LUMBER-RELATED INDUSTRY
Updated - 06/25/2023
The "Lumber-Related Industry" webpage includes any business whose primary focus is trees, wood or lumber. This industry could include, but not necessarily be limited to: the growing of trees; the timbering of trees; the transportation of trees, wood or lumber products; the processing of trees into lumber; wholesale lumber operations and retail lumber businesses. While a few businesses may possibly be categorized under two or more options (for example, "Contractors", "Lumber-Related Industry" and "Manufac-turing"), this page will attempt to list all of those businesses in which lumber plays the primary role.
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PREFACE: The Auburn-area, and Schuylkill County in general, had ideal conditions for the lumbering trade. Chestnut, shorter pine trees, and poplar trees were cut to provide lumber for building cabinetry and furniture. Oak trees were cut to build sturdy boats, especially canal boats in the Auburn-area. Tall pine trees were cut to create masts for ships. The French government purchased all of the tall (long) pine lumber it could get from Schuylkill County lumber businesses.
AUBURN-AREA LUMBER-RELATED BUSINESSES DETAILED BELOW INCLUDE:
"AUBURN PLANING MILL" - B. F. M. FAHL
"AUBURN PLANING MILL" - N. M. FAHL
"H. R. CARL - LUMBER" - (Harry Robert Carl - Timber Dealer; Washington Street - c. 1905)
"LENHART LUMBER COMPANY"
"NORMAN BAILEY - LUMBER AND BUILDING MATERIALS"
"WERNER'S LUMBERYARD"
"WEST BRUNSWICK SAW MILL"
"AUBURN PLANING MILL" - N. M. FAHL
"H. R. CARL - LUMBER" - (Harry Robert Carl - Timber Dealer; Washington Street - c. 1905)
"LENHART LUMBER COMPANY"
"NORMAN BAILEY - LUMBER AND BUILDING MATERIALS"
"WERNER'S LUMBERYARD"
"WEST BRUNSWICK SAW MILL"
AUBURN PLANING MILL - B. F. M. FAHL - Although not much is known about the "Auburn Planing Mill" operated by B. F. M. Fahl, some assumptions can be made about the business. First, the Auburn Planing Mill under B. F. M. Fahl's operation was one of the earliest operating lumber industries in the area with the possible exception of the West Brunswick saw mill. Secondly, the identity of "B. F. M. Fahl" is uncertain but the chances are high he was the Reverend "Benjamin Franklin Mengel Fahl" who was born on 11/15/1874 in Auburn, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, the son of Joseph Fahl and Sybilla Mengel Fahl. Benjamin married Maggie S. Borkey Fahl in 1898 and they had at least three children, Erwin B. Fahl, Franklin B. Fahl and Mary S. Fahl. More interestingly, perhaps, is the fact that Benjamin had at least eight siblings, one of whom was Nathan Mengel Fahl. After the Auburn Planing Mill was operated by "B. F. M. Fahl" for a period of time, the operation of the mill was taken over by a "N. M. Fahl" who could quite possibly be Benjamin's sibling Nathan. The records show the Reverend Benjamin Franklin Mengel Fahl died in the Philadelphia area, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania on 02/09/1961 but was interred within the Auburn Church of God cemetery, Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA.
AUBURN PLANING MILL - N. M. FAHL, Contractor - Although not much is known about the Auburn Planing Mill under the operation of N. M. Fahl, some assumptions can be made. A "Nathan Mengel Fahl" was born on 07/09/1858 in West Brunswick Township, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, a son of Joseph Fahl and Sybilla Mengel Fahl. He married twice, his first wife being Kate Rebecca Reed Fahl whom he married in 1886 but who passed away in 1907; his second wife being Henrietta Anthony Hinkley Fahl whom he married in 1912 and who passed away in 1935. Nathan had at least five children by his first wife. However, more interestingly, perhaps, is that he had at least eight siblings, one of whom was a Benjamin Franklin Mengel Fahl. At one point, a "B. F. M. Fahl" was in operation of the Auburn Planing Mill as well. Nathan Fahl died on 08/02/1931 in Auburn, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania and was interred within the Auburn Church of God cemetery of the same town.
H. R. CARL - LUMBER - Harry Robert Carl was born on 12/14/1876 in the town of Tremont, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, the son of Emmanuel and Malinda Carl. He was married twice; first to Bessie K. Nagle Carl who passed away on July 26, 1914, and then to Elizabeth J. Armbruster Carl who lived until 1956. He is believed to have had children with each wife, a Harry D. Carl, born in 1909 (son of Bessie), a Bessie J. Carl (date of birth unknown but daughter of Bessie) and a Robert Armbruster Carl, born in 1916 (son of Elizabeth).
Harry Carl had the most prolific timbering industry in the Auburn area. His motorized truck for hauling logs was a mechanical wonder for the residents of Auburn to view. He acquired not only large tracts of land in the Auburn-area, but he also had ownership of large land tracts in Delaware, Maryland and Virgina. He owned no fewer than five farms in the Auburn-area. At one point, Harry Carl owned the Auburn Electric Light, Heat and Power Company located at the corner of Bear Creek Street and Pine Street in Auburn.
Harry also was one of the organizers of Auburn's first bank, the First National Bank of Auburn. He served as its Vice-President from 1908 until 1914, then in 1914 became the bank's President. He served on the Auburn Borough Council for several years as well as on the Auburn Board of Trade. Harry died on 02/11/1952 in Pottsville, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania and is interred within the St. John's Church cemetery, Cemetery Road, Auburn, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania.
Harry Carl had the most prolific timbering industry in the Auburn area. His motorized truck for hauling logs was a mechanical wonder for the residents of Auburn to view. He acquired not only large tracts of land in the Auburn-area, but he also had ownership of large land tracts in Delaware, Maryland and Virgina. He owned no fewer than five farms in the Auburn-area. At one point, Harry Carl owned the Auburn Electric Light, Heat and Power Company located at the corner of Bear Creek Street and Pine Street in Auburn.
Harry also was one of the organizers of Auburn's first bank, the First National Bank of Auburn. He served as its Vice-President from 1908 until 1914, then in 1914 became the bank's President. He served on the Auburn Borough Council for several years as well as on the Auburn Board of Trade. Harry died on 02/11/1952 in Pottsville, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania and is interred within the St. John's Church cemetery, Cemetery Road, Auburn, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania.
NORMAN BAILEY - LUMBER AND BUILDING MATERIALS - Norman W. Bailey operated a modest saw mill and building material outlet a short distance east of Auburn.
WERNER'S LUMBER YARD - Little is known of Werner's Lumber Yard other than it was presumably owned and operated by someone with the surname of "Werner"; was located in the area known as the "Commons" (an open plot just south of Washington Street in the town of Auburn), and that the lumber yard was being dismantled circa 1943 when this picture was taken.
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WEST BRUNSWICK SAW MILL - A picture postcard created by Pharmacist Frank Brown depicts a sprawling structure which he titled the "Old Sawmill" in West Brunswick, Auburn, PA. Considering that Frank Brown was active taking pictures in the 1900s and 1910s, for this picture to be called the "Old Sawmill" presumes that the mill might be from at least the 1880s or earlier, making this mill the earliest known saw mill in the immediate Auburn-area.
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Sowers, Andrew -
The website findagrave.com has a listing for an Andrew Sowers (1866-1944) as having been interred within the Auburn Cemetery, Mill Street, Auburn, Schuylkill County, PA; however, no physical evidence, nor burial or church records, exist to support that claim. The site has a newspaper obituary stating that Andrew was interred within the "Auburn cemetery" but doesn't specify which of the three Auburn cemeteries that existed by 1944. The obituary does mention that Andrew was a "retired timber cutter" but does not identify an employer. |