These were some of the 500 delegates to the 13th annual Pacific Logging Congress Convention held in Tacoma from October 25-28, 1922. Everett Griggs, president of the St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co., welcomed the delegates to Tacoma, the "Lumber Capital of America," in his October 25th address. The firm invited attendees to visit its lumber camp at Kapowsin on the final day of the convention where they are believed to be pictured above. There the group was able to observe the most up-to-date methods of logging by high leads and Lidgerwood skidders. L.T. ("Tom") Murray, founder of the West Fork Timber Co. of Tacoma, was president of the Congress and may have been included in the group congregated above. TPL-2043; G75.1-137 (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;

Lumber has already been loaded onto Foss Launch & Tug Co. barges while large poles remain scattered on acreage belonging to City Lumber Co., 1001 E. "F" St. in February of 1923. The plant was located near the foot of the 11th St. Bridge (now Murray Morgan Bridge) and was headed by P.H. Johns as president and general manager. G36.1-045; BU14,076

City Lumber Co. (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Exterior view of Malone-Vance Lumber Co. mill. The Joe Vance Lumber Co. established a mill in the small community of Malone in the early 1900's. Malone was located in Grays Harbor county south of Elma. Malone was a "company town" in a remote location and the Vance Co. provided housing for its workers. The mill would later be sold to the Bordeaux Lumber Co. and remain in operation until the depression years when it eventually closed. The company owned homes were sold. Photographed ordered by E.J. Barry. (www.lib.washington.edu/specialcoll-article) G36.1-010

Malone-Vance Lumber Co. (Malone); Mills--Malone; Lumber industry--Malone;

Interior of power house at the Vance Lumber Co. plant in Malone, Washington. Photographed on October 8, 1923 as part of a series of photographs taken by Marvin Boland. Joseph Alexander Vance was in 1923 the president and sole owner of the Vance Lumber Co. who made the small town of Malone a company town for his employees. A native of Quebec, Canada, Mr. Vance arrived in Washington in 1890 and after several jobs, became involved in the lumber industry where in 1897 he founded a small mill near Elma. This venture would be the beginning of the Vance Lumber Co. In 1909 he purchased the Swan & Johnson holdings at Malone, five miles east of Elma, which consisted of a mill, timber and a 300-hundred acre farm. He then erected a hotel, homes for his workers, a store, a school and office buildings to improve Malone. Besides cutting lumber the company also manufactured shingles and erected a planing mill and factory. Mr. Vance's ill health forced him to dispose of his lumber interests in 1923 and he left the area for Seattle where he invested in commercial real estate. The mills in Malone closed during the Depression and the company owned homes were sold. G36.1-027 (Pollard: A History of the State of Washington, p. 177-178; Hunt: Washington, West of the Cascades, p. 636-639)

Malone-Vance Lumber Co. (Malone); Power plants--Malone; Lumber industry--Malone; Mills--Malone;

Feed belts at Tacoma Smelter. The belts were located under the ore dock where concentrates and ore were received from ships. View of smelter operations taken in November of 1923. G37.1-193 (Additional information provided by a reader)

American Smelting & Refining Co. (Tacoma); Smelters--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Log dump & saw mill - Wheeler-Osgood Co. as photographed on January 17, 1924. The company focused on door and plywood manufacture and was located in the industrial tideflats. It had been established in 1889 and remained in business until 1952. G36.1-062

Lumber industry--Tacoma--1920-1930; Wheeler, Osgood Co. (Tacoma); Logs; Sawmills--Tacoma--1920-1930;

St. Paul & Tacoma workers stand alongside a 48" x 48" x 70-foot sawn log on February 13, 1925. TPL-3237; G36.1-159

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

Two men are balanced on extremely long logs in this August 14, 1925, photograph. They are believed to be connected with the Peterman Mfg. Co. who were local door manufacturers. Peterman Manufacturing, according to an advertisement placed in the Tacoma Daily Ledger on April 8, 1925, produced quality fir doors and 3-ply fir veneer panels. TPL-9376; G36.1-066 (TDL 4-8-25, p. 4-ad)

Logs; Lumber industry--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Heisler locomotive on railroad tracks at Whitney Engineering Co. plant on October 10, 1925. Heisler was considered the fastest of the three most prevalent geared steam locomotives. It was manufactured until 1941. TPL-2126; G44.1-050 (www.gearsteamed.com/heisler/heisler.htm-article on locomotive)

Railroad locomotives--Tacoma--1920-1930; Railroad tracks--Tacoma--1920-1930; Whitney Engineering Co. (Tacoma);

Just after 6 p.m. on November 17, 1925, Northern Pacific passenger train #424 derailed about 2 miles west of Olympia. The train, travelling about 30-50 mph, plowed into the bank on the side of the track, burying itself in the earth before it turned over on its side, crushing veteran engineer Edward M. Putnam. Subsequent train cars were knocked off their wheels. Twenty-five people were injured, several critically, with passenger Laura Hahn dying of her injuries on November 21st. Days after the wreck, the cause of the accident was still undetermined. The track appeared to be in good condition and the engine was too badly damaged for further assessment. (TNT 11/18/1925, pg. 1-article; TNT 11-23-25, p. 9-obituary of Mrs. Hahn; TNT 11-30-25, p. 20-article) G77.1-068

Northern Pacific Railway Co. (Tacoma); Railroad companies--Tacoma--1920-1930; Railroad locomotives--1920-1930; Railroad accidents--Olympia--1920-1930;

On May 29, 1924 engine # 2505 of the Great Northern Railroad pulled into Tacoma's Union Station. The powerful engine was used to pull the new, all steel Pullman cars of the Oriental Limited, one of the ten trains operated by Great Northern from Chicago to Tacoma. The train, accompanied by a select group of company officials, was on a special introductory cross-country tour. Its new Pullman cars were very luxurious with a full spacious dining room, baths for men and women, and sleepers with headboards, reading lights and individual ventilators. (TNT 5/29/1924, pg. 3) G44.1-131; TPL-673

Railroad locomotives; Union Station (Tacoma); Great Northern Railway Co. (Tacoma);

Plywood operations. Workers at this Olympia sawmill are pictured in June of 1924 during daily plywood operations. Sheets of plywood are being laid out; stacks of plywood are in the fore-and-background. Photograph ordered by Pacific Mutual Door Co. G75.1-026

Lumber industry--Olympia--1920-1930; Plywood; Sawmills--Olympia;

An unidentified employee of Royal Dairy (Royal Ice Cream & Milk Co.), 912-14 A St., is shown on October 4, 1924, washing metal milk cans. The company was well known for its slogan, "It's the Cream," as they sold quality ice cream, milk and cream. All products were manufactured in a sanitary plant in Tacoma, made for and by Tacoma people. G6.1-067

Royal Ice Cream & Milk Co. (Tacoma); Dairying--Tacoma--1920-1930;

These plain, but functional, wooden cottages were built for loggers employed by the Linco Log & Lumber Co. The cottages, as seen in March of 1920, were planted in dirt and built tightly side-by-side. Railroad tracks ran directly in front of the houses. These homes are believed to have been located in the Lewis County logging camp owned by Gustaf Lindberg. Linco had an office in Morton and a sawmill in Lindberg, four miles northeast. The company employed 75 men. Gustaf Lindberg, a prominent Scandinavian businessman of Tacoma, had founded the town of Lindberg in 1911 as the company town for Linco. Originally named Coal Canyon, the town was destroyed by fire in 1918 and subsequently rebuilt and renamed for Mr. Lindberg. The town's population remained small and never exceeded 200. Gustaf Lindberg lost ownership of the town and it underwent several name changes. Only ruins of the mill, brick homes and company store remain. G69.1-151 (www.drizzle.com/~jtenlen/walewis/townsal.html)

Dwellings--Lewis County; Linco Log & Lumber Co.; Railroad tracks--Lewis County; Lumber industry--Lewis County; Lumber camps--Lewis County;

This is a view of the Linco Log & Lumber Co. mill as seen in March of 1920. It was located in central Lewis County in the small logging community of Lindberg, just a few miles from Morton. Lindberg (formerly known as Coal Canyon) was founded by Tacoma businessman Gustaf Lindberg as the company town for Linco Log & Lumber. G36.1-081

Linco Log & Lumber Co.; Lumber industry--Lewis County; Lumber camps--Lewis County;

West Fork Logging Co.; Spar Pole. One of the ways to get logs from a remote location to the railroad car was the use of "High Lead" logging. It involved a main cable passed from the engine drum of a "donkey" through a block at the top of a tall spar tree (or pole.) A spar was a 150 to over 200 foot tree with the branches trimmed away and the top lopped off by a "high climber." The cable, powered by the steam donkey, could then be used to pull the logs to the dump. West Fork Logging was located in Mineral in Lewis County and had an office in the Tacoma Building. L.T. Murray was the president and H.E. Post was the secretary. G75.1-091

West Fork Logging Co. (Mineral); Lumber industry--1920-1930;

On September 2, 1921, a steam powered cargo ship from the Luckenbach Line was docked at the Tidewater Mill, 3901 E. 11th St. The Tidewater had been opened in 1918 and was capable of producing 100,000 board feet a day. The majority of its products were shipped for export. The mill was built with a frontage of 750 feet of deep water, allowing the company to load several vessels at a time. The Luckenbach Steamship Co., 1850-1974, was one of the longest-lived and most successful U.S. shipping companies. It was started in 1850 by Lewis Luckenbach and grew to be a major force in intercoastal trade. (TDL 12/22/1918, pg. B-8; www.nationalflaggen.de) G49.1-074

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

ca. 1918. The view down Rainier Ave. in Port Gamble, circa 1918. Port Gamble is one of the few surviving examples of a company town. It was built by the Puget Mill which, when it closed in 1995, was the oldest continuously operating mill in the nation. On the left is the mill office and general store, built in 1916. The store sold groceries, supplies and dry goods to the workers, as well as serving as their communication center by posting news of the world on their billboards. It is still in operation today, although the store now caters to tourists and a museum occupies the basement. Further down the street can be seen the water towers that supplied the town. (Historylink.org) Boland #22

Lumber industry--Port Gamble; Puget Mill Co. (Port Gamble); General stores--Port Gamble;

ca. 1918. View of the Puget Mill, left at water line, with its piles of logs and the town of Port Gamble from the Port Gamble Bay, circa 1918. The mill operated from 1853 - 1995, making it the longest continuously operating mill in the nation. The town of Port Gamble was built by the company for the use of its workers. It is one of the few remaining examples of a lumber town. In 1966, the entire town was declared a national historic site. In the background of the photo can be seen, left to right, the spire of the St. Paul's Episcopal Church, the town's twin water towers, the Queen Anne Walker-Ames House, the mill company offices & store and the Community Hall. (Historylink.org) Boland #32

Lumber industry--Port Gamble; Puget Mill Co. (Port Gamble);

ca. 1918. Puget Mill company owned worker housing in Port Gamble, circa 1918. On the whole, Puget Mill workers were treated better than those at other lumber mills. They were paid a fair wage and housed in modern housing with all the conveniences. These homes cost about $587.59 each to build and a three bedroom version rented for around $7.00 a month. They were surround by pickett fences to protect them from wildlife and had a fireplace, electric lights, bathroom and a water closet. (Historylink.org)

Lumber industry--Port Gamble; Puget Mill Co. (Port Gamble);

Employees of Star Iron Works posed aboard their patriotic "float" for the 1918 Labor Day Parade. The float was stopped just south of the Union Station at 1717 Pacific Avenue. They were part of the nearly 20,000 representatives of organized labor who marched in the largest Labor Day parade the city of Tacoma had seen to that date. There were eight large divisions of labor, 12 bands including two from Camp Lewis, floats and pretty girls on display. Working men and women, from boiler makers to cigar makers to cooks, all marched in countless lines during the hour-long parade which ended at Wright Park. Industries were booming during the war years as noted by the increase of shipworkers marching in the parade - 4,700 compared to the 47 the year before. G38.1-041 (TDL 9-2-18, p. 1-article; TDL 9-3-18, p. 1-article; TNT 9-2-18, p. 1-article)

Star Iron & Steel Co. (Tacoma); Parades & processions--Tacoma--1910-1920; Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1910-1920;

Daily operations at Todd Shipyards as photographed in March of 1919. Todd Dry Dock & Construction Corporation had bought land along Commencement Bay in 1917 and built a modern shipyard. They delivered eleven cargo ships in 1919. TPL-1526; G37.1-176 (www.shipbuildinghistory.com/history/shipyards/2large/inactive/toddtacoma.htm--list of ships built)

Todd Dry Dock & Construction Corp. (Tacoma); Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1910-1920;

Exterior 1919 view of Babare Brothers Shipyards. The plant, located on five acres in Old Town, was one of Tacoma's pioneer shipbuilding facilities. The Babare Brothers consisted of George and Nick Babare, whose Croatian-born father Stephen was a master shipbuilder. Employing some 300 workers in 1918, the plant was busy building large wooden steamers for the government. The yard contained two building slips, each served by gantry cranes, a modern sawmill and in-demand machine shop. Prior to the Babare Brothers entry into government work, they built cannery tenders and purse seine boats for fishermen and canneries in Oregon, Washington and Alaska. They were prepared to return to this type of work after the government's demand for ships decreased. On November 30, 1919, the Tacoma Daily Ledger reported that the Babare Brothers had obtained a site along the Hylebos Waterway. (Pacific Marine Review, August, 1918, p. 90-article) G37.1-180

Babare Brothers Shipbuilding (Tacoma); Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1910-1920;

The dining room staff at Todd Shipyards on the tideflats posed for a group portrait in February of 1919 in front of what is believed to be the shipyard's dining hall. The unidentified woman in dark dress and white collar in back row may be the supervisor. The massive $1,000,000 shipbuilding plant, covering a 30-block area located around 100 Alexander Avenue, required many workers in all categories. Known formally as the Todd Dry Dock & Construction Corp., the shipyard provided a company hotel with room for over 600 men, a large dining facility, and began building modest homes for sale to shipyard employees in 1919. G33.1-132

Todd Dry Dock & Construction Corp. (Tacoma); Employee eating facilities--Tacoma; Restaurant workers--Tacoma--1910-1920;

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.;

Serious motion picture production came to Tacoma- Pierce County near the end of 1924. The administration building, in front, and main building of the H.C. Weaver Productions, Inc. motion picture studio were nearing completion on December 4, 1924. Located on 5.5 acres at the end of Sixth Avenue near Titlow Beach, the H.C. Weaver Productions, Inc., studio had the northwest's largest floor space without supporting pillars. Construction began in early October, 1924, and was completed in late December of that year at a cost of $50,000. The administration bldg. contained executive offices, a projection room, 15 star dressing rooms and dressing rooms for extras. Furnace rooms were built at each end of the main building to make the stage evenly heated. There were no windows in the main building; the studio decided to make use of artificial lightning when filming inside. An elaborate formal dedication, open to the public, was held on December 14, 1924. (TDL 11-9-24, E-8, 12-14-24, B-1) Boland B11464

H.C. Weaver Productions, Inc. (Tacoma); Motion picture studios--Tacoma; Building construction--Tacoma--1920-1930;

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;