At the turn of the 20th century, the city of Portland, in Oregon, United States, was a major economic center, with a flourishing wheat and flour industry, an unparalleled timber industry, and a rapidly growing shipping port. Portland boasted of the largest flour mill on the Pacific coast. Its lumber industry was significant due to Oregon’s vast forest of Douglas fir, western hemlock, red cedar, and big leaf maple trees. Portland’s location at the Willamette's confluence with the Columbia River, afforded it a deep port accessible to large vessels.

The Forestry Building in 1956 in Portland. Photo: City of Portland