Kola Lumber Co.

Standard gauge, 35 and 56-lb rail

Headquarters: Kola MS

Mill Location: Kola, MS ( Covington County)

Mill Capacity: 80,000 ft/day in 1917

Years of Operation: 1901-1922

Miles Operated: 20 miles in 1917

Locomotives Owned: 11

Equipment:

20 log cars, 3 locomotives,  1 McGiffert log loader in 1910

 

Also see Ellisville Lumber Co.

Click Maps for Larger Versions

History by Gil Hoffman:

On December 2, 1901 Mulford Parker, of Ellisville, Jones County, purchased the sawmill of the Gulfport Manufacturing Company, at Kola, Covington County. Operating as the Kola Lumber Company, new machinery was placed in this mill and a standard gauge logging road built in early 1902. The Kola Lumber Company was incorporated at Kola on August 17, 1903 by Mulford Parker, Jas. McCormick, T. F. Buckley and N. M. Parker with authorized capital stock of $50,000. Mulford Parker was president and his son, N. M. Parker, was later vice president and in charge of logging operations.

Fire destroyed the sawmill and most of the dry kilns on April 20, 1908. The burned mill was replaced by a new circular mill cutting 75,000 feet per day which began operation on January 1, 1909. 

In November 1921 Mulford Parker sold his controlling interest in the company to Raymond E. Law, L. M. Noland and Frank R. Curtis. The company ceased operations in 1922.

Builders photo of Climax c/n 860 in 1908. The engine was built for a logging railroad in South Dakota and later sold to Kola Lumber Co. 

The Kola Lumber Co. commissary near the mill at Kola. 

St. Louis Lumberman Photo

St Louis Lumberman Photo

St Louis Lumberman Photo

Former Kola Lumber Co Lima 2-6-0 #1027 at the Louisiana Cypress Lumber Co. at Ponchatoula, LA in 9-1950. The engine later went to Mid-Continent Railroad Museum in Wisconsin where the engine reportedly currently exists in pieces.
 

 

  

 

  

 
ROSTER by Gil Hoffman: 

 

?                  0-4-2TB          Baldwin                  10268                  9-1889                     35                    11x16 


                                  Purchased from Smith & Kilby Co., Anniston, AL (dealer), on 3-7-02.

Built as Denison Rapid Transit Ry. #2 "J. M. Ford," Denison, TX (dummy type).

Baldwin class 6-16⅓ C 40

 

790              2T Shay         Lima                        790                      2-1904                     28                    3-10x10                   66000

                                 Purchased new. Cost $4,500. See note.

Sold to Gulf Pine Lumber Co. #790, Poplarville, MS; to Darrah Long Leaf Lumber Co. #790, Chastang, AL, in 1926. Scrapped 1927.

 

---                2-6-0               Lima                        1003                    8-1906                     36                    14x18                      59600

                                 Purchased new. Cost $4,500. Not numbered at time of purchase.

Sold to Excelsior Cypress Co., Timberton, LA; to Louisiana Cypress Lumber Co., Ltd. #4, Thibodaux, LA; to Joseph Rathborne Lumber Co. #1003, Ponchatoula, LA, about 1925. Scrapped about 1937-38.

 

318              2T Shay         Lima                        318                      10-1890                   26                    2-7x12                     28000

                                 Purchased from Ellisville Lumber Co. #318, Melrose, MS

Sold to Dupont Lumber Co., Poplarville, MS, about 1916; to Gulf Pine Lumber Co. #318, Poplarville, MS, on 10-31-21.

 

2                  0-4-2T             Porter                     1879                    7-1898                                             9x14                        32000

                                Purchased from Ellisville Lumber Co. #2 "Clara," Melrose, MS. In service by 5-1914.

 

777              2T Shay         Lima                        777                      2-1904                     28                    3-10x10                   66000

                                 Purchased from Ellisville Lumber Co. #777, Melrose, MS On hand by 5-1914. See note.

Sold to Dupont Lumber Co., Poplarville, MS, about 1916; to Gulf Pine Lumber Co. #777, Poplarville, MS, on 10-31-21; to C. L. Spotswood #2, Poplarville, MS, on 1-22-27. Scrapped 9-22-33.

 

1004            2-6-0               Lima                        1004                    9-1906                     36                    14x18                      59600

                                 Purchased from Ellisville Lumber Co. #1004, Melrose, MS On hand by 5-1914.

Sold to Joseph Rathborne Lumber Co. #1004, Ponchatoula, LA, in 6-1921; to Williams Lumber Co. #4, Ponchatoula, LA.

 

1027            2-6-0               Lima                        1027                    3-1906                     36                    14x18                      59600

                                 Purchased from Ellisville Lumber Co. #1027, Melrose, MS On hand by 5-1914.

Sold to Williams Lumber Co., Ponchatoula, LA; to Joseph Rathborne Lumber Co. #1027, Ponchatoula, LA, in 5-1921; to Louisiana Cypress Lumber Co. #2, Ponchatoula, LA; to Mid-Continent Railway Museum, North Freedom, WI, in 7-1960.

 

?                  Class C           Climax                     860                       -1908                      38                    14½x16                   150000

                                 Purchased from McLaughlin Tie & Timber Co. #3, Nahant, SD (Dakota, Wyoming & Western Ry.)

Sold to Southern Iron & Equipment Co. #1269, Atlanta, GA, on 5-25-18; to Knox Lumber Co. #6, Hemphill, TX, on 6-9-19; to Canadian Pacific Ry., Yahk, British Columbia.

 

?                  2T Shay         Lima                        837                      11-1903                   28                    3-10x10                   66000

                                 Purchased from Brown Lumber Co. #12, Hiwannee, MS

Built as Tremont Lumber Co. #12, Tremont, LA; to Southern Iron & Equipment Co. #1056, Atlanta, GA; to Brown Lumber Co. #12, Hiwannee, MS, on 4-5-16.

Sold to Elton Lumber Co., Belpine, MS, in 2-1924; to Southern Iron & Equipment Co. #2136, Atlanta, GA, in 1-1927 and scrapped.

 

?                  2T Shay         Lima                        1965                    8-1907                        29½              3-10x12                   74000

                                 Purchased from John H. Keiser Lumber Co. #1, Eau Claire, WI, about 4-1920.

Sold to Simpson County Lumber Co. #1, Strengthford, MS; to Stover Lumber Co. #1, Strengthford, MS, on 1-12-24; to Wells Hardwood Co. #4, Tuckers Crossing, MS, about 5-1926; to J. B. Hogue & Co. #4, Tuckers Crossing, MS, in 4-1927.

 

Notes:        Lima c/n 790 was built as Ellisville Lumber Co. #790, Melrose, MS, and Lima c/n 777 was built as Kola Lumber Co. #790, Kola, MS. No. 777 and 790 were reversed in delivery. The Ellisville Lumber Company and the Kola Lumber Company were owned by the same people and the two engines were identical.

 

 

Rolling Stock

 

Purchased from Kilby Loco. and Machine Works on Aug. 16, 1906...5 std. ga. 50,000 capy. Log cars  (Chattel book 18, p. 290...dah)

Purchased from Kilby Loco. and Machine Works on Jan. 23, 1908...5 std. ga. 50,000 capy. Log cars  (Chattel book 18, p. 500...dah)

 

Rail

 

Purchased from Walter Zelnicker on Mar. 29, 1905...704 35 lb. rails (Chattel book 17, p. 320...dah)

Purchased from Walter Zelnicker on Apr. 29, 1904...390 35 lb. rails (Chattel book 18, p. 208...dah)

 

 

 

 

 

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For more information contact Tony Howe at tonyhowe76@yahoo.com or David S. Price at davidsprice46@gmail.com