Pritchard Brothers Lumber Co. 1916-1922

Batson Lumber Co. 1920-1922

Webster County Lumber Co. 1922-ca.1927

Cumberland & Northwestern Railroad

Standard gauge, 30 and 35-lb rail

Headquarters

Mill Location: Cumberland, MS (Webster County)

Mill Capacity: 25,000 ft/day 

Years of Operation

Miles Operated: 8 miles in 1922

Locomotives Owned

Other Equipment:

 

 

Click Map for Larger Version

History by Gil Hoffman:

On March 31, 1916, the Pritchard Brothers, of Columbus, Lowndes County, bought a tract of timber from J. D. McCullough near Cumberland, Webster County. By June of 1917 they had in operation at Cumberland a circular sawmill of 25,000 feet daily cutting capacity and three miles of standard gauge logging railroad. Pritchard Brothers was a co-partnership composed of H. W. and R. F. Pritchard. The firm also operated a planing mill in Columbus. 

On February 21, 1920, N. Batson, of Hattiesburg, MS, bought the sawmill plant and timber holdings of Pritchard Brothers, at Cumberland, Webster County, for $25,000. To operate this property, the Batson Lumber Company was incorporated at Cumberland on June 11, 1920, by N. Batson, A. Batson and S. H. Batson, all of Cumberland, with authorized capital stock of $10,000. The logging railroad was incorporated as the Cumberland & Northwestern Company on June 11, 1920, by N. Batson, W. M. Moore and S. H. Batson with capital stock of $10,000. N. Batson was president of both companies. 

Timber for the Cumberland mill was mostly pine with some hardwoods. The sawmill was of the circular type with a cutting capacity of 25,000 feet per day. 

On April 17, 1922, the sawmill plant, logging railroad and equipment, and timber holdings were sold to the T. C. Clanton Lumber Company, of Shreveport, Louisiana. Two small sawmills and a planing mill located at Mineral, Arkansas were also included in the sale. The price for the entire property was $25,000.

On April 17, 1922, the T. C. Clanton Lumber Company, of Shreveport, Louisiana, purchased from the Batson Lumber Company its sawmill plant at Cumberland, Webster County, logging railroad and equipment, and timber holdings in Webster, Calhoun and Chickasaw counties. The price was $25,000 which also included two small sawmills and a planing mill in Mineral, Sevier County, Arkansas. The Cumberland mill was located on the Gulf, Mobile & Northern Railroad. The president of the company was T. C. Clanton and the mill superintendent, in late 1924, was A. L. Slade. Although the mill was operated under the name "Webster County Lumber Company," practically the entire property was owned by the T. C. Clanton Lumber Company. 

On September 16, 1924, the planing mill, logging railroad and one Shay locomotive, together with all timber holdings were sold to the Bays-Slade Lumber Company, a partnership composed of F. B. Bays and A. L. Slade. F. B. Bays took over as manager of the mill. On June 16, 1925 the same property was sold to W. G. Kirkland, who became mill superintendent. He in turn sold the property to F. B. Bays on February 8, 1926. During the period 1924-1926 the sawmill remained in the hands of the T. C. Clanton Lumber Company and the plant continued to operate as the Webster County Lumber Company.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ROSTER by Gil Hoffman: 

 

Road No.

 

Type

 

Builder

 

C.N.

 

Date

 

Cyls.

 

Dri. Dia.

 

Engine

Wt.

 

Previous Ownership

 

Disposition

 

1

 

33-2

Shay

 

Lima

 

930

 

11/1904

 

3-10x10

 

28

 

66000

 

F. S. Wise & Co. #2, Winterburn, WV

Gilfillan, Neill & Co., May, WV

Pritchard Brothers, Cumberland, MS, ca. 1919.

Batson Lumber Co., Cumberland, MS,

on 2/21/1920.

T. C. Clanton Lumber Co. #1, on 4/17/1922.

 

For sale 10/1925.

 

2

 

33-2

Shay

 

Lima

 

1527

 

6/1905

 

3-10x10

 

28

 

66000

 

Brown Lumber Co. #99, Shamrock, LA (Shamrock & Western Ry.)

Bradford-Hutchinson Lumber Co. #99, Lake End, LA

T. C. Clanton Lumber Co. #2, on ?

 

For sale 10/1925.

 

?

 

42-2

Heisler

 

Heisler

 

1171

 

1909

 

15x12

 

36

 

84000

 

Emporia Manufacturing Co. #10, Emporia, VA

Weldon Lumber Co. #2, Weldon, NC

Southern Iron & Equipment Co. #1012,

on 5/21/1915.

Morgan & Fentress Ry. #4, Catoosa, TN,

on 10/29/1915.

Birmingham Rail & Locomotive Co.

T. C. Clanton Lumber Co., for:

Webster County Lumber Co., on 2/1/1923.

 

Refused & returned to:

Birmingham Rail & Locomotive Co. #1455, on 2/28/1923, in trade on Baldwin 2-6-0.

Chicago Mill & Lumber Co., Blytheville, AR, on 4/21/1923.

 

?

 

2-6-0

 

Baldwin

 

29762

 

12/1906

 

14x22

 

44

 

70000

 

Texas, Arkansas & Louisiana #3, Atlanta, TX

Dorsey Land & Lumber Co. #3, Texarkana, AR, by 4/1920.

Birmingham Rail & Locomotive Co.

Webster County Lumber Co., Cumberland, MS, on 2/28/1923.

Baldwin class 8-22 D 296

 

Returned to:

Birmingham Rail & Locomotive Co.

Ingram-Day Lumber Co. #12, Lyman, MS, on 11/24/1923.

Batson & Hatten Lumber Co. #12, Lyman, MS, ca. 3/1924.

Birmingham Rail & Locomotive Co.

Georgia Car & Locomotive Co. #533,

on 8/29/1924.

J. W. McWilliams Co., Inc. #12, Fort Myers, FL, on 10/10/1924.

Dowling & Camp, Inc. #12, Slater, FL

 

 

 

 

 

 

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