Research: Sawmill Database

Alpha-Numeric Key: LI-94
Corporate Name: Stewart Liken
Local Name:
Owner Name: Stewart Liken
Location: Dever's Woods, about fifteen miles west of Liberty, on the Texas & New Or.
County: Liberty
Years in Operation: 19 years
Start Year: 1879
End Year: 1897
Decades: 1870-1879,1880-1889,1890-1899
Period of Operation: Built by 1879 and destroyed by a hurricane in September 1897
Town: Dever's Woods
Company Town: 2
Peak Town Size: Unknown
Mill Pond:
Type of Mill: Lumber and (later) grain.
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: 
Capacity Comments: 1,675, 000 feet of lumber during the reporting period of the Census
Produced:
Rough Lumber Planed Lumber Crossties Timbers
Lathe Ceiling Unknown Beading
Flooring Paper Plywood Particle Board
Treated Other
Equipment: Sawmill only in 1880, cutting shortleaf pine with two circular saws. Later, sawmill, planing mill, and grist mill.
Company Tram:
Associated Railroads: Texas and New Orleans
Historicial Development: A record of S. Liken's sawmill at Dever's Woods, Liberty County, appeared in the Northwestern Lumberman's 1880 published directory of Southern sawmills. The plant grew from a sawmill to an operation that included a planing mill and a grist mill. Liken died shortly before his mill was destroyed by the great hurricane of September 13, 1897. It is uncertain if the mill was rebuilt. The Manuscript Census of 1880, reporting for June 1, 1879 to May 31, 1880, detailed the business operations of the sawmill. The sawmill, d a capital value of $3,000, worked twelve men at peak,and ten normally. The employees received daily wages of $1.25 to $3.00 for ten-hours days during the winter and twelve hour days during the summer. Likens paid a total wage of $2,500. From a total value of $8,536 of supplies and sawlogs, the sawmill manufactured 1,675,000 feet of lumber, valued at a gross worth of $15,000. The mill operated eight months full time of the twelve months of the reporting period.
Research Date: JKG 12-14-93, MCJ 03-14-96
Prepared By: J Gerland, M Johnson