TILLAMOOK SPRUCE VENEER CO.
Douglas County - Booth
October 21, 1932: “The Tillamook Spruce and Veneer Company have made announcement that they are to erect a saw mill and veneer plant at Booth, on the lower arm of Siltcoos lake and the Southern Pacific railway. A few men are said to be on the ground doing clearing which indicates that construction work is not far off.
The spruce at this point is owned by the Crown-Willamette Paper company of Oregon City who have taken out many million feet but none has been cut since April of last year, the company leaving on the ground something like 3,000,000 which had been logged.
It is said that the new plant will employ from 50 to 70 men when it reaches capacity output.” (The Siuslaw Oar)
The spruce at this point is owned by the Crown-Willamette Paper company of Oregon City who have taken out many million feet but none has been cut since April of last year, the company leaving on the ground something like 3,000,000 which had been logged.
It is said that the new plant will employ from 50 to 70 men when it reaches capacity output.” (The Siuslaw Oar)
November 7, 1932: "Tillamook Spruce Veneer Co. will erect sawmill and veneer plant here, on lower arm of Siltcoos lake and Southern Pacific railway." (Medford Mail Tribune)
November 18, 1932: “Officials of the new veneer factory going in at Booth visited the site last Saturday and report erection of the mill will start very soon now. The men also gave out the word that local labor is to be employed.” (The Siuslaw Oar)
November 25, 1932: “W. C. Knight, of the engineering department of the Southern Pacific railway, was in Reedsport a few days ago. Mr. Knight came to look over the site of the proposed veneer plant of the Tillamook Spruce company which is to be erected at a point near Kroll.
Mr. Knight, who had been in conference with President Magnusson, of the Tillamook Spruce company, states that the company has a ten year contract with the Crown-Willamette Paper company, or an option of a ten year renewal.
The plant at Booth or Kroll will manufacture orange boxes, lettuce crates, etc., and is said to have orders ahead for 500 carloads.
Mr. Knight came down to stake out the grounds. The factory will be on the long passing track now little used, according to the railway officials, and work will commence at once. In fact clearing of the site is already under way.
According to reports about 75 men and girls will be employed in the factory when it is completed. Work, it is said, will be rushed in order to get out boxes for next years' crops.---Courier.” (The Siuslaw Oar)
Mr. Knight, who had been in conference with President Magnusson, of the Tillamook Spruce company, states that the company has a ten year contract with the Crown-Willamette Paper company, or an option of a ten year renewal.
The plant at Booth or Kroll will manufacture orange boxes, lettuce crates, etc., and is said to have orders ahead for 500 carloads.
Mr. Knight came down to stake out the grounds. The factory will be on the long passing track now little used, according to the railway officials, and work will commence at once. In fact clearing of the site is already under way.
According to reports about 75 men and girls will be employed in the factory when it is completed. Work, it is said, will be rushed in order to get out boxes for next years' crops.---Courier.” (The Siuslaw Oar)
November 25, 1932: “A donkey engine has been shipped to Booth for the purpose of cutting piling to be used in building the foundation of the new veneer factory.” (The Siuslaw Oar)
December 2, 1932: “Activities are going ahead at Booth where the Tillamook Spruce company is about to erect a veneer plant. The company's plant at Tillamook will be abandoned and the machinery moved to Booth, a small station on Siltcoos lake. President Magnusson has already moved to the site of the new location and a number of families from Tillamook are also domiciled in the various float houses at Booth. A Mr. Dye is said to have the contract for getting out about 400 piling which will be driven for the foundation for the factory.
Three car loads of lumber and heavy timbers have arrived this week. No one is being employed except carpenters at this time, it is said, and a full force has been brought from Tillamook. After the mill is erected more help will be employed, from 50 to 100 hands in all. All inquiries for work are being turned down now.” (The Siuslaw Oar)
Three car loads of lumber and heavy timbers have arrived this week. No one is being employed except carpenters at this time, it is said, and a full force has been brought from Tillamook. After the mill is erected more help will be employed, from 50 to 100 hands in all. All inquiries for work are being turned down now.” (The Siuslaw Oar)
December 16, 1932: “Two serious injuries are reported to workmen employed at the new veneer factory at Booth. Wednesday afternoon Chas. Fuller, working on the pile driver for the plant, fell a distance of eight feet, landing on the sharp edge of a big timber. The injured man was rushed to Reedsport on the freight train by Mr. Magnussen, owner of the plant, and it was found that the man had sustained a broken shoulder blade and the loss of several teeth. The man was taken to the hospital at Tillamook Thursday morning. Mr. Magnussen accompanying him.
Thursday afternoon about 3 o'clock a tree fell and struck Tommy Dye, contractor for putting in the piling for the factory. Several ribs were torn loose and the man is said to be suffering internal injuries. A Gardiner physician was hurriedly summoned, but up to press time it had not been deemed advisable to attempt to move the man.” (The Siuslaw Oar)
Thursday afternoon about 3 o'clock a tree fell and struck Tommy Dye, contractor for putting in the piling for the factory. Several ribs were torn loose and the man is said to be suffering internal injuries. A Gardiner physician was hurriedly summoned, but up to press time it had not been deemed advisable to attempt to move the man.” (The Siuslaw Oar)
January 13, 1933: “Rapid progress is being made at driving the piling for the new veneer factory at Booth.” (The Siuslaw Oar)
January 13, 1933: “News comes from Tillamook that Connie Dye, recently injured at the Booth veneer plant, is still in hospital. A plaster cast was found necessary on account of a severe spine injury.” (The Siuslaw Oar)
February 17, 1933: “The big shovel is busy at Booth excavating for the boiler room in connection with the veneer plant. The heaviest of the timber is used in the construction of the massive one-story building, its dimensions being 485 by 140 feet. They expect to complete it by April. Clearing is also in progress by the company for 12 four-room cottages to be occupied by employees.
Nels Hegstrom of Glenada has the contract to move about 1,000 yards of dirt for the boiler house. He has a number of local men at work.” (The Siuslaw Oar)
Nels Hegstrom of Glenada has the contract to move about 1,000 yards of dirt for the boiler house. He has a number of local men at work.” (The Siuslaw Oar)
February 24, 1933: “Cecil Austin sustained a bad injury by a peevey penetrating his foot and Charles Lawrence received a severe injury to his leg in falling from the deck of the building under construction into the lake. These were accidents at the veneer plant this week.” (The Siuslaw Oar)
March 3, 1933: “Good Progress is being made in the work of erecting the buildings for the veneer plant at Booth. The main building is about ready for the roof. It is said will have a floor space of about 80,000 feet.
The boiler room, which is in a separate building, is to be 40 x 85 feet. The excavating for this building will be completed this week. Nels Hegstrom has the contract for the excavating.
The water supply for the plant will be furnished by springs and a tank with a capacity of 100,000 gallons will be used for storage. Work on this has not yet started. At least a dozen four-room cottages will be erected for the workmen. At present 12 families are located in small cottages which were already at Booth.
At present a force of about 20 men are employed in the various processes of construction, a large number of them being residents of that neighborhood. When the plant is in operation over 200 men will be busy.
Mr. Magnusson, who heads the company, has been at Booth this week. He stated to an Oar reporter that contrary to reports the plant at Tillamook will not be moved to Booth. Instead all new machinery will be used. Spruce and fir will be used. A large quantity of spruce is already in the lake. It is planned to have the plant in operation sometime in May.” (The Siuslaw Oar)
The boiler room, which is in a separate building, is to be 40 x 85 feet. The excavating for this building will be completed this week. Nels Hegstrom has the contract for the excavating.
The water supply for the plant will be furnished by springs and a tank with a capacity of 100,000 gallons will be used for storage. Work on this has not yet started. At least a dozen four-room cottages will be erected for the workmen. At present 12 families are located in small cottages which were already at Booth.
At present a force of about 20 men are employed in the various processes of construction, a large number of them being residents of that neighborhood. When the plant is in operation over 200 men will be busy.
Mr. Magnusson, who heads the company, has been at Booth this week. He stated to an Oar reporter that contrary to reports the plant at Tillamook will not be moved to Booth. Instead all new machinery will be used. Spruce and fir will be used. A large quantity of spruce is already in the lake. It is planned to have the plant in operation sometime in May.” (The Siuslaw Oar)
August 18, 1933: “Telephone connections have been made for the Pacific Spruce Co., the veneer plant at Booth and the station is Clearwater. L. L. Passage is putting in the chimneys of the completed homes and helping with shingling the roofs. Boats from various stations on Siltcoos lake transported visitors to Booth Sunday to view the plant and new townsite. Some of the homes are now ready for occupancy. The store is about completed and a crew of men are working on the school house. More houses will be started at once as the ones now finished are found not sufficient to care for all the employees. Three Crown Willamette men are now at Booth surveying logging roads, over which tractors and trucks will convey the timber to the boom to be used at the plant. All houseboats now moored at Booth will have to be moved near Ada to give space for the log boom.” (The Siuslaw Oar)
August 31, 1933: "The Tillamook Spruce Veneer company has announced it will move its plant to Siltcoos lake, between Florence and Gardiner. According to Gordon Murdock and A. G. Magnuson the move is due to the depletion of spruce in the current location. The new location is in spruce which will provide a supply for ten years." (The Lebanon Express)
October 1, 1933: "This section's newest industry is that of the manufacturing of veneer. The plant launched at Booth, on Siltcoos lake and the Coos bay line of the Southern Pacific, about ten miles south of Florence, started operations Monday morning and the first carload shipment was sent out Wednesday. Employes in the factory at the start of its operation number about 80, which includes women.
This enterprise in this locality was established by the Tillamook Spruce and Veneer company and succeeds a similar enterprise which had been operated at Tillamook and closed a few weeks ago. The machinery was transferred to the new plant. In addition to the factory which covers several acres of ground, a townsite was laid out and 28 new homes are located thereon, all of them occupied. The mill is electrically operated and all buildings, including the residences, have electric light." (The Eugene Guard)
This enterprise in this locality was established by the Tillamook Spruce and Veneer company and succeeds a similar enterprise which had been operated at Tillamook and closed a few weeks ago. The machinery was transferred to the new plant. In addition to the factory which covers several acres of ground, a townsite was laid out and 28 new homes are located thereon, all of them occupied. The mill is electrically operated and all buildings, including the residences, have electric light." (The Eugene Guard)
October 28, 1933: "The launch Washington, one of the oldest pleasure boats on the river, was loaded on a logging truck at the rock quarry Wednesday and hauled to Siltcoos lake. The Tillamook Spruce and Veneer company has purchased it from Fred Schulte and will use it at the company's mill at Booth." (The World)
November 7, 1933: "A delegation of local business men and members of the local chamber of commerce went to Booth Friday to inspect the recently constructed plant of the Tillamook Spruce and Veneer company." (The World)
January 4, 1939: "The Tillamook Spruce and Veneer company at Booth started 1939 off with a five minute whistle that was heard all around the lake." (The Eugene Guard)
January 2, 1942: "Local officers were called to Booth Tuesday to investigate a robbery at the Tillamook Spruce & Veneer company office Monday night. A strong box belonging to Gordon Murdock was taken, and a bunch of pay checks that had been made out but not issued. The office safe was not disturbed." (The World)
December 11, 1942: "William Ward has moved from his Glenada home to Booth, where he is now employed as night watchman at the Tillamook Spruce Veneer plant." (The Eugene Guard)
April 2, 1943: "The Tillamook Spruce Veneer company plant at Booth suspended operations last night because of inability to secure skilled labor, officials of the plant stated.
The firm has operated at Booth for nearly ten years." (The News-Review)
The firm has operated at Booth for nearly ten years." (The News-Review)
April 3, 1943: "Closing of the Tillamook Spruce Veneer company plant at Booth this week was made known today after operations during most of the past 10 years. Close to 175 persons were on the payroll when the plant closed because many skilled workers had gone to war plants.
Crown Zellerbach company's logging operation is still running at Booth but the veneer workers will leave for other posts." (The World)
Crown Zellerbach company's logging operation is still running at Booth but the veneer workers will leave for other posts." (The World)