McWilliams, Wells & Pearson Lumber Co.
Standard gauge, -lb rail Headquarters: Mill Location: Grafton, MS (Greene County) Mill Capacity: 0,000 ft/day Years of Operation: 1918-1921 Miles Operated: Locomotives Owned: 1 |
Equipment:
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History by Gil Hoffman: On
February 18, 1918, J. W. McWilliams, of the J. W. McWilliams Lumber Company,
with a wholesale lumber office in Mobile, Alabama, and Z. W. Wells, of
Poplarville, Mississippi, purchased a block of the Blodgett timber near
Grafton, Greene County, for $280,000, and formed a partnership to engage in
the sawmill business. Later that year Frederick S. Pearson was taken into
the business as a partner. The partners then bought the mill of P. M. Ikeler,
at Moselle, Jones County, and moved it to Grafton on the Gulf Mobile &
Northern Blodgett Branch, about 20 miles north of McLain. This mill began
cutting in November 1918. Grafton was the railroad name, but Walley was the
name of the community. On January 7, 1920, Wells sold his interest in the
mill to McWilliams for $34,275.94. In
December 1921, the sawmill, timber and logging railroad at Grafton were sold
to L. A. Cowan & Sons, of Mobile, Alabama, and operated by the
sons of L. A. Cowan as the Cowan Brothers Lumber
Company.
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ROSTER by Gil Hoffman:
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For more information contact Tony Howe at howe6818@bellsouth.net or David S. Price at dsprice46@bellsouth.net