2,000 Popula tion
VERNONIA EAGLE
MOST PERFECT SAWMILL IN AMtRICA
NOW OPERATING IN VERNONIA
Not a Hitch, Every Machine Perfect, Every Little Move­
ment Has a Meaning* of It’s Own!«She Runs.
Following Good Facts Were Broadcasted From Coast to
Coast in July, When Vernonia’s Big New Mill Start­
ed Opeiations. The Big Plant is Now
Running Full Blase
Vernonia ia known and in print
all over the United States today.
Every Lumberman's Journal and
Daily papers of every state carried
items of the opening of the big, all
steel, beltless, electricfied, suwmill
in the city of Vernonia. Last Thurs­
day the City Council and the Hoard
of Directors of the Chamber of
Commerce were invited to participate
in the party celebrating the suwing
of the first log by the new mill. A
special train from Portland arrived
at 10:30 a. m. and all were shown
over the plant which took about two
hours. Luncheon was served on the
dining enr, und the large crowd, all
guests of the Central Coal . Si Coke
Co., enjoyed every minute of the
time.
Superintendent E. E. Hayes was
seemingly every place at the right
time to cxplnin in detail the work­
ings of certain parts of the mill.
The Portland Journnl, last Sunday
had a half page picture of the mill
and a lengthy article on the opening
which we here reprint:
"Thursday morning the whistles
blew at the magnificient new mill of
the Oregon-American Lumber comp­
any, Vernonia, the 225 men took
their allotted places, the machinery
was started by the electric power
generated at the mill, and the plant
was put into operation for the first
time.
“There was no fanfare of trumpets
and no speech-making to inaugurate
this new large scale enterprise. It
just began to saw wood, which it is
expectel to do at the rate of 250,000
feet every eight hours and at double
that rate when a scond shift of like
number, which will be added later,
is employed.
"And what is especially significant
is that the operating company owns
24,000 acres of timber, aggregating
two and one-half billion feet, which
with the logs that the company pants
to buy in the market, will insure
from 25 to 50 years' supply to the
mill.
"In the middle of the morning
there arrived a special train from
Portland over the new United Rail­
ways line, bearing 80 timbermen,
LOADING LOGS NEAR VERNONIA
Beat Weekly Ad Medium
lumbermen, bankers and buainesa
“The Central Coal & Coke comp­
PRODUCT OF VERNONIA WOODWORKING
men, who were the guests of Charles any was founded by Charles 8. Keith
ESTABLISHMENT
8. Keith of Kansas City, president father in 1871, and it now has exten­
of the Central Coal & Coke company sive mine fields in Wyoming and
which is the parent concern of the other states to the eastward. In 1893
O.-A. Lumber company. Frank Schof- the concern entered the lumber field.
“The bulk of the timber holdings
lin, of Kansas, pice-president, and
of the O.-A. Lumber company is in
other officials of the company.
Caltsop and Washington counties.
“This party was shown through the One logging camp is now in opera­
new mill of steel and concrete, which tion, another will be established in
represents the latest type of con­ the fall and a third next spring.
struction. They saw great fir logs
28 Dry Klias
which had been dumped into the new
“When pressed for any outstand­
ly created 40-acre pond after having ing features of construction in the
been transported by rail from the' new mill, Mr. Keith replied that no
logging camp 11 miles to the north-I unusual innovations had been resort-
west, lifted into the mill, thence to td to, the entire installation resulting
carriers, operated by steam, and1 from years of experience in lumber
transpirted into lumber of varying' manufacture. All common lumber is
sizes at the will of the sawyer.
to be dry klined, however, he pointed
“They saw the cut lumber, after it out, and for this purpose 28 kilns,
had passed through the several pro­ each with a capacity of 12,000 feet
cesses of manufacture mechanically per day, have been installed. The
sorted and distributed until it found kilns are in accordance with an ap­
its way to the stacker sheds and stor­ proved design worked out at the U.
age sheds.
S. Forest Service Laboratory at Mad­
“They were impressed by the new­ ison, Wis.
!the population will double within an­
“The casual visitor is impressed large cities, came to witness the open
est methods contrived by man to
ing
at
the
future
Industrial
Center.
other two years. A new mill is now
transform logs into lumber in the with the magnitude of the mill prop­
most economical fashion and especi­ er, sorter sheds, storage sheds, dry With the starting of the big mill the being talked of by a different timber
ally by the outlay of capital which kiln buildings, planing mill, power city is starting anew. More people company which will aid greatly to
house and other structures which employed, more camps opening in
the enterprise represents.
¡the hustling little business center. In
"Doubtless the most interested have arisen within a year on what the vicinity, more business openings | the present new mill just starting a-
spectator in the party was Mr. Keith for all previous time had been a ver­ being established and an optomestic ' bout 8(R) men will be employed in
air prevails. More industries are want
wh^pe modest manner gave no indica itable jungle for its density.
ed. Small factories are solicited, mill and camp. The output will be
“
Once
the
mill
is
operating
on
two
tion of the fact that he was witness­
such as box factories, handle fact­ 300,000 board feet of lumber per
•hift«
it«
monthly
payroll
will
aggre
­
ing the initial operation of a plant
eight hour shift and they will run
that represents over three years’ ne­ gate $135,000. And here where the ories, chair factories, creamery, brick two shifts. Witnessing the starting
and
tile
plant
—
these
are
other
like
town
of
Vernonia
take«
renewed
in
­
gotiation and. construction and the in
institutions are needed and desired. i of the plant was a sight long to be
vestment of an immense amount of terest.
The
city has splendid churches, stand remembered.
Vernonia Grow«
capital. Yet nothing escaped his keen
ard grade and high schools, hospital
The above is part of an article on
“
For
a
half
century
Vernonia
ha«
eye.
ne«tied in the hill« at the junction good theatres, city water system, a Vernonia appearing in the August
"Thist is the advent of the Central
under construction, number of the “Ameircan Railway
of Rock Creek and the Nehalem river sewer system
Coal & Cope company into the Pacif­
25 mile« west of St. Helens, and until and light and power from Vernonia Journal” a monthly Magazine print­
ic Northwest, yet for years it has oc­
Light & Power Co., a hydro-electric ed in Los Angeles and widely circu­
cupied a commanding position in the the advent of improved highways it plant on Rock Creek. A second rail­ lated in every state in the Union. The
southern pine belt, where it now op­ was quite inaccessible in the winter road is now headed for Vernonia journal had a picture of our new
season. Its older residents recall the
erates three large milks, which with
hope entertained years ago for direct and new camps are being establish­ mill on their cover page. It will be
the new Vernonia plant will turn out
ed, and every assurance proves that seen and read by many thousands.
a total of 325,000,000 feet of lumber rail communication with the outside
world, a hope that has just been real­
every year.
ised by the establishment of an in­
VERNONIA’S FAST GROWING POST OFFICE
“In spite of his limited personal dustry which at its very beginning
contact with the Oregon country, employs probably as many men ar
none is more aware of its opportun­ there were people in Vernonia wH
ities than Mr. Keith, who sees the wid the enterprise was begun.
er market that awaits Pacific North­
“In the intervening year since ’• >
west lumber than that from the di­ new mill has been under construe a
minishing southern belts. He will tell the population of the town has .a-
you how the south itself is absorb­ creased to a point where Dr. Sears,
ing a large percentage of its own ts energetic mayor, claims it to num­
lumber; he knows the percentages ber 2000, and points with pride to
of western and southern timber con­ he new school construction, new wate
sumed in the eastern and nothern rsystem and other factors that the
states and has an intimate knowlelge rowing population of a thriving
of the foreign markets. A brief chat own requires, including sewer,
with him convinces the interviewer Streets and light and power.”
that his entrance into the Northwest
field enme from an exact knowledge
of the conditions here and elsewhere
that justified an initial investment
that runs into millions with the im­
mediate inauguration of large scale
operation.
A NEW INDUSTRAL
CENTER FOR OREGON
Half Century Old
Veronnia,
A LOAD OF lOO-FOOT PILING MANUFAACTURED AND SHIPPED TO NEW
YORY BY HALL BROS. OF VERNONIA
JUST A FEW FEET OF GOOD TIMBER TO BE FOUND AROUND VERNONIA
50
Miles
From
Portland
Offers Inducements to Home
Seekers
A new town that is forty years
old. The Heart of the Big Timber.
An industrial center. The fast grow­
ing city that has gone from 200 to
2000 in two years. These are the
slogans that are broadcasted about
Vernonia, Oregon. Vernonia is lo­
cated on the “Inland Highway, mid­
way between Portland and Astoria,
about fifty miles from each city.
It has a trade territory for 30 miles
in each direction with no competition.
The little city is in the center of the
“Nehalem” Valley, noted for it’s
fruit, vegetable and dairy possibilit­
ies. Only two years have passed since
Vernonia was touched by a railroad,
giving the inhabitants an outlet to
markets and to the outside world.
For nearly 40 years the little village
nestled cozy and contented along
side of the Nehalem river and Rock
Creek and surrounded by big fir
trees. The populace were busy; they
farmed, felled trees, fished and hunt­
ed, and were as neighborly as one
big family. Then rumors of fhe rail­
road and talk of a big saw mill and
other industries opened the eyes of
the inhabitants to the great possibil­
ities in store for the village. In Aug­
ust, 1922 the S. P. & S. laid rails
into Vernonia from Portland; it was
a busy and exciting day. And every
since has been a little better to the
business men setting stakes in the
thriving and fast growing city. Ver­
nonia has today some 2500 people
and new houses being built every
week. Two years ago the Oregon-
American Lumber Co., a branch of
the Central Coal A Coke Co., of Kan­
sas City Mo., purchased 200 acres in
the city on which to build a big all
steel mill and 40 acres on which to
84 five room modern cottages have
been built. For two years a large
construction gang has been work­
ing on this immense mill, the larg­
est all electric saw mill in the Unit­
ed States. Today the mill is finished,
and on Thursday, July 10, the first
log w«f sawed into lumber. At the
time a special train loaded with
bankers, business men and timber­
men, of Portland, Seattle and other
In a couple years Vernonia postal business has growmby
leaps and bounds. A big wagon load of mail arrives
Postmaster Messing was crowded out of the foriner'smail
building, and erected the present nice Postal Home, which
is better able to handle the big business. Two clerks as­
sist the postmaster in his daily tasks.
A SCENE IN THE WOODS NEAR VERNONIA
ONE OF VERNONIA’S MANY FINE HOMES
Owned By G. W. Alexander