Early Sawmills
An account, written by Frank McDowell, owner of the McDowell Lumber Company in Bluffton, Indiana, for the Wells County Historical Society.

November 11, 1959

    By request from the Historical Society, I am pleased to give you my version of the sawmill activities in the neighborhood of Bluffton for the past 60 years.  There have been millions of board feet of timber used in the operation of the various sawmills during that period.  In the later years of the 19th century and the early years of the 20th century, several sawmills were in operation.
    White and burr oak were the most desired species for many mills.   The clear lumber was sold to the U.S.Navy as well as other ship builders to make and maintain the many ships built.
    Red oak, walnut, hard and soft maple, beech, and sycamore were consumed locally for the building of homes and barns as well as many other uses.   Elm was used for the manufacture of hoops and staves for barrels.   Basswood was used for barrel heads; ash and hickory for tool handles.
    Wells County had very few gravel roads.   Most of the logs were hauled into town on bob-sleds which gave work to many farmers during the winter.   Several of the mills used oxen to drag the logs up to the mill from their log yard.   All of the mills were located on the two railroads in our city of Bluffton.
    People owning land in the late 19th  and early 20th centuries were very fortunate having a place to sell their timber, giving them money to clear their land for farming.
    I will give you the location of the various mills that I recall were operating when I was quite a bit younger.

        The North and McDowell Sawmill was located in the northwest corner of the crossing of the Cloverleaf and the Lake Erie railroads.
        The Buck Handle Factory was located southeast of the Cloverleaf and the Lake Erie crossing.   It was later moved to the location of the North and McDowell mill.
        The Montgomery Sawmill was along the Lake Erie Railroad, on West Wabash Street, at the later site of the Swisher Lumber Company.
        Farther south, along the railroads between Cherry and South Streets, was a band mill.   This site was later occupied by the Bluffton Wholesale Grocery Company.
        On the south side of West South Street at the railroad was a Stave and Heading Plant operated by F.P.Adams.   Also a small Hickory Handle Factory, along Indiana Street, and another sawmill operated by Smith and Bell.   This mill was along the Lake Erie Railroad track, north of Wiley Avenue.
        Myers and Fetters operated their Hoop Factory on North Marion Street, on the banks of the Wabash River.
        Speaking of other mills in operation from time to time, Charles Eaton operated a mill along the Cloverleaf Railroad, just south of South Street; and Ober and Mann operated a Hoop Mill at Wiley Avenue and the same railroad - this was the later site of the Hoosier Condensed Milk Company.   This Hoop Mill was later sold to Lee and Charles Fetters after their mill on North Marion Street was destroyed by fire.
        James Eaton owned the land and operated the mill on North Baldwin Street.   He later leased the land and sold the mill to William Ditzler.   This mill, including the real estate from Mr. Eaton, was sold to Frank McDowell in 1919.   He has operated the mill ever since.   The mill was destroyed by fire and rebuilt in 1921.
        McDowell recalls the time when there were six, and possibly 8, mills operating in the early 1900s.   The McDowell Sawmill, closed November 6, 1959, had been the longest and oldest operating sawmill in the community.   The scarcity of good quality timber in this area prompted the closing of the mill.

                                                                               -- Frank McDowell
                                                                                   November 11, 1959

                A November 1959 Bluffton News-Banner account of the closing of McDowell
            Lumber Company stated McDowell was engaged in the manufacture of barrel hoops
            at Decaur, Indiana from 1916 to 1920 when he acquired the sawmill in Bluffton from
            William Ditzler.   Prior to 1916, he had operated the Bluffton News Stand.
            The article further stated McDowell said in addition to serving the farmers of the
            community, his mill also provided lumber for the railroads, United States Government,
            and various furniture manufacturers.

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Posted 3/17/2001