| Alpha-Numeric Key: | TY-63 |
| Corporate Name: | Tyler County Lumber Company |
| Local Name: | Hillister |
| Owner Name: | A. and L. Hutchins of Tyler County Lumber Company. W. M. Gilder of Express Lumber Company. William. R. McCarty of McCarty Sawmill. |
| Location: | Hillister, four miles north of Warren on the Texas & New Orleans |
| County: | Tyler |
| Years in Operation: | 25 years |
| Start Year: | 1882 |
| End Year: | 1906 |
| Decades: | 1880-1889,1890-1899,1900-1909 |
| Period of Operation: | About 1882 until sometime before June 1904, perhaps as early as 1896. |
| Town: | Hillister, north of Warren |
| Company Town: | 1 |
| Peak Town Size: | Tenant housing, commissary. |
| Mill Pond: |  |
| Type of Mill: | 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: | 15000: 1886 50000: 1890 30000: 1893 100000: 1906 |
| Capacity Comments: | 15,000 feet daily in 1886; 50,000 in 1890, and 30,000 in April 1893; 100,000 in 1906. |
| Produced: |
| Rough Lumber |
Planed Lumber |
Crossties |
Timbers |
| Lathe |
Ceiling |
Unknown |
Beading |
| Flooring |
Paper |
Plywood |
Particle Board |
| Treated |
Other |
| |
|
| Equipment: | Saw mill with a single circular and dry kilns. Tyler County Lbr Co probably used the planing mills at the Nona mill. |
| Company Tram: | |
| Associated Railroads: | Texas & New Orleans Company tram road |
| Historicial Development: | William R. McCarty left his partnership with T. J. Ridley in a mill north of Kountze in 1882, moved a few miles to the north, and became the first postmaster and sawmiller at Hillister. He had just a year earlier joined with J.T. Ridley in building one of the first sawmills at Kountze, and, likewise, he chose not to remain at Hillister very long, selling his mill interests sometime around 1884 to W. M. Gilder of the Express Lumber Company. By 1886, the mill was cutting only 15,000 feet daily and lay idle for at least sometime in early summer 1888. According to Van Sant, J. C. Hutchins owned a mill in the name of Express Lumber Company. It was about this time that Arthur and L. Hutchins, two brothers from Houston, purchased the mill and organized the Tyler County Lumber Company. Capacity was soon increased to 50,000, and it is probable that the Hutchins brothers used the planing mills at Nona in Hardin County to facilitate their products sawn at Hillister. Arthur Hutchins had previously operated the Nona mills, and it was reported in 1890 that the company was considering moving the 70,000-foot planing mill to Hillister, which it did that year.. Arthur Hutchins died in May 1891, leaving the company close to bankruptcy. American Lumberman reported in March 1906 that the Company was in the hands of receiver W. H. Norris. It was his intention to let the Company cut out its remaining timber during the following two years. S. F. Carter and W. H. Norris were receivers in 1907, according to the 1907 LCA reference, which identified the company at Warren rather than Hillister. John Delaney became the receiver of the Tyler County Lumber Company in July 1891, but was unsuccessful in returning it to its former capacity. It is believed that the mill, land, and timber holdings were auctioned off sometime around fall 1893. The mill was probably dismantled and sold by the Warren Land and Lbr. Co. A September 1890 news account revealed that the company at Hillister was employing around 150 men and operating three miles of narrow gauge tram road with one engine and fifteen log cars. Hillister was confused with Warren in 1906 in SILR. |
| Research Date: | JKG 8-1-93, MCJ 02-21-96 |
| Prepared By: | J. Gerland, M Johnson |