OREGON-AMERICAN LUMBER COMPANY
Columbia County - Vernonia
August 18, 1922: “Whitten & Bryant have received the contract and are starting to work on clearing the site for the pond and big mill for the Central Coal & Coke Co., at Vernonia.” (Vernonia Eagle)
August 25, 1922: “Men are busy clearing the site---slashing and burning, and preparing for the big mill and 40 acre pond. Whitten & Bryant have the contract. The mill will be of 250,000 capacity and run double shift.” (Vernonia Eagle)
September 22, 1922: “McGregor and Schoplin, the two big men of the “Big Mill” were here this week. Work is progressing fine, and these men will be here often hereafter.” (Vernonia Eagle)
September 29, 1922: “The Auditor for the new Oregon-American Lumber Co. mill has arrived in Vernonia to make his home.” (Vernonia Eagle)
September 29, 1922: “The 'big mill' to go in at Vernonia means much for of city and county. Work on the site is progressing rapidly. We would like to see the Central Coal & Coke Co., investigate our coal and iron prospects, as well as our timber. If we have coal here the mill people could develop it, use it, and Vernonia would be the Pittsburg of the West. Nothing is too good for the Central Coal & Coke Co. and the Oregon-American Lumber Co.” (Vernonia Eagle)
October 13, 1922: “Donkey engines and men are busy on the mill site, clearing for the big pond and new mill.” (Vernonia Eagle)
November 17, 1922: “New office building for the mill company going up next to Vernonia Hotel.” (Vernonia Eagle)
December 15, 1922: “Activity is steady in every branch of progress at Vernonia and is not retarded by bad weather.
The site for the big lumber mill, across from the Nehalem river, will be ready soon for the erection of buildings. Several refuse piles resemble huge Indian tepees and are ready for the torch. Immediately adjoining the site are a number of home plots on which residences are being constructed. The office and residences of the mill company are practically finished.” (Vernonia Eagle)
The site for the big lumber mill, across from the Nehalem river, will be ready soon for the erection of buildings. Several refuse piles resemble huge Indian tepees and are ready for the torch. Immediately adjoining the site are a number of home plots on which residences are being constructed. The office and residences of the mill company are practically finished.” (Vernonia Eagle)
December 29, 1922: “Mr. Whitten who is clearing the mill site has a new donkey engine at work.” (Vernonia Eagle)
February 2, 1923: “We just learn that the big pile driver is being set to begin work immediately on the bridge across Rock Creek in town, for the new spur to the new mill site. The rapid completion of this spur is needed in order to haul big timbers for the mill, pond and many buildings on the O.-A. Property.” (Vernonia Eagle)
March 16, 1923: “The new mill to be constructed in Vernonia will increase the pay roll of the city at about $30,000.00 per month.” (Vernonia Eagle)
April 6, 1923: “Work is starting with a vengeance in Vernonia. Our streets are becoming more crowded daily, as the Eagle informed it's readers they would. We are ready for them, but not in a substantial way yet. Mr. Biglow is working 40 men on the temporary buildings for the mill constructors. He is building a dining room 180 x 113 feet. And the work will be rushed on the first bunk house of 50 rooms, to be completed as soon as the large crew can do the work. Cook houses, storage rooms, etc. will be rushed. The steel for the million dollar mill building is now enroute, and machinery purchased. Mr. Biglow tells us 500 more men will be working here next month.” (Vernonia Eagle)
April 6, 1923: “The pond will cover 45 acres. Main mill building, all steel, and electric driven, will be 92 x 292 feet. A big lath mill will be built at one side. Dry Kilns to dry all the lumber sawed---common and all. Loading buildings along track will be 76 x 512 feet. There will be 31 tanner stackers in stacker sheds. There will be 28 kilns 28 feet long. The unstacking shed will be 816 feet long. There will be three big storage sheds each shed covering three acres. The immense planing mills will cover space required for 28 cars. Dressed lumber sheds will be built and the buildings and tracks will come to within 300 feet of the school building. These facts are final and work is being done. The spur track will surround the pond and buildings. It is up to Vernonia to get busy.” (Vernonia Eagle)
April 13, 1923: “In our write-up last week, we stated the dry kilns, 28 of them, would be 28 ft long. They will be 28 ft wide by 120 ft long.” (Vernonia Eagle)
April 20, 1923: “The 200 acres of the O.-A. Lbr. Co. mill site at Vernonia has been cleared and the trees, logs, stumps and trash piled into many huge piles around gin poles as high as modern sky scrapers. Sunday evening some of these large piles were set afire and the large blazes and sparks flying hundreds of feet in the clear night air attracted a crowd of half the city's population. The blazes were seen for miles around and made a premature Fourth of July celebration. It was a celebration in fact, for it means the cleared ground for the immediate construction of the immense mills.” (Vernonia Eagle)
April 20, 1923: “A car load of sixty horses arrived in Vernonia this week and are getting busy on the big 40-acre pond for the Oregon-American mill. This requires about thirty more men on this job alone and every family is an aid to better business for our fast growing city.” (Vernonia Eagle)
April 20, 1923: “The pile driver and crew of men have nearly completed a new bridge across Rock Creek, to be used for a railroad spur off the main line to the mill property.” (Vernonia Eagle)
April 20, 1923: “The 56 room bunk house is finished, the work being done by Mr. Bigelow. The large building will be used for temporary quarters for the workers constructing the new mill and 40-acre pond. A large dining room will now be built.” (Vernonia Eagle)
May 18, 1923: “The Oregon-American Lumber Co. property and mill site is a busy place. Every day makes a showing. The spur railroad that is to surround the entire grounds of about 200 acres, is being graded fast. The temporary bunkhouses and large dining room is finished and partly occupied, and many men, with many more coming will make things hum. This one big industry alone will make a good sized city, and ere Vernonia knows it, we will have on Spencer Hill one of the beautiful home districts of Oregon. A landscape gardner from Kansas City has laid out plans, parking strips, driveways and walks. This company has put Vernonia on the map and advertised it considerable over the county. Their mills and camps will increase our population probably 1500 to 2000 people.” (Vernonia Eagle)
June 29, 1923: “Three more construction millwrights arrived this week to assist in the construction of the O.-A. Lbr Co. mill, Mark and N. Medlock, of De Ridder, La., and J. H. Donahoo, of Beaumont, Texas, the big oil town.” (Vernonia Eagle)
June 29, 1923: “We suppose the doubtful ones still wonder what the mill people could use the land occupied by the grade school for. The tracks of the mill are within a few feet of the school, and we fear the noise and attraction of the running mill will outdo the attraction of arithmetic books.” (Vernonia Eagle)
July 27, 1923: “The big mill now being constructed in Vernonia is wonderful. It is the biggest undertaking in Oregon today. If space would permit, this week, we would like yo again tell of the magnificence of it. The big Burner now being built is 90 ft. in diameter and 125 feet high, the pond will cover over 40 acres the buildings and yards will cover 200 acres. Many men are at work and the immense job is being rushed.” (Vernonia Eagle)
August 31, 1923: “R. A. Simmons, of Conroe, Texas, arrived recently to accept the position of chief engineer of the Oregon-American plant at Vernonia. Mr. Simmons has for a number of years held a like position with the Delta Land & Timber Company, which is the title under which the Keith mills operate in Texas and Louisiana. R. A. is a high type man and is well known in East Texas as one of the best men in his line. Mrs. Simmons and the three children are expected shortly.” (Vernonia Eagle)
August 31, 1923: “Dave Marshall, until recently master mechanic of the Delta Land & Timber Company, at Carson, Louisiana, will soon arrive to take charge of the Oregon-American machine shops. Mr. Marshall has been with Keith mills for seventeen years and knows his stuff. Dave is also an expert fisherman. Mrs. Marshall and two boys are chaperoning Dave on his trip west.” (Vernonia Eagle)
December 14, 1923: “Good progress is being made in the construction of the plant of the Oregon-American Lumber Company at Vernonia. The 42-acre pond is completed, some of the plant buildings are under roof, and the concrete piers are placed for other units. The contract has been let for construction of the two rough lumber sheds, each to cover three and one-half acres, to be finished by January 1.
The steel workers have arrived and are installing the machine shops, preparatory to placing the steel frame for the sawmill. The steel work is being done by the Wisconsin Iron & Bridge Co., the crew consisting of about 30 men. The frame of the sawmill will be 92 x 292 feet, with an addition of 144 feet in length. The boiler room will be 116 feet in length, near which will be located the fuel room, 100 feet in length. The machine shop and storage room will occupy an area of 70x200 feet.
A battery of 27 dry kilns with complete transfer system, covering an area of 374 feet, will be installed. The drying room sorters will occupy space 180 x 116 feet, served by a monorail system to the planning mill and cut up factory. There will be three storage sheds, each 258 x 594 feet. Plans call for two dressed lumber sheds, each 88 x 688 feet.
The loading platform will be approximately 1500 feet in length, and the dressed lumber sheds will be tributary to this platform. The cutting floor of the sawmill will contain two bands, a 52-inch gang, one resaw, two trimmers and slashers. The sawmill will cut 250,000 feet each eight-hour shift.” (Vernonia Eagle)
The steel workers have arrived and are installing the machine shops, preparatory to placing the steel frame for the sawmill. The steel work is being done by the Wisconsin Iron & Bridge Co., the crew consisting of about 30 men. The frame of the sawmill will be 92 x 292 feet, with an addition of 144 feet in length. The boiler room will be 116 feet in length, near which will be located the fuel room, 100 feet in length. The machine shop and storage room will occupy an area of 70x200 feet.
A battery of 27 dry kilns with complete transfer system, covering an area of 374 feet, will be installed. The drying room sorters will occupy space 180 x 116 feet, served by a monorail system to the planning mill and cut up factory. There will be three storage sheds, each 258 x 594 feet. Plans call for two dressed lumber sheds, each 88 x 688 feet.
The loading platform will be approximately 1500 feet in length, and the dressed lumber sheds will be tributary to this platform. The cutting floor of the sawmill will contain two bands, a 52-inch gang, one resaw, two trimmers and slashers. The sawmill will cut 250,000 feet each eight-hour shift.” (Vernonia Eagle)
December 14, 1923: “The Oregon-American Lumber Company is producing about 200,000 feet per day, and this source of supply will continue for some time, or until the modern sawmill being constructed by that company is far enough along to require the accumulation of a supply of logs for its own operation.” (Vernonia Eagle)
April 18, 1924: “Tom Anderson, bull gang foreman at the big mill has returned from Portland where he underwent an operation for appendicitis.” (Vernonia Eagle)
April 18, 1924: “T. J. Waltman and family of Orange, Texas, are enroute to Vernonia to make their future home here. Mr. Waltman will have charge of the planing mill at the O-A.” (Vernonia Eagle)
July 25, 1924: “The Oregon-American Lumber Co. mill at Vernonia, which started operations a week ago, is now operating at full capacity. About 400 men will be required for a single shift and the second shift will be employed as soon as market conditions justify, according to E. E. Hayes, superintendent of the plant. All lumber will be kiln dryed except the large timbers which will be sent direct from the mill to the yards.
The Vernonia mill is expected to turn out 600,000 feet of lumber daily working two 8-hour shifts. It was built with the idea of embodying the most modern and efficient equipment and construction for lumber manufacture, and is the only sawmill in the northwest built of steel and concrete. An interesting feature of the mill's equipment is known as a 'shotgun feed.' The carriage in a sawmill which moves the logs into the saws is ordinarily moved by cables wound on drums. In this mill the carriage is mounted on a steam piston, which makes for speedy operation.
The Oregon-American Lumber Co. was started by the Eccles interests, whose holdings in that vicinity were purchased about three years ago by the Central Coal & Coke Co. of Kansas City.
All the company's timber is situated about 13 miles from Vernonia on the headwaters of Rock Creek.---Rainier Review.” (Vernonia Eagle)
The Vernonia mill is expected to turn out 600,000 feet of lumber daily working two 8-hour shifts. It was built with the idea of embodying the most modern and efficient equipment and construction for lumber manufacture, and is the only sawmill in the northwest built of steel and concrete. An interesting feature of the mill's equipment is known as a 'shotgun feed.' The carriage in a sawmill which moves the logs into the saws is ordinarily moved by cables wound on drums. In this mill the carriage is mounted on a steam piston, which makes for speedy operation.
The Oregon-American Lumber Co. was started by the Eccles interests, whose holdings in that vicinity were purchased about three years ago by the Central Coal & Coke Co. of Kansas City.
All the company's timber is situated about 13 miles from Vernonia on the headwaters of Rock Creek.---Rainier Review.” (Vernonia Eagle)
July 25, 1924: “The big mill of the Oregon-American Lumber company at Vernonia started sawing last Thursday morning. Several hundred visitors including prominent business men and railroad officials were on hand to witness the initial operation and to inspect the most modern and up-to-date saw mill in Oregon. H. F. McCormick and J. W. Thompson of the local mill were present and they enjoyed the event immensely. A fine lunch was given the visitors at noon. Capacity of the new mill will be 300,000 feet on an eight hour shift. It is built entirely of steel and concrete and is electrically operated.--- The Columbian.” (Vernonia Eagle)
July 25, 1924: “The past week witnessed the first sawing from the immense mill at Vernonia. Export trade at that. Three car loads of timber, sawed, left the local freight yards this week for London, England. The mill machinery is starting fine. The output has not been speeded as yet, but 190,000 feet was sawed in eight hours one day this week.” (Vernonia Eagle)
February 4, 1943: "As Camp McGregor started operations today (Thursday), Judd Greenman said late Wednesday afternoon that at least part of the O-A mill will begin work Monday, unless snow again should curtail logging operations. Mr. Greenman said that those 100 or so men who have been given temporary releases to work elsewhere, mostly in the shipyards, would probably not be asked to return to the mill when it first opens.
Camp McGregor closed down on January 15, as did other logging operations in this vicinity when snow became too deep. Clark and Wilson men who are logging not far from town, were able to begin work Monday. The mill has been down since January 20, as it is dependent on a steady flow of logs from Camp McGregor.
The mill closure has meant that no wood has been delivered from the mill, and many have taken to cutting their own during this enforced vacation." (Vernonia Eagle)
Camp McGregor closed down on January 15, as did other logging operations in this vicinity when snow became too deep. Clark and Wilson men who are logging not far from town, were able to begin work Monday. The mill has been down since January 20, as it is dependent on a steady flow of logs from Camp McGregor.
The mill closure has meant that no wood has been delivered from the mill, and many have taken to cutting their own during this enforced vacation." (Vernonia Eagle)