Research: Sawmill Database

Alpha-Numeric Key: HD-47
Corporate Name: Louisiana-Pacific Corporation
Local Name:
Owner Name: Louisiana-Pacific Corporation with Kirby Forest Industries. Kirby Lumber Corporation. Evans Products Co.
Location: Silsbee, directly across the highway from Kirby Lumber Corporation
County: Hardin
Years in Operation: 30 years
Start Year: 1967
End Year: 1996
Decades: 1960-1969,1970-1979,1980-1989,1990-1999
Period of Operation: 1967 until scrapped in 1988
Town: Silsbee
Company Town: 2
Peak Town Size: Unknown
Mill Pond:
Type of Mill: Particle-board for underlayment, and in furniture and cabinet manufacturing
Sawmill Pine Sawmill Hardwood Sawmill Cypress Sawmill
Planer Planer Only Shingle Paper
Plywood Cotton Grist Unknown
Other
Power Source: Electric and steam
Horse Mule Oxen Water
Water Overshot Water Turbine Diesel Unknown
Pit Steam Steam Circular Steam Band
Gas Electricity Other
Maximum Capacity: 
Capacity Comments: 200 tons daily in 1967
Produced:
Rough Lumber Planed Lumber Crossties Timbers
Lathe Ceiling Unknown Beading
Flooring Paper Plywood Particle Board
Treated Other
Equipment: Particle-board plant.
Company Tram:
Associated Railroads: Unknown
Historicial Development: Evans Products Co built a particle-board plant at Silsbee in 1966, which began operations the following January. The plant was sold to the Kirby Lumber Corporation in 1973. Kirby Lumber planned to demolish most of the complex and rebuild a pollution-free plant on the thirty-three acres. The new plant would would create 100 new jobs with an annual payroll of $1,000,000l, which was a considerable portion of the $9,000,000 paid in east Hardin County every year. Louisiana-Pacific Corp bought Kirby Lumber Company in 1986. A letter to researcher Jonathan Gerland revealed that after Santa Fe sold Kirby Lumber Corporation to Louisiana-Pacific that “all manufacturing facilities at Silsbee (plywood, sawmill, particleboard) were shut down. The plywood and sawmill were scrapped in 1987-1988.” The particleboard plant was started up in 1990 and an OSB plant was built.
Research Date: MCJ 03-13-96
Prepared By: M Johnson