Finkbine Lumber Co.
|
Standard gauge, 56-lb rail Headquarters: Wiggins, MS Mill Location: Wiggins, MS (Stone County) D'Lo, MS (Simpson County) Mill Capacity: 175,000 ft/day in 1910 (Wiggins) 225,000 ft/day in 1916 (D'Lo) Years of Operation: Wiggins- 1901-1929 D'Lo- 1916-1929 Miles Operated: 50 miles in 1917 (Wiggins) 18 miles in 1917 (D'Lo) Locomotives Owned: |
Also see: Niles City Lumber Co. Wilbe Lumber Co.
Equipment: 5 locomotives, 100 cars, 2 American loaders in 1910 |
Click Map for Larger Version |
|
History by Gil Hoffman: WIGGINS MILL On
October 12, 1901, the Finkbine Lumber Company, of Des Moines, Iowa,
purchased the two sawmills belonging to the Niles City Lumber Company
(composed of J. H. and S. O. Gary), at Wiggins, Harrison County, for
$13,300. As part of this agreement the Garys became sole logging contractors
for the Finkbine mills at Wiggins in an area extending 36 miles east and
west and 12 miles north and south of the town for a total of not less than
100,000,000 feet of pine logs and not exceeding 150,000 feet per day. On
April 2, 1903, all of the timber lands owned by the Niles City Lumber
Company were transferred to the Finkbine Lumber Company. In
January 1903, a new double band mill with a cutting capacity of 125,000 feet
per day was completed at Wiggins. Machinery throughout was by the Allis-Chalmers
Company. Other features were five dry kilns, a large planing mill and
dressed lumber shed. The mill cut longleaf yellow pine, being primarily a
dimension stuff mill. Some timbers were also cut. Business was both domestic
and export, with export being handled through Gulfport, MS Officers
of the company were E. C. Finkbine, president; W. O. Finkbine, vice
president, and W. E. Guild, treasurer. In January 1903, W. E. Guild took
over as general manager at Wiggins. On
July 1, 1929, the mills and remaining timber lands at Wiggins and D'Lo were
sold to the Wilbe Lumber Company.
D'LO MILL In
July 1915, the Finkbine Lumber Company began construction at D'Lo, Simpson
County, of an all electric sawmill containing two band saws, a gang saw and
a resaw. When operations began in July 1916, this mill had a cutting
capacity of 200,000 feet in 10 hours. The timber supply extended over parts
of Simpson, Rankin, Smith and Scott counties, running east from D'Lo for
about 50 miles. Offices of the company were moved from Wiggins to Jackson,
MS, in December 1918. About
August 1927 the supply of pine was cut out, after which the mill switched to
cutting redwood shipped from the Finkbine-Guild mill in California through
the Panama Canal to Gulfport. The D'Lo mill cut out for good in August 1929. On
July 1, 1929, all timber lands, mineral leases and railroad rights-of-way in
Simpson County belonging to the Finkbine Lumber Company were sold to the
Wilbe Lumber Company.
Other sources: See court case pertaining to the sale of the Finkbine railroad running east of Wiggins to the G&SI here.
|
||
|
Click Map for Larger Version |
Click Map for Larger Version |
Click Map for Larger Version |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| LOCOMOTIVE ROSTER by Gil Hoffman:
WIGGINS: 4
4-6-0
Baldwin
13623
8-1893
56
18x24
96000 Purchased
from Louisville & Atlantic #4. In service by 3-1906. Built
as Richmond, Nicholasville, Irvine & Beattyville #4, Richmond, KY;
to Louisville & Atlantic #4, in
5-1899. Baldwin
class
10-30 D 327 1st
10 4-6-0
Schenectady
57
18x24
96000 Purchased
secondhand. In service by 1906. Sold
to Georgia Locomotive Co. #49, Atlanta, GA; to Cincinnati, Flemingsburg
& Southeastern #10, Flemingsburg, KY, in 1910. 2nd
10 2-6-0
Danforth-Cooke
52
18x24
90000 Purchased
from Georgia Locomotive Co. #47, Atlanta, GA, in 7-1908. Formerly
Atlanta, Birmingham & Atlantic #1002. For
sale
11-1916. 3rd
10 3T Shay
Lima
886
6-1904
36
3-12x15
148300 Renumb.
from #50. Sold
to Wilbe Lumber Co. #10, Wiggins, MS, in 8-1929. 11
3T Shay Lima
1646
2-1906
32
3-12x12
126600 Purchased
new. Sold
to Wilbe Lumber Co. #11, Wiggins, MS, in 8-1929. 12
2T Shay Lima
1685
4-1906
28
3-10x10
66000 Purchased
new. Transferred
to Finkbine-Guild Lumber Co. #12, Rockport, CA, in 3-1926; to Southern
Redwood Corp. #1, Rockport, CA, in 9-1928; to Cottoneva Redwood Co. #1,
Rockport, CA, in 2-1933; to Rockport Redwood Co. #1, Rockport, CA, in
2-1938; to Clifford C. Bong & Co. #1, Lathrop, CA, about 7-1942,
later at Dominguez and El Monte, CA. Scrapped 1947 or 1948. 30
4-6-0
Baldwin
16263
10-1898
56
19x24
124000 Purchased
from Georgia Car & Locomotive Co. #425, Atlanta, GA, on 10-13-1919.
Cost $11,000. Built
as Chattanooga, Rome & Southern #26; to Central of Georgia #1367, in
6-1901, renumb. #1385 in 1910; to Wrightsville & Tennille #30,
Dublin, GA, in 7-1917; to Georgia Car & Locomotive Co. #425. Transferred
to Finkbine mill at D'Lo, MS. Baldwin
class
10-32 D 608 50
3T Shay Lima
886
6-1904
36
3-12x15
148300 Purchased
from Birmingham Rail & Locomotive Co., Birmingham, AL, on
11-22-1913. Built
as Kaul Lumber Co. #5, Hollins, AL; to Sumter Lumber Co., Sumter, AL, by
11-1907; to Hardaway Contracting Co. #50, Squaw Shoals, AL; to
Birmingham Rail & Locomotive Co. Renumb.
#10. 51
3T Shay Lima
2514
2-1912
36
3-12x15
140000 Purchased
from Birmingham Rail & Locomotive Co., Birmingham, AL, on 10-30-1915. Built
as B. H. Hardaway Contracting Co. #51, Searles, AL; to Birmingham Rail
& Locomotive Co. Transferred
to Finkbine mill at D'Lo, MS 52
3T Shay Lima
2515
4-1912
36
3-12x15
140000 Purchased
from Birmingham Rail & Locomotive Co., Birmingham, AL, on 10-30-1915. Built
as B. H. Hardaway Contracting Co. #52, Searles, AL; to Birmingham Rail
& Locomotive Co. Transferred
to Finkbine mill at D'Lo, MS. 53
4-6-0
ALCO-Dickson 26598
10-1902
56
20x26
140000 Purchased
or leased
from Gulf & Ship Island #53. See Note 2. Built
as Gulf & Ship Island 1st #30, renumb. #53 in 1903. 58
4-6-0
Baldwin
32284
11-1907
52
18x24
120000 Purchased
from Missouri, Oklahoma & Gulf #101. In service by 6-1918. Baldwin
class
10-30 D 520 59
4-6-0
Baldwin
24745
10-1904
56
19x26
140000 Purchased
from Gulf & Ship Island #59. On hand by 5-1919. Baldwin
class
10-32 D 793 Note
1: At least two other locomotives are known to have been on
the roster.
|
||
| LOCOMOTIVE ROSTER by Gil Hoffman:
D'LO 30
4-6-0
Baldwin
16263
10-1898
56
19x24
116000 Transferred
from Finkbine operation at Wiggins, MS. 51
3T Shay Lima
2514
2-1912
36
3-12x15
140000 Transferred
from Finkbine operation at Wiggins, MS. Sold
to Pascagoula Hardwood Co. #51, Laurel, MS, in 3-1929; to The Mengel Co.
#51, Laurel, MS, on 11-29-1935. 52
3T Shay Lima
2515
4-1912
36
3-12x15
140000 Transferred
from Finkbine operation at Wiggins, MS. Sold
to Eastman, Gardiner & Co. #52, Laurel, MS, in 4-1929. 53
3T Shay Lima
2847
5-1916
36
3-12x15
146000 Purchased
new. Transferred
to Finkbine-Guild Lumber Co. #53, Rockport, CA, in 1927; to Southern
Redwood Corp. #53, Rockport, CA, in 9-1928; to Cottoneva Redwood Corp.
#53, Rockport, CA, in 2-1933; to Rockport Redwood Co. #53, Rockport, CA,
in 2-1938; to Camino, Placerville & Lake Tahoe R.R., Camino, CA (for
parts). 54
3T Shay Lima
3101
7-1920
36
3-12x15
158000 Purchased
new. Cost $22,700. Transferred
to Finkbine-Guild Lumber Co. #54, Rockport, CA, in 1927; to Southern
Redwood Corp. #5, Rockport, CA, in 9-1928; to Cottoneva Redwood Co. #5,
Rockport, CA, in 2-1933; to Rockport Redwood Co. #54, Rockport, CA, in
2-1938; to Atlantic, Gulf & Pacific Co. #54, Dahican, Camarines Norte,
Philippine Islands, in 7-1941. 58
4-6-0
Baldwin
24744
10-1904
56
19x26
140000 Purchased
from Southern Iron & Equipment Co. #1672, Atlanta, GA, on 7-12-1921. Built
as Gulf & Ship Island #58; to Southern Iron & Equipment Co. #1672. Baldwin
class
10-32 D 792
|
||
For more information contact Tony Howe at howe6818@bellsouth.net or David S. Price at dsprice46@bellsouth.net