Research: Tram & Railroad Database

Code: 158
Corporate Name: Talley & Oualline
Folk Name:
Incorporated:
Ownership: W. F. Griffin, P. H. Griffin, Thoms H. Robinson, Felix A. Talley, Monroe R. Talley. Talley & Edward N. Oualline.
Years of Operation:
Track Type:
Standard Gauge Wooden Rails
Track Length:
Locations Served: Magnolia Switch (Montgomery County)
Counties of Operation:
Line Connections:
Track Information:
Tram Road Logging / Industrial Common Carrier Logging Camp
Equipment: 1896: thirty-five oxen, ninety tons iron rails, one Shay locomotive, two log wagons, four log carts, and five log cars.
History: The Griffin Lumber Company, with D. C. Tharp as trustee, was disposed to Banks Griffith of Conroe for $1,5000 in 1896. Griffith with a partner with the sawmilling Talley family of Montgomery County. The East Texas Sawmill Data Base notes that Banks Griffith, F. A. Talley, M. R. Talley, and one of the Ouallines, another prominent Montgomery County lumber family, all had interests in the sawmill complex during the next three years. Talley and Talley sold out on December 18, 1896, to Talley and Oualline (F. A. Talley and E. N.Oualline) for $12,300, to be settled by paying $6624 owed by Talley and Talley, and $2367 to be paid each to F A Talley and M. R. Talley, with 23 notes to be paid in lumber at Kelly's switch by January 1, 1899. Grogan Lumber Company may have bought out the Talley & Oualline interests around Magnolia, which they had accumulated by 1899. Assets of the sales revealed thirty-five oxen, ninety tons iron rails, one Shay locomotive, two log wagons, four log carts, and five log cars. The large number of animals leads to the inference that all logging and skidding was done by animal-power. The logs were loaded onto the tram cars and pulled by the small Shay to the mill.