Love Lumber Co. (1920-1924)

Poplarville Lumber Co. (1924-1926)

Standard gauge, 60-lb rail Headquarters: Poplarville, MS Mill Location: Poplarville, MS (Pearl River County) Mill Capacity: 0,000 ft/day Years of Operation: 1920-1926 Miles Operated: 7 miles in 1924 Locomotives Owned:	Equipment:	Click Map for Larger Version
History by Gil Hoffman: The Love Lumber Company was incorporated at Love's Mill, Pearl River County on June 2, 1920 by M. P. L. Love, R. D. Love and J. W. Rogers, all of Hattiesburg, with authorized capital stock of $25,000. On August 2, 1921 the charter was amended to raise the capital stock to $75,000. At that time the company was composed of R. N. Steadman, president; R. D. Wentworth, vice president and general manager and M. P. L. Love, secretary. C. P. Morgan was woods supt.  The company operated two sawmills just east of Poplarville, the first being built in 1920. Both mills cut longleaf yellow pine, specializing in railroad material and large timbers. Railroad lines extended westward from each of these mills to a point of intersection from which a single line continued to the New Orleans & Northeastern at Prentice Spur in Poplarville. This line was owned by the Gulf Pine Lumber Company with which the Love Lumber Company had a contract, dated September 1922, to haul cars loaded with finished lumber from the Y-intersection, between the mills and Poplarville, to Prentice Spur. Timber for the operations extended eastward from the mills for about three miles to the Wolf River. Total acreage owned was about 3,500.  On April 23, 1923 a fire destroyed the planing mill, dry kilns, lumber sheds and a quantity of lumber at plant No. 1 with a loss of about $100,000. Not long after this fire the company encountered financial difficulties and ceased operations.  The Poplarville Lumber Company, successor to the Love Lumber Company, was incorporated at Poplarville, Pearl River County, on December 24, 1924 by R. N. Steadman, of Hattiesburg; R. G. Steadman, of Poplarville, and J. W. Rogers, of Hattiesburg, with authorized capital stock of $40,000. R. N. Steadman was president; J. W. Rogers, secretary; R. G. Steadman, general manager, and W. H. Sumrall, woods superintendent. The mill cut out about September 1926.
ROSTER by Gil Hoffman:      Road No.   Type   Builder   C.N.   Date   Cyls.   Dri. Dia.   Engine Wt.   Previous Ownership   Disposition   7   2T Shay   Lima   882   3/1904   3-9x8   26   45210   Poplarville Lumber Co. #7, Poplarville, MS Poplarville Saw Mill Co. #7, Poplarville, MS, on 7/16/1910. Phillips & Wentworth, Maxie, MS, in 1918. Wentworth Lumber Co., Maxie, MS, on 3/4/1919. Love Lumber Co. #7, on 9/1/1922.   Poplarville Lumber Co. #7, in 12/1924. Scrapped about 6/1926.   ?   2-6-0   Davenport   (1430)   (8/1913)   (12x18)       40000   ( tentative) McInnis Lumber Co. #101, Petal, MS Love Lumber Co., in 1920.   Poplarville Lumber Co., in 12/1924.   ?   4-4-0   Baldwin                   90000   Secondhand.   Poplarville Lumber Co., in 12/1924.   ?   25-2 Heisler   Stearns?                   50000   Unknown. Love Lumber Co., in 1920.   Poplarville Lumber Co., in 12/1924.   ?   42-2 Heisler   Heisler                   84000   Unknown. Love Lumber Co., in 1920.   Poplarville Lumber Co., in 12/1924.

                                     HOME                                              ABOUT  US                                              LINKS           

For more information contact Tony Howe at howe6818@bellsouth.net or David S. Price at dsprice46@bellsouth.net