| Alpha-Numeric Key: | CK-80 |
| Corporate Name: | Butter Gin & Crate Company |
| Local Name: | |
| Owner Name: | Butter Gin & Crate Company. W. A. Spears Lumber Company |
| Location: | Five miles northwest of Alto |
| County: | Cherokee |
| Years in Operation: | 17 years |
| Start Year: | 1928 |
| End Year: | 1944 |
| Decades: | 1920-1929,1930-1939,1940-1949 |
| Period of Operation: | 1928 to 1944 |
| Town: | Northwest of Alto |
| Company Town: | 2 |
| Peak Town Size: | 3500 in 1928; 1053 in 1934 |
| Mill Pond: |  |
| Type of Mill: | Manufactured black and red gum, red and white oak, shortleaf pine, crossties and shingles
 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: | 8000: 1928 |
| Capacity Comments: | 8,000 feet daily |
| Produced: |
| Rough Lumber |
Planed Lumber |
Crossties |
Timbers |
| Lathe |
Ceiling |
Unknown |
Beading |
| Flooring |
Paper |
Plywood |
Particle Board |
| Treated |
Other |
| |
|
| Equipment: | Circular saw mill and dry kilns |
| Company Tram: | |
| Associated Railroads: | St. Louis Southwestern (Cotton Belt) |
| Historicial Development: | The W. A. Spears Lumber Company mill plant appeared in the 1928 edition of the Southern Lumberman's sawmill directory. Lufkin Daily News reported in 1943 that the sawmill had been operating northwest of Alto for many years.
W. A. Spears sold to the Butter Gin & Crate Company “1 complete sawmill, carriage, saws, Allis-Chalmers PU, mill shed, machinery known as the the Spears sawmill” for $2300 in 1944. |
| Research Date: | JKG 10-12-93, MCJ 01-24-96 |
| Prepared By: | J. Gerland, M Johnson |