Brownlee Lumber Co. (1905-1920)

Shubuta Valley Railroad (1905-1922)

36" gauge, 30-lb rail Headquarters: Shubuta, MS (Clarke County) Mill Capacity: 30,000 ft/day Years of Operation: 1905-1920 Miles Operated: 10 Locomotives Owned: 4	Equipment: 36" gauge: 2 locomotives and 20 cars in 1910	Click Map for Larger Version
History by Gil Hoffman: In 1905 J. N. Brownlee established a sawmill at Shubuta, Clarke County, and built a wood rail tram road to log his timber. The plant was operated as the Brownlee Lumber Company. Brownlee also established the Brownlee Machine Works, at Shubuta, which manufactured his patented sawmill engine.  Incorporated on Aug. 21, 1907 by John N. Brownlee, W.C. Futvoye, and M.C. Paterson with capital stock of $100,000 (Corporation record book 1, p.72)  On July 8, 1911 the Brownlee Lumber Company bought the sawmill plant at Shubuta and timber holdings in Clarke and Wayne counties of the Hiwannee Lumber Company for $24,062.50. The Shubuta & Southwestern Railroad was part of this purchase.  About September 1912 a new circular sawmill was completed on the Mobile & Ohio Railroad seven miles south of Shubuta. This mill had a cutting capacity of 25,000 feet per day and was operated as an adjunct of the Shubuta operation under the name "Wayne Lumber Company."  In October 1920 the Shubuta operation cut out and the mill closed. The Shubuta & Southwestern Railroad was finally abandoned in 1922. Brownlee moved his operations to Medford, Ore. where he also built a narrow gauge logging railroad.  Also see page on Shubuta & Southwestern.

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