| Historicial Development: | Grogan-Cochran Lumber Company, following the fire that destroyed its mill at Magnolia in 1948, rebuilt the mill on land the company had bought. The old site had been leased. New equipment included a seven-foot band and a vertical resaw. The undamaged planer and dry kilns would be moved from the old site. By September, 1951, the mill had been operating for several weeks. An eight-foot band head rig, a Wheland carrier, a seven-foot resaw, a double edger, slashers and trimmers, and a straight line rip were among the new sawmill machinery. An automated drop sorter was also installed.
Another fire in August, 1952, ravaged the planer, the commissary, and consumed some lumber. Loss was estimated at $100,000. The plant was closed in March,1960, because it was not cost-effective. The closing of the plant eliminated more than 200 jobs with annual payroll of $700,000, according to The Texas Forest News.
A fire, on September 22, 1960, ravaged the planing mill, the lumber sheds, and quite a bit of lumber. The sawmill, however, was not damaged. |