Hand-Jordan Co. (1912-1916)

Bay Creek Lumber Co. (1916-1919)

Standard gauge, 35-lb rail Headquarters: Purvis, MS Mill Location: Purvis, MS (Lamar County) Mill Capacity: 75,000 ft/day  Years of Operation: 1912-1919 Miles Operated: 8 miles Locomotives Owned:	Equipment: 1 skidder, 1 log loader, 15 log cars	Click Map for Larger Version
History by Gil Hoffman: The Hand-Jordan Company was incorporated at Purvis, Lamar County, on February 17, 1912 by James Hand, F. H. Jordan and W. H. Magee, all of Purvis, with authorized capital stock of $50,000. James Hand was president and F. H. Jordan, secretary. One of their first acts was to build a band mill and dry kiln on the north edge of Purvis, completed about March 1912 (Mill No. 1).  In December 1912 Hand and Jordan acquired 7,000 acres of virgin pine timber from the Tatum Lumber Company, located about five miles from Purvis. That same month, to cut this timber, they began construction of a sawmill seven miles northwest of Purvis (Mill No. 2). This mill was known as the Hand-Sheppard mill and was logged by oxen. In March 1913 the company bought six miles of rail and a locomotive to log its mill in Purvis. The road was completed and put into service on August 16, 1913.  The Bay Creek Lumber Company was incorporated at Purvis, Lamar County, on May 31, 1916, by D. W. Slay, of Purvis; W. G. Lancaster, of Ovett; D. M. Eubanks and W. I. Denton, of Sucarnochee, with authorized capital stock of $120,000. On April 20, 1916, W. G. Lancaster and D. W. Slay, acting for the Bay Creek Lumber Company, bought the two sawmill plants, logging railroad and equipment of the Hand-Jordan Company, at Purvis, for $60,000. D. W. Slay was general manager and treasurer of the company.  On July 21, 1919, the sawmills, planing mills, rails and rolling stock were sold to the General Equipment Company.   For a detailed history of this operation see: Steam Whistles in the Piney Woods Volume 2, by Gilbert H. Hoffman
ROSTER by Gil Hoffman:        Road No.   Type   Builder   C.N.   Date   Cyls.   Dri. Dia.   Engine Wt.   Previous Ownership   Disposition   ?   2-6-0   Baldwin           11x16           Hand-Jordan Co., Purvis, MS. Bay Creek Lumber Co., on 6/12/1916.   Southern Iron & Equipment Co. #1285. Sumter Stave & Heading Co., Sumter, SC, on 9/13/1918.   ?   25-2 Heisler   Stearns   1058   9/1902   12½x12   33   50000   McKinnon & Ikeler # , Moselle, MS Built 36-inch gauge. P. M. Ikeler, Moselle, MS, on 11/12/1904. Hand-Jordan Co., Purvis, MS. Changed to standard gauge. Bay Creek Lumber Co., on 6/12/1916.   General Equipment Co., New Orleans, LA, on 7/21/1919. Christian Kurz, Helena, AR. Changed back to 36-inch gauge.   ?   42-2 Heisler   Heisler   1228   1911   15x12   36   84000   Hall-Leftwich Lumber Co. #3, Morriston, AL Bay Creek Lumber Co.   General Equipment Co., New Orleans, LA, on 7/21/1919. Unknown owner. Birmingham Rail & Locomotive Co. Gosa-Steele Lumber Co., Eutaw, AL, on 4/19/1922. Ingham-Hutchinson Lumber Co., Eutaw, AL, in 2/1927.   54   50-3 Shay   Lima   566   12/1898   3-12x12   32   100000   Eastman, Gardiner & Co. #4, Laurel, MS Re. #54. Southern Iron & Equipment Co. #785. Scotch Lumber Co. #7, Fulton, AL, on 3/15/1911. Bay Creek Lumber Co. #54   General Equipment Co., New Orleans, LA, on 7/21/1919. Green Lumber Co. #1, Garner, MS Transferred as #54 to Avera, MS, in 1924. Eureka Gravel Co. #54, Montrose, MS. Pascagoula Hardwood Co. #54, Laurel, MS. Boiler exploded 12/1928.   1206   4-6-0   Baldwin   6226   5/1882   17x24   49   79000   Shenandoah Valley R.R. #38 Norfolk & Western R.R. 1st #545, in 12/1890. Big Sandy, East Lynn & Guyan #7, East Lynn, WV, in 11/1903. Norfolk & Western Ry. 1st #500, in 6/1908. Independent Construction Co., in 5/1911. Augusta Northern #1, Marion, SC, in 9/1911. Southern Iron & Equipment Co. #1206 Bay Creek Lumber Co. #1206, on 4/2/1918. Cost $7,200. Baldwin class 10-30 D 129   General Equipment Co., New Orleans, LA, on 7/21/1919. Williams Yellow Pine Co. #1206, Poplarville,  MS.

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