Jones Sawmill
The culture of East Texas has been profoundly influenced by the rich heritage of the timber industry. Before railroads entered the region, the East Texas economy was primarily agricultural, with the family farm as the central feature.
Early sawmills in the region were primarily small, animal- or water-powered mills, with women and children pitching in as needed. Early mills were also combination mills; gristmills and sawmills operated as a sideline business. The lumber would be cut as required or only in winter when no crops needed attention.
Large sawmills and planing mills followed around the same time the railroad arrived in the area. Many of today's East Texas towns have their roots in the sawmill culture, either as company towns or as communities loosely associated with one or more sawmills. Ideals of family closeness and hard-working citizens have flourished in East Texas, primarily due to the legacy of the Piney Woods resources.
One town that profited from the advent of the timber-hauling rail lines was the city of Camden, now known as Easton, in northern Rusk County. Camden flourished as a farming and distribution center until the outbreak of the Civil War, which devastated Camden's economy. After the Civil War, a lumber railroad, "The High, Dry, and Windy," was built, running out of Longview, passing through Camden, and reaching Tatum in 1887. The town partially regained its population, but was rebuilt about one-half mile south of the old town square. Sawmilling remains the most significant industry there today.
One of the county's early sawmill empires belonged to John Marlin Thompson, who operated a mill in northern Rusk County in 1852. He continued to prosper and built a larger mill after the Civil War. He later moved to Trinity County in 1881, and became a major lumberman.
Other early sawmills included the Gary Sawmill in the Pone community, L. H. Evans and Sons Sawmill in New Salem (1930), Rusk County Lumber Company, Clark's Big Hardy Mill (1910), Turner Sawmill in Dirgin, Jones & Stephen's Lumber Company, Henderson Lumber Company, Grant's Sawmill in Liberty (1950), Langford Sawmills (three mills turning out 60,000 feet per day) in Mt. Enterprise, the Polk Sawmill, and the Ragley Sawmill.
The Henderson Lumber and Planing Mill Company, located at the corner of Webster Drive and North Mill, operated between 1906 and 1919, producing 50,000 board feet daily in 1906.
Today, there are still a few operating sawmills in Rusk County. West Fraser, formerly International Paper, is the largest, located in Henderson.
The "Jones Sawmill," on the museum grounds, was named for Alton Jones, who was instrumental in obtaining the sawmill and assisting in getting the equipment together and operating. Hudson Timber Products of Barneveld, New York, donated this sawmill. The company had listed the mill on eBay but decided to donate it to the museum after being contacted by Carter Langford. This type of mill operated all over East Texas.
The East Texas Antique Tractor and Engine Association, where Mr. Jones was an active member, installed and restored the sawmill.