Thursday, May 22, 1924
The May 15, 1924 and May 22, 1924 editions of The Pocahontas Times were not digitized for our archives, so, we will take a look back at the timber industry in the county from 100 years ago.
From History of Pocahontas County – 1981
The history of the lumber industry in Pocahontas County did not end with the close of the boom period, of course, but the writing of the history from 1930 on will have to be done at another time. During the period of the 30s, 40s and 50s, the county timber production was turned out by small companies (except Cass) that moved their mills around the county to the available timber. They were usually locally owned and that had the advantage of keeping the profits at home as compared to the out-of-county ownership of the big mills during the boom period. The history of one of these companies, W. W. Harper Lumber Company, follows this article as a typical example.
The locally owned company with the longest existence was the Williams and Pifer Lumber Company which began as a partnership between E. H. Williams and A. C. Pifer in 1913. In October 1917, the firm incorporated with Mr. Williams, Mr. Pifer, and Dr. M. S. Wilson as the major stockholders. This company had mills in several locations in Pocahontas and Greenbrier counties until it ceased the production of lumber in 1952. In 1938, the company branched into the wholesale business in gasoline and oil and also had a general merchandise store in Marlinton.
In 1956, the company was consolidated with the Ashland Oil Company. Lee Barlow joined A. C. Pifer in continuing the lumbering as Pocahontas Lumber Co. Mr. Barlow continued after Mr. Pifer’s death until about 1970.
As this is written in 1981, the major lumber producers in the county are three band mills. These are the mill of the W. M. Cramer Lumber Company at Stillwell (formerly R. S. Burruss Lumber Company), Beckwith Lumber Company at Slaty Fork, and the mill of the Inter-State Lumber Company at Bartow.
W. W. HARPER
W. W. Harper first came to Pocahontas County from Upshur County in the early 1930s. With two teams of horses and two trucks, he came to take a logging job for a small sawmill not far from Mill Point behind what was then the Tom Beard place.
P. C. Curry and John C. Haupt operated a small sawmill; sawing by contract for other lumber dealers. Mr. Curry was primarily a merchant. His role was that of financier while Mr. Haupt was the sawmill operator – the man on the job. The logging for their mill was done by still other contractors.
After the first Mill Point operation in 1933-34, W. W. Harper logged for the Curry & Haupt mill on the Gathright property along Jackson River and Bolar Draft in Virginia. The timber was bought by and sawed for the old Burruss Land and Lumber Co. of Lynchburg, Virginia.
From the Virginia operation, Curry & Haupt moved their mill back to Pocahontas County to the Porter Sharp place on Stony Creek. They were manufacturing lumber for J. Walter Wright Co., of Bristol, Tenn. Again, W. W. Harper was the logger.
Water for the sawmill boiler was pumped by a gasoline motor from a spring near the Sharp residence to the mill about 100 yards up the hollow. One cold winter morning, Mr. Haupt went to the spring to start the pump. He never came back; the genial Dutchman suffered a heart attack and was found dead at the spring.
A new partnership of Curry & Harper was formed. …
A boundary of timber was purchased on Stamping Creek, and the mill was moved to the Cackley farm where it remained for more than 22 years.
Curry’s interest was purchased by Harper in 1942. Harper’s son, Bill, joined him in the operation. Improved trucks, loaders and tractors resulted in the phase-out of horses, and the purchase of timber greater distances from the mill. A live deck and hydraulic log turner increased the mill output. A planing mill was added. Timber was purchased and logs trucked from as far as Slaty Fork to the north and Spring Creek to the south. Lumber was bought and sold from mills as far away as Rock Cave to the west and McDowell, Virginia, to the east.
The names of more than 50 men appeared on the monthly payroll during peak employment periods. Several employees were on the job for more than 18 years.
Following the death of W. W. Harper at the age of 80 in 1962, the mill operation was sold to R. S. Burruss of Lynchburg, Va.