Research: Sawmill Database

Alpha-Numeric Key: AG-5
Corporate Name: B. L. Zeagler Lumber Company
Local Name:
Owner Name: B. L. Zeagler Lumber Company. A. L. Boynton Lumber Company. Philip A. Ryan Lumber Company.
Location: Lufkin: Wilson and Cotton
County: Angelina
Years in Operation: 42 years
Start Year: 1916
End Year: 1957
Decades: 1910-1919,1920-1929,1930-1939,1940-1949,1950-1959
Period of Operation: Ryan, 1916; Boynton, 1927; Zeagler 1931, to 1957.
Town: Lufkin
Company Town: 1
Peak Town Size: Twenty tenant houses during the Zeagler ownership
Mill Pond:
Type of Mill: Ryan: Hardwoodsoak, ash, hickory, and gums. Boynton and Zeagler: Pine and hardwoods; crossties, timbers, furniture and vehicle dimension stock.
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: 40000: 191650000: 192820000: 1957
Capacity Comments: Initially, 40,000 daily, 50,000 in 1928, 20,000 feet daily during later years.
Produced:
Rough Lumber Planed Lumber Crossties Timbers
Lathe Ceiling Unknown Beading
Flooring Paper Plywood Particle Board
Treated Other
Equipment: A circular sawmill, planing mill, dry kilns. Later band resaw, edgers, trimmers.
Company Tram:
Associated Railroads: St Louis Southwestern.
Historicial Development: The P. A. Ryan Lumber Company relocated from Tennessee to Lufkin. Ryan ran hardwood sawmills at Onalaska (sold to West), Pollok, and in 1916 at Lufkin. Boynton Lumber Company bought the Ryan mill at Lufkin in 1927 and sold it to B. L. Zeagler in 1931. The Lufkin News reported in 1916 that the Philip A. Ryan Lumber Company “cuts 40,000 feet a day and has a pay roll of $5,000 per month.” The Gulf Coast Lumberman noted in 1918 that it was a hardwood mill. A letter from E. L. Kurth to J. W. Link of the Kirby Lumber Company in November 1928 revealed that the Boynton mill at Lufkin had a 50,000 board feet per day capacity, and, although then temporarily shut down to conserve timber reserves, it was cutting both pine and hardwoods. Zeagler Lumber company organized in 1931 and incorporated in 1938. The mill burned in 1942, and, as of October 1943, the new mill was still under construction while a small mill continued operations. Lee B. Zeagler was vice-president and general manager from 1938 to 1952. During the later years of operation, the mill normally cut about 20,000 feet of lumber daily, although it had a much larger capacity. The company was listed in Samson's Directory of Wood-Using and Related Industries in East Texas in 1957 and went out of business shortly thereafter.
Research Date: JKG 12-27-93, MCJ 12-04-95
Prepared By: J. Gerland, M Johnson