Research: Sawmill Database

Alpha-Numeric Key: HA-72
Corporate Name: Harrison County Lumber Company
Local Name:
Owner Name: Joseph William Ogburn Lumber Co. Sloan Lumber Company, with W. L. Sloan and J. S. York. Harrison County Lumber Company.
Location: Marshall
County: Harrison
Years in Operation: 19 years
Start Year: 1890
End Year: 1908
Decades: 1890-1899,1900-1909
Period of Operation: 1890s to 1908
Town: Marshall
Company Town: 2
Peak Town Size: 7,855 in 1905
Mill Pond:
Type of Mill: Southern pine 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: 25000: 1893
Capacity Comments: 25,000 feet daily in 1893
Produced:
Rough Lumber Planed Lumber Crossties Timbers
Lathe Ceiling Unknown Beading
Flooring Paper Plywood Particle Board
Treated Other
Equipment: Sloan: sawmill. Ogburn: Possibly a planing mill center for Ogburn Lumber and contract sawmills
Company Tram:
Associated Railroads: Texas & Pacific, Texas Southern (later Marshall & East Texas)
Historicial Development: W. L. Sloan had been sawmilling in Harrison County prior to 1893 when his mill was listed as cutting 25,000 feet daily. In 1904, J. S. York mortgaged his 1/3rd interest in the company to W. L. Sloan. The mortgage reveals the sawmill was located on T. H. Craig's land about ten miles southwest of Marshall. Logging was done with thirteen mules, four log wagons, and four road wagons. Sloan Lumber Company was listed in the 1905 issue of Reference Book of the Lumbermen's Credit Association. In a 1907 listing of the four companies reference in 1905, only Sloan Lumber Company had been dropped, and only Ogburn Lumber Company had been added. Thus, it appears that Ogburn had bought out Sloan. Ogburn had a sawmill on the Jefferson Road in Wood County as early as 1900, possibly at Merrimac. Ogburn also had a sawmill at Merrimac in Wood County from 1905. It appears that it was expanding into the Marshall market. In 1906, Ogburn contracted Sawyer & Suggs for its sawmill cut. The same year, the company bought land from J. W. Nesbitt in order to run a tram road about four miles northwest of Marshall. S. J. Nesbitt contracted to provide the Ogburn planing mill at Marshall with lumber for seven months in 1906. The Harrison County Lumber Company succeeded Ogburn in 1908.
Research Date: MCJ 04-10-96
Prepared By: M. Johnson