The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-11-16
GUTHRIE LUM-
Der CENTER
Always Has Been Recognized as a
Lumber Center Of Considerable
Importance.


Guuh.is is unusually wdll favored
This asis been made so, however,
not by any special advantages offere
by nature or the city's geographical
location, but by the early a,.vent OF
numerous railroads, and the sagaci-
GUS judgment Of her leading business
men in soliciting and promoting those
industries which would most aid us
In the establishing of a commercial
center.
or all the industries that have ma
terially allied us along this line from
the very beginning the numbering in.
dustry occupies distinct position.
The first houses OF whatever sort
were constructed of lumber, and that
condition necessarily encoura ged the
numbering irms that early located
here and gave them a start that make
them among the foremost OF their
kind in the whole state.
The lumber firms have always en-
joyed a marvellous position among
the other business firms OF Guthrie.
At the present time t.i3a prosperous
condition OF the people who live in
the city and near enough TO Guthrie
to buy lumber from our firms keeps
the lumber men busy A new COM
munity is of all countries the ideal
place for ine lumber dealer anyway,
for the Ideal Of every prosperous
man is to own a fine home for his
family and a fine barn for his stock.
In new country these have to be
bWAed AMI therefore there is con-
tinually q large demand for lumber
to build these homes and barns.
There was time in the history of
Guthrie. however.s'x the people
had to content themselves with most
any sort of place to live, and natur-
ally one would think that the lumber
ing business was not so prosperous
then as now. To a limited extent
that Is true, but In general not so.
It must be remembered that for
long time Guthrie has the only rail-
road in this part OF the state. There
were dozens of towns springing up
all around us, and these had to have
lumbe. with no place but Guthrie
from which to get 1t. Wagon load
after wagon Ioal CT humber was,
therefore, hauled out overland to these
towns for the construction of their
business buildings and residences. In
fact. nearly every bit Of the lumber
used in the construction OF the early
business buildings in towns as lar
away as Saltwater was freighted
overland to That place from Guthrie,
having been purchased out OF Guth-
rie lumber. yards.
In the early days there was a great
deal OF cottonwood and oak lumber
used in this part of the country, all
OF which was sawsl by mills scattered
all along the creeks, and wherever
trees that would produce boards or
scantlings could he found, and manv
a house even in Guthrie has some OF
tnat sort of lumber in 1t. even though
the house may have been rebuilt into
modern residence Cottonwood
lumber. however, is very poor build
ing material and the coming of pros
perlty saw the passing OF the Cotton
wood board and plank for building
purposes. At about this time also
the inland town began to set rail
roads aud Guthrie firms, while they
gained trade at home, they also to
a limited extent lost trade away from
home. The break was about even
ard the numbering interests OF Guth-
rie continued to prosper.
Guthrie's continuous growth has
been the thing above all others, now
ever, that has kept our business in
terests alive. We are not boasting
of more lumber yards than any other
city in the state for other cities have
more. We are not boasting of the
largest lumber yards In che state, for
other cities have larger ones. But
we do claim to have the best class
of men engaged In the numbering
business, men who have the growth
OF the city at heart, men who have
always contributed literally to the
city's upbullding. men who treat their
customors en- the square in every
particular By reason OF these things
GWArle haa an established repu.a-
tion as a lumber center, and even
at this late lay people from other
towns come here to buy their lumber,
hauling II overland TO their homes.
At present there are FIVE lumber
firms IN Guthrie all doing a good
business. Elsewhere IN this issue
win be found tae advertisements OF
the following five prominent firms;
The P. T. Walton Co, with retail
yards In eleven other towns In the
state: the Arkansas LumOer Co.: the
West Side Lumbe- Co. and the Ward
Lumber Co. Reports from these yar's
all indicate that the lumber business
in Guthrie has been better this last
year than Il has ever been before.
and that the prospects for the coming
year are very good
There is peculiar fact connected
with every business man who Is rep
resented In this industrial issue-his
business has been better this last
year than 1t ever has been before.
Tae fact that by reason OF the iepres-
sion IN the money market last winter
and spring this year would seem 20
have been bad one. We would
naturally De lead 10 think that some
body else's business has been not 80
good II all these represented here
have been better But such II not the
case. In the course OF our iaveatifS-
tlons OF the business conditions 0l Ire
whole toWR We found not siAgle
person Wao said ais business vas not