On June 27, 1934, a huge explosion at the Denn Powder Company in the community of Lacey resulted in 11 deaths. The company produced dynamite, which was in great demand for logging, stump clearing, mining, and demolition. The damage from the explosion was so extensive that it was never possible to reach a definitive conclusion on its cause.
Vibert Jeffers photograph, 1934, Susan Parish Collection, Southwest Regional Archives, AR20090812-ph007126
Text © Deborah Ross and The Olympian