Research: Sawmill Database

Alpha-Numeric Key: GR-17
Corporate Name: Holliday & Shilkee Lumber Company
Local Name:
Owner Name: Alf Bennet Lumber Company of St Louis was managing the output of Holliday & Shilkee Lumber Company by February 1910. Miller-Vidor Lumber Company. Todd. Will Jeanes.
Location: Todd, seven miles from Plantersville
County: Grimes
Years in Operation: 10 years
Start Year: 1902
End Year: 1911
Decades: 1900-1909,1910-1919
Period of Operation: About 1902 to sometime after 1910
Town: Todd
Company Town: 1
Peak Town Size: Unknown
Mill Pond:
Type of Mill: Rough and finished lumber
Sawmill Pine Sawmill Hardwood Sawmill Cypress Sawmill
Planer Planer Only Shingle Paper
Plywood Cotton Grist Unknown
Other
Power Source: Steam with dry kilns
Horse Mule Oxen Water
Water Overshot Water Turbine Diesel Unknown
Pit Steam Steam Circular Steam Band
Gas Electricity Other
Maximum Capacity: 35000: 1909
Capacity Comments: 35,000 feet daily about 1909
Produced:
Rough Lumber Planed Lumber Crossties Timbers
Lathe Ceiling Unknown Beading
Flooring Paper Plywood Particle Board
Treated Other
Equipment: A complete sawmill with a circular and planing mills.
Company Tram:
Associated Railroads: International & Great Northern
Historicial Development: A Mr. Todd built the first sawmill at the location that became known as Todd in Grimes County. The I&GN built through the area about 1902, and the mill would probably date from about that time. The mill reportedly had six planing mills under one roof. White workers lived on the west side of the facility and blacks lived on the east side. The mill went into receivership and was operated by Will Jeanes. Will Jeanes had done earlier logging about a mile and a half north of the sawmill, in the general area of the Dyer mill. His company tram road included rolling stock consisting of a dinky. Miller-Vidor apparently took over for Jeanes, and it was reported in July 1909 that William Holliday had “recently” acquired the Todd sawmill and timber from the Miller & Vidor Lumber Company. Holliday was also a director of the Alf Bennett Lumber Company and the Dayton Lumber Company of Dayton, Texas. The output of the Todd mill was managed by the Alf Bennett Lumber Company by February 1910. In 1909 the company town consisted of a commissary, a boarding house, and around forty rent houses. The sawmill plant consisted of the saw mill, a planing mill, steam dry kilns, and lumber sheds. Tram mileage was four miles in July 1909.
Research Date: JKG 8-19-93, MCJ 03-04-96
Prepared By: J. Gerland, M. Johnson