Coat Lumber Co.

Standard gauge, 25-lb rail Headquarters:  Mill Location: Coat, MS (Simpson County) Mill Capacity: 0,000 ft/day  Years of Operation: 1902-1907 Miles Operated: 2.5 miles Locomotives Owned: 1 known	Other Equipment: 3 log cars	Click Map for Larger Version
History by Gil Hoffman: In 1899 J. D. Wilkinson began purchasing timber land in the vicinity of Coat, Simpson County (about three miles south of Magee) and by September 1900 was operating a sawmill of 15,000 feet daily cutting capacity on the Gulf & Ship Island Railroad, at Coat Station.  On April 29, 1901 Wilkinson sold his mill and 921 acres of timber to R. A. Campbell who, on February 25, 1902, resold the property to the Coat Lumber Company, a partnership composed of Mrs. Christine Bridewell and R. A. Foote. The purchase price for the mill was $1,740 and included 23 yoke of oxen and six log wagons. The Coat mill cut longleaf yellow pine exclusively. On April 4, 1902 the Coat Lumber Company was incorporated at Coat by R. A. Foote, Thomas Foote and K. H. Foote with authorized capital stock of $20,000. In June 1902 the company made improvements to the mill which included a new two-story mill shed, a new engine and boiler and installation of a dry kiln. Mrs. Bridewell sold her interest in the mill to the company on January 2, 1903. When the company began operation, the general manager was Lee O. Bridewell. By June 1905 John N. Stewart had become a stockholder in the company and its president.  Timber holdings were on the both sides of the Gulf & Ship Island, near enough so that logging was done with oxen. In the summer of 1905 a logging railroad was constructed to reach timber owned east of the G&SI.  About June 1907 the mill cut out and closed. On August 22, 1907 the mill site and buildings were sold to J. R. Kelly, who apparently continued the operation until about February 1910 when the mill site was sold to I. W. Walker. One report has it that about September 1908 the property was sold to the Moore-Hagerty Lumber Company, of Hattiesburg, MS, but the deed records of Simpson County do not show this sale.
ROSTER by Gil Hoffman:  (a)                       0-4-0T         Porter                                                                                      Purchased from James Hand, Purvis, MS, about 6-1905.

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