This is a view of the devastation caused by fire racing through timbered lands near the Mineral Lake Logging Co. Camp 17 in Lewis County in late summer of 1926. Trees are tossed about like matchsticks and the railroad bridge pictured above may also have been damaged by flames.

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

Nine unidentified men were photographed in front of the large St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. store on April 17, 1930. St. Paul & Tacoma, established in 1888, was one of Tacoma's pioneer industries. Its lumber concerns would provide employment for hundreds of local residents. It would merge with St. Regis Paper Co. in 1957.

St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1930-1940;

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)

Logs; City Waterway (Tacoma);

Construction on the new John Dower Lumber Company headquarters building at 733 East 11th Street began in late November, 1921. The company held an open house for the general public on March 11, 1922. The building, designed by Bullard & Mason, was one of the most unique lumber offices in the country. The finish on the exterior was designed to resemble a log house; the interior was finished in selected native woods, stained and varnished to bring out their natural colors. In 1922 the John Dower Lumber Company was one of the largest retail lumber companies in the United States. The St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Company purchased the Dower yard and headquarters building in 1942. BU-11057

Lumber industry--Tacoma--1920-1930; John Dower Lumber Company (Tacoma); Building construction--Tacoma--1920-1930;

This view of a boat loading lumber at the Defiance Lumber dock had been a common sight since 1906 when the Doud brothers, desiring a site closer to shipping facilities than Buckley, bought land on the Tacoma waterfront just south of the Tacoma Smelter. By 1907 a mill was built, 1400 feet of shoreline acquired among the 18 acres of land, and 150 men were employed. Ships from all nations visited Tacoma to load lumber and lumber was also transported via rail. WWI caused rail transportation to substantially decrease and ships once again entered the deep harbor to retrieve the fir products and bring them to as far away as Japan and the United Kingdom. The Defiance Lumber Co. would continue in business until December of 1951 when it closed its doors permanently. G36.1-013 (Martin: Leslie Lewis Doud; his family and ancestors, p.1-3; Bonney: History of Pierce County Washington, p. 656-659)

Defiance Lumber Co. (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1920-1930; Cargo ships--Tacoma--1920-1930; Shipping--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Henry Mill & Timber Company crane at 3001 N Starr St, Tacoma

Industries; Henry Mill & Timber Company; Cranes; Ruston Way

Buchanan Lumber Company crane at 3939 Ruston Way, Tacoma

Industries; Buchanan Lumber Company; Cranes; Ruston Way;

Buchanan Lumber Company crane at 3939 Ruston Way, Tacoma

Industries; Buchanan Lumber Company; Cranes; Ruston Way

Mountain Lumber Company crane at 919 E F St, Tacoma

Industries; Mountain Lumber Company; Cranes, Tideflats;

Delegates to the 13th annual Pacific Logging Congress Convention posed outdoors on October 28, 1922. The first convention was held in 1909 in Seattle and continues to be held annually. Educational and informational presentations about the logging industry and exhibitions of the newest logging equipment and supplies were staples of the conventions. G75.1-134 (www.pacificloggingcongress.org/history)

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

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;

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;

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;

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);

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;

This look at St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co.'s sprawling grounds was taken from the Puyallup Bridge on May 30, 1927. Col. Chauncey W. Griggs and associates had established one of Tacoma's first major sawmills located along Commencement Bay in 1888, one year before Washington became a state. Abundant sources of hemlock and Douglas firs were available for logging as St. Paul & Tacoma helped Tacoma become the "Lumber Capital of the World." One of the area's largest employers, St. Paul & Tacoma would eventually merge with St. Regis Paper Co. in 1957. (History of Pierce County, Vol. 1- pg. 10-11-article) TPL-3235; G36.1-134

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

Elevated 1927 view of what is believed to be the Tidewater Mill Co. facilities located on the east side of the Hylebos Waterway at the end of 11th St. The Hylebos Creek Waterway drawbridge is up to permit ships to pass under. Multiple log dumps are located near the plant and readily accessible. The Tidewater Mill Co. was established in 1918 and had a capacity of 100,000 logs per day. Because it fronted 750 feet of deep water, several ships were able to load cargo at the same time. TPL-6476; G9.1-043

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

Defiance Lumber Co. facilities, including smokestack and railroad tracks, and neighboring hillside as viewed on June 19, 1928. This scene was photographed for a court case that may have involved pollution claims against the company. G36.1-056 (for another view of smokestack see Boland photograph B18783)

Defiance Lumber Co. (Tacoma); Smokestacks--Tacoma--1920-1930; Railroad tracks--Tacoma--1920-1930;