BLUE MOUNTAIN SAWMILL
14 miles East of Weston
Continued from: Fletcher's mill
May 13, 1906: "Jacob Proebstel, manager of the Blue Mountain sawmill 14 miles east of Weston, formerly the Fletcher mill, was in town Monday. About eleven men are now employed in cutting wood under Mr. Proebstel's direction. Exceedingly heavy snows rendered logging difficult, and this work was discontinued after 560,000 feet had been stacked at the mill, with 180,000 feet lying in the timber. The satisfactory average of 25,000 feet a day was made while logging was in progress. Snow at the mill is now about two feet and a half deep and solidly packed." (The Athena Press)
October 19, 1906: "The Blue Mountain Sawmill company has sold 700,000 feet of lumber this season to the Tumalum Lumber company, the firm which purchased the Gillis lumber yard in this city." (The Athena Press)
February 15, 1907: "The Blue Mountain sawmill has finished logging for the winter after banking up something like a million feet, reports the Leader. Unfavorable weather conditions in the mountains rendered further operations difficult. Sawing will begin about the first of May." (The Athena Press)
May 21, 1907: "The Blue Mountain sawmill 12 mills east of Weston, has commenced operations with a force of 30 men. It is expected that the output will average 30,000 feet daily." (The Athena Press)
August 2, 1907: "Weston Leader: Teams frequently pass through Weston with heavy loads of lumber from from Blue Mountain sawmill for Athena and Adams, where there is a good demand for the class of lumber manufactured at this mill. Much of it is used in warehouse repairing and building. The fruit box factory is now in successful operation at the sawmill, with a market for more boxes than it can produce, and the present season promises to be among the most prosperous in its history." (The Athena Press)
October 22, 1909: "The Blue Mountain Sawmill company, which has been operating in the mountains southeast of this city, will move their plant to Milton. The capital is $35,000 which under the new arrangement will be increased to $50,000. Plans of the company are to build a flume from the headwaters of Couse creek 14 miles from Milton and float the logs to the planing mill. Principal stockholders are Robert Jameson, president of the Weston bank; Will Jameson of Weston and C. W. Avery, managing director." (The Athena Press)
January 17, 1913: "C. W. Avery, manager for the Blue Mountain Sawmill company, was in the city yesterday on his way to Pendleton. Mr. Avery reports five feet of snow at the mill site, Cold Spring, and estimates the depth of the snow on the summit at 12 feet. Operations have ceased at the mill for a time." (The Athena Press)
December 21, 1917: "Sam Hutt brought down some load of sawdust the other day from the Blue Mountain sawmill. His big truck was loaded with 200 sacks, making a bulky load." (The Athena Press)
May 2, 1919: "The Weston Leader reports that as a result of the extremely heavy snows in the mountains considerable damage was done to the buildings at the Blue Mountain sawmill. Roofs of the bunk house, barn and box-shook warehouse partly collapsed under the weight of what was reported at one time to have been nine feet of snow." (The Athena Press)
May 14, 1920: "The Blue Mountain sawmill property on Weston mountain has been sold by the Farmers Bank of Weston to H. D. Lamb, J. N. Stone, H. C. and Frank Lamb of Milton. The property includes 1140 acres of land and the mill plant, which the new owners are getting ready to place in operation in a few weeks. They will increase its capacity and employ some 60 men. Mr. Bartell, an experienced sawmill man from Gray's Harbor, Wash., will be superintendent. Herman Henderson is coming from Baker, Oregon, with his family to be sawmill foreman." (The Weston Leader)