OUTLINE OF LUMBER MILLS IN THE WILLIAMS AREA (Updated 10/25.)
1882-1883: W.Z. Wilson and Alvin Haskell; operated a small mill on a ranch formerly owned by Rogers Vinton, several miles SW of Williams. Possibly some mill employees lived in Williams. Mill provided lumber, timbers and ties for the railroad, local residents and other communities. Mill was operated around June 1882; by November, moved to Prescott, AZ.
1891-1894 E.P. Clark and A.D. Adams operated a mill 2 1/2 miles SW of Williams (this area is currently located on private property.) To paraphrase the caption; the Mill had a capacity of 35,000 board feet per day, powered by a 50 HP. steam plant, fed by cut slabs and sawdust. There were no lights, suggesting it only operated during daylight hours. Additional machinery included 1 planer, 1 cut off saw, one saw rig (probably the carriage system and a circular saw), and 1 edger.
The site also included a powerhouse, cook house, lumber shed and a shingle mill. Two tramways (one elevated) served the lumber yard and main building. The yard provided 150,000 square feet of lumber storage.
The existence of the cook house indicates that the fourteen employees lived on or near the site. Since it was located a few miles from the up-and-coming town of Williams, a short wagon or horse ride would provide employees with entertainment and other activities, on their days off. Normally, in those early years, mills ran six days per week, from early morning to the setting of the sun.
1892: A. Greenlaw and Brother operated a circular say mill located at Chalender. Up to ten teams hauled logs to the mill that made ties for the Prescott and Phoenix RR. Operated for ten years (NAU Archives, MS314, Box 1, Mill File, The Lumberjack, Vol. 1.)
June, 1893: Saginaw mills were in production at Williams and Chalender, AZ. (Fuchs 108,110; Stein 30.)
1893-1900s: J.M. Dennis Lumber Company was contracted to cut timber for the Saginaw, moving a plant from New Mexico. In 1893 the sawmill was located 8 miles east of Williams at Walker. By 1901 the mill was located at Rhoades, 16 miles east of Williams. Facility included a box factory and plaining mill (Fuchs 110,145,181.)
1882-: Edward Ayers built branch mills at Bellemont and Prentice, serviced by the A&P. Arizona Lumber and Timber company operated a mill at Bellemont from 1887-1907. This could be one and the same mill at Bellemont (Schupper 30, 64.)
SAGINAW AND MANISTEE LUMBER COMPANY TIMELINE
1893 - SAGINAW LUMBER COMPANY, OF WILLIAMS, ARIZONA INCORPORATED. MILL CONSTRUCTED.
1893-1897 -CHALLENDER MILL IN OPERATION
1894-? CHALLENDER SOUTH LINES
1898-1904(8) -SAGINAW SOUTHERN INCORPORATED AS COMMON CARRIER
1899- COMPANY RE-INCORPORATED AS SAGINAW AND MANISTEE LUMBER COMPANY
1902-1906(?) -CHALENDER NORTH LINE
1903-1929- BELLEMONT LINE (1904-18 MILES; 1917 -KENDRICK MTN; 1929 -29 MILES.)
1924-1929(?) - GARLAND PRAIRIE LINE
CIRCA 1920 - PORTABLE CAMPS PHASED-IN
CIRCA 1928 - HORSES SOLD, MECHANIZED LOGGING IMPLIMENTED
1930-1936 -TUSAYAN LINE. TIMBER TRACTS SOUTH OF WILLIAMS HARVESTED BY MECHANIZED LOGGING.
1941 - ARIZONA LUMBER AND TIMBER OPERATIONS IN FLAGSTAFF, AZ. LEASED BY THE SAGINAW AND MANISTEE. WILLIAMS MILL PHASED OUT. POSSIBLE THAT PLAINING MILL CONTINUED INTO 1942.
1942 -ALL OPERATIONS AT WILLIAMS MILL CLOSED
(SOURCES: STEIN, GLOVER, FUCHES)
