Research: Sawmill Database

Alpha-Numeric Key: NE-7
Corporate Name: Boynton Lumber Company
Local Name:
Owner Name: Albert and Walter Boynton
Location: Logtown, just east of Bleakwood at 87 and 363
County: Newton
Years in Operation: 5 years
Start Year: 1908
End Year: 1912
Decades: 1900-1909,1910-1919
Period of Operation: 1908 until 1912
Town: Logtown
Company Town: 1
Peak Town Size: 700 in 1910
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: 50000: 1908
Capacity Comments: 50,000 feet daily
Produced:
Rough Lumber Planed Lumber Crossties Timbers
Lathe Ceiling Unknown Beading
Flooring Paper Plywood Particle Board
Treated Other
Equipment: A circular sawmill
Company Tram:
Associated Railroads: Orange and Northwestern and Gulf Beaumont & Kansas City (later Gulf Colorado and Santa Fe)
Historicial Development: Brothers Albert and Walter Boynton opened a 50,000-foot mill in Newton County about 1908. They chose a site for their mill, just east of Bleakwood, and named the town Logtown. Working about 100 men in the mills and in logging operations, the Boynton Brothers moved cut timber to the mill on a logging tram from the 3,000 acre pinery they owned. The company ran a commissary store and boarding house. Jeff Mitchell operated the boarding house; Charles Gee was the millwright; Walter Boynton was an owner and sawmill foreman, while Albert Boynton was an owner and the planer foreman. Logtown had about 700 residents at the time, but these numbers rapidly diminished when the brothers moved their mill to Sturgis (White City), San Augustine County. They would also operate a Boynton Lumber Company sawmill in Angelina County from about 1920 to 1931.
Research Date: JKG 12-10-93, MCJ 4-25-94
Prepared By: J. Gerland, M. Johnson