It was only until recently that I learned when the federal trade commission cleared up something that confused me for years. In 1931, the commission ruled that thirty-nine West Coast lumber producers would be banned from using “white pine” in their advertising, when in fact it was a “yellow pine” i.e. ponderosa pine. The commission stated there were no true white pine the west. It was stated these producers used white pine in advertising that resulted in a “substantial monetary sales advantage.” Two local companies were cited, Lassen Lumber & Box and Red River Lumber.
When I first began my research, I was confused with the term white pine, yet the two aforementioned companies sold their product under that label. In fact, they aggressively marketed their lumber as such in the Midwest and Eastern markets, since for them that was their preferred lumber.