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Sawmills of the past: Rediscovering a lost legacy

I love to reminisce about old sawmills. The movie Patton has always intrigued me, especially the scene where George S. Patton pulls his jeep to the side of the road and gazes out into an open field. He exits the old Jeep Willis, walking as if he were stepping into the middle of a centuries-old battle. To his comrade, he vividly describes the events of this battle fought long before their time. General Patton recounts even the smallest details with precision.

During my 60-plus years of life, from riding with my dad in my early years to later journeys with my son or grandson, I have often stopped by the roadside to imagine the long-lost sawmills of the past. I picture how they operated, enduring hardships but also finding joy at the end of a good day’s work. I see the men celebrating good production and straight, quality grade lumber, despite the challenges and injuries they faced. Some evenings ended with a toast of good white lightning or smooth bourbon around a fire, when available. Laughter would turn into bragging and the anticipation of even greater production the next day.

Photo: Paul Smith.

I spent much of my childhood traveling with my dad, who would explain how sawmills used to cut lumber and how saws were sharpened with a file and set with a hammer. Back then, old sawmill sites were much easier to spot. Dad would be driving down the road and see a massive dark brown sawdust pile as big as a football field. He would downshift that old Chevy, pulling it as close as he dared to the pile. Getting out of the truck, he would walk over and scoop up a handful of sawdust in what I thought were his oversized hands. In those moments, he seemed transported back in time, in awe of how nice that sawmill was. This wasn’t just a moment for me; it’s a cherished memory.

Today, old sawmill sites are much harder to find, and often, there’s little evidence they were ever there. This, my friends, proves that sawmills leave almost no footprint or negative impact on our environment or climate.

Photo: Paul Smith.

Today, I was blessed with that same wonderful feeling, though I was alone and couldn’t share it with my dad. I wished my son or a grandchild or two could have been with me. Driving down old Tyler Road in Nacogdoches, Texas, I felt that familiar excitement when I saw an old mill site to my left. I first passed it by but quickly turned around and headed off the main road about 100 yards. There, I saw the weathered yet still standing buildings of The Old Nacogdoches County Lumber Company, including the old sawmill store. I stopped right there, pulled out my iPad, and started googling. Here’s what I found: The sawmill operated from 1939 to 1966, a span of 31 years. It consisted of a sawmill, a planer mill, and a mill pond, with power sources including steam, electric, and gas.

I hope you enjoyed this journey as much as I enjoyed writing it. The included pictures are the ones I took from that day, capturing the timeless essence of The Old Nacogdoches County Lumber Company.

Paul Smith is a saw filing consultant and founder of Smith Sawmill Service, now part of BID Group. You can reach him at paul.smith@bidgroup.ca.