| Alpha-Numeric Key: | CK-46 |
| Corporate Name: | Alto Gin & Crate Company |
| Local Name: | |
| Owner Name: | Alto Gin and Crate Company. George Singletary & Alf Spears to Garrett Holcomb, to George Singletary, S. P. Fox. |
| Location: | Alto |
| County: | Cherokee |
| Years in Operation: | 24 years |
| Start Year: | 1905 |
| End Year: | 1928 |
| Decades: | 1900-1909,1910-1919,1920-1929 |
| Period of Operation: | 1904 to 1928 |
| Town: | Alto |
| Company Town: | 2 |
| Peak Town Size: | 576 in 1905; 3500 in 1928; 1053 in 1934 |
| Mill Pond: |  |
| Type of Mill: | Manufactured gum veneers for crates, and pressed cotton (under Fox), lumber
 Sawmill |
 Pine Sawmill |
Hardwood Sawmill |
Cypress Sawmill |
| Planer |
Planer Only |
Shingle |
Paper |
| Plywood |
Cotton |
Grist |
Unknown |
| Other |
|
|
|
|
| Power Source: | Unknown
| 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: | Rotary veneer mills, and cotton gin (under Fox), sawmill |
| Company Tram: | |
| Associated Railroads: | St. Louis Southwestern (Cotton Belt) |
| Historicial Development: | G. E. Singletary's crate manufacturing business in Alto appeared in the January 1905 published records of the Lumbermen's Credit Association. Singletary had taken on a partner by the end of 1906, for the firm of Singletary & Spears was listed in the credit firm's published records in January 1907.
Singletary & Spears sold the mill to Garrett Holcomb, who later sold it to S. P. Fox. This rotary veneer mill was producing gum veneer for crates at Alto in 1928. During Fox's time, the crate factory was part of a larger operation that included a cotton gin, and a sawmill three miles west of Alto.
The Alto Gin & Crate Company bought from J. C. Van Ordern for $226 a total of 18,832 feet in 1,500 sawlogs cut on the Van Order's land on the S. A. Duncan survey, Alto, Texas. |
| Research Date: | JKG 10-12-93, MCJ 01-24-96 |
| Prepared By: | J. Gerland, M. Johnson |