Research: Sawmill Database

Alpha-Numeric Key: SJ-20
Corporate Name: Farmer Lumber Company
Local Name:
Owner Name: Farmer Lumber Co. Farmer Stave & Lumber Co. Elbert Farmer. D. C. Sewell
Location: Shepherd, on the F. D. Knight property
County: San Jacinto
Years in Operation: 10 years
Start Year: 1943
End Year: 1952
Decades: 1940-1949,1950-1959
Period of Operation: 1943 to 1952
Town: Shepherd
Company Town: 0
Peak Town Size: Unknown
Mill Pond:
Type of Mill: Rough and finished lumber
Sawmill Pine Sawmill Hardwood Sawmill Cypress Sawmill
Planer Planer Only Shingle Paper
Plywood Cotton Grist Unknown
Other
Power Source: Two International power unit
Horse Mule Oxen Water
Water Overshot Water Turbine Diesel Unknown
Pit Steam Steam Circular Steam Band
Gas Electricity Other
Maximum Capacity: 
Capacity Comments: Unknown
Produced:
Rough Lumber Planed Lumber Crossties Timbers
Lathe Ceiling Unknown Beading
Flooring Paper Plywood Particle Board
Treated Other
Equipment: 1943: Frick sawmill and, later, planing mill with a Hall and Brown Mod. 1952: planer-matcher
Company Tram:
Associated Railroads: Houston East & West Texas
Historicial Development: D. C. Sewell mortgaged to Farmers Bank of Cleveland, in 1943, a power unit, a Frick sawmill, a cutoff saw, and a Ford truck. mortgaged to Peoples Bank of Shepherd, on January 25, 1946, for a planer-matcher and an International power unit. The following month Sewell mortgaged for a 1944 model Caterpillar tractor and two Nabors log trailors. Several days later, Sewell mortgaged a Hall & Brown planer and an International motor. He remortgaged the planer-matcher and the power unit. When he mortgaged his cut on August 15, 1946, the papers revealed that his mill site was at Shepherd and he was logging on the Beverly land west of Highway 59. He mortgaged to Peoples Bank of Shepherd, in 1948, his sawlogs, milled lumber, the planer, a tractor, a truck, and three trailers. On March 30, 1949, D. C. Sewell mortgaged a Hobbs log trailer. By 1949, Farmer had a mortgage on the sawmill property, and, in December, 1949, and in 1951, respectively, the company was referred to as the Farmer Stave and Lumber Co and the Farmer Lumber Co.
Research Date: MCJ 02-23-96
Prepared By: M. Johnson