Research: Sawmill Database

Alpha-Numeric Key:	OR-36
Corporate Name:	Orange Sawmill Company
Local Name:
Owner Name:	Orange Sawmill Company was a subdivision of Miller-Vidor Lumber Company. A.E. Smith & Sons.
Location:	A mile north of Orange, on Cypress Bayou
County:	Orange
Years in Operation:	27 years
Start Year:	1884
End Year:	1910
Decades:	1880-1889,1890-1899,1900-1909,1910-1919
Period of Operation:	Began as shingle mill in 1884; properties to the Orange Sawmill Company (Miller-Vidor) in 1907; to 1910.
Town:	A mile north of Orange, on Cypress Bayou
Company Town:	1
Peak Town Size:	7,000 in 1906
Mill Pond:
Type of Mill:	Shingles until 1884 and lumber added in 1902 Sawmill Pine Sawmill Hardwood Sawmill Cypress Sawmill Planer Planer Only Shingle Paper Plywood Cotton Grist Unknown Other
Power Source:	Steam, two boilers Horse Mule Oxen Water Water Overshot Water Turbine Diesel Unknown Pit Steam Steam Circular Steam Band Gas Electricity Other
Maximum Capacity:	50000: 1902125000: 1906
Capacity Comments:	Sawmill grew from 50,000 feet daily in 1902 to 125,000 feet by 1906.
Produced:	Rough Lumber Planed Lumber Crossties Timbers Lathe Ceiling Unknown Beading Flooring Paper Plywood Particle Board Treated Other
Equipment:	Shingle mill in 1884 and sawmill added in 1902
Company Tram:
Associated Railroads:	Orange & Northwestern Rwy (Kirby tram); Texas & New Orleans Rwy (Southern Pacific).
Historicial Development:	A. E. Smith built a shingle mill less than a mile north of Orange in 1884. He added a sawmill with a 50,000 feet per day capacity in 1902. Smith and his sons incorporated in May 1906. Improvements were made, for, by 1906, the sawmill was rated at 125,000 feet per day. The Cypress Bayou was used for log storage. A boom two miles long, known as the Alexander Gilmer boom, could hold fifty million feet of logs if needed. The mill manufactured both lumber and shingles from both pine and cypress. Pine, however, was used predominantly, for about two-thirds of production. Cypress was generally manufactured during the latter months of the year. By 1900, the mill had closed several times because of the scarcity of raw material. Smith converted his shingle mill into a 50,000-ft sawmill early that. The American Lumberman reported on March 24, 1900, that the sawmill was functioning and in operation. Smith's mill properties were transferred to the Orange Sawmill Company (Miller-Vidor) in January and February of 1907. The Miller- Vidor Lumber Company organized the Orange Sawmill Company in 1907 with C. L. Hannah as manager. The company employed about 150 people. Key personnel included C. L. Hannah, superintendent; Oscar Smith, bookkeeper; Alfred M. McKinley, planing mill foreman; C. F. Balter, sawmill foreman; T. L. Cour, shipping clerk; and T. G. S. Goodwin, river foreman. The mill manufactured both lumber and shingles, being supplied with logs from north of the mill, along the Sabine River. Lumber was shipped by rail via the one mile long company railroad which connected with the Southern Pacific railways and by water from Cypress Bayou to Sabine Pass. On August 4 or 10, 1910, a fire burned down the mill, with the exception of the Moran “dry” kilns and several sheds; the loss was in excess of $100,000. Although C. L. Hannah, the mill superintendent at Orange, thought a rebuilt mill at Orange could be supplied with timber for fifty more years, it is believed Miller-Vidor chose not to rebuild.
Research Date:	MCJ 04-15-96
Prepared By:	M. Johnson