SUGAR PINE DOOR & LUMBER CO.
Josephine County - Grants Pass
April 9, 1886: "The Sugar Pine Door and Lumber Co. of Grant's Pass, is one of the largest and most important lumbering and manufacturing institutions in the state. It is now in full operation and we give herewith a brief description of the works.
This company own over three thousand acres of fine timber land in this county. Their logging is all done upon large four wheeled trucks with a capacity of carrying from three to five thousand feet of logs at a single load. To keep the mill supplied in logs requires fourteen head of cattle and twenty horses. This stock consumes almost one ton of hay per day, besides a large quantity of grain. Their logging operations are very complete and systematic, requiring but a few minutes to transform the giants of the forest into logs at the mill. Mr. John Lee, one of the most experienced woodsmen on the coast, has charge of the camp and conducts it in a most perfect manner.
The saw mill is a double circular with a fifty six and a forty eight inch saw, a gang edger, a cut off saw and a large planer. All of this machinery is driven by a new engine of the most improved pattern and sixty horse power. The steam is supplied from two large steel plate tubular boilers. The capacity of the is twenty five thousand feet of lumber per day. A side track from the O. & C. R. R. runs up to the mill and is convenient for loading cars. A half dozen tracks, switches and turn tables connect the mill with the lumber yard and factory, making a very complete system of moving the timber at light expense.
The factory under the foremanship of Mr. H. C. Kinney, is the most important feature of their works. The main building is sixty by one hundred and fifty feet two stories, with truss roof so that the upper room is entirely free from obstructions, making a grand workshop. The building is of the most substantial character containing over two hundred thousand feet of lumber. It is especially well lighted containing over seventy extra large windows. The engine room, boiler room and shavings room are commodious, substantial and safe, being made of brick. The power for the factory is a forty five horse engine, supplied with steam from large double boilers.
Three large dry houses are connected with the factory, heated to an intense degree by the use of steam pipes. All the lumber used by the factory is thoroughly kiln-dried before being manufactured, after first being weather seasoned for months. After having been run through the machines and before their final finish all of the goods are again subjected to a drying process of several days duration. By this plan the company put upon the market the most perfect work that will stand beyond all question. The lower floor of the shop is used for making laths, pickets, turned work, and for surfacing and bolting the door and sash stock. An elevator carries the material to the upper floor, and that floor is used exclusively for making doors, sash and blinds. Upon the floor can be seen the mammoth diagonal planer that planes and sandpapers the doors after they are put together. This is indeed a most wonderful piece of machinery and is the means of producing the most perfect doors.
The entire line of machinery in this factory is the very best that can be had, and is pronounced by experts to be the finest north of California and west of St. Paul.
The factory is now turning out daily a large amount of pickets, lath, and general shop work, such as frames, casings, brackets, etc. Their sandpapering machine by which they polish all their finish for inside work, is making their work much sought after, and their low prices are attracting the attention of all who are building. Contractors are giving them all their finishing work, as they find it much to their advantage to do so.
With the present capacity, the company can turn out one hundred doors and windows per day, and as soon as the market will demand it, they expect to add machines to double this capacity. The number of men at present in their employ is between sixty and seventy." (Grant's Pass Courier)
This company own over three thousand acres of fine timber land in this county. Their logging is all done upon large four wheeled trucks with a capacity of carrying from three to five thousand feet of logs at a single load. To keep the mill supplied in logs requires fourteen head of cattle and twenty horses. This stock consumes almost one ton of hay per day, besides a large quantity of grain. Their logging operations are very complete and systematic, requiring but a few minutes to transform the giants of the forest into logs at the mill. Mr. John Lee, one of the most experienced woodsmen on the coast, has charge of the camp and conducts it in a most perfect manner.
The saw mill is a double circular with a fifty six and a forty eight inch saw, a gang edger, a cut off saw and a large planer. All of this machinery is driven by a new engine of the most improved pattern and sixty horse power. The steam is supplied from two large steel plate tubular boilers. The capacity of the is twenty five thousand feet of lumber per day. A side track from the O. & C. R. R. runs up to the mill and is convenient for loading cars. A half dozen tracks, switches and turn tables connect the mill with the lumber yard and factory, making a very complete system of moving the timber at light expense.
The factory under the foremanship of Mr. H. C. Kinney, is the most important feature of their works. The main building is sixty by one hundred and fifty feet two stories, with truss roof so that the upper room is entirely free from obstructions, making a grand workshop. The building is of the most substantial character containing over two hundred thousand feet of lumber. It is especially well lighted containing over seventy extra large windows. The engine room, boiler room and shavings room are commodious, substantial and safe, being made of brick. The power for the factory is a forty five horse engine, supplied with steam from large double boilers.
Three large dry houses are connected with the factory, heated to an intense degree by the use of steam pipes. All the lumber used by the factory is thoroughly kiln-dried before being manufactured, after first being weather seasoned for months. After having been run through the machines and before their final finish all of the goods are again subjected to a drying process of several days duration. By this plan the company put upon the market the most perfect work that will stand beyond all question. The lower floor of the shop is used for making laths, pickets, turned work, and for surfacing and bolting the door and sash stock. An elevator carries the material to the upper floor, and that floor is used exclusively for making doors, sash and blinds. Upon the floor can be seen the mammoth diagonal planer that planes and sandpapers the doors after they are put together. This is indeed a most wonderful piece of machinery and is the means of producing the most perfect doors.
The entire line of machinery in this factory is the very best that can be had, and is pronounced by experts to be the finest north of California and west of St. Paul.
The factory is now turning out daily a large amount of pickets, lath, and general shop work, such as frames, casings, brackets, etc. Their sandpapering machine by which they polish all their finish for inside work, is making their work much sought after, and their low prices are attracting the attention of all who are building. Contractors are giving them all their finishing work, as they find it much to their advantage to do so.
With the present capacity, the company can turn out one hundred doors and windows per day, and as soon as the market will demand it, they expect to add machines to double this capacity. The number of men at present in their employ is between sixty and seventy." (Grant's Pass Courier)
May 21, 1886: "The Sugar Pine Door & Lumber Co., of this place are now engaged to fill orders in their line as follows:
35,000 feet of lumber to Gold Hill; 50,000 feet to Ashland; 20,000 feet to Central Point; 30,000 feet to Medford.
Since starting their mill they have averaged in shipments, 4 carloads of lumber a week, each car containing 6,000 feet. They have orders now for 4 carloads of doors, each car containing 700 doors. They also have the contract to furnish the material for the bridge across Rogue river; besides this they have just received an order from Linkville for 90 doors and 60 windows. They also have a large order for lumber going to Hailey, Idaho Territory.
The freight alone on this last lot of lumber will amount to $150 per car." (Grant's Pass Courier)
35,000 feet of lumber to Gold Hill; 50,000 feet to Ashland; 20,000 feet to Central Point; 30,000 feet to Medford.
Since starting their mill they have averaged in shipments, 4 carloads of lumber a week, each car containing 6,000 feet. They have orders now for 4 carloads of doors, each car containing 700 doors. They also have the contract to furnish the material for the bridge across Rogue river; besides this they have just received an order from Linkville for 90 doors and 60 windows. They also have a large order for lumber going to Hailey, Idaho Territory.
The freight alone on this last lot of lumber will amount to $150 per car." (Grant's Pass Courier)
May 28, 1886: "The S. P. D. & L. Co., are erecting a telephone from their office to the mill. This will prove quite a convenience, as well as an ornament to the town." (Grant's Pass Courier)
October 29, 1886: "The Sugar Pine Door and Lumber company is running their machinery on full time." (Roseburg Review)
December 3, 1886: "Mr. Jos. Moss, the engineer at the Sugar Pine Door and Lumber Co., met with a painful accident while engaged in placing a belt on a cast pulley, the pulley exploded and pieces of it striking him, breaking one leg and his jaw bone and badly bruising his hip. It is feared he will not recover but the doctors think he is all right. I hope so for Joe is a good boy and the company would miss him." (Roseburg Review)
September 19, 1901: "Willie Fry had the misfortune of losing his left thumb on Tuesday at S. P. D. & L. factory. He was at the rip saw sawing up a piece of board for kindling and wore a glove on his hand. The saw caught the end of the glove thumb and jerked the member into range, cutting it off at the first joint." (Weekly Rogue River Courier)
June 5, 1902: “The Sugar Pine door and lumber company, of Grants Pass, whose plant was recently destroyed by fire, will rebuild immediately.” (The Harrisburg Bulletin)
January 5, 1903: "At a recent meeting of the officers of the Sugar Pine Door & Lumber Company, of Grants Pass, presided over by R. A. Booth, of Eugene, it was decided to shorten the hours of work in the local factory. The same wages as heretofore will be paid but the hours of work will be reduced from 10 to nine. This new schedule will be effective in all of the mills of the Sugar Pine Company." (Clackamas County Record)