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Greenwood has always relied on logging. When Greenwood was
founded, there was a need for lumber for new construction of stores,
businesses and housing for the Miners, Storekeepers and all the amenities
surrounding a booming town. When the Railway came into town, there
was a need for the Railway Ties, Trestles and Buildings. Plenty of
trees surrounded Greenwood.
Sawmills were established close by
Greenwood, Anaconda. Boundary Creek Milling and Lumber Co. had
an advertisement in the newspapers of January 1899.
Boundary Falls Mill was owned by Tomlin
& Perversoff and Tom Skeratow before 1951, and by Taylor & Jeffery
from 1951 to 1968.
McCarren Creek Mill was at the L. Folvik
Home site, Padmoroff had a mill a few miles up from McCarren Creek Mill
which was run by a steam boiler.
Cooke Lumber Company was purchased from the
Folvik but moved to Greenwood after it burned down in 1953. It
became one of the major lumber producers in the area turning out 11-12
million board feet of finished lumber per year. The mill received
logs both by truck and by rail and had a special skyline to carry bundles
of logs from the CPR across Boundary Creek to the Mill. It became
one of the most efficient and up-to-date mills in B. C. In
1955 a chipper was installed to reduce waste wood to chips for the pulp
mill in Castlegar. In 1967, the Mill was sold to Northwood Mills
Limited.
Greenwood also had a Mill owned by Tedesco
on the Northeast side of Greenwood below the Tramway Bore. George
and Bud Peters also had a mill on the Creek near the existing Ball
Diamonds.
Jim Forshaw also had a Mill located across
Boundary Creek.
Paul Forshaw had a Mill located about 2
miles up Phoenix Road, later moved to the Hartley-Lind Creek Road.
Other Portable Mills were located around
the area.
In 1936, a mill was setup cutting
ties about 4 miles up Ingram Creek. Employing about 30-40 men for
the next few years. In 1939, a planer was rented at the current site
of Poe & Talbot in Midway. Many Japanese men started
working at the Mill in 1942. In 1943, Boundary Sawmills Ltd was
incorporated from 3 companies, J. W. Sherbinin and Son (Ingram Creek)
Midway Logging Co. (Boundary Creek Operation) and J. J. Sherbinin
Ltd. This with the mill started on the site by Ted McArthur became
the Boundary Sawmills Ltd.
The mill up Ingram Creek continued until it
was destroyed by fire in 1952 by Freedomites. The lower mill was
plagued by fires as well.
In 1957 the company acquired Grand Forks
Sawmill followed by the Fritz Sawmill in 1961. In 1966, the Boundary
Company gained controlled of Olingers of Carmi, BC and the Sandner
Brothers at Christina Lake. Boundary Sawmills Ltd stayed busy until
1969 when Pope and Talbot Ltd. bought the Sawmills in Midway and Grand
Forks. For a full history of Pope and
Talbot Ltd. Click
here.
Logging is still very active in the area and employs many
people. We have an excellent display of old logging equipment
in our Museum.
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