BIG LAKES BOX COMPANY
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Klamath County - Lake Ewauna
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April 18, 1917: "The Oregon-California Box Company, which was organized and purchased the plant of the Savidge Bros. Lumber Company, has changed the name to the Big Lakes Lumber Company. The old Savidge Bros. plant is being rearranged for box manufacture and it is announced that operations will commence about June 1 with a force of about fifty men and a cut of ten million feet for the year." (The Evening Herald)
August 19, 1920: "Henry Astrup, 55, dropped dead of heart failure at the Big Lakes box factory this morning, while working alone cleaning a shed. He was found by J. B. Baggett, a fellow worker. Dr. Lamb was called but the aged man was dead when discovered." (The Evening Herald)
October 13, 1920: "With four million feet of logs on hand to insure a supply for a steady winter run, the new mill of the Big Lakes Box company started sawing yesterday. The machinery was turned over Monday for the first time and gathered more headway yesterday. Today the plant is running well, reports F. Hill Hunter, of the Sawmill Engineering and Construction company, who engineered it from the blueprint stage to completion, and although it will take two or three weeks to 'tune it up,' in shape for steady operation.
The mill is steam-driven, with a single band outfit, and has a capacity of 45,000 feet of lumber in an eight-hour shift. The crew at present consists of 18 men.
The mill was started last May and would have been finished sooner but delay in freight shipments of material were encountered from the start and delayed construction greatly." (The Evening Herald)
The mill is steam-driven, with a single band outfit, and has a capacity of 45,000 feet of lumber in an eight-hour shift. The crew at present consists of 18 men.
The mill was started last May and would have been finished sooner but delay in freight shipments of material were encountered from the start and delayed construction greatly." (The Evening Herald)
December 29, 1920: "J. A. Leach, bookkeeper for the Big Lakes Box company, returned last night from Drain where they spent Christmas with relatives." (The Evening Herald)
March 14, 1921: "Ward A. Dwight and Roscoe W. Maples, stockholders in the Big Lakes Box company returned to San Francisco yesterday morning after attending the directors' meeting of the company here Friday. Following is the new roster of officers selected: Ward A. Dwight, president; A. J. Voye, vice-president and manager; B. W. Mason, secretary, and M. S. West, Treasurer.
Reports for the past year showed a prosperous condition, it is reported, and a $100,000 increase of the capitalization was discussed. B. W. Mason, secretary, said this morning that the increase had not been definitely decided.
The Big Lakes company started in 1917 with a small factory. They now have a modern and growing plant and last fall completed a new 40,000 foot mill. The fact that they are considering an increase of financial strength is an indication of faith in the basic business of the community that speaks well for a prosperous season." (The Evening Herald)
Reports for the past year showed a prosperous condition, it is reported, and a $100,000 increase of the capitalization was discussed. B. W. Mason, secretary, said this morning that the increase had not been definitely decided.
The Big Lakes company started in 1917 with a small factory. They now have a modern and growing plant and last fall completed a new 40,000 foot mill. The fact that they are considering an increase of financial strength is an indication of faith in the basic business of the community that speaks well for a prosperous season." (The Evening Herald)
August 11, 1925: "Should the street committee of the city council see fit to endorse its move, the Saw Mill Engineering and Construction company will construct a $24,000 spur track on this side of the Ewauna lake shore, near Payne alley. A formal application was submitted to the council last night, and this is to be acted on after the street committee has made an investigation.
The industrial spur would be constructed for the Big Lakes Lumber company to facilitate the unloading of logs from the main line of the Strahorn road. At present the logs are unloaded at a small canal-like neck of the lake, and the new unloading site is merely to facilitate matters, according to officials of the company, who, when asked whether it had anything to do with the alleged wholesale 'blocking' moves on the part of certain roads to keep other certain roads out of the city, etc., declared emphatically that the move was entirely to facilitate the unloading of logs.
Building permits of last night's council session, should the spur track to be authorized, would total $40,000." (The Klamath News)
The industrial spur would be constructed for the Big Lakes Lumber company to facilitate the unloading of logs from the main line of the Strahorn road. At present the logs are unloaded at a small canal-like neck of the lake, and the new unloading site is merely to facilitate matters, according to officials of the company, who, when asked whether it had anything to do with the alleged wholesale 'blocking' moves on the part of certain roads to keep other certain roads out of the city, etc., declared emphatically that the move was entirely to facilitate the unloading of logs.
Building permits of last night's council session, should the spur track to be authorized, would total $40,000." (The Klamath News)
July 12, 1927: "Big Lakes Box Company starts great fill, lumber shed and mill." (The Ashland Register)
May 10. 1928: "The Big Lakes Box company commenced operations in Klamath Falls in the year 1917 as a manufacturer of box shooks only. In 1920, the company acquired a mill site along the north bank of Lake Ewauna and erected a sawmill with a daily capacity of 120,000 feet. Since that time, the company has engaged in a general lumber business besides manufacturing box shooks for the California fruit trade.
A large tract of timber was purchased at that time about 40 miles northeast of Klamath Falls, and the company's logging camp is located on this tract. The company operates its own logging railroad, which joins the Oregon, California and eastern railway, and logs are shipped over this carrier directly to the mill pond.
Dry kilns have been added to the sawmill unit, thereby insuring quality lumber dried to the minimum moisture content, and also insuring continuous year round operation.
Approximately 60% of the output of the mill finds its way to the box factory, where it is remanufactured into shooks to supply the fruit trade demand of California. In addition to the box lumber turned out by the mill, the company buys a considerable quantity of box lumber from other mills in this district which are not equipped with factory facilities. The box factory has a capacity of about four cars of shook per eight hour shift.
The company employes about 350 men, and the yearly payroll amounts to approximately $550,000.
The output of the plant is almost entirely Pinus Ponserosa, which is marketed under the trade name of California White pine.
The plant is served by the Southern Pacific and Great Northern railways, and facilities for rapid handling f stocks in the mill and yards, coupled with this rail service permits immediate shipment to customers." (The Evening Herald)
A large tract of timber was purchased at that time about 40 miles northeast of Klamath Falls, and the company's logging camp is located on this tract. The company operates its own logging railroad, which joins the Oregon, California and eastern railway, and logs are shipped over this carrier directly to the mill pond.
Dry kilns have been added to the sawmill unit, thereby insuring quality lumber dried to the minimum moisture content, and also insuring continuous year round operation.
Approximately 60% of the output of the mill finds its way to the box factory, where it is remanufactured into shooks to supply the fruit trade demand of California. In addition to the box lumber turned out by the mill, the company buys a considerable quantity of box lumber from other mills in this district which are not equipped with factory facilities. The box factory has a capacity of about four cars of shook per eight hour shift.
The company employes about 350 men, and the yearly payroll amounts to approximately $550,000.
The output of the plant is almost entirely Pinus Ponserosa, which is marketed under the trade name of California White pine.
The plant is served by the Southern Pacific and Great Northern railways, and facilities for rapid handling f stocks in the mill and yards, coupled with this rail service permits immediate shipment to customers." (The Evening Herald)
November 2, 1929: "Big Lakes Box company has just started the building of 14 miles of railroad to their Trout Creek unit near Sprague River. 30 men are employed and it is probable that the latter part of December. Big Lakes built seven miles of railroad this summer to logging units.
The Big Lakes is now operating a planer in connection with its mill and resaw. The mill is operating on a two-shift basis. The planer was installed to care for the cut of the mill and will also allow finer grades of lumber to be manufactured.
Orders are slow at the present time, according to A. J. Voye, manager. Two changes in personnel have been made. George McGown has replaced Oscar Jolly as camp superintendent and E. A. McCollum takes the place of the late Joseph R. Netto as yard foreman.
The Big Lakes lumber and box company now plans to run throughout the winter with only a very short shutdown, if any, at all." (The Klamath News)
The Big Lakes is now operating a planer in connection with its mill and resaw. The mill is operating on a two-shift basis. The planer was installed to care for the cut of the mill and will also allow finer grades of lumber to be manufactured.
Orders are slow at the present time, according to A. J. Voye, manager. Two changes in personnel have been made. George McGown has replaced Oscar Jolly as camp superintendent and E. A. McCollum takes the place of the late Joseph R. Netto as yard foreman.
The Big Lakes lumber and box company now plans to run throughout the winter with only a very short shutdown, if any, at all." (The Klamath News)
April 5, 1930: "A. J. Voye, manager of the Big Lakes Box company, states that no definite date has been set for the opening of the mill and the camp. The box company has been running steadily with about 100 men employed. It will also be necessary for the Big Lakes to build 10 miles of railroad this year, Mr. Voye states." (The Klamath News)
August 1, 1942: "Klamath headquarters of the AFL Lumber and Sawmill Workers union announced today that negotiations had been successfully completed and a new collective bargaining contract signed between local 2511 of the AFL-LSW and the management of the Big Lakes Box company.
The contract was a renewal of an agreement existing between the company and the union for the past year and included provisions for complete union shop, checkoff system, work cards for all new employes, week's vacation with pay and that wage adjustments may be taken up at any time.
Harold McKenzie of the union said there will be no strikes or lockouts for the duration of the war and that disputes which cannot be settled by the local committee will go into arbitration.
Other clauses call for the payment of vacation wages to all employes entering the armed services if they were working for the company prior to June 1, 1941.
The announcement said that group insurance is in effect and all complaints are handled through a union committee.
Officials of the union expressed themselves as pleased with the new agreement, scheduled to run until July 31, 1943." (Herald and News)
The contract was a renewal of an agreement existing between the company and the union for the past year and included provisions for complete union shop, checkoff system, work cards for all new employes, week's vacation with pay and that wage adjustments may be taken up at any time.
Harold McKenzie of the union said there will be no strikes or lockouts for the duration of the war and that disputes which cannot be settled by the local committee will go into arbitration.
Other clauses call for the payment of vacation wages to all employes entering the armed services if they were working for the company prior to June 1, 1941.
The announcement said that group insurance is in effect and all complaints are handled through a union committee.
Officials of the union expressed themselves as pleased with the new agreement, scheduled to run until July 31, 1943." (Herald and News)
August 3, 1942: "Just after noon Saturday a fire causing only slight damage at the Big Lakes Box company machine shop, 610 Market street, caused the fire engine to be called out." (Herald and News)
August 10, 1942: "The city fire department made a run at 12:50 a.m. Sunday to the Big Lakes Box factory, where a fire was reported under the building.
The fire had been extinguished when the department arrived, and no damage was done. It appeared the blaze may have started from a cigarette dropped by transients behind the building." (Herald and News)
The fire had been extinguished when the department arrived, and no damage was done. It appeared the blaze may have started from a cigarette dropped by transients behind the building." (Herald and News)
January 26, 1943: "The IWA won a bargaining rights election at the Big Lakes Box company's woods camps at Chemult last week.
Vote in the run-off balloting was 36 to 9 for the IWA, a CIO affiliate, union officials said.The Big Lakes Box company's mill here is an AFL plant." (Herald and News)
Vote in the run-off balloting was 36 to 9 for the IWA, a CIO affiliate, union officials said.The Big Lakes Box company's mill here is an AFL plant." (Herald and News)