Research: Sawmill Database

Alpha-Numeric Key: PK-120
Corporate Name: T. L. Hackney Lumber Company
Local Name: T.L. Hackney Lumber Company
Owner Name: T. L. Hackney Lumber Company
Location: Valda: at Bering on Highway 59
County: Polk
Years in Operation: 17 years
Start Year: 1890
End Year: 1906
Decades: 1890-1899,1900-1909
Period of Operation: About 1890 to 1906
Town: Valda
Company Town: 1
Peak Town Size: Unknown
Mill Pond:
Type of Mill: 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: 55000: 189360000: 189075000: 1904
Capacity Comments: In 1893, 55,000 feet daily to at least 1895; 60,000, 1900; 75,000, 1904.
Produced:
Rough Lumber Planed Lumber Crossties Timbers
Lathe Ceiling Unknown Beading
Flooring Paper Plywood Particle Board
Treated Other
Equipment: Sawmill
Company Tram:
Associated Railroads: Houston, East & West Texas at Valda (Bering Spur) with a company tram road.
Historicial Development: Tom Hackney, a longtime sawmiller of Polk County with several mill sites, built what would become a large mill at Valda, near Bering Spur, by 1890. The spur connected the mill with the Houston East & West Texas. Over the years Hackney increased the daily capacity to 70,000 board feet. At times, he had to stop the mill because of overproduction. Hackney wrote to M. T. Jones in January 1895 that he had stopped production at his mill because of the current prices. He offered his entire stock of four million feet at his yard to Jones. The mill continued cutting until about 1906, when the “let the light in” style of operation had leveled the surrounding pineries. Hackney constructed a company logging tram road. Ruth Peebles wrote that he had used a wooden tram at his Lone Star mill. Keeling noted that Hackney used a steam narrow gauge rod locomotive on his tram at Valda. T.L. Hackney was David C. Hackney's brother. A Hackney mill existed at Menard in 1901. Other Hackney holdings were at Seven Oaks, Phoenix, Chink, Lone Star, and Moscow, in Polk County. Because of the large amount of lumber milled daily, it is probable that a planing mill had been installed at the site by 1895.
Research Date: JKG 8-4-93, MCJ 02-27-96
Prepared By: J. Gerland, M Johnson