Attic space with a large saw. A man in a hat can be seen crouching on the right hand side.

Worker testing lumber with a series of drillings. Various chalk markings can be identified in the wood as well as notes with lined data.

African American laborer seen in front of what appears to be a large, sealable container for treating lumber with arsenic to prevent rot.

Laborers shaping and planning lumber outdoors with both electric and nonelectric tools.

Side view of the Henry Mill & Timber Co. building with smoke pluming in the background. A more rustic wooden structure, crane and frame under construction are in the foreground.

Worker smiles in front of large planning machine inside. In the distance, a man in a bowler hat and vest looks outside.

Laborers fastening large wooden planks together on the shoreline. Workers appear to be in front of a pallet with different gauges of plywood.

Laborers fastening large wooden planks together on the waterfront. A sailing boat and Vashon Island can be seen in the distance.

Two men in suits and hats observe a laborer move lumber along a series of rollers outside.

Laborers watch on partially covered boardwalk as cranes drop a pallet of lumber. A "No Smoking" and conveyer belt can be seen at the work stations.

Laborers at the U.S. Plywood Co. in Seattle.

Back of Photo:
Port of Tacoma - General
Logs, Lots of 'Em

Back of Photo:
"St. Regis - Western Star Paper Machine
Clipping taped to back: "READ ALL ABOUT IT--Seven St. Regis Paper Co. officials, her for this morning's official dedication of the company's $30,000,000 expansion of its Tacoma kraft pulp and paper mill, look over a special 18-page section of The News Tribune, marking the event. Seated, left to right, are Phillip B. Duffy, vice president, the corrugated container division; Reginald L. Vayo, vice president, kraft division sales; and Kenneth D. Lozier, vice president, of advertising and sales promotion, all of New York. Standing are George J. Kneeland, New York, assistant vice president; Russell R. Major, Tacoma, assistant comptroller; John A. McDermott, Jacksonville, Fla., vice president, pulp and paper manufacturing; and Dr. William R. Haselton, general manager of the Tacoma plant."

Members of the Western Retail Lumbermens' Association pose in February of 1927 in front of a little bungalow erected on the roof of the Winthrop Hotel in honor of the group's annual convention. The bungalow was made entirely of local wood and demonstrated its use in construction. When the 24th annual convention concluded February 26, 1927, new leaders had been elected for the coming year. Pictured leaders are, back row, left to right: George A. Heilman (Wyo.), H.J. Sawtelle (Mt.), W.B. Hussman (Idaho), I.G. Kjosness (Idaho), and R.O. Bushong (Ore.) Front row, left to right, F.C. Kendall (Spokane), J.W. Burt (Mt.), Robt M. Graham (Mt.), R.M. Cross (Utah) and E.J. Ostrander (Idaho.) (TDL 2/27/1927, pg. A-5; TNT 2/23/1927, pg. 7) (WSHS- negative A893-0)

Washington Lumber Dealers Association (Tacoma); Business people--Tacoma--1920-1930; Lumber industry--Tacoma--1920-1930; Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma);

Loading cut lumber from the docks onto the St. Paul and Tacoma Lumber Company's lumber ship "Lake Frances".

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

One man sitting atop a large log with six men standing in front of the log, which is being transported on a rail car. In the 1930's, mammoth old growth trees were still being harvested to supply lumber and also to advertise the Northwest timber industry. This 700 year old giant was cut on the St. Paul & Tacoma Camp 5 holdings near the junction of the Puyallup & Mowitz Rivers. It was the largest seen at the mill in 15 years, 10 1/2 feet across and estimated at 45,790 board feet. If converted into lumber, this one tree could supply the wood for 4 good 5 room houses. However, due to advanced age and deterioration, 2/3 of the tree was unusable. The remainder was shipped to Olympia to peel for veneer. (T. Times 10/19/1935, pg. 1)

Lumber industry--Tacoma--1930-1940; St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma); Logs; Railroad freight cars--Tacoma;

ca. 1936. West Coast Plywood Mill. Artistic view of buildings and structures at mill.

Lumber industry--Tacoma--1930-1940; West Coast Plywood Mill (Tacoma);

Sales Grange Baseball Team, 1938 Pierce County Champions. Saxton Lumber Company baseball team c/o Paul Froman. 12 men in uniform, man center back in suit, equipment in front; posed on wooden bleacher steps.

Saxton Lumber Co. (Tacoma)--Employees; Lumber industry--Tacoma--1930-1940; Baseball players--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Fallen piles of wood - 2x4, 2x6, etc.

Lumber;

This photograph of the Mountain Lumber Company, located at 919 East F Street on the Tacoma tideflats, was taken on February 3, 1939. Paul Billings, born in Lyndon, Kansas, moved to Tacoma in 1920 and opened the Mountain Lumber Co. in 1924. The mill was rebuilt after it burned in a spectacular fire in 1931. In January of 1950 Mountain Lumber was purchased by the Dickman Lumber Company.

Mountain Lumber Co. (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Mountain Lumber Co. Stacks of lumber with large crane in between them.

Mountain Lumber Co. (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Ladd Logging Company. Several very large logs float in a log pond. In October 1948 Ladd Logging Company was known to have been cutting logs from the Kosmos section of east Lewis County along with other logging companies. The logs were brought to Tacoma's harbor dumps and storage spaces by rail. When needed they were rafted together and taken to saw or pulp mills. Large numbers of logs were cut and dumped in log ponds against the approaching winter slowdown in the woods. (T.Times, 2/26/1941; Ledger 11/10/1946)

Ladd Logging Co. (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Logs; Waterfronts;

Exterior of Wheeler Osgood Company's offices. Wheeler-Osgood was known as the world's largest manufacturer of doors and plywood at this time. The company started making doors in Tacoma in 1889 and plywood in 1910, only five years after the first fir plywood was manufactured at Portland, Oregon. N.O. Cruver served as president of the company at this time. He was president for 32 years.

Wheeler, Osgood Co. (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Offices--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Cheney Lumber Mills could be found throughout Washington, Oregon and California. The Tacoma plant had a sawmill, dry kiln, planning mill, log sorting area, storage facilities and loading areas. This plant employed approximately forty people. Exterior view of Cheney plant, laborers appear to be stacking and moving studs by using equipment.

Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Lumberyards--Tacoma; Lumber--Tacoma; Building materials industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Hoisting machinery; Industrial facilities--Tacoma; Cheney Lumber Co. (Tacoma);

Loading a shipment of lumber from Cheney Lumber Company was made easier by the Cheney's facilities and dock on Sitcum Waterway. Cranes could load directly from railroad cars that had tracks on the dock. TPL-5676

Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Lumberyards--Tacoma; Lumber--Tacoma; Building materials industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Hoisting machinery; Industrial facilities--Tacoma; Cheney Lumber Co. (Tacoma); Shipping--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Cheney Lumber Co. was founded by Ben B. Cheney. Ben Cheney, although a well respected lumberman and a pioneer in his field, is also known for his interest in sports. The Cheney Stud teams participated in baseball, football, soccer and basketball. Ben Cheney was instrumental in bringing the Pacific Coast Baseball League to Tacoma and the Tacoma Cheney Stadium was named in his honor. A view of Cheney Lumber stacked on the dock ready for loading into a ship tied-up at the company dock.

Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Lumberyards--Tacoma; Lumber--Tacoma; Building materials industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Piers & wharves--Tacoma; Industrial facilities--Tacoma; Cheney Lumber Co. (Tacoma); Shipping--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Interiors at the Buffelen Lumber plant on the Tideflats. The immense plant was located on Lincoln Ave at Taylor Way. It was one of the earliest producers of fir plywood; beginning plywood production in 1916. In this photograph, two employees, one of them a woman wearing slacks, stack sheets of plywood. Plywood was an important World War II material, used in boats as well as buildings. During and after WWII, it was used for pre-fab housing. ("The Plywood Age" Robert M. Cour)

Buffelen Lumber & Manufacturing Co. (Tacoma); Industrial facilities--Tacoma; Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Cheney Lumber Company. Large logs felled by the Cheney Lumber Company dwarf the man standing on a bulldozer and another standing on top of one of the logs. Lesser trees are still standing in the now bleak landscape.

Cheney Lumber Co. (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Trees; Logs; Woodcutting;

Douglas Fir Plywood Association. Testing plywood for resistance to pressure. One worker manipulates the machinery while another keeps record of the test results. Severs laboratory tests to which fir plywood was constantly subjected assured consumers of consistent high-quality materials. The standards not only set forth grades and types but also consistent testing procedures. (T.Times, 2/25/1949)

Plywood Research Foundation (Tacoma); Plywood; Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Laboratories--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Douglas Fir Plywood Association. Testing plywood at the plywood lab. One of the standards demanded that the adhesives, after setting, be stronger than the wood. The research projects were not only intended to answer today's questions but also future applications. Other studies included industrial and agricultural applications. (TNT, 2/17/1948, p.3-B)

Plywood Research Foundation (Tacoma); Plywood; Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Laboratories--Tacoma--1940-1950;