The Republican., 1925-11-19
LAST LOG ON KENDALL
MILL AT CRELLIN CUT
Last Friday Witnessed Clos.
ing of Operations On Lum-
! hering Plant.

Inc last log 10 De manufactured
into lumber at the large saw mill of
the Kendall Lumber Company at the
town of Crellin, four miles west of
Oakland was cut last Friday after
noon, and what is remarkable about
the operation is that the same man
who turned down the slab from the
first log cut on the original mill built
in 1891 turned down the slab from the
last log cut on the present mill.
The town of Crellin was founded by
r. P. Crellin and B. F. White in the
year 1891. its original name being
Sunshine. Later, after the town had
grown to some proportions and a. suf-
ficient number of people had located
there, postoffice was established and
called in honor Of the towns founder,
Crellin.
In the year 1891 the land upon
which the town of Crellin now stands,
was purchased by the Preston Lum-
Der and Coal Company by party Of
Pennsylvania capitalists from John A.
Connell, of Hutton Previous to this
time, however, W. A. Loraw was the
owner of a small portion of the same
land upon which he operated a por-
table saw mill, its site being on the
spot where the Kendall house at Crel-
lin now stands.
Following the purchase Of the prop
erty from Mr.. Connell, the Preston
Lumber Company begun the building
of a railroad from the Baltimore and
Ohio at Hutton to the present mill
site at Crellin. Of the number of
men engaged in helping to build the
road and NOW off the alder brush for
the mill site and town site, four are
still living at Crellin, namely: Jesse
L0raw, William H. Shaffer, Frank
Graham and Boyd Martin. j. Frank
.wA shby and Dorsey l.. Ashby, of near
rellip, helped to build the first large
mill over thirty-four years ago, it be-
ing erected by the company of which
Mr., Creliin was then the head. Part
Of the machinery for this mill was
hauled into Crellin on wagons from
Hutton. The mill was not completed
and ready to operate until early in the
summer of 1891. This mill was equip
ped with a large 72-inch circular saw
and gang saws with a capacity of
over 10000 feet per day. The saw
yers on this mill were Messrs. Fields,
Lampblack, Sanders and Gangley. Mr..
Sanders is the only one of the quartet
still living at Crellin.
The original mill was destroyed by
a spectacular fire of undetermined or
igin in March, 1902, at which time the
late w. r. Stull was general mana
ger and resided in the home now occu-
pied and owned by Mr.. Gilmor S.
Hamill.
Following the destruction of the old
mill immediate steps were taken by
the Preston Company to rebuilt and
work was started before the members
of the fire which destoyed it had en-
tirely cooled. The new mill was COM
pleted in the summer of 1908 and has
been in almost continuous operation
ever since. 1t is equipped as double
mill, consisting of an eight-foot band
and 64-inch circular saw with a daily
capacity of more than $4,000 feet of
lumber.
The Preston Lumber Company con-
tinued to operate the plant until in
September, 1905, when the property
was purchased by the Kendall Lum-
Der Company, and the present mill
was remodeled by the new owners in
1907. The sawyers on this mill were
Arch Wise, John Bowe, Charles Ed
wards, Milton Bittinger and MINERS
Sehoch. Mr. Bittinger has been pull
ing the lever for more than nineteen
years and no doubt has sawed more
logs than any other man in either the
States of Maryland or West Virginia.
The superintendentS Of this opera
ton have been few, considering the
years since its establishment, and are
named in rotation with the numbers
of years of their superintendency as
follows: Thomas Wilburn, 2 years;
Ions Frey, years; Charles Whit
more, years; George Brown, 3 years,
I'd Charles ". Ream, 19 years.
Under the ownership and manage
nent of the Preston Lumber and Coal
Company there were manufactured
and shipped over 250,000,000 feet Of
lumber, besides numerous carloads OF
mine props, bark and pulp wood Since
the Kendall Lumber Company has
owned and operated the property the
following, taken from the records OF
the company, shows the output il;
manufactured lumber and other pro
ducts Of the mill and woods;
Lumber in feet. ......... 358,698, ,685
Plastering lath ..,..,.. 62,754, ,70C