Woodworth & Co. began its history as Albertson, Cornell Brothers & Walsh in 1921. The corporation was formed by the merger of three companies: a building company, a dredging company and a road paving company. Harold S. Woodworth was manager of the paving department. Early building projects, such as the First Presbyterian Church and the original Elks Club, are landmarks in the city of Tacoma.

A paving job by Woodworth & Co. in the 1930s on East 11th Street in Tacoma.

As company principals passed away, Harold Woodworth acquired stock in the company due to the success of the paving division. The first principal to die was Mr. Walsh. The company then became Albertson, Cornell Brothers. The company became Cornell Brothers when Mr. Albertson died, and in 1936 became Woodworth & Cornell when the first of the two Cornell Brothers died.

It was as Woodworth & Cornell that the company constructed the intermediate piers and end anchors on the first Narrows Bridge. After the collapse of the bridge, the company was awarded the contract to demolish what remained of the bridge.

When the last of the two Cornell Brothers died in 1940, the company became Woodworth & Co., with Harold Woodworth as president.

The company was very active during the World War II years. Major projects included housing at Lincoln Heights, barracks building and roads at Fort Lewis, and runway construction at Moses Lake Air Base.

When the second Narrows Bridge was built in 1948, Woodworth again had the subcontract to construct the intermediate and end piers on the new bridge, as well as all the paving on the bridge and road approaches.

In the 1950s and 1960s, the company constructed many projects for the federal highway system, working mainly on Interstate 5 from Fort Lewis through Tacoma and on I-90 where the company was the prime contractor for the Factoria interchange.

The presidency of the company has passed from generation to generation, with J. Alden Woodworth, Harold's son, becoming president in 1952. Alden's son John became president in 1973, and John's son Jeff became president in 1997.

In later years, the company has diversified into all phases of the heavy construction industry, including earth moving, underground utilities, roadway grading and asphalt paving, and concrete, asphalt and roofing recycling.