WILLAMETTE BUILDERS SUPPLY COMPANY
Aumsville
March 15, 1947: "William E. Holford, 46, of Portland, an experienced rigger, was killed early Friday afternoon at the Willamette Building Supply mill, a mile and a half south of Aumsville on the West Stayton road when struck by a falling cable and attached board. His skull was fractured, according to Vigil T. Golden, deputy coroner.
According to W. L. Mayme, foreman, Holford was employed by a Seattle steam engineering company, and was working with a group of riggers when the accident occurred," (The Capital Journal)
According to W. L. Mayme, foreman, Holford was employed by a Seattle steam engineering company, and was working with a group of riggers when the accident occurred," (The Capital Journal)
July 14, 1947: According to records of the April 1947 term of the Commissioners Court: permit to haul logs was issued to Willamette Builders Supply Co. (The Capital Journal)
October 25, 1949: "A log being hauled from a mill pond fatally injured Fred A. Watt, 43, Aumsville, Saturday.
Marion County Coroner Lester Howell reported Watt died a few minutes after he was struck. He was employed by the Willamette Builders Supply Co. His widow survives." (The News-Review)
Marion County Coroner Lester Howell reported Watt died a few minutes after he was struck. He was employed by the Willamette Builders Supply Co. His widow survives." (The News-Review)
October 24, 1949: "Fred A. Watt, 43, superintendent of the Willamette Builders' Supply company mill at Aumsville, was killed Saturday afternoon at the Aumsville plant when he was struck by a log. Death occured within a few minutes.
Watt was struck by a snapped log while he was supervising cleaning operations at the log pond. A log was being pulled from the pond when it caught on the brow log. Watt was hit in the back.
Prior to locating in Aumsville three years ago he lived in Portland. He had been an employe of Willamette Supply for 12 years, moving to Aumsville when he was appointed mill superintend." (The Capital Journal)
Watt was struck by a snapped log while he was supervising cleaning operations at the log pond. A log was being pulled from the pond when it caught on the brow log. Watt was hit in the back.
Prior to locating in Aumsville three years ago he lived in Portland. He had been an employe of Willamette Supply for 12 years, moving to Aumsville when he was appointed mill superintend." (The Capital Journal)
November 11, 1950: "It was revealed this week that two new plants, a plywood plant and a door factory are to be added to the Willamette Builder's sawmill south of Aumsville. The firm now operates a sawmill, planing mill and dry kiln at the site.
Addition of the two new plants will bring the firms Aumsville payroll up to about 100 men. A building to house the door plant is already up and measures about 150 x 150 feet.
The door planer is expected to be in operation about January 1. It is a plant which is already operating in Portland which the firm will move to this site.
The new plywood plant will be used to produce plywood for the door factory. Phil F. Gates, owner of the firm, describes it as a 'small' plant. Nevertheless, it will occupy some 15,000 square feet of floor space. It will be capable of producing 10,000 feet per day of waterproof plywood.
Construction of the plywood plant was scheduled to begin this week. Equipment purchased for it is described by Mr. Gates as being efficient and modern in operation, The 'hot' type process will be used. Quarter-inch plywood exclusively will be produced.
The new buildings are all of frame construction, with laminated arch roofs and concrete floors. Those for the door factory have been constructed at the southern end of the plant area. The plywood plant building will be built east of the mill, between the dry kiln and the place now occupied by the mill's large cold-deck of logs. A three-foot fill will be made on the location." (The Capital Journal)
Addition of the two new plants will bring the firms Aumsville payroll up to about 100 men. A building to house the door plant is already up and measures about 150 x 150 feet.
The door planer is expected to be in operation about January 1. It is a plant which is already operating in Portland which the firm will move to this site.
The new plywood plant will be used to produce plywood for the door factory. Phil F. Gates, owner of the firm, describes it as a 'small' plant. Nevertheless, it will occupy some 15,000 square feet of floor space. It will be capable of producing 10,000 feet per day of waterproof plywood.
Construction of the plywood plant was scheduled to begin this week. Equipment purchased for it is described by Mr. Gates as being efficient and modern in operation, The 'hot' type process will be used. Quarter-inch plywood exclusively will be produced.
The new buildings are all of frame construction, with laminated arch roofs and concrete floors. Those for the door factory have been constructed at the southern end of the plant area. The plywood plant building will be built east of the mill, between the dry kiln and the place now occupied by the mill's large cold-deck of logs. A three-foot fill will be made on the location." (The Capital Journal)
June 5, 1952: "Notice of retirement of P. F. and Nina Gates from the assumed name of Willamette Builders Supply Co., Aumsville, was filed Wednesday with Marion County clerk. Remaining as owners are Harold and Iris Leevers." (Statesman Journal)
April 23, 1953: "An offer of $150 per acre for five acres of county-owned land near Aumsville was accepted Wednesday by Marion County Court, upon receipt from Willamette Builders Supply Co. The land, to be added to the firm's log-holding pond, is part of a tract bought by the county several years ago for road gravel." (Statesman Journal)
April 15, 1955: "A spectacular fire, which drew an estimated 1,000 persons to the scene. Thursday night totally destroyed the door plant of the Willamette Builders Supply Co. about a mile and a half southeast of here.
Owner Harold Leevers, Salem, estimated damage at nearly $200,000. He said reconstruction of the door plant, which comprised about 25 percent of the Willamette operation, would begin immediately.
Nobody was injured in the blaze.
Some 32 men were employed in the burned portion, in comparison to the 250 who worked in the entire operation. He said operation of the plywood plants would continue while the door factory is being replaced.
Nine fire trucks from at least six surrounding towns and cities were used, largely to keep the fire from spreading to other parts of the plant.
State police and state fire marshal's office had investigator at the scene to determine the cause. Aumsville Fire Chief R. L. (Bob) Mickey said the fire's rapid spread made determining the cause difficult.
The fire, according to Night Foreman Ray Hartman, broke out at about 8:45 p. m. with 'sort of an explosion' at one end of the door plant, a block square one story structure.
Lost besides the door plant were the loading dock and what lumber was on it, plus three boxcars on the Southern Pacific spur line serving the plant.
The fire, visible at its height for miles around, evoked numerous phone calls of inquiry to the Statesman and brought out five state policemen, two Marion County sheriff's deputies and two auxiliary sheriff's men to control the heavy traffic converging on the scene." (Statesman Journal)
Owner Harold Leevers, Salem, estimated damage at nearly $200,000. He said reconstruction of the door plant, which comprised about 25 percent of the Willamette operation, would begin immediately.
Nobody was injured in the blaze.
Some 32 men were employed in the burned portion, in comparison to the 250 who worked in the entire operation. He said operation of the plywood plants would continue while the door factory is being replaced.
Nine fire trucks from at least six surrounding towns and cities were used, largely to keep the fire from spreading to other parts of the plant.
State police and state fire marshal's office had investigator at the scene to determine the cause. Aumsville Fire Chief R. L. (Bob) Mickey said the fire's rapid spread made determining the cause difficult.
The fire, according to Night Foreman Ray Hartman, broke out at about 8:45 p. m. with 'sort of an explosion' at one end of the door plant, a block square one story structure.
Lost besides the door plant were the loading dock and what lumber was on it, plus three boxcars on the Southern Pacific spur line serving the plant.
The fire, visible at its height for miles around, evoked numerous phone calls of inquiry to the Statesman and brought out five state policemen, two Marion County sheriff's deputies and two auxiliary sheriff's men to control the heavy traffic converging on the scene." (Statesman Journal)
April 15, 1955: "The fire, which Thursday night destroyed the door plant of the nearby Willamette Builders Co., will only affect the employment of some 32 men in that division, Owner Harold Leevers said.
He added that some of the men on that single shift operation will probably be used to erect the replacement plant which will be begun immediately.
The operation, brought here in 1947 from Portland, was one of the largest mills in Marion County.
The manufacture of plywood will not be affected by the door plant's loss, Leevers said.
Leevers said from $100,000 to $125,000 of the estimated $200,000 loss was in the building and machinery. The balance was lumber and stock of doors on hand.
The fire was discovered by the crew on duty at the plywood plant, some 100 yards away from the door factory. Employes were hampered in fighting the blaze with their own equipment because of a power failure that was probably caused by the fire, firemen said.
The fire, which spread rapidly through the entire plant, started in the shipping room.
Cities which rushed fire equipment at the scene included Aumsville, Salem, Sublimity, Stayton, Turner and Four Corners. Spectators converging on the sky-illuminating blaze choked all roads to the scene, but the arrival of no fire equipment was hampered.
Nobody was injured in the blaze. The last man to patrol the building encountered no sign of trouble at 6 p.m." (Statesman Journal)
He added that some of the men on that single shift operation will probably be used to erect the replacement plant which will be begun immediately.
The operation, brought here in 1947 from Portland, was one of the largest mills in Marion County.
The manufacture of plywood will not be affected by the door plant's loss, Leevers said.
Leevers said from $100,000 to $125,000 of the estimated $200,000 loss was in the building and machinery. The balance was lumber and stock of doors on hand.
The fire was discovered by the crew on duty at the plywood plant, some 100 yards away from the door factory. Employes were hampered in fighting the blaze with their own equipment because of a power failure that was probably caused by the fire, firemen said.
The fire, which spread rapidly through the entire plant, started in the shipping room.
Cities which rushed fire equipment at the scene included Aumsville, Salem, Sublimity, Stayton, Turner and Four Corners. Spectators converging on the sky-illuminating blaze choked all roads to the scene, but the arrival of no fire equipment was hampered.
Nobody was injured in the blaze. The last man to patrol the building encountered no sign of trouble at 6 p.m." (Statesman Journal)
September 7, 1955: "Willamette Builders Supply Company of Aumsville will observer the golden jubilee year of the plywood industry with an open house at its plant Thursday and Friday, it was announced by Harold Leevers, president of the firm.
Guides will show visitors through the plywood, overhead garage door and sawmill divisions of the big 35-acre operation, located a mile and a half southeast of Aumsville.
Willamette Builders Supply, owned by president Leevers, Salem, and his wife, Iris, presently employs 400 persons and has an annual payroll of over $2,000,000. A subsidiary operation at Happy Camp, Calif., which supplies the Aumsville operation with about 20 million feet of green veneer and lumber annually, employs an additional 125 men.
In addition to raw materials supplied by the Happy Camp mill, 35 to 40 million feet of lumber is cut in this area. From this raw material Willamette Builders Supply manufactures and ships five carloads of plywood daily, one carload of overhead garage doors and three carloads of lumber.
The plywood mill, operating three shifts a day, currently produces 6 million feet of exterior plywood but new machinery now on order will increase the annual output to about 10 million feet when installed early next year.
The company's entire production is sold nationally by Roddiscraft sales and warehousing organization which maintains offices in 21 principal cities.
Interest of visitors to Thursday and Friday's open house at the plant will be focused on the new overhead door plant which was completed and in operation within 90 days after fire razed the old door plant last April 14.
Willamette Builders Supply was started in Portland in 1937 by Leevers and Phil Gates. Aumsville subsequently became headquarters for the entire operation.
After Gate's death in 1952, Mr. and Mrs. Leevers acquired control. The mill is now run as a partnership.
Other executives of the firm are: R. G. Evans, general manager; M. L. Hopkins, plant manager; Lewis Dean, plywood superintendent; Giles Fowler, sawmill superintendent; Emil Trachiel, master mechanic; L. W. Johnson, construction superintendent; Emery Newton, Happy Camp, Calif., superintendent; Jack Linglas, Oregon forester; and Leonard Shelton, California forester." (Statesman Journal)
Guides will show visitors through the plywood, overhead garage door and sawmill divisions of the big 35-acre operation, located a mile and a half southeast of Aumsville.
Willamette Builders Supply, owned by president Leevers, Salem, and his wife, Iris, presently employs 400 persons and has an annual payroll of over $2,000,000. A subsidiary operation at Happy Camp, Calif., which supplies the Aumsville operation with about 20 million feet of green veneer and lumber annually, employs an additional 125 men.
In addition to raw materials supplied by the Happy Camp mill, 35 to 40 million feet of lumber is cut in this area. From this raw material Willamette Builders Supply manufactures and ships five carloads of plywood daily, one carload of overhead garage doors and three carloads of lumber.
The plywood mill, operating three shifts a day, currently produces 6 million feet of exterior plywood but new machinery now on order will increase the annual output to about 10 million feet when installed early next year.
The company's entire production is sold nationally by Roddiscraft sales and warehousing organization which maintains offices in 21 principal cities.
Interest of visitors to Thursday and Friday's open house at the plant will be focused on the new overhead door plant which was completed and in operation within 90 days after fire razed the old door plant last April 14.
Willamette Builders Supply was started in Portland in 1937 by Leevers and Phil Gates. Aumsville subsequently became headquarters for the entire operation.
After Gate's death in 1952, Mr. and Mrs. Leevers acquired control. The mill is now run as a partnership.
Other executives of the firm are: R. G. Evans, general manager; M. L. Hopkins, plant manager; Lewis Dean, plywood superintendent; Giles Fowler, sawmill superintendent; Emil Trachiel, master mechanic; L. W. Johnson, construction superintendent; Emery Newton, Happy Camp, Calif., superintendent; Jack Linglas, Oregon forester; and Leonard Shelton, California forester." (Statesman Journal)
September 21, 1955: "A sawmill worker was killed Tuesday when he was pulled into a planer.
George William Bracher Jr., 24, Scio was the victim of the accident at Willamette Builders Supply Co. where he had worked for five years.
Bracher apparently reached into the equipment, caught 'his hand or his sleeve' in the outfeed rolls of the planer and was jerked into the machine, according to Giles Fowler, superintendent of the division where Bracher worked.
Death was attributed to a broken neck and other injuries. Bracher was pronounced dead on arrival at Santiam Memorial Hospital.
The mill, which employs over 300 men, shut down following the 6 a.m. accident. Fowler said the plywood division was to resume work at midnight Tuesday, the door plant Wednesday morning and the sawmill division at midnight Wednesday." (Statesman Journal)
George William Bracher Jr., 24, Scio was the victim of the accident at Willamette Builders Supply Co. where he had worked for five years.
Bracher apparently reached into the equipment, caught 'his hand or his sleeve' in the outfeed rolls of the planer and was jerked into the machine, according to Giles Fowler, superintendent of the division where Bracher worked.
Death was attributed to a broken neck and other injuries. Bracher was pronounced dead on arrival at Santiam Memorial Hospital.
The mill, which employs over 300 men, shut down following the 6 a.m. accident. Fowler said the plywood division was to resume work at midnight Tuesday, the door plant Wednesday morning and the sawmill division at midnight Wednesday." (Statesman Journal)
October 8, 1955: "Willard Thompson of Salem suffered head injuries shortly before noon Thursday when he stepped into the path of a lumber carrier at the Willamette Builders Supply plant near Aumsville.
Thompson was reported to have been making application for a job at the plant.
An ambulance rushed the injured man to the Santiam Memorial hospital where he was treated for his injuries and held for observation." (The Capital Journal)
Thompson was reported to have been making application for a job at the plant.
An ambulance rushed the injured man to the Santiam Memorial hospital where he was treated for his injuries and held for observation." (The Capital Journal)
1956: Willamette Builders Supply Co., became the Willamette Plywood Corporation in 1956. (Statesman Journal)
April 1, 1958: "Four hubcaps were taken from his car while it was parked at the Willamette Builders Supply Co. at Aumsville, Roger Harris, Brooks, reported to the Marion County sheriff's office." (The Capital Journal)
continued to: Willamette Plywood Corp.