| Alpha-Numeric Key: | SJ-77 |
| Corporate Name: | Texas Long Leaf Lumber Company |
| Local Name: | |
| Owner Name: | Texas Long Leaf Lumber Company. Formerly, Palmetto Lumber Company. Originally a Ford-Isbell Company sawmill. Also known as Oakhurst Lumber Company |
| Location: | Oakhurst |
| County: | San Jacinto |
| Years in Operation: | 33 years |
| Start Year: | 1902 |
| End Year: | 1934 |
| Decades: | 1900-1909,1910-1919,1920-1929,1930-1939 |
| Period of Operation: | 1902 to as late as 1935 |
| Town: | Oakhurst |
| Company Town: | 1 |
| Peak Town Size: | 200 in 1905; 1200 in 1928; 750 in 1934. |
| Mill Pond: |  |
| Type of Mill: | All grades of finished and unfinished yellow pine lumber and timbers. 1928: longleaf and shortleaf yellow pine.
 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: | 75000: 1906 100000: 1928 |
| Capacity Comments: | 75,000 feet daily in 1906. 1928: 100,000 feet. |
| Produced: |
| Rough Lumber |
Planed Lumber |
Crossties |
Timbers |
| Lathe |
Ceiling |
Unknown |
Beading |
| Flooring |
Paper |
Plywood |
Particle Board |
| Treated |
Other |
| |
|
| Equipment: | A complete sawmill with a single circular, dry kilns, and planing mill. 1928: band, planing mill, edgers, trimmers, dry kilns. |
| Company Tram: | |
| Associated Railroads: | Trinity Valley Southern, International & Great Northern |
| Historicial Development: | The Palmetto Lumber Company, a subsidiary of Ford-Isbell, was formed in late 1901 by A.C. Ford and T.P. Isbell of the recently organized lumber retail firm of Ford and Isbell, Ft. Worth, with a capital stock of $50,000. Both men were then only twenty-eight years old. They purchased ten thousand acres in San Jacinto County, and built their mill near Oakhurst, on the Trinity Valley Southern railroad, a few miles east of the International and Great Northern road at Dodge. By 1909, Ford handled almost all manufacturing at Oakhurst and Isbell the marketing of ‘Palmetto Finish.' Ford also purchased the adjoining mill of Columbia Lumber Company in 1909, acquiring Columbia's tapline, the Trinity Valley Southern Railroad in his own name. Ford-Isbell of Fort Worth marketed products of the Palmetto company, with the name of “Palmetto Finish.” Construction of Oakhurst mill began in late 1901 on the Trinity Valley Southern RR, a few miles east of the I&GN at Dodge. The mill was 75,000 foot capacity mill with no log pond. "Palmetto Finish" was its advertising slogan to portray superior excellence in grain of wood.
Sometime before 1928, the Sabine Lumber Company took over Palmetto Lumber sales and marketed its product under the manufacturing name of Oakhurst Lumber Company. In 1928, the band sawmill was cutting 100,000 feet daily. Timber was estimated at ten years in 1901. The company used a logging tram of standard gauge. Lufkin Foundry & Machinery technical drawings indicate that Palmetto Lumber at Oakhurst was planning on elevating its sawmill and installing hog conveyors. Eventually, the holding company for both Palmetto and Texas Long Leaf, the Sabine Lumber Company of Missouri, reorganized the manufacturing plant at Oakhurst under the name of Texas Long Leaf by 1934. A company letterhead dated June 29, 1935, lists “mills located at Trinity, Texas, New Willard, Texas, Oakhurst, Texas.”
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| Research Date: | JKG 8-23-93, MCJ 02-23-96 |
| Prepared By: | J. Gerland, M. Johnson |