Parkin in Cross County, Arkansas — The American South (West South Central)

River, Rail, and Timber Bring Sawmills to Parkin

Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, April 22, 2023

1. River, Rail, and Timber Bring Sawmills to Parkin Marker

Inscription. As northern timberlands were depleted, timber buyers looked to the dense forests in the south. In March 1902, S.W. Sterling, a timber buyer for a firm in Grafton, Ohio, was buying timber in Missouri when he heard about the fine timber at Parkin. Sterling bought a mill located just south of the Old Indian Mound.

Between 1902 and 1904, Henry Coldren moved his Grafton, Ohio, lumber company to Parkin. In 1906, Sterling and Coldren merged their two companies and established the Northern Ohio Cooperage and Lumber Company.

The mill provided work for many people during a time when there were few jobs other than agriculture. Three-quarters of the sawmill workforce was African-American men.

[Captions]
(Left) Lumber companies depended on rivers to move cut timber to the mills and ship finished lumber to market. This 1901 photograph shows men floating logs down the St. Francis River. Photo courtesy Library of Congress
(Right) Northern Ohio Cooperage and Lumber Company mill, spring 1912.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Horticulture & Forestry • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical month for this entry is March 1902.

Location. 35° 16.788′ N, 90° 33.476′

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W. Marker is in Parkin, Arkansas, in Cross County. Marker can be reached from State Highway 184, 0.6 miles north of U.S. 64, on the left when traveling north. Marker is at Northern Ohio School in Parkin Archeological State Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 60 Hwy 184, Parkin AR 72373, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Timber Shaped the Delta (here, next to this marker); The Sawdust Hill Community is Born (here, next to this marker); The Northern Ohio School (here, next to this marker); Struggle for Education (here, next to this marker); Student Life (here, next to this marker); A Hidden School Discovered (here, next to this marker); Conducting the Research (here, next to this marker); Class Is In Session (here, next to this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Parkin.

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker.

Also see . . . Northern Ohio Cooperage and Lumber Company. The Northern Ohio Cooperage and Lumber Company operated throughout the first half of the twentieth century, from 1902 until its closure by 1946. (Zachary Elledge, Encyclopedia of Arkansas) (Submitted on April 27, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, April 22, 2023

2. River, Rail, and Timber Bring Sawmills to Parkin Marker

Featured marker is in the middle.

Credits. This page was last revised on April 27, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 27, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 57 times since then and 16 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 27, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.