Plywood in Anacortes history

Hundreds of families made their living at plywood mills in past decades. My grandfather and father were among shareholders who owned Anacortes Veneer, a cooperative. The mill was then owned and operated by Publishers, but in the early Eighties, became a cooperative again when local shareholders purchased the mill from Publishers. This photograph illustrates the high level of interest drawn by the last effort to operate the mill on the Anacortes waterfront. Included in the photo are company representative Frank Moe, Anacortes Mayor Jim Rice and Governor John Spellman (elected in 1980). Co-op leaders included Bob Bellum and Carl Sundman. The mill operated for several years before closing for the last time. The facility burned. Remnants are now visible on the Fidalgo Bay shoreline adjacent to Tommy Thompson Trailway.