COLUMBIA COUNTY LUMBER CO.
Columbia County - Willamette Slough
October 11, 1912: "About two years ago the Columbia County Lumber Co., was incorporated with Mr. H. F. McCormick as president and John A. Williams as Secretary. A mill was built with a capacity of about 50,000 per day near the mouth of Milton Creek about 1 mile south of St. Helens on the Willamette Slough. Lumber was being turned out as fast as men and machinery could do it and the mill was kept running to its full capacity all the time. Large docks were built and shipments were made to all parts of the world from this busy little mill. One night last spring a terrible explosion was heard about 11 o'clock and inside of two hours the entire mill was a pile of ashes. As soon as the ashes were cold enough to handle, work was started to clean up the old pile and a still better and bigger mill was started. At this time the machinery is nearly all placed and within the next three weeks a mill with 100,000 capacity will be running full blast turning out more of the now famous Oregon fir." (The Oregon Mist)
April 23, 1923: "A fire today destroyed the sawmill of the Columbia County Lumber company, a mile above here (St. Helens) on the Willamette slough. The flames wiped out the trestle, a pile of lumber and several box cars belonging to the Spokane, Portland and Seattle railroad. The aggregate loss is estimated at $300,000.
The St. Helen's creosoting plant which was menaced by the flames was saved by a shift of the wind.
When the mill pumphouse was put out of commission by the fire, nearby residents and workers helped to fight the flames with buckets." (The News-Review)
The St. Helen's creosoting plant which was menaced by the flames was saved by a shift of the wind.
When the mill pumphouse was put out of commission by the fire, nearby residents and workers helped to fight the flames with buckets." (The News-Review)
April 23, 1923: "A fire which for a time threatened the entire milling section here, today destroyed the Columbia County lumber company's mill, the seven hundred foot loading dock, four million feet of sawed lumber, four railroad lumber cars and a trestle belonging to the Logan Creek logging company.
The fire was discovered at 5:40 o'clock this morning. It was caused by a hot box in the mill shafting.
The loss is estimated at a quarter of a million dollars.
The fire destroyed the boiler room, crippling the pumps and the water pressure was too light to do much to stem the spread of the flames.
The wind veered to the east at 9 o'clock, checking the flames and preventing the plant of the St Helen's creosoting company from catching." (The News-Review)
The fire was discovered at 5:40 o'clock this morning. It was caused by a hot box in the mill shafting.
The loss is estimated at a quarter of a million dollars.
The fire destroyed the boiler room, crippling the pumps and the water pressure was too light to do much to stem the spread of the flames.
The wind veered to the east at 9 o'clock, checking the flames and preventing the plant of the St Helen's creosoting company from catching." (The News-Review)
February 7, 1924: "H. F. McCormick, president and principal stockholder of the Columbia County Lumber company whose plant at St. Helens was destroyed last April, entailing a loss of almost $250,000, has announced that the company would immediately start the construction of a modern plant." (Halsey Enterprise)