Timber

Japanese immigrants (Issei) replaced Chinese workers after the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act went into effect. Laborers were recruited by contracting companies to cut timber and work in sawmills. In rare instances, Issei women joined their husbands, living among the other workers in segregated shantytowns.

Industry and employment (439)
Timber (160)

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160 items

img Logging crew (ddr-densho-124-30)

Raisuke Tamura (left) visits an issei logging crew at Selleck, Washington. Raisuke sold Japanese goods and food to the workers living in Selleck.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-124-30/

img Issei man at Selleck camp (ddr-densho-124-14)

Raisuke Tamura standing on a tree stump at the Japanese camp in Selleck, Washington. This camp housed Japanese laborers who worked for the Pacific States Lumber Company. Raisuke sold Japanese goods and food to the people living in Selleck.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-124-14/

img Issei workers at Selleck camp (ddr-densho-124-29)

These workers are sitting outside their housing at the Japanese camp in Selleck, Washington. Selleck was the site of the Pacific States Lumber Company.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-124-29/

doc Japanese Labor Must Go. Unions of Snohomish County Will Fight Orientals to the End. (March 30, 1904) (ddr-densho-56-40)

The Seattle Daily Times, March 30, 1904, p. 5

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-56-40/

doc Japanese Organize Lumber Pool Here. Uniform Import Policy Planned. (December 31, 1938) (ddr-densho-56-486)

The Seattle Daily Times, December 31, 1938, p. 3

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-56-486/

doc Japanese on Strike. Four Hundred Mill Hands Object to Having Wages Cut. (January 19, 1905) (ddr-densho-56-49)

The Seattle Daily Times, January 19, 1905, p. 14

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-56-49/

doc Poindexter Favors Oriental Labor. (September 10, 1910) (ddr-densho-56-181)

The Seattle Daily Times, September 10, 1910, p. 6

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-56-181/

Japanese Guard Their Mill. Say White Men Attempted to Wreck the Establishment. Armed Workmen and Jiu Jitsu Wrestlers Awaiting Trouble. (December 14, 1904) (ddr-densho-56-47)

doc Japanese Guard Their Mill. Say White Men Attempted to Wreck the Establishment. Armed Workmen and Jiu Jitsu Wrestlers Awaiting Trouble. (December 14, 1904) (ddr-densho-56-47)

The Seattle Daily Times, December 14, 1904, p. 4

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-56-47/

I.W.W. Plans Blow to Federation Unionists. State Labor Commissioner Hears of Plot to Return to Lumber Camps and Let A.F.L. Stay Out in Cold. (September 11, 1917) (ddr-densho-56-300)

doc I.W.W. Plans Blow to Federation Unionists. State Labor Commissioner Hears of Plot to Return to Lumber Camps and Let A.F.L. Stay Out in Cold. (September 11, 1917) (ddr-densho-56-300)

The Seattle Daily Times, September 11, 1917, p. 3

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-56-300/

img Port Blakely sawmill (ddr-densho-34-84)

Torazo "Slab Harry" Nakao (in the white hat) and his co-workers at the Port Blakely sawmill on Bainbridge Island, Washington. Port Blakely is located on the southeast end of Bainbridge Island, Washington.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-34-84/

img Port Blakely sawmill (ddr-densho-34-69)

This sawmill employed many Issei during the early 1900s. Port Blakely is located on the southeast end of Bainbridge Island, Washington.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-34-69/

img Three men and a boy standing next to a fallen tree (ddr-densho-34-26)

Left to right: unidentified boy, Kaichi Seko, unidentified Buddhist minister, and Zenkichi Harui.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-34-26/

img Three men and a boy sitting on a logged tree (ddr-densho-34-21)

Left to right: Zenkichi Harui, unidentified Buddhist minister, Kaichi Seko, and an unidentified boy on a logged tree. The saw was built by Mr. Harui. The area shown is the future site of Bainbridge Gardens.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-34-21/

img Masahachi Nakata and a friend check logs (ddr-densho-353-157)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-353-157/

img Masahachi Nakata's sawmill (ddr-densho-353-154)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-353-154/

img A group of men (ddr-densho-353-48)

Workers on bunkhouse steps.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-353-48/

img A group in front of a house (ddr-densho-353-33)

Shoichiro Katsuno at Pontiac (now the Windermere/Sand Point area) Written on back: "House built by Mr. Katsuno c.1913. Paid only for glass, nails, stovepipe, all the wood was free for clearing the land, knew how to make cedar shakes from work in sawmill earlier."

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-353-33/