Research: Sawmill Database

Alpha-Numeric Key:	AG-12
Corporate Name:	Carter Lumber Company.
Local Name:	Baber
Owner Name:	J. Press Carter, president; J.S. Rice and Ben J. Barrow. Nunnally McConnico
Location:	Baber at FM 308 and 844
County:	Angelina
Years in Operation:	17 years
Start Year:	1899
End Year:	1915
Decades:	1890-1899,1900-1909,1910-1919
Period of Operation:	Nunnally McConnico, 1899; Carter, 1906 to about 1915.
Town:	Baber, south of Huntington along the tracks of the Texas and New Orleans
Company Town:	1
Peak Town Size:	Unknown
Mill Pond:
Type of Mill:	Rough and finished lumber Sawmill Pine Sawmill Hardwood Sawmill Cypress Sawmill Planer Planer Only Shingle Paper Plywood Cotton Grist Unknown Other
Power Source:	Steam Horse Mule Oxen Water Water Overshot Water Turbine Diesel Unknown Pit Steam Steam Circular Steam Band Gas Electricity Other
Maximum Capacity:	25000: 189950000: 1907
Capacity Comments:	McConnico: 25,000 feet daily; Carter: 50,000 feet daily
Produced:	Rough Lumber Planed Lumber Crossties Timbers Lathe Ceiling Unknown Beading Flooring Paper Plywood Particle Board Treated Other
Equipment:	Circular sawmill
Company Tram:
Associated Railroads:	Texas & New Orleans (later the Southern Pacific)
Historicial Development:	The Carter Lumber Company lumber mill operation at Baber began with J. J. McConnico, who appears in Angelina County records as buying in 1899 six acres of the Chas M. Raguet interest on the J. L. Quinalty grant of land. This became the Nunnally-McConnico sawmill plant. The mill was situated in Angelina County on the Texas & New Orleans railroad, about four miles south of Huntington, which had been listed in the Southern Lumber and Industrial Review in 1906 as being at Huntington. The Nunnally-McConnico operation cut 25,000 feet of lumber daily. J. Press Carter formed the Carter Lumber Company in 1905. Anticipating his older brother's retirement from active milling in 1906, Press Carter began to place himself in a position to operate several mills in the counties of Angelina, Nacogdoches and Tyler. By February 1906, Press Carter, along with J. S. Rice, had bought two mills in Angelina and Nacogdoches counties and owned the output of two others. One of those in Angelina County was the Baber sawmill. The Carter Lumber Company increased production to 50,000 feet daily. The mill operated until sometime after 1910. In December 1914 and January 1915 several former employees filed liens against the stock of merchandise at the Baber commissary and lumber at the mill, as well as the mill buildings, equipment, and tram road. At the time, the mill was in the hands of June C. Harris, receiver, of Nacogdoches. The post office was discontinued in August 1915.
Research Date:	JKG 9-20-93, MCJ 12-04-95
Prepared By:	J. Gerland, M Johnson