Bienville Lumber Co.

Standard gauge, 35-lb rail Headquarters:  Mill Location: Forest, MS (Scott County) Mill Capacity: 100,000 ft/day  Years of Operation: 1915-1930 Miles Operated: 16 miles in 1918 Locomotives Owned: 5 known	Other Equipment: Purchased Clyde Iron Works 3-drum Skidder #274, shipped to Forest, Miss. 10-23-1915.	Click Map for Larger Version
History by Gil Hoffman: The Bienville Lumber Company was organized in 1900 and built a circular sawmill with a cutting capacity of 60,000 feet per day at Alberta, LA. This mill cut out in February 1915 and was moved to Forest, MS, with operations beginning there in November 1915.  The mill at Forest had a single band and gang with a cutting capacity of 100,000 feet per day. The timber supply consisted of about 30,000 acres of shortleaf pine in the vicinity of Forest. The company specialized in general yard stock. W. A. Davenport was president and general manager while J. R. Mitchell was secretary, treasurer and sales manager. Both men came to Forest from Alberta, LA. Davenport was born at Arkadelphia, AR, and Mitchell in Mason City, IA.  The sawmill cut out in 1930 or 1931, but the planing mill continued to operate until 1934.
ROSTER by Gil Hoffman:  1                    2T Shay                    Lima                  663           7-1901         29½     3-10x12       63150 empty                       Transferred from Bienville operation at Alberta, LA, in 1915.                       Built as Louisiana Logging Co., Ltd. #1, Minden, LA; to Bienville Lumber Co. #1, Alberta, LA.     2                    2T Shay                    Lima                1904           5-1907      28       3-10x10           66000                                 Purchased from Birmingham Rail & Locomotive Co. #1216, Birmingham, AL, on 6-24-18. Cost $6,500.                       Built as Porter-Wadley Lumber Co. #4, Cotton Valley, LA; to Bryceland Lumber Co., Ltd., Bryceland, LA; to Birmingham     Rail & Locomotive Co. #1216.     4                    3T Shay                    Lima                  567           2-1899      32       3-12x12           100000                                 Transferred from Bienville operation at Alberta, LA, in 1915.                       Built as J. J. Newman Lumber Co. #4, Hattiesburg, MS; to Bienville Lumber Co. #4, Alberta, LA.     7                    4-6-0                    Baldwin              15469           8-1897      54       15x24               85625                                 Purchased from Birmingham Rail & Locomotive Co. #1199, Birmingham, AL, on 11-19-19.                       Built as Georgia Pine Ry. #1, Bainbridge, GA; to Georgia, Florida & Alabama Ry. 1st #1, in 4-1901, renumb. #121 about         1904; to Georgia Car & Locomotive Co. #158, Albany, GA; to Upchurch Lumber Co. #10, Hastings, FL, on 7-10-11;                       to Birmingham Rail & Locomotive Co. #1199.                       Baldwin class 10-24 D 29   8                    2-6-0                    Baldwin                                                                                        80000                                 Purchased secondhand.

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For more information contact Tony Howe at tonyhowe76@yahoo.com or David S. Price at dsprice46@bellsouth.net