Timber, Shipbuilding, and Manufacturing in the Pacific Northwest (1850–1920)

1. Port Ludlow mill community develops on Puget Sound

   Jan 1, 1852Labels: Port Ludlow, Saw Mill

   • Port Ludlow

2. Washington Territory organized; Puget Sound commerce grows

   Mar 2, 1853Labels: Washington Territory, Olympia

   • WA Legislature
   • Oregon Encyclopedia
   • HistoryLink

3. Puget Mill Company opens Port Gamble sawmill

   Sep 1, 1853Labels: Puget Mill, Port Gamble

   • HistoryLink
   • Port Gamble
   • HistoryLink

4. Point No Point Treaty signed near Puget Sound mills

   Jan 26, 1855Labels: Point No, Kitsap Peninsula

   • Treaty PNP
   • Port Gamble

5. Port Blakely sawmill begins large-scale output

   Jan 1, 1864Labels: Port Blakely, William Renton

   • Port Blakely
   • Port Blakely

6. Port Blakely builds logging railroad to secure logs

   Jan 1, 1882Labels: Port Blakely, Logging Railroad

   • Port Blakely

7. Northern Pacific reaches Seattle, widening lumber markets

   Jun 17, 1884Labels: Northern Pacific, Seattle

   • HistoryLink

8. Seattle and Spokane fires drive rebuilding demand

   Jun 6, 1889Labels: Seattle Fire, Spokane Fire

   • Seattle Archives
   • HistoryLink
   • Spokane Fire

9. Washington becomes a state amid industrial expansion

   Nov 11, 1889Labels: Washington State, Statehood

   • WA Territory

10. Weyerhaeuser founded, accelerating industrial timber ownership

    Jan 1, 1900Labels: Weyerhaeuser, Frederick Weyerhaeuser

    • Weyerhaeuser
    • Seattle Times

11. Forest reserves transferred; U.S. Forest Service formed

    Feb 1, 1905Labels: U S, Transfer Act

    • Transfer Act
    • USFS History

12. Wind River station begins reforestation research

    Jan 1, 1910Labels: Wind River, Reforestation

    • USFS PNW

13. The Big Burn strengthens federal fire control

    Aug 20, 1910Labels: The Big, Inland Northwest

    • USFS Century
    • Big Burn

14. Weeks Act promotes coordinated fire protection nationwide

    Mar 1, 1911Labels: Weeks Act, Federal-State Cooperation

    • Forest History

15. Emergency Fleet Corporation spurs wartime shipbuilding boom

    Apr 16, 1917Labels: Emergency Fleet, Shipyards

    • EFC
    • National Archives

16. Spruce Production Division boosts aircraft-grade lumber output

    May 1, 1918Labels: Spruce Production, Sitka Spruce

    • Spruce Division
    • USFS Century

17. Postwar slowdown marks end of 1850–1920 growth phase

    Jan 1, 1920Labels: Postwar Slowdown, 1920 Transition

    • EFC
    • USFS PNW