| Alpha-Numeric Key: | WK-67 |
| Corporate Name: | J. W. Weatherly and J. W. Pool |
| Local Name: | |
| Owner Name: | J. W. Weatherly and J. W. Pool. Christopher Columbus Murray. |
| Location: | On Midway Road near Bedias Creek, close to the Trinity River |
| County: | Walker |
| Years in Operation: | 4 years |
| Start Year: | 1879 |
| End Year: | 1882 |
| Decades: | 1870-1879,1880-1889 |
| Period of Operation: | 1879 to 1882 |
| Town: | Midway Road near Bedias Creek |
| Company Town: | 2 |
| Peak Town Size: | Unknown |
| Mill Pond: |  |
| Type of Mill: | Lumber
 Sawmill |
 Pine Sawmill |
Hardwood Sawmill |
Cypress Sawmill |
| Planer |
Planer Only |
Shingle |
Paper |
| Plywood |
Cotton |
Grist |
Unknown |
| Other |
|
|
|
|
| Power Source: | 60-horsepower steam engine
| Horse |
Mule |
Oxen |
Water |
| Water Overshot |
Water Turbine |
Diesel |
Unknown |
| Pit |
Steam |
Steam Circular |
Steam Band |
| Gas |
Electricity |
Other |
|
|
| Maximum Capacity: | |
| Capacity Comments: | 1,000,000 during the reporting period of the census |
| Produced: |
| Rough Lumber |
Planed Lumber |
Crossties |
Timbers |
| Lathe |
Ceiling |
Unknown |
Beading |
| Flooring |
Paper |
Plywood |
Particle Board |
| Treated |
Other |
| |
|
| Equipment: | Circular sawmill |
| Company Tram: | |
| Associated Railroads: | Unknown |
| Historicial Development: | The Christopher Columbus Murray sawmill was listed in Subdivision 2 for Walker County in the 1880 Census. The Census recorded the d capital value of the facility at $5,000. Murray employed twenty men. They were paid $.75 to $2.00 daily for eight-hour shifts in the winter and ten-hour shifts in the summer. Murray paid out a total of $2,000 in wages for twelve half-time months of operations. From $5,500 worth of sawlogs and supplies, the facility manufactured 1,000,000 feet of lumber for a value of $9,000. C. C. Murray, a thirty-eight year old native of Texas, was enumerated at residence 135, Precinct 2, as a “sawmill proprietor.” He was the ninth child of Walker County sawmiller Walter Murray.
The woods crews did their logging along the Trinity River.
A chattel mortgage filed in the county registers reveals that the steam sawmill was located “about 14 miles northwest of Huntsville near the Midway Road. . .”. Another mortgage, filed July 24, 1882, revealed that J. W. Weatherly and J. W. Pool had taken the mill: they contracted the “entire interest in all lumber cut by us . . . same mill that was owned by C. C. Murray. . .”.
|
| Research Date: | MCJ 03-31-96 |
| Prepared By: | M. Johnson |