Potlatch in Latah County, Idaho — The American West (Mountains)
World's Largest Mill
Potlatch Lumber Company's sawmill built here in 1906, was one of the largest in the world.
Expanding operations to the West, Weyerhaeuser timber barons invested in Idaho’s prime white pine stands. By 1920, their mill was cutting 175 million board feet each year. Logs and lumber were moved by the Washington, Idaho and Montana Railway through stations uniquely named for eastern colleges: Yale, Princeton, Harvard, Cornell, Purdue.
Erected by Idaho State Historical Society & Idaho Transportation Department. (Marker Number 504.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Horticulture & Forestry • Industry & Commerce • Railroads & Streetcars. In addition, it is included in the Idaho State Historical Society series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1906.
Location. 46° 55.504′ N, 116° 54.165′ W. Marker is in Potlatch, Idaho, in Latah County. Marker is at the intersection of State Highway 6 and Onaway Road, on the left when traveling west on State Highway 6. Marker is located at a pull-out on the west side of Idaho highway 6, near the intersection with Onaway Road. There is a small, fenced, grassy area with two Potlatch town historical markers at this location. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Potlatch ID 83855, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 5 other markers are within 14 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Company Town (here, next to this marker); White Pine Scenic Byway (approx. 0.9 miles away); It These Walls Could Talk (approx. 9˝ miles away); Giver of Parks (approx. 10.8 miles away); Title Building (approx. 14.1 miles away).
More about this marker. A large wooden marker in good condition
Also see . . .
1. Weyerhaeuser Company History.
Weyerhaeuser began buying timberlands in the mid-1860s, beginning with pine tracts in Wisconsin and expanding into Minnesota, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon. In 1891, he moved to St. Paul, Minnesota, where he became a neighbor and friend of railway magnate James J. Hill (1838-1916), president of the Great Northern Railway. Hill had acquired millions of acres of land along the route of the Northern Pacific from Lake Superior to Puget Sound. Hill sold 900,000 acres of this land in Washington state to Weyerhaeuser who then organized the Weyerhaeuser Timber Company, with Weyerhaeuser as president. (Submitted on November 22, 2017, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
2. Weyerhaeuser Company Early History.
Weyerhaeuser Timber Company, headquartered in Tacoma, Washington, was incorporated in 1900 as a joint venture in Pacific Northwest timber by James J. Hill, railroad magnate, and Frederick Weyerhaeuser, joint owner of Weyerhaeuser & Denkmann, a Midwestern lumber company that relied on forests in Wisconsin and Minnesota. Weyerhaeuser remained privately owned, primarily by the Weyerhaeuser family, until 1963. (Submitted on November 22, 2017, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
3. History of the lumber industry in the United States.
The history of the lumber industry in the United States spans from the precolonial period of British timber speculation, subsequent British colonization, and American development into the twenty-first century. Following the near eradication of domestic timber on the British Isles, the abundance of old-growth forests in the New World posed an attractive alternative to importing choice timber from the Baltic via the narrow straits and channels between Denmark and Sweden. The easily available timber proved an incredible resource to early settlers, with both domestic consumption and overseas trade fueling demand. The industry expanded rapidly as Americans logged their way across the country. (Submitted on November 22, 2017, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Credits. This page was last revised on August 25, 2020. It was originally submitted on November 6, 2017, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 620 times since then and 68 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on November 6, 2017, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 2, 3, 4. submitted on November 22, 2017, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.