 The mill was the primary supplier of wool products for the Alaska Gold Rush prospectors and for the U.S. military during World War I.By 1917, after the completion of the Lake Washington Ship Canal, the construction of ocean-going vessels had become a major business.By 1940, the thriving Lake Washington Shipyard had constructed more than 25 warships during World War II for the U.S. Navy, on what is now Carillon Point.