The Weyerhaeuser Timber Company opened its first sawmill in 1903 in Washington State and grew to become a giant in the industry, employing generations of workers. In 2002 the company announced plans to sell 115,000 acres of timberland and close plants in Enumclaw and Snoqualmie, a move that affected 260 employees.

In this image, Steven Oles, president of the local Woodworkers' union, holds the helmet and other belongings he retrieved from his truck before leaving the company's property. He was laid off after working for Weyerhaeuser for 36 years at the Enumclaw mill, the same site his father and two of his brothers worked.

Caption information written by: https://www.seattlepi.com/business/article/end-of-the-line-for-sons-who-followed-dads-to-mill-1099079.php
Caption information source: "End of the line for sons who followed dads to mill," Seattle Post-Intelligencer, October 22, 2002, page A1.