Champion Lumber Co. (1888-1917)
Pearl River & Western Railroad
Standard Gauge 30 and 60-lb rail Headquarters: Orvisburg, MS (Pearl River County) Years of Operation: 1888-1917 Mill Capacity: 60,000 ft/day in 1917 Miles Operated: 22 in 1910 Locomotives Owned: 3 |
Equipment: 3 locomotives, 30 cars, and 1 Barnhart loader in 1907 |
Click Map for Larger Version |
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History by Gil Hoffman: On
October 23, 1888 Henry S. Sweet and his wife Esther, sold the Champion
Lumber Company 3,092 acres of timber land in the northern part of Pearl
River County. The Champion Lumber Company was incorporated in Michigan and
was composed of H. S. Sweet, of Detroit, MI; E. E. Orvis and D. Kennedy,
both of Portland, MI, and Theodore Gunn. Sweet was president; Gunn, vice
president and Orvis, secretary and treasurer. The following year, 1889, the
company bought the property of the Doud-McGuire Lumber Company, of
Minnesota. Apparently this purchase included a sawmill in Poplarville. Deeds
to the Doud-McGuire land were not acquired until September and October of
1890. In
1890 the Champion Lumber Company built a new circular sawmill on the New
Orleans & Northeastern Railroad, at Orvisburg, four miles north of
Poplarville. The mill was built on land obtained from H. S. Sweet in 1888
and the mill town that grew up around it named after E. E. Orvis. This mill
had a cutting capacity of 40,000 feet per day and specialized in car sills
cut from longleaf yellow pine. The plant also included a planing mill, dry
kilns and a large company store. Initially logging was done by ox teams, but
in early 1892 four miles of standard gauge logging railroad were built. By
early 1893 the company owned about 21,000 acres of timber land. The railroad
was called the "Pearl River & Western Railroad" but it was
never incorporated or operated as a common carrier. On
October 8, 1906 the holdings were sold to the Edward Hines interests, of
Chicago, but the name "Champion Lumber Company" was retained. At
the time of this sale George O. Begg was president and Flint P. Smith,
secretary. On August 24, 1908 the sawmill was completely destroyed by fire,
but was rebuilt. |
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Champion Lumber Co. crews deliver logs by ox-hauled log wagons. |
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A northbound NO&NE passenger train passes the Champion mill at Orvisburg. |
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This view at Orvisburg looks east from the mill and shows part of the town near the railroad depot. Not a single building is left today at this location. |
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Another panoramic view of the Champion Lumber Co. mill looking west. The NO&NE main is on the far left. |
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ROSTER by Gil Hoffman:
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For more information contact Tony Howe at howe6818@bellsouth.net or David S. Price at dsprice46@bellsouth.net