| Alpha-Numeric Key: | NE-46 |
| Corporate Name: | James R. and Moses Lee |
| Local Name: | Lee's Mill |
| Owner Name: | James R. and Moses Lee. Windham Brothers |
| Location: | Livonia or Lee's Mill, on Caney Creek, three miles northwest of Bonwier |
| County: | Newton |
| Years in Operation: | 35 years |
| Start Year: | 1871 |
| End Year: | 1905 |
| Decades: | 1870-1879,1880-1889,1890-1899,1900-1909 |
| Period of Operation: | 1871 to about 1905 |
| Town: | Livonia or Lee's Mill |
| Company Town: | 2 |
| Peak Town Size: | 200 before 1905 |
| Mill Pond: |  |
| Type of Mill: | Lumber, ginned cotton, and cornmeal
 Sawmill |
 Pine Sawmill |
Hardwood Sawmill |
Cypress Sawmill |
| Planer |
Planer Only |
Shingle |
Paper |
| Plywood |
Cotton |
Grist |
Unknown |
| Other |
|
|
|
|
| Power Source: | James A. Davis turbine Waterloo
| Horse |
Mule |
Oxen |
Water |
| Water Overshot |
Water Turbine |
Diesel |
Unknown |
| Pit |
Steam |
Steam Circular |
Steam Band |
| Gas |
Electricity |
Other |
|
|
| Maximum Capacity: | |
| Capacity Comments: | Unknown |
| Produced: |
| Rough Lumber |
Planed Lumber |
Crossties |
Timbers |
| Lathe |
Ceiling |
Unknown |
Beading |
| Flooring |
Paper |
Plywood |
Particle Board |
| Treated |
Other |
| |
|
| Equipment: | Combination cotton gin, gristmill, and a 50” circular sawmill |
| Company Tram: | |
| Associated Railroads: | Railway and express at Bethany |
| Historicial Development: | This sawmill site was located on the east bank of Caney Creek, about three miles northwest of Bonwier. In 1871 the community was known as Livonia. The Windham Bros built a combination gristmill and sawmill there in 1871. James R. Lee, with Moses Lee, bought the mill in 1879, and the name of the community changed to Lee's Mill.
James Lee's mill was noted in the edition of 1884 of the Rand, McNally and Company's Directory and Shipping Guide of Lumber Mills and Lumber Dealers. Population grew as high as 200 before 1905, according to Webb. When the Jasper & Eastern railroad built through in 1905, south of Lee's Mill, the town began to decline. |
| Research Date: | JKG 12-15-93, MCJ 01-23-96 |
| Prepared By: | J. Gerland, M Johnson |