoma--1950-1960; Signs (Notices); Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Cooperatives--Tacoma;
Aerial view of Puget Sound Plywood, Inc., other plants, and the waterways on the Tacoma tideflats. Philadelphia Quartz has a new plant to make silicate of soda, a liquid mineral adhesive used extensively in manufacturing plywood and composition board. Puget Sound Plywood opened in March 1942. They were the first cooperative plywood plant in the city, organized by a group of Tacomans and others connected with and interested in the lumber industry. The plant occupied 3 1/2 acres at the head of East F Street and East E Street between the City and Middle waterways. With rail facilities direct to the plant, there were switching facilities to all railroads. (T.Times, 2/25/1942; Ledger, 1/25/1942)
Puget Sound Plywood, Inc. (Tacoma); Waterfronts--Tacoma--1940-1950; Plywood; Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Cooperatives--Tacoma;
Experiment with plywood at Puget Sound Plywood, International Timber Products, Seattle, Washington. Men are loading the layers that make up plywood into a hot press. The use of hot presses and the right kind of glue made waterproof plywood possible. Under heat and pressure the layers were made into a substance that was stronger than wood of the same dimension.
Puget Sound Plywood, Inc. (Tacoma); Plywood; Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Presses; Cooperatives--Tacoma;
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.
Workers at the Puget Sound Plywood company gaze at the new plywood lathe in a photograph taken on September 13, 1950. Puget Sound Plywood was located near Foss Launch & Tug Company at 230 East "F" Street. The new plant was completed in mid-1942.
Workers at the Puget Sound Plywood company carefully maneuver a gigantic log into position by use of a hoist on September 13, 1950. These logs would eventually be turned into plywood panels and other plywood products. Puget Sound Plywood's plant was located at 230 East F Street; built in 1942, it was the first cooperative plywood plant in Tacoma.
It appears that a giant log is carefully being barked by hand in a February 20, 1958, photograph. The Puget Sound Plywood employee is apparently using a long tool to lift the exposed layer. It is possible that this peeler will be used in the production of plywood. In that case, after barking, the peeler will be rotated in a lathe, removing strips of veneer. Photograph ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association.
Puget Sound Plywood, Inc. (Tacoma); Logs; Lumber industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Cooperatives--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;
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.
A 12' log rests on the floor of Puget Sound Plywood Corporation's plant in December, 1960, as a much smaller log, with the help of chains and a winch, is being deposited behind it. An employee of the cooperative plywood company carefully maneuvers the log into position. Markings on the gigantic log indicate that the volume of the log is 2000 board feet. Photograph ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association.
Logs; Puget Sound Plywood, Inc. (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1960-1970; Cooperatives--Tacoma;
Puget Sound Plywood, founded in 1942, was the first cooperative plywood plant in the city. Located on East F Street and between the City and Middle Waterways, on the Tideflats, the company had easy access to rail facilities, making transport of their products economical and convenient. Alfred Anderson was the long-time president of Puget Sound Plywood with John Martison as vice president. View of interior of company offices show employees at work at sparsely decorated desks while two men stand perusing documents at a long counter. Photograph ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association.
Puget Sound Plywood, Inc. (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Office workers--Tacoma--1950-1960; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Cooperatives--Tacoma;
