| Alpha-Numeric Key: | SH-45 |
| Corporate Name: | Craven Lumber Company |
| Local Name: | |
| Owner Name: | Craven Lumber Company of Dallas. Johns & ForeyA. D. Johns, H. R. Forey (H. R. Fory), and J. K. Graham. |
| Location: | Timpson |
| County: | Shelby |
| Years in Operation: | 7 years |
| Start Year: | 1900 |
| End Year: | 1906 |
| Decades: | 1900-1909 |
| Period of Operation: | 1900s |
| Town: | Timpson |
| Company Town: | 1 |
| Peak Town Size: | 978 in 1905 |
| Mill Pond: |  |
| Type of Mill: | Flooring, ceiling, basing, casing, drop-siding, and bevel-siding
 Sawmill |
 Pine Sawmill |
Hardwood Sawmill |
Cypress Sawmill |
| Planer |
Planer Only |
Shingle |
Paper |
| Plywood |
Cotton |
Grist |
Unknown |
| Other |
|
|
|
|
| Power Source: | 10-inch by 16-inch Henderson steam engine and a 52-inch by 14-foot Henderson boiler
| Horse |
Mule |
Oxen |
Water |
| Water Overshot |
Water Turbine |
Diesel |
Unknown |
| Pit |
Steam |
Steam Circular |
Steam Band |
| Gas |
Electricity |
Other |
|
|
| Maximum Capacity: | 30000: 1906 |
| Capacity Comments: | 30,000 feet daily |
| Produced: |
| Rough Lumber |
Planed Lumber |
Crossties |
Timbers |
| Lathe |
Ceiling |
Unknown |
Beading |
| Flooring |
Paper |
Plywood |
Particle Board |
| Treated |
Other |
| |
|
| Equipment: | Sawmill and planing mill and yard |
| Company Tram: | |
| Associated Railroads: | Houston East and West Texas, and Texas & New Orleans intersect at Timpson; Texas and Gulf (Waterman tram road) |
| Historicial Development: | The Johns & Forey mill were planing rough lumber for other local mills into finished products in 1903. The Craven Lumber Company of Dallas bought the Johns and Forey Lumber Company planing mill and lumber yard at Timpson in November 1904 and closed the plant for repairing. It was scheduled to begin planing operations in early December. As of July 1905 the new owners had overhauled the equipment, and were currently connecting to the Houston East and West Texas railroad and erecting tank, pumps, and standpipe for fire protection. A sawmill was added by 1907, and the company had also acquired another planing mill in Nacogdoches.
H. R. Fory with J. B. Bussey bought the Timpson Handle Company in 1906 and completely rebuilt the gasoline-powered plant that fall. Employing thirty-five men and boys in the plant and others in hauling and logging, Fory and Bussey could produce out 3,600 handles daily. The Southern Industrial and Lumber Review reported that “The Timpson Handle Co of Timpson, Tx has recently filed an amendment to its charter increasing the ability of the concern to purchase additional machinery, and increase the output of their plant. This is a concern that started a few years ago on a very small scale, and began making implement handles, principally handles for axes, cant hooks and other mill tools. . . . At the present time the plant at Timpson is running night and day. They are shipping handles in every direction, many going down into Mexico.” The plant burned in 1912 and was not rebuilt.
J. A. Parrish owned a sawmill about two miles southeast of Woods Post Office in Panola County. In July of 1906, he sold “our” sawmill to J. B. Burns for $1,700, $1,300 in cash and a $400 note to Craven Lumber Company, which had a note on the Parrish mill. |
| Research Date: | JKG 10-14-93, MCJ 02-29-96 |
| Prepared By: | J. Gerland, M. Johnson |