The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1914-04-22
Death of Truman D. Collins.

Truman Doud Collins, the well-known
lumberman, died at his home at Ne
braska, Pennsylvania, at S:35 o'clock
Thursday morning, April 10Th, 1914, at
the advanced age of 50 years. He had
been in failing health for some years,
but almost to the last had retained per-
sonal control of his large business en-
terprises. The deceased had been Won
derfully active and successful in the
lumber business in this section of Penn
sylyania through long business career
of over 60 years, having accumulated
millions of dollars in profits from his eX-
tensive operations. Close financial
friends state that his property holdings
in Pennsylvania alone amount to more
than S5,00O,000, while several hundred
thousand acres of the best timber lands
on the Pacific slope in the States of Ore
gon, Washington and California are con-
servatively valued at $2O,0OO,000. The
deceased was noted for his wealth and
prominence as lumberman and known
nationally for his philanthropy, being
one of the largest contributors in Amer
ica to the cause of foreign missions. He
has given much to this benevolence
within the last 20 years. supporting the
mission enterprises of the Methodist
Manchuria, Porto Rico and South Amer
lea. IT is believed that the major por-
tion of the great income from his estate
will go, under his will, to a continued
support OF these philanthropic enter
prises.
Truman Doud Collins was born in
Cortland, Cortland county, N. Y, on
March z, 1881, the son of Jaboz G. and
Adeline (Doud) Collins, farmer in mod
crate circumstances. After attending
public school and the Cortland academy,
he went to work on q surveying corps as
a chairman, the most humble place on
the job, but rapidly rose to be an en-
gineer of n division on the Binghamton
q Syracuse railroad. On the completion
of the road, he declined further employ
ment and came to Forest county, in 1858,
to embark in the lumber business first
working for time az n common laborer
for the modest wages of 60 cents per
day. Afterward going into the business
in small way for himself, near Whig
Hill, Forest county, he soon began to
make his mark in the trade.
The d ;overy of oil by Colonel f. L.
Drake on Oil creek and the Phenomenal
development that ensued throughout
northwestern Pennsylvania, provided a
mills at the highest prices. He pur-
chased several thousand acres of timber
land in Beaver valley, and in 1866, he
built his first circular saw mill. His sur
plus product, above what was readily
absorbed in the local oil fields, was
RATED and fioated down the Allegheny to
Pittsburgh, Cincinnati or Louisville.
In 1877, he purchased a tract of 1000
acres of timber land located at Me-
braska, Green township, this county,
and put into use the first band saw mill
in this district, the second in the State.
Seeing the opportunity to acquire valua-
BILE tracts of timber cheaply, he now
began to acquire property rapidly and
the profits derived from his business
were steadily converted into extensive
holdings of timber land along Tionesta
creek and it's tributaries The larger
purchases in chronological order were as
follows: The Stone q Lindsay tract of
1000 acres in Howe township, in 1885;
the Lacey tract of 1000 acres in Green
township, Forest county, and Harming-
ton township, Clarion county, in 1890;
the Adamson tract of 5000 acres in
Kingsley, jerks and Howe townships,
Forest county, in 1890; the Cook lands
tract of 5000 acres in Kingsley and
Howe townships, Forest county, in 1892;
the Clough tract of 5000 acres in Howe
and jerks townships, Forest county, in
1911. Additional purchase were made,
which added smaller tracts of contigu-
Gus land.
Some Vast Enterprises.
The larger portion OF these lands were
acquired at very low prices, before the
increase in prices of lumber Mills were
erected at various convenient places to
manufacture the timber into lumber.
The town of Nebraska continued to be
the base of operations, but even larger
plants were erected at Kellettville, Co
lima, Mayburg, Hastings and other
places, some of which still flourish.
Shipment by water became TOO slow
and uncertain to meet the requirements
of these vast operations and n railroad
was completed in 1890, first connecting
with the w. N. Y. & =. railroad at West
Hickory over the Hickory Valley rail-
road but later, in 1898, this road. there
after known as the Sheffield & Tionesta
railway, was extended up Tionesta creek
to Sheffield with an outlet there to the
=. q E. 1t has since been constructed
to Tionesta from Nebraska, making a
complete line of road along the Tionesta
creek valley, touching at all the mills
and villages for over 40 miles.
During all these busy years there was
a steadily increasing demand for lum-
Der and with the timber supply con-
stantly diminishing, combined to swell
| the value of his holdings many times
over. The profits fl um the local mills
were regularly invested in stumpage in
| the States of Washington, oregon and
California, lust al RAPIDLY az they be.