The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1940-07-04
]. NEILS LUMBER COMPANY
Libby

The first lumber mill was started
in Libby in 1906 as the Dawson
Lumber Company. In 1910 the Lib
by Lumber Company, composed of
Neils and Shelvin, purchased the
Dawson Lumber Company. Mr.. j.
Neils started in the lumber business
in Sank Rapids, Minnesota in 1888.
A corporation was formed in 1895
and in 1900 they established a plant
at Cass Lake, Mimi In 1914, the
old mill was wrecked and a new
mill was constructed. In 1915 the
Shelvin Company of Minnesota
bought the interests of ]. Neils in
the Libby Lumber Company. ].
Neils, in 1919, then repurchased the
Libby Lumber Company and the
present company was formed. Final
ly in 1923. Mr.. Neils ceased all lum-
Der operations in Minnesota. A plant
was established in Klickitat, Wash,
in 1922 and the general office was
maintained in Portland, Ore, The
company now has sales offices To-
Gated in Great Falls, Mont, Min
neapohs, Mimi, Chicago H., New
York, N Y, Milwaukee, Wis, and
Portland, Ore. The company has
Paul Neils as President and Gen
eral Manager of the Portland gen.
eral office. Walter Neils as vice
president and manager of the Libby
plant, Geo. Neils as treasurer and in
charge of the Libby logging opera
tons, Gerhard f. Neils as Seere-
tary and Sales Manager of the
Khckitat plant, and Henry J. Neils
of Minneapolis, Mimi, as assistant
secretary treasurer
The ]. Neils Lumber Company in
Libby has milling capacity of sew
enty million feet of lumber per year.
At the present they maintain two
eight hour shifts and mill 100000
feet per day. The mill has every
modern device to facilitate the work
with every precaution being taken
for the safety and welfare of its
employees. The logging is from
their own timber, or timber pur-
chased from the Forestry Depart
ment of private owned timber The
different species of timber used are.
Idaho White Pine, Ponderosa Pine,
Englemann Spruce and Larch. Most
of their lumber is sold to middle
western and eastern states, all of
the business transacted being whole
sale, although retail department
is maintained, handling complete
line Of building materials. At the
present time, they are adding new
new retail store All lumber is
graded and stamped according to
standard grades.
The company employs SIS local
people and have an average payroll
of three quarters of million dol
lars per year Thirteen of the men
employed have been with the COM
pany for more than 80 years. Mr..
L. j. Olson, auditor for the COM
pany, has been with them for 38
years. The j Neils Lumber COM
pany is one of the three largest
taxpayers in Lincoln county, the
other two being the Great Northern
Railroad and the Anaconda Com
pany interests.
In concluding this article, we wish
to state that the j. Neils Lumber
company, in pursuit of its business,
has never lost sight of the fact that
it owed debt of gratitude to the
community at large and will in the
future, as it has in the past, al
ways take a real interest in all
movements that may promote the
public veal; always ready and
anxious to aid in the expansion and
growth of Lincoln county.
1t is with pleasure, pride and
deep sense of appreciation of its
efforts in behalf of Lincoln county
that we include in this review of
its prominent business houses, the
name of j. Neils Lumber Company.
DIR. j. p. CAMPBELL