In the mid- to-late 1800s, and even all the way into the mid 1900s, the pine forests of South Alabama were prime sources of lumber for the booming economy of the United States and much of the world. Lumber producing mills seemed to spring up all over. Two of the larger mills in South Alabama were the W. T. Smith mill, in Chapman, Alabama, now defunct, and the T.R. Miller mill in Brewton, Alabama, still in operation.

The sawmill in the picture above
right, The Alger-Sullivan Lumber Company,
was located in Century, Florida. It was
built at the turn of the 20th century (hence
the town's name) by Yankee (northern)
speculators General R. A. Alger of Detroit
and Martin Sullivan, residing in
Pensacola, but originally from New York
state.
Sullivan and his brother had bought up
large tracts of timber during the previous
decades and after a small mill at Foshee,
near Brewton, Escambia County,
Alabama, proved profitable, this larger
mill just across the State line in Florida
was built. Note that picture only shows the sawmill, not the planing mill nor the extensive lumber storage yards.

The original notion was that the timber would only last about 10 years or so. The manager, E.A. Hauss, also from Detroit, planned for and allowed creative cutting and replanting in the forests, thus the mill in Century ran for almost 50 additional years! It produced more southern pine board feet per year than any other mill in the entire south for many years of its existence. See other photos in this site for a little more of the life around this thriving industry of Northwest Florida and South Alabama.

The mill has now been closed for many years.

Click on the Life in a Nutshell link below to take a side trip
into the "Century of Old."