Ozan Lumber Company
Encyclopedia
The Ozan Lumber Company was a wealthy and productive timber company owned by the once powerful Bemis family of Arkansas
during the early 20th century, based out of Nevada County. The company would dominate the economy for that region for decades. It played an integral part in providing employment for citizens of the county during the Great Depression
.
businessmen J.H. Bemis and his cousin Benjamin Whitaker opened a mill
in Prescott, Arkansas
, calling it the Ozan Lumber Company. Bemis had originally moved to Texas from New York
. One of his four sons, Horace Erastus Bemis, who died in 1914, had purchased the Prescott and Northwestern Railroad
, which would play a vital part in transporting the timber and company supplies, effectively providing the Bemis family with everything they needed for the mill to succeed.
H.E. Bemis would operate the mill in partnership with his brothers, J.W. Bemis and William N. Bemis, and it would eventually see its greatest success under W.N. Bemis's son, James Rosborough Bemis, known as J.R. Bemis. Over the course of the next decade the mill became extremely successful, with the Bemis family becoming especially wealthy as a result. Benjamin Whitaker was no longer a part of the mills operations by the early 20th century, having sold out to J.H. Bemis, the primary stock holder for the company.
Along the turn of the century, mill town
s were popping up all around Arkansas, most notably Graysonia
, in Clark County
. In December, 1915, the Bemis brothers merged their company with the Grayson-McLeod Company, creators of Graysonia, and by that time Graysonia had gone from being a small logging camp to a thriving town of more than 1,000 people, with a movie theater
, three hotel
s, numerous restaurant
s and cafe
s, a school
and a church. The merger prompted the new company name of Ozan-Graysonia Lumber Company.
J.H. Bemis died in 1918, leaving his sons to run the company. W.N. Bemis and J.W. Bemis were the main share holders, and both had been active in the company since its beginnings. In 1919, J.R. Bemis, the son to W.N. Bemis, moved to Graysonia to learn the lumber business. He was twenty years old at the time, but he and his father thought it best that he learn the business, as it would one day be his to run. He remained in Graysonia until July, 1920, when he traveled to St. Louis
and began working with Don Lambert, learning how the lumber sales business worked from the standpoint of working off commission. By 1921, J.R. Bemis had returned to Prescott.
J.W. Bemis died in 1922, leaving W.N. Bumis and his son J.R. the only remaining Bemis family share holders. J.R. took over the management of the Ozan Lumber Company, while his father opened a wholesale lumber business in St. Louis. In 1929, J.R. and his cousin Hubert Whitaker opened a wholesale lumber business in Prescott, with J.R. managing the production and Whitaker handling the sales. The Ozan Lumber Company by this time was operating in Whelen Springs
, in Clark County. Although the Great Depression was on by this time, the Ozan Lumber Company never slowed, and was invaluable to people in that region of Arkansas in the way of employment.
, but the loss of the Prescott mill severely hampered construction on the latter. In January, 1937, the Delight mill was completed, behind schedule, and started operation.
In 1939, the Whelen Springs mill was closed, with J.R. Bemis opening another mill in Rosboro, Arkansas
, on the heels of Thomas Rosborough closing down his operations there and moving his company, Caddo River Timber, to Springfield, Oregon
. Rosborough's company, Rosboro Lumber, is today one of the largest private timber holders in the Pacific Northwest.
J.R. Bemis used his new Rosboro mill as a feeder mill to the Delight sight, via the Missouri Pacific Railroad
. By now Bemis had his Prescott mill back in operation, the Delight mill was running full force, and his Rosboro mill was feeding Delight.
Ovan Lumber Company and Ozan-Graysonia Lumber Company had been two separate companies since the 1920s. However, they were merged after W.N. Bemis' death. Through this merger, the company now ran by J.R. Bemis acquired mills in Hope
, Prescott, Arkadelphia
and Nashville, Arkansas
, as well as more than 52000 acres (210.4 km²) of timberland. D.K. Bemis, a cousin to J.R., had begun handling the land and timber operations in 1935. He became the savior of the company, by constantly having their areas replanted following the timber being cut. Using the companies Chief Forester, T.R. Moberg, the company began selective harvesting. D.K. Bemis pioneered the school forest idea, which is now widespread. Beginning in the late 1930s, school children were asked to assist in the replanting of trees, as a part of their school's education program. By the 1950s many of these children would see at least one cutting of the timber they planted.
Due to this modern thinking on their part, and the part of J.R. Bemis, the company thrived. Companies of the past had merely cut over all virgin timber, then moved on to another location. By replanting and selective harvesting, the Ozan Lumber Company was able to constantly replenish their timber supplies. By 1956 the company owned 132000 acres (534.2 km²) of timberland. The company would thrive and be successful throughout J.R. Bemis' lifetime. In March, 1952, the mill at Delight burned, resulting in the Rosboro mill being placed on a two shift schedule to pick up the slack. In October, 1952, the company leased a mill in Antoine, Arkansas
, and by November, 1953, the second shift at Rosboro's mill was discontinued. Ozan Lumber Company also ventured into the automotive industry, managing the Smackover Motor Company and the Prescott Motor Company. The company sold out to Potlatch Corporation in 1965. J.R. Bemis died on March 16, 2000.
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
during the early 20th century, based out of Nevada County. The company would dominate the economy for that region for decades. It played an integral part in providing employment for citizens of the county during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
.
Origins and expansion
The company can be traced back to 1891, when TexasTexas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
businessmen J.H. Bemis and his cousin Benjamin Whitaker opened a mill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
in Prescott, Arkansas
Prescott, Arkansas
Prescott is a city and the county seat of Nevada County, Arkansas. The community had a population of 3,868 at the 2000 census. Prescott is part of the Hope Micropolitan Statistical Area....
, calling it the Ozan Lumber Company. Bemis had originally moved to Texas from New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. One of his four sons, Horace Erastus Bemis, who died in 1914, had purchased the Prescott and Northwestern Railroad
Prescott and Northwestern Railroad
The Prescott and Northwestern Railroad is a short-line railroad headquartered in Prescott, Arkansas. The railroad was chartered in 1890, for the purpose of constructing a railroad north-northwest from Prescott to access timberlands for the Ozan Lumber Company...
, which would play a vital part in transporting the timber and company supplies, effectively providing the Bemis family with everything they needed for the mill to succeed.
H.E. Bemis would operate the mill in partnership with his brothers, J.W. Bemis and William N. Bemis, and it would eventually see its greatest success under W.N. Bemis's son, James Rosborough Bemis, known as J.R. Bemis. Over the course of the next decade the mill became extremely successful, with the Bemis family becoming especially wealthy as a result. Benjamin Whitaker was no longer a part of the mills operations by the early 20th century, having sold out to J.H. Bemis, the primary stock holder for the company.
Along the turn of the century, mill town
Mill town
A mill town, also known as factory town or mill village, is typically a settlement that developed around one or more mills or factories .- United Kingdom:...
s were popping up all around Arkansas, most notably Graysonia
Graysonia, Arkansas
Graysonia was once a boomtown in Clark County, Arkansas, United States, but has since become a ghost town. It is located on a dirt road in what is now known locally as "the middle of nowhere", halfway between Arkadelphia and Alpine. There are no populated communities in its vicinity and only a few...
, in Clark County
Clark County, Arkansas
Clark County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of 2010, the population was 22,995. The county seat is Arkadelphia.The Arkadelphia Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Clark County.-Geography:...
. In December, 1915, the Bemis brothers merged their company with the Grayson-McLeod Company, creators of Graysonia, and by that time Graysonia had gone from being a small logging camp to a thriving town of more than 1,000 people, with a movie theater
Movie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
, three hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
s, numerous restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
s and cafe
Café
A café , also spelled cafe, in most countries refers to an establishment which focuses on serving coffee, like an American coffeehouse. In the United States, it may refer to an informal restaurant, offering a range of hot meals and made-to-order sandwiches...
s, a school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
and a church. The merger prompted the new company name of Ozan-Graysonia Lumber Company.
J.H. Bemis died in 1918, leaving his sons to run the company. W.N. Bemis and J.W. Bemis were the main share holders, and both had been active in the company since its beginnings. In 1919, J.R. Bemis, the son to W.N. Bemis, moved to Graysonia to learn the lumber business. He was twenty years old at the time, but he and his father thought it best that he learn the business, as it would one day be his to run. He remained in Graysonia until July, 1920, when he traveled to St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
and began working with Don Lambert, learning how the lumber sales business worked from the standpoint of working off commission. By 1921, J.R. Bemis had returned to Prescott.
J.W. Bemis died in 1922, leaving W.N. Bumis and his son J.R. the only remaining Bemis family share holders. J.R. took over the management of the Ozan Lumber Company, while his father opened a wholesale lumber business in St. Louis. In 1929, J.R. and his cousin Hubert Whitaker opened a wholesale lumber business in Prescott, with J.R. managing the production and Whitaker handling the sales. The Ozan Lumber Company by this time was operating in Whelen Springs
Whelen Springs, Arkansas
Whelen Springs is a town in Clark County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 84 at the 2000 census. From 1930 through 1939 the town thrived, being a main hub of operations for the then powerful Ozan Lumber Company.-Geography:...
, in Clark County. Although the Great Depression was on by this time, the Ozan Lumber Company never slowed, and was invaluable to people in that region of Arkansas in the way of employment.
J.R. Bemis takes over
In 1935, W.N. Bemis died, leaving J.R. as the main share holder for the company. In 1936, the mill in Prescott burned. At the time, another mill was being built by the company in Delight, ArkansasDelight, Arkansas
Delight is a city in Pike County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 311 at the 2000 census. It is the birthplace of country musician Glen Campbell, though the actual early home of the Country Music Hall of Fame inductee was in nearby Billstown, which Campbell describes as a "suburb" of...
, but the loss of the Prescott mill severely hampered construction on the latter. In January, 1937, the Delight mill was completed, behind schedule, and started operation.
In 1939, the Whelen Springs mill was closed, with J.R. Bemis opening another mill in Rosboro, Arkansas
Rosboro, Arkansas
Rosboro is an unincorporated community in Pike County, Arkansas, United States. It lies about 5 miles west of Amity and 6 miles east of Glenwood. Once a thriving and populated mill town, with several stores, a large mill and kiln, and over one hundred shotgun houses, it now has only one store, and...
, on the heels of Thomas Rosborough closing down his operations there and moving his company, Caddo River Timber, to Springfield, Oregon
Springfield, Oregon
Springfield is a city in Lane County, Oregon, United States. Located in the Southern Willamette Valley, it is within the Eugene-Springfield Metropolitan Statistical Area. Separated from Eugene to the west, mainly by Interstate 5, Springfield is the second-most populous city in the metropolitan area...
. Rosborough's company, Rosboro Lumber, is today one of the largest private timber holders in the Pacific Northwest.
J.R. Bemis used his new Rosboro mill as a feeder mill to the Delight sight, via the Missouri Pacific Railroad
Missouri Pacific Railroad
The Missouri Pacific Railroad , also known as the MoPac, was one of the first railroads in the United States west of the Mississippi River. MoPac was a Class I railroad growing from dozens of predecessors and mergers, including the St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway , Texas and Pacific...
. By now Bemis had his Prescott mill back in operation, the Delight mill was running full force, and his Rosboro mill was feeding Delight.
Ovan Lumber Company and Ozan-Graysonia Lumber Company had been two separate companies since the 1920s. However, they were merged after W.N. Bemis' death. Through this merger, the company now ran by J.R. Bemis acquired mills in Hope
Hope, Arkansas
Hope is a small city in Hempstead County, Arkansas, United States. According to 2008 United States Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 10,378...
, Prescott, Arkadelphia
Arkadelphia, Arkansas
Arkadelphia is a city in Clark County, Arkansas, United States. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 10,548. The city is the county seat of Clark County. The city is situated at the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains. Two universities, Henderson State...
and Nashville, Arkansas
Nashville, Arkansas
Nashville is a city in Howard County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 4,878 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Howard County....
, as well as more than 52000 acres (210.4 km²) of timberland. D.K. Bemis, a cousin to J.R., had begun handling the land and timber operations in 1935. He became the savior of the company, by constantly having their areas replanted following the timber being cut. Using the companies Chief Forester, T.R. Moberg, the company began selective harvesting. D.K. Bemis pioneered the school forest idea, which is now widespread. Beginning in the late 1930s, school children were asked to assist in the replanting of trees, as a part of their school's education program. By the 1950s many of these children would see at least one cutting of the timber they planted.
Due to this modern thinking on their part, and the part of J.R. Bemis, the company thrived. Companies of the past had merely cut over all virgin timber, then moved on to another location. By replanting and selective harvesting, the Ozan Lumber Company was able to constantly replenish their timber supplies. By 1956 the company owned 132000 acres (534.2 km²) of timberland. The company would thrive and be successful throughout J.R. Bemis' lifetime. In March, 1952, the mill at Delight burned, resulting in the Rosboro mill being placed on a two shift schedule to pick up the slack. In October, 1952, the company leased a mill in Antoine, Arkansas
Antoine, Arkansas
Antoine is a town in Pike County, Arkansas, United States, along the Antoine River. The population was 156 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Antoine is located at...
, and by November, 1953, the second shift at Rosboro's mill was discontinued. Ozan Lumber Company also ventured into the automotive industry, managing the Smackover Motor Company and the Prescott Motor Company. The company sold out to Potlatch Corporation in 1965. J.R. Bemis died on March 16, 2000.
External links
- Ozan Lumber Company
- Graysonia Arkansas
- Trains used by Ozan Lumber Company
- Ozan-Graysonia Timber Company, Graysonia Arkansas
- Arkansas Preservation Society
- Brief Background of the Bemis Family
- Bank of Prescott, Ozan Lumber Company
- Contributions of Jane Bemis, Widow of J.R. Bemis
- Horace Erastus Bemis
- Train Service for Ozan-Graysonia Mills
- Arkansas Forestry Association, Ozan Lumber Company
- Prescott Mill Fire
- Potlatch Acquires Ozan Lumber Company