WHEELER LUMBER COMPANY
Wheeler
April 8, 1913: "Messrs Dubois and gamble, two of the principal stockholders of the Wheeler Lumber Company spent several days at Wheeler last week arranging for the construction of the new mill and other matters in connection with the affairs of the company. The construction crew is already on hand and active operations have begun so that there is no further doubt but what they mean business in the carrying out the plans already announced heretofore by them with reference to enlarging the mill to three times its present capacity." (Tillamook Herald)
April 15, 1913: "The Wheeler Lumber Co., at present the largest firm at Wheeler will expend $300,000 at Wheeler and vicinity this year, in the construction of a mill and lumbering operations. The new mill now under construction will have a daily capacity of 70,000 feet for a 10 hour run. It is expected that the mill will run double shift. Two hundred men will be employed at the mill and camps." (Tillamook Herald)
May 13, 1913: "Fire in the dry kiln of the Wheeler Lumber Company's plant tonight destroyed two kilns at a loss of $8000 and to lumber $500.
By hard work on the part of a bucket brigade, worked by 200 men and two fire pumps the planers' shed, the dry shed and the mill were saved.
The fire broke out at 9 o'clock, but was not under control till 11 o'clock. The dry kiln had a capacity of 4200.
Combustion is supposed to have been the cause of the conflagration, the largest Wheeler has experienced for some time." (Tillamook Herald)
By hard work on the part of a bucket brigade, worked by 200 men and two fire pumps the planers' shed, the dry shed and the mill were saved.
The fire broke out at 9 o'clock, but was not under control till 11 o'clock. The dry kiln had a capacity of 4200.
Combustion is supposed to have been the cause of the conflagration, the largest Wheeler has experienced for some time." (Tillamook Herald)
September 2, 1913: "Located at Wheeler is the the fine big new plant of the Wheeler Lumber Company, one of the richest companies doing business in Tillamook County. This new saw-mill plant will be ready to cut lumber within 60 days. It will have a capacity of 150,000 feet of lumber per 10 hours and will be equipped with the most modern machinery available. The same company also operates a large planing and finishing mill. When the new plant is completed and in operation the company will employ about 225 men in the mills and about 150 men in the woods." (Tillamook Herald)
October 7, 1913: "The old store building, which was vacated last week as an office building, by the Wheeler Lumber Company, is no longer in evidence having been torn down by mill employees and every trace of the old land mark is gone. no more to remind Wheelerites of the pioneer days of the lumbering industry on this bay. The old mill structure is also being dismantled piece by piece until nothing but the skeleton remains." (Tillamook Herald)
November 4, 1913: "The engine and boiler house at the Wheeler mill is about finished and the work of installing the engines and electrical appliances is going ahead nicely. Master Mechanic Dent, in charge of the mill construction crew, is making splendid progress of late in bringing his end of the work along to the final stages of completion." (Tillamook Herald)
November 11, 1913: "The new bungalows recently built by the Wheeler Lumber Co. are beginning to aid the appearance of Wheeler and will certainly be appreciated by those who have been forced to live in tents during the past year." (Tillamook Herald)
July 15, 1915: "Orders for eight or ten carloads of lumber are being filled at the Wheeler Mill. Here is hoping that an order for ten thousand cars comes in. Then things will start humming." (Wheeler Reporter)
October 8, 1915: "The number of large orders that have been coming in lately have rapidly depleted the stock on hand of the Wheeler Mill, of this city, which mill has been idle over a year. Should orders continue for another month as they have in the past few months, there will not be a stick of merchantable timber left in the yards of this company." (Tillamook Herald)
December 14, 1915: "We understand that the big mill and other industries at Wheeler will soon be running on full time and that the Wheeler logging camps at Rector are now being operated with a crew of 80 men. The big mill at Wheeler will employ 300 men when in full operation." (Tillamook Herald)
March 22, 1917: "A special car of equipment and men reached Wheeler last Saturday to start the Wheeler Lumber Co.'s mill. This burg is in the north part of Tillamook County and is expected to boom this summer." (Cloverdale Courier)
March 22, 1917: “The big saw mill of the Wheeler Lumber Co. started up last week, at Wheeler, on Nehalem Bay, after three years idleness.” (The Harrisburg Bulletin)
January 26, 1922: "Machinery is being overhauled, belts put on, motors installed, the mess and bunk house prepared for opening at the big mill.
A. W. Vosburg, president of the Wheeler Lumber Company, has been detained in the east by the serious illness of a brother and the company has not decided just when to start the mill but it will probably be the first of next week.
A number of former employees are back at work, but the crew is small at present. The company has more applications on file than they can fill so unless a man is sure of a job it will be foolish for him to come here seeking one.
Coal creek camp will probably resume operations in the near future. The mill and camp shut down a year ago and when both are running 250 men are given work." (Tillamook Herald)
A. W. Vosburg, president of the Wheeler Lumber Company, has been detained in the east by the serious illness of a brother and the company has not decided just when to start the mill but it will probably be the first of next week.
A number of former employees are back at work, but the crew is small at present. The company has more applications on file than they can fill so unless a man is sure of a job it will be foolish for him to come here seeking one.
Coal creek camp will probably resume operations in the near future. The mill and camp shut down a year ago and when both are running 250 men are given work." (Tillamook Herald)
March 9, 1922: "The Wheeler mill resumed cutting Monday morning after an idleness of over a year. About 90 men were put to work.
The mill is being run on a nine hour basis with a minimum wage of $3.00. Over long distance telephone Manager Vosberg informed the Herald Wednesday that the mill was being operated on this plan on a ninety trail basis. 'We offered the men two propositions,' said Mr. Vosberg. "An eight hour day at $2.60 or a nine hour shift at $3.00. They chose the latter and if we can't make it pay at this we will be forced to shut down again.'
The mill is sawing only for stock.
W. B. Smith, of Brighton, who is a director of the Loyal Legion of Loggers and Lumbermen, says that in operating on this basis the Wheeler company violated their agreement with the organization of which he is an officer, both as to hours and to wages and in consequence must forfeit the sum of $500 to the organization. According to him the mill is bonded to this effect.
A meeting was held in the streets of Wheeler last night at which time the L.L.L.L. discussed their side of the question. The streets were reverted to when it was found that no hall was obtainable." (Tillamook Herald)
The mill is being run on a nine hour basis with a minimum wage of $3.00. Over long distance telephone Manager Vosberg informed the Herald Wednesday that the mill was being operated on this plan on a ninety trail basis. 'We offered the men two propositions,' said Mr. Vosberg. "An eight hour day at $2.60 or a nine hour shift at $3.00. They chose the latter and if we can't make it pay at this we will be forced to shut down again.'
The mill is sawing only for stock.
W. B. Smith, of Brighton, who is a director of the Loyal Legion of Loggers and Lumbermen, says that in operating on this basis the Wheeler company violated their agreement with the organization of which he is an officer, both as to hours and to wages and in consequence must forfeit the sum of $500 to the organization. According to him the mill is bonded to this effect.
A meeting was held in the streets of Wheeler last night at which time the L.L.L.L. discussed their side of the question. The streets were reverted to when it was found that no hall was obtainable." (Tillamook Herald)
March 30, 1922: "Cooks are on the job and a few men are at Coal creek getting machinery and equipment to resume logging within the next two weeks. The camp supplies logs for the Wheeler mill and has been closed 16 months. When operating to full capacity 100 men are employed." (Tillamook Herald)
August 29, 1929: "The planer departments of the mill is working at nights now. A change was made last week. It is only a temporary arrangement and will cease when repairs are completed on the boiler." (Wheeler Reporter)