Longview in Gregg County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Timber – The First Industry
1870
Photographed By Mark Hilton, September 17, 2015
1. Timber the First Industry Marker
The abundance of natural resources, coupled with the distribution capabilities of the railroad, beginning in 1870, gave rise to the area's first industry – timber, By 1877, there were 20 steam – powered sawmills in Gregg County, shipping about 50 rail carloads of lumber per day.
Had Longview not served as a distribution center for cotton and a variety of produce, it would have been regarded as a sawmill town. At the junction in 1877, the Barner brothers mill alone had a capacity of 20,000 board feet per day.
By 1880, the U.S. Forestry Bureau estimated 598 million board feet of "merchantable" short-leaf pine in Gregg County.
In 1910, there were eight sawmills operating in Longview with a total of sixteen sawmills in Gregg County. Together they combined for a capacity of 370,000 board feet per day, equivalent to 111 million board feet per year.
Erected 1990 by the City of Longview Commission on Arts & Culture.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Horticulture & Forestry • Natural Resources. A significant historical year for this entry is 1870.
Location. 32° 29.646′ N, 94° 44.43′ W. Marker is in Longview, Texas, in Gregg County. Marker is at the intersection of East Cotton Street
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Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. King Cotton (within shouting distance of this marker); Longview Municipal Building and Central Fire Station (within shouting distance of this marker); Kelly Plow Company (within shouting distance of this marker); When Mule Power Moved People (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Then Came the Railroad (about 500 feet away); First Baptist Church of Longview (about 500 feet away); Site of James S. Hogg Newspaper (about 500 feet away); Dalton Gang's Last Raid (about 700 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Longview.
Photographed By Mark Hilton, September 17, 2015
2. Timber the First Industry Marker in background.
Photographed By Mark Hilton, September 17, 2015
3. Timber the First Industry Marker
Photographed By Mark Hilton, September 17, 2015
4. A Logging Team
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on September 25, 2015, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 363 times since then and 8 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on September 25, 2015, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.
