Hand-Jordan Co. (1912-1916)

Bay Creek Lumber Co. (1916-1919)

Standard gauge, 35-lb rail

Headquarters: Purvis, MS

Mill Location: Purvis, MS (Lamar County)

Mill Capacity: 75,000 ft/day 

Years of Operation: 1912-1919

Miles Operated: 8 miles

Locomotives Owned

Equipment:

1 skidder, 1 log loader, 15 log cars

Click Map for Larger Version

History by Gil Hoffman:

The Hand-Jordan Company was incorporated at Purvis, Lamar County, on February 17, 1912 by James Hand, F. H. Jordan and W. H. Magee, all of Purvis, with authorized capital stock of $50,000. James Hand was president and F. H. Jordan, secretary. One of their first acts was to build a band mill and dry kiln on the north edge of Purvis, completed about March 1912 (Mill No. 1). 

In December 1912 Hand and Jordan acquired 7,000 acres of virgin pine timber from the Tatum Lumber Company, located about five miles from Purvis. That same month, to cut this timber, they began construction of a sawmill seven miles northwest of Purvis (Mill No. 2). This mill was known as the Hand-Sheppard mill and was logged by oxen.

In March 1913 the company bought six miles of rail and a locomotive to log its mill in Purvis. The road was completed and put into service on August 16, 1913. 

The Bay Creek Lumber Company was incorporated at Purvis, Lamar County, on May 31, 1916, by D. W. Slay, of Purvis; W. G. Lancaster, of Ovett; D. M. Eubanks and W. I. Denton, of Sucarnochee, with authorized capital stock of $120,000. On April 20, 1916, W. G. Lancaster and D. W. Slay, acting for the Bay Creek Lumber Company, bought the two sawmill plants, logging railroad and equipment of the Hand-Jordan Company, at Purvis, for $60,000. D. W. Slay was general manager and treasurer of the company. 

On July 21, 1919, the sawmills, planing mills, rails and rolling stock were sold to the General Equipment Company.

 

For a detailed history of this operation see: Steam Whistles in the Piney Woods Volume 2, by Gilbert H. Hoffman

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ROSTER by Gil Hoffman:   

 

 

Road No.

 

Type

 

Builder

 

C.N.

 

Date

 

Cyls.

 

Dri. Dia.

 

Engine

Wt.

 

Previous Ownership

 

Disposition

 

?

 

2-6-0

 

Baldwin

 

 

 

 

 

11x16

 

 

 

 

 

Hand-Jordan Co., Purvis, MS.

Bay Creek Lumber Co., on 6/12/1916.

 

Southern Iron & Equipment Co. #1285.

Sumter Stave & Heading Co., Sumter, SC, on 9/13/1918.

 

?

 

25-2 Heisler

 

Stearns

 

1058

 

9/1902

 

12½x12

 

33

 

50000

 

McKinnon & Ikeler # , Moselle, MS

Built 36-inch gauge.

P. M. Ikeler, Moselle, MS, on 11/12/1904.

Hand-Jordan Co., Purvis, MS.

Changed to standard gauge.

Bay Creek Lumber Co., on 6/12/1916.

 

General Equipment Co., New Orleans, LA, on 7/21/1919.

Christian Kurz, Helena, AR.

Changed back to 36-inch gauge.

 

?

 

42-2 Heisler

 

Heisler

 

1228

 

1911

 

15x12

 

36

 

84000

 

Hall-Leftwich Lumber Co. #3, Morriston, AL

Bay Creek Lumber Co.

 

General Equipment Co., New Orleans, LA, on 7/21/1919.

Unknown owner.

Birmingham Rail & Locomotive Co.

Gosa-Steele Lumber Co., Eutaw, AL, on 4/19/1922.

Ingham-Hutchinson Lumber Co., Eutaw, AL, in 2/1927.

 

54

 

50-3 Shay

 

Lima

 

566

 

12/1898

 

3-12x12

 

32

 

100000

 

Eastman, Gardiner & Co. #4, Laurel, MS

Re. #54.

Southern Iron & Equipment Co. #785.

Scotch Lumber Co. #7, Fulton, AL, on 3/15/1911.

Bay Creek Lumber Co. #54

 

General Equipment Co., New Orleans, LA, on 7/21/1919.

Green Lumber Co. #1, Garner, MS

Transferred as #54 to Avera, MS, in 1924.

Eureka Gravel Co. #54, Montrose, MS.

Pascagoula Hardwood Co. #54, Laurel, MS.

Boiler exploded 12/1928.

 

1206

 

4-6-0

 

Baldwin

 

6226

 

5/1882

 

17x24

 

49

 

79000

 

Shenandoah Valley R.R. #38

Norfolk & Western R.R. 1st #545, in 12/1890.

Big Sandy, East Lynn & Guyan #7, East Lynn, WV, in 11/1903.

Norfolk & Western Ry. 1st #500, in 6/1908.

Independent Construction Co., in 5/1911.

Augusta Northern #1, Marion, SC, in 9/1911.

Southern Iron & Equipment Co. #1206

Bay Creek Lumber Co. #1206, on 4/2/1918.

Cost $7,200.

Baldwin class 10-30 D 129

 

General Equipment Co., New Orleans, LA, on 7/21/1919.

Williams Yellow Pine Co. #1206, Poplarville,  MS.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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