A Brief History

The Port Blakely story spans more than 150 years, and reflects the spirit and vision of the early settlers in the Pacific Northwest.

1903 - The Family Business

In 1902, two young men from Bay City, Michigan came out west looking for sawmill opportunities. In 1903, Ned Skinner and John W. Eddy purchased all the assets of The Port Blakely Mill Company. They worked as a team on many ventures in the northwest before and during World War I, including the Skinner & Eddy Shipbuilding Company.

1907 - Another Fire

In April 1907, a devastating fire destroyed the mill a second time. The Port Blakely mill was once again rebuilt.

1923 - The Partnership Dissolves

Skinner and Eddy dissolved their partnership and divided their assets. Ned Skinner took the Skinner & Eddy Company, while brothers John, James, and Robert Eddy and family took The Port Blakely Mill Company and the surrounding forest land. The Eddy family leased the mill for several years before closing it to concentrate on timber investments.

1925 - Scientific Research

As part of his research into ways to improve reforestation, James G. Eddy founded what is now known as the Institute of Forest Genetics in Northern California.

1946 - Innovative Forestry

By the end of World War II, the development of good roads, large bulldozers, and radio dispatching had greatly reduced the risk of forest fires. These improvements made it feasible to make long-term investments in growing timber from seedlings to maturity. The family began an ongoing program of acquiring prime forest lands and practicing intensive forest management on a sustainable yield basis.

1962 - 1987 Real estate

In 1962, the company created a real estate subsidiary which managed Renton Village Company, a commercial real estate partnership in conjunction with a real estate subsidiary of Puget Sound Power & Light Company. This first Port Blakely real estate venture ended in 1987.

1986 - Port Blakely Tree Farms

In 1986, the company completed its conversion from The Port Blakely Mill Company, a corporation, to Port Blakely Tree Farms, a Washington Limited Partnership.

1990 - Port Blakley Communities

In 1990, Port Blakely launched a new real estate venture called Port Blakely Communities to create innovative urban villages that combine a classic sense of community with the concepts of smart growth.

1993 - Going Global

Port Blakely created its first international subsidiary in 1993 with the founding of Blakely Pacific, Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary that owns and manages working forests in New Zealand.

2003 - 100 years of Eddy family ownership

The Port Blakely Companies, consisting of Port Blakely Tree Farms in Washington and Oregon, Blakely Pacific Limited in New Zealand, and Port Blakely Communities in Washington, unite their strategies and combine their reputations under a common brand to continue the tradition of integrity, quality, innovation, and stewardship - all in concert with the Eddy Family that has set up its own governance systems to assure that the goal of sustainability can be assured for generations to come.