| Alpha-Numeric Key: | MO-252 |
| Corporate Name: | Trinity River Lumber Company (Isaac Conroe) |
| Local Name: | |
| Owner Name: | Trinity River Lumber Company was a division of the Foster Lumber Company (Theodore Keller)
Isaac Conroe |
| Location: | Beach, about two and a half to three miles east of Conroe |
| County: | Montgomery |
| Years in Operation: | 22 years |
| Start Year: | 1885 |
| End Year: | 1906 |
| Decades: | 1880-1889,1890-1899,1900-1909 |
| Period of Operation: | Built at least by 1885 by Isaac Conroe; mill closed on June 1, 1906 operations transferred to Fostoria |
| Town: | Beach, about two and a half to three miles east of Conroe |
| 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
| Horse |
Mule |
Oxen |
Water |
| Water Overshot |
Water Turbine |
Diesel |
Unknown |
| Pit |
Steam |
Steam Circular |
Steam Band |
| Gas |
Electricity |
Other |
|
|
| Maximum Capacity: | 15000: 1886 60000: 1889 135000: 1904 60000: 1906 |
| Capacity Comments: | 15,000 feet daily to 60,000 feet from 1885 to 1889;135,000 feet in 1904, 60,000 feet daily later |
| Produced: |
| Rough Lumber |
Planed Lumber |
Crossties |
Timbers |
| Lathe |
Ceiling |
Unknown |
Beading |
| Flooring |
Paper |
Plywood |
Particle Board |
| Treated |
Other |
| |
|
| Equipment: | Conroe: a small single circular (15,000 feet) and in 1896 a double circular (60,000 feet); Trinity River: probably double band and planing mill. |
| Company Tram: | |
| Associated Railroads: | Santa Fe, with connections to International & Great Northern at Conroe, about two miles distant. |
| Historicial Development: | Isaac Conroe was one of Montgomery County's most enduring sawmillers before 1900. His main offices and a sawmill were at Conroe but he operated mill locations at Egypt, about two miles to the southwest of the town; Haltom, location unknown; and his large sawmill at Beach, two miles east of Conroe, which he later sold to Trinity River Lumber Company.
The Beach sawmill may have operated from as early as 1881 by Isaac Conroe. Conroe bought about 1092 acres patented to J. G. Smith in the Clark Beach league on January 1, 1881, for $486. Conroe later bought, on July 16, 1894, 1,331 acres from F. A. Talley & Company. Conroe died in 1897. His son, William N. Conroe and daughters, Effie Conroe and Rowena Hart, sold the company to Theodore Keller of the Trinity River Lumber Company, on February 28, 1899. William and Effie Conroe and their sister Rowena Hart sold to Trinity River for $5,000 a total of 792 acres of Clark Beach league, that may have been earlier sold to Isaac Conroe by Keystone Mills Company, on July 12, 1900. They also for $9,730 delivered to Trinity River all lumber stacked at the Beach sawmill. The Conroes may have leased the mill from Trinity River until July 1904. On July 15, 1904, the mill was leased to J. W. Hobbs, who operated it until it closed. Southern Industrial and Lumber Review recorded that J. W. Hobbs was manufacturing lumber at a cut 0f 60,000 feet daily in 1906.
The mill was “permanently closed” on June 1, 1906, according to the American Lumberman, with operations transferred to Fostoria.
|
| Research Date: | JKG 10-13-93, MCJ 03-21-96 |
| Prepared By: | J. Gerland, M. Johnson |