The Commissary of the Saginaw and Manistee Lumber Company: Recent Findings

 The Saginaw and Manistee Lumber Company Commissary: Recent Findings

In 1933, a commissary was established at the mill, located in Williams. The local newspaper (The Williams News) was sharp and pointed in response. According to local opinion, the community provided schools and services, yet the mill paid no city taxes; this opinion did not take into account that the company provided employment, had built an electric power plant, and added several dams to serve the needs of the community. The commissary was seen as harming the local merchants (Fuchs, 275.) Commissary cars were also provided to the wood's operations, having been noted in the Company's annual reports.

Speculation can be made as to how the commissary effected worker's lives. The practice of "company stores" was common throughout company-built towns in the United States. The commissary, as a quasi-retail establishment, could serve the needs of the employees, where they could purchase such items as work boots and clothing, and additional food items for the mill and camp employees. Families of the employees were often dependent on the company for housing. All of their basic needs could be provided at the commissary, with a modest markup for the store. 

   For the company, this arrangement would provide a number of advantages. A worker's pay would be charged for mill-site housing, and room and board at the remote camps. Instead of payment of cash, script could be issued which itemized all deductions, with the remainder to be used as credit - honored only at the commissary. There is physical evidence that tokens, good only at the store, were issued. The company further benefited in that payroll became just a matter of accounting, with a reduced demand to keep large sums of cash on hand.  An employee could visit the paymaster for cash; however, during the Great Depression this could be fraught with danger. A request for currency could also include a notice of termination. 

Recently, I came into possession of a company token (the item was purchased from a local coin dealer.) This is a remarkable artifact, giving physical evidence of the existence of the Commissary. It is about the size of a Morgan Silver Dollar. The small print indicates that it was stamped by a well-known token manufacturer. Tokens were used all across Arizona and the United States. A modern quarter is shown for comparison

Other denominations exist. Someday, I will possess a complete set.

If you found this post to be of interest, please check out the previous one regarding the shay part found in the woods. There is also an additional post about the rail found in a remote area. Thank you for your interest; don't forget to tell others who may be interested in this fascinating part of history.