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36" gauge, wood rail
Mill Location: Sutton Switch , MS ( Lincoln County)
Mill Capacity:
Years of Operation: 1882-1886
Miles Operated: 2.25 miles
Locomotives Owned: mules
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Equipment:
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History
by Gil Hoffman:
In
August 1882 W. C. Chamberlain built a small circular sawmill and tram road
about three miles south of his Cedar Hill Switch mill. Shortly afterward he
sold his new mill to John W. Boone and J. M. Sartin, who up to that time had
been farmers. 16 yoke of oxen were used to log this mill and the lumber was
hauled by mules over a wood rail tram road to the shipping platform at
Sutton Switch, on the Illinois Central. The depression in the lumber
industry, which began in 1883, caused Boone & Sartin to close their mill
in May 1884. In November 1884 they reseumed sawing, but were anxious to sell
out. Finally, on February 20, 1886 Boone sold the operation (Sartin having
since died) to Norwood & Butterfield, of Chicago, for $8,000. The sale
included 2,680 acres of timber land.
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