Research: Sawmill Database

Alpha-Numeric Key: MO-108
Corporate Name: H. J. Montgomery
Local Name:
Owner Name: H. J. Montgomery. W. J. Fowler, T. S. Dunn.
Location: Tharp's Switch, eight miles east of Conroe, later Magnolia Switch
County: Montgomery
Years in Operation: 2 years
Start Year: 1889
End Year: 1890
Decades: 1880-1889,1890-1899
Period of Operation: 1889 to 1890
Town: Tharp's or Magnolia Switch
Company Town: 1
Peak Town Size: Unknown
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: 
Capacity Comments: Unknown
Produced:
Rough Lumber Planed Lumber Crossties Timbers
Lathe Ceiling Unknown Beading
Flooring Paper Plywood Particle Board
Treated Other
Equipment: Sawmill
Company Tram:
Associated Railroads: Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe
Historicial Development: Fowler & Dunn operated a sawmill at Tharp's, or Magnolia Switch in the later 1880s. The first record of Fowler & Dunn is a transaction on August 2, 1889, when they sold 168,000 feet to Theodore Keller. By October 1889, the partners had apparently ended their relationship. Fowler sold to Dunn for $3000 on October 2 his undivided 1/2 interest in the stock of groceries, one steam engine, two gang edgers, one cutoff saw, one Shay tram locomotive, four log cars, two wagons, and twelve yokes of oxen, all at the sawmill of the late Fowler & Dunn. On October 4, 1890, Dunn sold the mill to H. J. Montgomery (formerly of Montgomery & Company) for $9,700 to be paid in monthly notes in lumber. The assets included the former Santa Fe Lumber Company sawmill (including an engine, boiler, belting) and all logging property, eleven yokes of oxen, four log cars, one Shay locomotive, four log trucks, and uncut timber on Nichols, Hall and Rogers 100 acre tracts, the commissary and all its stock. H. J. Montgomery may have sold his stock to Plummer & Matthews.
Research Date: MCJ 03-20-96
Prepared By: M. Johnson