Maloney & McMillan Shingle / Tacoma Cedar Lumber Co. (1887-1891)

Intro needed here

Although other shingle mills along Commencement Bay were great producers of the product (and the woodenware factory was the first to ship shingles out) the Malony & McMillan mill was the first to ship large quantities of shingles east of the Rocky Mountains. It was a very small mill which unfortunately did not have a chance to expand and gain any fame in the annals of the industry.

In January 1887, Allen C. Mason gave Thomas Malony two lots of waterfront property, under the condition that a shingle mill be built; (Today, this site is the foot of Monroe Street). Mr. Malony chose Duncan McMillan (an Old Town resident of many talents) as his partner. The mill was up and running in a few weeks, and all seemed to go well; but exactly one year from its start, a mud slide from the bank above crushed most of the mill. M&M decided not to rebuild and continue; the remains were deeded over to Mr. John MacReady in late 1888.

Tacoma Cedar Lumber Co. was formed by John Macready and H.O. Geiger, by rebuilding the ruined M&M mill. They were very successful for two years, but the Puget Sound had a “Shingle Trust” group (a “Union” of owners) who agreed amongst one another to work – or not work – depending on the shingle supply and demand. Tacoma Cedar Co. did not belong, therefore they were given trouble off and on.

After some transitions, the mill became the H.R. Jennings Co. in 1892 and ran as such for one year. In 1893, George D. Bokien acquired the mill from Jennings.

Bokien ran the mill as the Geo. D. Bokien Co. until 1895. It is suspected that the combination of the depression years and the pressures of the shingle trust brought an end to this mill. The site sat vacant until 1909, when the Milwaukee Railroad decided to build a ferry slip to transport rail cars by barge across the bay.

Nerheim, J. N.. The History of Lumber Mills in Old Town. Tacoma, WA. Self-published, 2004.