Walt Clarkson

Walt Clarkson, with his father Jim, formed the first Clarkson Mill in Tunk Valley about 1923.  They also ran a box factory making box shook (finished boards for making the now obsolete wooden apple boxes).  After the mill burned he moved to Tonasket in 1936 and built another mill & box factory up Seventh Street.  Walt went on to build a total of 14 houses in Tonasket.  Other mills in the area were the Atchison Mill, which cut railroad ties for the Great Northern Railroad, the Swanson Lumber Co on Mt. Hull & Ivan Landreth’s Mill on Havillah Road.  The Landreth Sawmill became the third largest mill in the County and at one time employed 100 people and ran two shifts.  Early logging of virgin timber was all done by hand, with teams of horses.  Three logs made up a truck load.