Tioga Sawmill Commissary
The Iron Mountain Railroad pushed its lines into Central Louisiana in 1880. Five miles north of Pineville, Julius Levin built a sawmill beside the tracks. He named his town "Levin" which was later changed to "Tioga". A commissary was built at this time. In 1905, the mill built by Levin, was purchased by Stephen "Sword" Lee and the name changed to the Lee Lumber Company.
The commissary was a rural version of the uptown department store. The Tioga commissary offered everything needed in a normal household, including sewing fabric, work clothes, over-the-counter drugs, cosmetics, canned goods, fresh produce, meats, horse feed, hay and fencing. Ice cost 5 cents for a ten pound block.
The sawmill closed in 1925 when timber had been depleted; the
houses and commissary purchased by Sam Allen. Mr. Sam continued
to serve the community until 1947 when Rudolph Merritt, a long-time employee of the store, acquired the inventory. In 1981, this historic structure closed its doors as the community store.
Erected by Capital One.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Railroads & Streetcars.
Location. 31° 23.012′ N, 92° 25.749′ W. Marker is in Tioga
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. North American F-100D "Super Sabre" (approx. 1.7 miles away); D7-K Bulldozer (approx. 1.7 miles away); M728 Combat Engineer Vehicle (approx. 1.7 miles away); M26 Pershing Tank (approx. 1.7 miles away); M551 "Sheridan" Armored Airborne Assault Reconnaissance Vehicle (approx. 1.7 miles away); D-7 Bulldozer (approx. 1.7 miles away); M113A2 Armored Personnel Carrier (approx. 1.7 miles away); M56 Self-Propelled Anti-Tank Gun (approx. 1.7 miles away).
Credits. This page was last revised on April 8, 2024. It was originally submitted on May 22, 2018, by Cajun Scrambler of Assumption, Louisiana. This page has been viewed 367 times since then and 45 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on May 22, 2018. 2. submitted on May 24, 2018.
