Research: Sawmill Database

Alpha-Numeric Key: AG-9
Corporate Name: Pine Island Lumber Company
Local Name: Pine Island
Owner Name: Pine Island Lumber Company with Foster Lumber Company. Henderson Land & Lumber Company. Pine Island Lumber Company. Simon Henderson. Pine Island: R. A. Caruthers, A. J. Caruthers, Lee Caruthers, A. P. McCormick.
Location: Pine Island, about two miles south of Highway s 103 west and 7 south
County: Angelina
Years in Operation: 3 years
Start Year: 1901
End Year: 1903
Decades: 1900-1909
Period of Operation: Built in 1900 or 1901; ceased operations when the Henderson Land and Lumber leased properties in 1903.
Town: Pine Island
Company Town: 1
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: Steam
Horse Mule Oxen Water
Water Overshot Water Turbine Diesel Unknown
Pit Steam Steam Circular Steam Band
Gas Electricity Other
Maximum Capacity: 40000
Capacity Comments: Estimated 40,000 feet daily.
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: Eastern Texas Railway. Pine Island is identified on the 1912 Railroad Commission of Texas official map.
Historicial Development: The Pine Island Lumber Company mill was located about two miles due south of the juncture of Highways 103 and 7. Although the corporation d its intent “to construct, own and operate, saw and planing mills, at Clawson,” the mill was built at Pine Island, not at Clawson. The site is still known as Pine Island because of the resulting “island” formed by the old and new channels of the Neches River at that point. The company was incorporated in March 1900 by stockholders of the Clawson Lumber Company, mainly R. A. Caruthers. with a capital stock of $30,000. The Company acquired 4505 acres along the east bank of the Neches River in April 1900. Financing had been handled by A. J. Caruthers and the Foster Lumber Company. In 1900, Pine Island was receiving lumber from J. J. Bonner Timber Company, a contract logging outfit. By April 1902, Foster cancelled its liens and Caruthers gave a quitclaim to Pine Island Lumber Company. In early 1902, negotiations for trackage rights were conducted with the newly built Eastern Texas Railroad, the chartered logging road of the 4-C mill in Houston County, which rails intersected the “Pine Island district.” In Eastern Texas Railroad Company correspondence, the Pine Island mill is referred to as the “Caruthers mill.” When the Henderson Land and Lumber Company acquired the properties of the Pine Island Lumber Company in 1903, unknown whether purchase or lease, the owners decided not to operate the mill. The Burnett Lumber Company bought the plant and moved it to Durst Station in 1907.
Research Date: JKG 9-23-94, MCJ 12-04-95
Prepared By: J. Gerland, M Johnson