Bentley & Ward Lumber Co.
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Standard gauge, 30, 35 & 40-lb rail Headquarters: Mill Location: N. Mt. Olive, MS (Covington County) Mill Capacity: 60,000 ft/day Years of Operation: 1902-1907 Miles Operated: 4 miles in 1903 Locomotives Owned: 2 known |
Equipment:
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History by Gil Hoffman: Bentley
& Ward was a partnership composed of C. S. Bentley and W. K. Ward. In
September 1902 they began buying right-of-way west of Mt. Olive, Covington
County, for a tram road and built a circular sawmill with a cutting capacity
of 40,000 feet per day one mile north of Mt. Olive. This mill burned in
September 1903, but was rebuilt on the same site and in operation in 50
days. The new mill was a circular type with a cutting capacity of 60,000
feet per day. The mill machinery was by the Curtis Company and consisted of
an Atlas engine and twin engine feed plus a Hall & Brown sizer. The cut
of this mill was dimension stuff for the interior trade. On
November 17, 1906 Ward sold Bentley his interest in 280 acres of timber and
in the mill site, indicating that the partnership was being dissolved and
that the operation was nearing its end. The mill cut out in 1907.
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| ROSTER by Gil Hoffman: ?
0-4-0T&T
Baldwin
3879
5-1876
48
12x22
46000
Equipped
with 4-wheel tender. Built as Chicago & Atchison Bridge Co. #4, Atchison,
KS, a 2-4-0T. Baldwin
class
6-18 C 2 50
2T Shay
Lima
878
3-1904
26
3-8x12
56000
Sold to Alexandria Cooperage & Lumber Co.,
Alexandria, LA; to Adams & Byrnes Lumber Co., Vernon, LA; to
Birmingham Rail & Locomotive Co., Birmingham, AL; to Alexandria Lumber
& Supply Co., Chopin, LA, on 11-21-19; to Chopin Lumber Co. #2,
Chopin, LA, about 6-1920.
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For more information contact Tony Howe at howe6818@bellsouth.net or David S. Price at dsprice46@bellsouth.net