Louisell Lumber Co. (1909-1912)

Cybur Lumber Co. (1912-1922)

Cybur, Gulf & Northwestern Railroad (1914-1918)

Standard Gauge, 56-lb rail Headquarters: Cybur, MS (Pearl River County) Mill Capacity: 50,000 ft/day Years of Operation: 1912-1922 Miles Operated: 20 Locomotives Owned: 6		Click Map for Larger Version
History by  Gil Hoffman: Louisell Lumber Co. The Louisell Lumber Company was incorporated on December 7, 1909 at Mobile, Alabama, by William H. Louisell, Cyril Louisell, Williams Van Heuvel and T. M. Stevens, with authorized capital stock of $16,000. On November 8, 1909 the company bought the physical property of the Flat Creek Mill Company, at Finchburg, Alabama, owned by William Louisell, president of the Louisell Lumber Company. This plant was moved to a point eight miles northwest of Richardson, Mississippi, at what later became Cybur. Rebuilding began in January 1910 and was completed in August of the same year.  On June 29, 1911 the entire plant, including railroad and equipment, was leased to the A. G. Little Lumber Company, whose mill near Richardson had burned. The Louisell Lumber Company went into receivership in early 1912 and was succeeded by the Cybur Lumber Company on April 8, 1912. Cybur Lumber Company  The Cybur Lumber Company, of Alabama, bought the holdings of the bankrupt Louisell Lumber Company in Pearl River County on April 8, 1912. Company officers were C. W. Zimmerman, of Mobile, AL, president; Cyril Louisell, of Cybur, MS, vice president, and C. J. Coppock, of Cybur, secretary and treasurer. The company also controlled the Cybur, Gulf & Northwestern Railroad.  On September 20, 1922, the sawmill at Cybur, about 20 miles of logging railroad, rolling stock and timber holdings were sold to L. O. Crosby and Lamont Rowlands, of Picayune, for about $1,000,000. The Cybur mill had been converted to cutting hardwoods and at the time of the sale had been shut down for about a year. Crosby and Rowlands reorganized the property as the Crorow Hardwood Company.  Cybur, Gulf & Northwestern Railroad  The Cybur, Gulf & Northwestern Railroad was incorporated in Mississippi on September 23, 1914, with $75,000 in capital stock, nearly all of which was owned by members of the Cybur Lumber Company. The line of railroad from Cybur to Picayune was bought from the Cybur Lumber Company for about $65,000. The first regularly scheduled train ran on October 10, 1914. Both passenger and freight service were operated. Officers were the same as the lumber company. Cyril Louisell served as general manager.  On January 29, 1918, the railroad, engine No. 231, a freight car and a passenger coach were sold to L. O. Crosby and Lamont Rowlands. A portion of the line was taken over by the Pearl River Valley Railroad.
ROSTER by Gil Hoffman:      Road No.   Type   Builder   C.N.   Date   Cyls.   Dri. Dia.   Engine Wt.   Previous Ownership   Disposition   1   0-4-2T   Porter   1426   11/1892   9x14           H. H. McGee, Mobile, AL Baird Lumber Co. #1, Mobile, AL, in 8/1894. Holmes Lumber Co. #1, Finchburg, AL, in 6/1902. Flat Creek Mill Co. #1, Finchburg, AL, on 3/31/1906. Louisell Lumber Co. #1, Richardson, MS, on 11/8/1909. Cybur Lumber Co. #1, Cybur, MS, on 4/8/1912.   Unknown.   1st 3   0-4-4F   Rhode Island       1887   12x16   42   48000   Kings County Elevated #21-30 series. Southern Iron & Equipment Co. #427 Holmes Lumber Co. #3, Finchburg, AL, on 3/14/1906. Flat Creek Mill Co. #3, Finchburg, AL, on 3/31/1906. Louisell Lumber Co. #3, Richardson, MS, on 11/8/1909. Cybur Lumber Co. 1st #3, Cybur, MS, on 4/8/1912.   Dropped by 6/1912.   2nd 3   2-6-0   Ft. Wayne Shops   —   6/1881   14½x22   44   62000   Pittsburgh, Ft. Wayne & Chicago Ry. #191 Built as an 0-6-0. Peninsular Ry. #4, in 6/1898. Kilby Locomotive & Machine Works (dealer). C. W. Zimmerman Manufacturing Co. #3, Jackson, AL, in 6/1901. Smith-McGowin Mill Co. #3, Jackson, AL, in 6/1910. Kilby Locomotive & Machine Works (dealer). Cybur Lumber Co. 2nd #3, on 6/22/1912.       4   37-2 Shay   Lima   1723   8/1906   3-10x12   29½   74000   Flat Creek Mill Co. #4, Finchburg, AL Louisell Lumber Co. #4, Richardson, MS, on 11/8/1909. A. G. Little Lumber Co. #4, Richardson, MS, on 6/29/1911 (leased). Cybur Lumber Co. #4, on 4/8/1912.   Williams Yellow Pine Co. #3, Poplarville, MS   5?   2-6-0   Lima   1014   9/1905   14x18   36       59600   W. C. Wood Lumber Co. #1, Collins, MS Southern Iron & Equipment Co. #882. Cybur Lumber Co., on 11/16/1912. Cost $3,600.   Southern Iron & Equipment Co. #1257 Kinston Manufacturing Co., Kinston, NC, on 2/13/1918. Southern Iron & Equipment Co. #1496 Lyon Pine Co., Gulf Pine, Fla., on 11/24/1919. Rockett Foundry & Machine Works, Hattiesburg, MS Southern Iron & Equipment Co. #1909 Mutual Crate Co. #1, Avon Park, FL, in 1925.   231   2-6-0   Baldwin   7462   10/1884   19x24   52½   94700   New Orleans & Northeastern #231 Cybur, Gulf, & Northwestern #231, on 7/29/1915. Cost $5,000. See Note. Baldwin class 8-32 D 91   Pearl River Valley R.R. #231, Picayune, MS, on 1/29/1918. Re. #14. Scrapped 1955.

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