The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-01-03
GROWTH OF THE INDUSTRY.
Luabertng Mas Rapidly Increased
From Small Beginnings to the
First Plaoe-Ths Hfr Mills.


From Small BexinrfnEs to the
First Plaoe-Ths Bf~ Mills.
TIE earliest OF Puget sound Industries
was thas of saving lumber. and tts history
FOR the past 50 years shows an increase
from a small min os 90 feet 6stly ca
racftv 70 the great plants at Blskeley.
Gamble and Ludlow that annually export
hundreds OF millions CT feet Of lumber 10
al the markets OF the world.
In 1877 Michael r. Simmons built the first
sswrnfll on Puget sound. The company
was known as tbs Puget Sound Milling
Company and the min was situated at the
falls OF The Deschntes river In Thurston
County. ths sits OF the present town OF
Tumwster The machinery was obtained
from 1ae Eaesan Bay Company ana the
output disposed OF 20 the neishborlng set
Hers, at Nisaually and under government
contract IN the erection OF erieers' quar-
tiers at Fort Steilacoora.
The next mill on Puget sound was butt
At Seattle by Henry r. yesier In lisa II
stood about where Pioneer Place now lies
and was small concern Of only about a
capacity OF n.oe fee, Of rough lumber
Yes!er at drst chose a site for his mill IN
West Seattle near where the grain eleva-
tor now stands. but the settlers on tho
Seattle side OF the bay. anxious for a mill
In town. shifted their claims so as 60 ofser
him . site on the east side OF Elicit bay.
This suited Yssler, who erected his mill
there ans began TO cut humber In the win
ter Of ISS1.
This mir soon became ths center OF the
town and q welcome source OF employ
ment 20 its Inhabitants. Although IT'S ca
pacity was small, the price OF lumber was
four or FIVE times what II IS at present. so
that the value OF it's output was very con-
siderable for those days.
The Second Seattle Mil.
The second mill In Seattle was estao-
nshsd in 1875 by George w. Stctson and
]. J. Post, Just across the street from Yes
ler's mill and obtaining power from H.
They at first manufactured sashes and
doors. In tS7s they moved to Commercial
nne King streets and added a sawnili 20
their sash and door plant In 1889 they
added a larger sawmill. which was de-
stroyed BY h-e IN 1885. This was rebuilt.
but again burned in the great FIRE, after
which their present min was built, which
Is now one % the mos, fully equipped and
busy mills on Puget sound. The mana
gers Of the mill are experienced lumber
men, and by their ahlity and enterprise
have not only survived their losses BY fire.
but set a high standard for the other mill
men Of the state.
Anpletree cove car claim the third mill
built on the Sound. by j. ]. Felt in 1853.
but after running there one year It was
removed to Port Madison. where IL was
later purchased by @. A. Me!gs, who re-
built II and added new and more power
full machinery.
The Great BIakcley Mills.
The foundation of The Blakeley mills, the
greatest I'm the world was laid by Can't.
William Renton at Alkf point in the spring
OF 1853. A pair Of engines from stern
wheel steamers furnished him with power.
r1s.S f~4m y N.n& 80. IAve4 Oval n ~ In.
Kitsap county. and thence again TO Port
Blakeiey, the present site OF the mills
In July. 1888. William c. Talbot q Co.
backed by San Francist o and Maine cap
ital. sent the schooner julius Pringie.
loaded with the necessary tools and cup
plies. 70 start a min on Puget sound. Az
ter thorough exploration OF the Sound
they selected Port Gamble as a site. and
in the fan OF 1858 the schooner L. p. Eos
ter arrived from Boston with a cargo OF
mill machinery and general supplies. On
her return trip she took a cargo 81 piles to
San Francisco.
While the Gamble mill was being built
Capt. William p. Sayward and j. X.
Thorndike constructed mill at Port Lud-
low. which later became one OF the prin-
cipal mills on the Sound ard eventually
was absorbed by the Puget MIL Company.
Another of the Puget Mil Company's
acquisitions was the sawmill established
Dy Grannan. thompson 81 JHmpbeI at Uf-
salady IN 1883 In 1883 a steam sawmiil
was erected by them that later became
one OF the largest on the Sound.
The Washington Mill.
At seabeck in 1856 a sawrnli was con-
structed by San Francisco and Puget
sound capitalists who formed the Wash
fngton NH Company and began 10 ship
lumber in 1858. This mill was destroyed
by fire some years ago. but never rebuilt.
as its owners obtained the plant at Port
Hadlock. where they are now doing n
large business. j. r. williamson, one OF
the founders. is stiil alive and resident
OF Seattle. Two other pioneer Puget sound
sawmills were one at Tacoma, built by a
man named McCarver and sold to Hanson
Ackerson a Co.. and one at West Seattle
which was afterwards removed when the
ground became more valuable for town
site purposes.