On February 19, 1924, this giant 40-foot log was successfully loaded onto a Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railroad freight car by employees of the St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. The log, measuring 72 inches in diameter, would be a prime exhibit when shown in the East and Midwest the following summer. The sheer size of the log would remind viewers that lumber from Tacoma mills came from logs similar to the one displayed. TPL-2375; G44.1-093
Lumber industry--Tacoma--1920-1930; Logs; St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma); Railroad freight cars--Tacoma; Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad Co. (Tacoma);
On February 19, 1924, workers at the St. Paul & Tacoma lumber mill were loading a giant log onto a Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railway car. The log was being sent on an exhibition tour. It would be shown at agricultural fairs and educational exhibits in the East and Midwest during the coming summer as a sample of the giant logs from which Tacoma mills got their lumber. The log was 72 inches in diameter and 40 feet long. (TNT 2/20/1924) G36.1-042
Lumber industry--Tacoma--1920-1930; St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma); Logs; Railroad freight cars--Tacoma; Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad Co. (Tacoma); Hoisting machinery;
Logging operations in the woods, in the Seabeck, Washington, area. West Fork Logging Co. apparatus on railroad tracks photographed on March 23, 1924. L.T. Murray was the president of the firm. Mr. Murray would move his logging operation to Lewis County in 1927. G75.1-089 (Additional information provided by a reader)
West Fork Logging Co.; Lumber industry--1920-1930;
On March 23, 1924, West Fork Logging Co. employees posed near the company's steam donkey on a sled. The donkeys were a replacement for the horse and oxen power formerly used to pull logs from the woods. This photograph was probably taken in logging areas near Seabeck where the company was then based. Logging operation would move to Lewis County three years later. G75.1-033 (for an earlier view of a steam donkey, see B2726) (Additional information provided by a reader)
West Fork Logging Co.; Lumber industry--1920-1930; Steam donkeys; Donkey engines;
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;
The "Artigas" is docked awaiting the loading of a cargo of lumber from Tidewater Mill on May 2, 1924. The Tidewater Mill, located on the east side of the Hylebos Waterway, exported most of their timber. The "Artigas" would set sail directly for San Francisco on Saturday, May 3rd. G49.1-094
Small sheets of plywood are being loaded from an Olympia sawmill directly onto a Northern Pacific car by three men on June 12, 1924. These will be used by the Pacific Mutual Door Co. G75.1-023
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
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
On June 12, 1924, two unidentified workers lean their hands against the enormous cut log which will soon be hoisted and processed. The log will be made into sheets of plywood to be used by the Pacific Mutual Door Co. This photograph, in addition to a number of plywood operations shots, was taken in Olympia on behalf of the company. G75.1-027
ca. 1925. An elevated view of Defiance Lumber Company shows part of the facilities with a ship docked along Commencement Bay. The company was started in 1905 when L.L. Doud and others acquired a quarter of a mile of waterfront along the bay and installed the sawmill. In 1927 L.L. Doud was president of the company, Lee L. Doud served as secretary-treasurer and manager, and Donald H. Doud, sales manager. (TNT 8/10/1927) (filed with Argentum)
ca. 1925. The Defiance Lumber Company was an export mill. It cut 80,000,000 feet of lumber in 1926 and it was all shipped away to Europe, Asia, Australia, California, South America or the East Coast. The Defiance Mill did nothing but saw wood, and only fir wood. The plant had dry kilns with a capacity of 50,000 feet a day, a completely equipped planing mill and a lath mill adding to the completeness of the plant. (TNT, 8/10/1927) (filed with Argentum)
ca. 1925. Men unloading lumber from a ship at the Defiance Lumber Co. dock. The men are unloading cut lumber that appears to be almost two feet by two feet, showing why Tacoma was known as the "Lumber Capital of the World." A rolling crane emblazoned with the company's name can be seen in the background. The crane, of a type first built by Star Iron & Steel Co., was capable of lifting 5 tons from the dock to the ship. The Defiance Lumber Co. and mill was built in 1905 and closed in December of 1951, citing a lack of usable wood. (TNT 6/3/1926, pg. 9- different picture, article on cranes) GTPL-013, TPL-9541
ca. 1925. Another view of Defiance Lumber Company with smoke jutting from its stack, circa 1925. Commencement Bay furnished the company with its log pond. The logs were dragged up the incline to the great 14-inch band saw which worked at high speed and had a capacity of 150,000 feet in each eight hours. The huge planks were then run over rollers to the re-saws, where slabs and scraps dropped down to a lower level and were carried by chain conveyors into the jaws of a battery of cut-off saws that turn them into firewood. The good lumber passed on out into the yard and was graded and separated into its proper classification. (TNT 8/10/1927) (filed with Argentum)
ca. 1925. A large log is displayed on what appears to be a decorated logging truck in front of the Wood Products Company. The Wood Products Co. of Tacoma was located at 1612 Center St. They were a sash and door company. G.W. Duncan was the president and manager of the company. (WSHS)
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;
Four unidentified men gaze at a long line of railroad flat cars stacked with mahogany logs on May 1, 1925. The log train was bound for the Buffelen Lumber & Mfg. Co. The logs had arrived at the Port of Tacoma on the "Wheatland Montana" and were a product of the Philippines. The arrival of the logs marked a transition to direct transactions between the overseas grower and a Tacoma manufacturer. Prior to this, mahogany used in fine furniture, cabinets and other uses was brought here in board form. G36.1-030 (TNT 5-4-25, p. 6)
Henry Mill in Old Town. A new and very modern mill opened in Old Town on July 20, 1925, located on the waterfront at 3001 North Starr St. Henry Mill & Timber Co. would remain in business there until 1945 when it was taken over by the Tacoma Lumber Fabricating Co. During WWII, Henry Mill became active in prefabricated structures for the military. They specialized in bridges and hangars. TPL-2048; G36.1-143B
The Henry Mill & Timber Co. had just begun operating in late July of 1925, just about two weeks before this photograph of the plant's exterior was taken. The plant took over two years to build due to difficulty in preparing the foundation. Built on the 26-acre waterfront site of the old Tacoma Mill Co., the sawmill was designed to use the most modern equipment. It started with a head saw, edger and trimmer. Finished products could be easily transported via ship or nearby railroad tracks. G36.1-143A (TNT 7-20-25, p. 16-article)
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)