| Alpha-Numeric Key: | PA-9 |
| Corporate Name: | W. R. Ragley & Sons |
| Local Name: | Ragley Lumber Company |
| Owner Name: | W. G. Ragley. Martin J. and Frank J. Ragley. A. H. Schluter. |
| Location: | Ragley: Highways 1971 and 959 |
| County: | Panola |
| Years in Operation: | 13 years |
| Start Year: | 1900 |
| End Year: | 1912 |
| Decades: | 1900-1909,1910-1919 |
| Period of Operation: | 1900 to June 1912 |
| Town: | Ragley |
| Company Town: | 1 |
| Peak Town Size: | 900 in 1905 with 102 tenant houses |
| Mill Pond: |  |
| Type of Mill: | Pine products
| 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: | 100000: 1906 |
| Capacity Comments: | 100,000 feet daily in 1906 |
| Produced: |
| Rough Lumber |
Planed Lumber |
Crossties |
Timbers |
| Lathe |
Ceiling |
Unknown |
Beading |
| Flooring |
Paper |
Plywood |
Particle Board |
| Treated |
Other |
| |
|
| Equipment: | Sawmill and planing mill. Double band rig until 1910 when burned and rebuilt as single band rig. |
| Company Tram: | |
| Associated Railroads: | Houston East and West Texas at Timpson and the International & Great Northern at Henderson. The company shortline and tram logging road, the Timpson & Northwestern Railway (later the Timpson & Henderson Railway) |
| Historicial Development: | The Ragley Lumber Company was built in 1900 at Ragley, Texas, by W. G. Ragley, a sawmiller of northeast Texas. The mill was situated about ten miles from Timpson. Ragley executed a Deed of Trust to F. P. Wilson, of Harrison County, in 1901 on his equipment, lands, and tramways in order to secure operating capital. The lumber company was incorporated on May 29, 1902. Ragley executed a Deed to the Ragley Lumber Company on June 16, 1902, including all Ragley properties, to wit: sawmills planing mills, a shingle mill, kilns, “dwellings and other houses”, etc. The double banded sawmill was housed in a 54-foot by 180-foot building. Cutting capacity was rated at 100,000 board feet per day. A planing mill boiler house fire on August 5, 1903, resulted in a $65,000 loss to the company when the planing building and yards were destroyed by flames. The structures were soon rebuilt, however, but care was taken by building well away from the potentially dangerous boilers.
The firm operated a typical mill town. The races were segregated socially and materially, but problems did occur. (See the accompany commentary for further information.)
In 1910 the sawmill itself burned, and it was replaced with only a single band mill which was constructed to finish the remaining timber around Ragley. The mill was reported “shut down for good” in the July 1912 issue of Southern Industrial and Lumber Review. The Ragley company relocated to Louisiana and other areas in Texas. |
| Research Date: | JKG 12-10-93, MCJ 02-08-96 |
| Prepared By: | J. Gerland, M. Johnson |