Lumber Industry in Arkansas October 3rd, 2000 BODCAW LUMBER COMPANY AND OTHER VENTURES Stamps became a full-fledged village almost overnight when the L&A located its car and machine shops here. Bodcaw was the largest shippers of yellow pine in the Southwest, putting two plants in the town and the headquarters in the region. All of the small towns around took advantage of the timber- boom and relied heavily on the railways and manpower to operate and lend to the leading growth of the area. In other words Stamps and the Bodcaw Lumber Company was the gateway for the timber industry and many were able to invest and be rewarded by this fast growing avenue of investment. WILLIAM BUCHANAN A TIMBERMAN Our heritage could not be told with out the mention of a timberman, who built his sawmill in Stamps, Arkansas. He also with few backers built their own railroad into Louisiana to carry their logs and timber to market. This was their second business a little later, so we won’t touch much on this area of the Lousiana, and Arkansas Railroad. Mind you this venture was funded out of the back pockets of William Buchanan, Harvey Couch, andWilliam Edenborn. These railroads were run as personal business. Buchanan and Edenborn died in the 1920’s and lead the way as changes to the world and the north Louisiana and south Arkansas region presented significant challenges. William Buchanan came from Tennessee and founded the timber industry in Stamps in 1870’s. In 1889 he acquired the Bodcaw Lumber Company from a group of local businessmen. In 1970 Bodcaw’s vast holdings were bid on by Weyerhaeuser and International Paper and IP acquired Bodcaw for 108 million dollars. IP sold the oil and gas holdings and integrated Bodcaw’s mill and timberlands into its holding. ENTREPRENEURS ENGAGING IN THE TIMBER INDUSTRY P.D. BURTON, SR. A prominent Timberman and oil and gas entrepreneur shown at a logging camp believed to be around Walker Creek area. Burton, Sr. on the right end wearing bolar hat. The land holdings of timber, oil and gas are in the third generations, passing from Sr. Burton to P.D. Burton, Jr., to Burton Associates and managed by Bruce Burton who graciously shared family history with our readers. As you can tell by Mr. Burton, Sr. picture he was a very dignified business-like man whether on the job or out in public and I understand a gentlemen raised in Texarkana with southern graciousness and a sense of fine business like qualities. He decided to move Lewisville and engage in the timber, and oil and gas market. Due to shrewdness and keen business sense of the grand old era his endeavors are still in the family today. LUDIE AT TIMBER DAY Readers I will be on hand at TIMBER DAY, this Saturday from 9:30A.M. – 2:30 P.M. I will have two genealogy sessions and will answer or try to answer any question you have. Remember to bring a notebook to jot down information. Members of the Historical Society will also be there to answer questions, and some pictures of the Sawmill days that have appeared in my columns will be there. Also on hand will be applications for the Lafayette county Historical Society. --Next week still more logging camp information-a true account of logging camp at Taylor, Arkansas. “Quote from Cecil Spivey of Buckner, I remember my father telling of logs that were so big they could only haul one log on a wagon pulled by six mules.” How accurate the account judging by the picture of R.M. Burton seated on log at Arkana on Arkansas, Louisiana State line 1908. Photo courtesy of Burton family.