Madison Journal - 1928 Chicago Mill comes to Tallulah
Date submitted: January 12, 2014

Submitted by: Richard P. Sevier

USGenWeb NOTICE: All documents placed in the USGenWeb remain the property of the contributors, who 
retain publication rights in accordance with US Copyright Laws and Regulations.

In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, these documents may be 
used by anyone for their personal research. They may be used by non-commercial entities, when 
written permission is obtained from the contributor, so long as all notices and submitter 
information are included.

These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit.

Any other use, including copying files to other sites, requires permission from the contributors 
PRIOR to uploading to the other sites.

************************************************************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
************************************************************************************************

CHICAGO MILL & LBR. CO BUYS THE KURZ BROS. MILL HERE; WILL REBUILD, ENLARGE AND OPERATE SAME.
					From September 15, 1928 Madison Journal

News during the week that the deal between the Chicago Mill and Lumber Co. and Kurz Bros. Co. of 
Arkansas, had been consummated, was welcomed in Tallulah.

The Chicago Mill and Lumber Co. owns a large tract of timber in this and Tensas parishes, and 
the Kurz Bros. mill at Tallulah will, after being overhauled and enlarged, be used to cut the timber. 
It is understood also that there will be a veneer mill and box factory built on the ground.

Mr. Henry C. Sevier, local attorney who handled the deal, said that negotiations had been under way 
for a year or two but it was only lately that an agreement had been reached. Owing to the fact that 
it was doubtful whether or not the Chicago Mill could secure the Kurz property, they for some time 
contemplated putting their mill at Somerset, in Tensas Parish, on some of their timber land. It was 
with joy that Tallulah received the news that the mill would he located here.

Several weeks ago the Chicago Mill interests requested the Council to state whether or not they could 
be assured that the mill property would not be taken into the town limits and if water mains would be 
extended to the property. Proper resolutions were quickly passed pledging the town to refrain from 
taking this property into its corporate limits. The water works plant had been recently sold to the 
Louisiana Power & Light Company, and, owing to the limited time, the Council could not get in touch 
with them concerning the extension of the water mains, and therefore the Council themselves guaranteed 
that the water mains would he extended to the mill property. However, knowing that an increase in the 
population of Tallulah will benefit the Louisiana Power and Light Company probably as much, if not more, 
than any other one concern here, the Council, as well as others interested, feel that the Louisiana 
Light and Power Company will be glad to make the extension of the water main requested.

The purchase, operation and enlarging of this mill will mean the addition of 350 to 400 employees to 
the roll of industrial workers in Tallulah and plans are already developing for the erection of dwelling 
houses to accommodate the skilled laborers and their families.

The monthly payroll will gradually be increased and is expected to total $125,000, meaning a number of 
new residents will come to this community.

MR. SCHATZ, OF CHICAGO MILL LUMBER CO, VISITS TALLULAH

Mr. F. W. Schatz, of Helena, Ark., operating manager of all the Chicago Mill & Lumber Company's properties, 
was tendered an informal dinner at the Post Inn Cafe last Thursday night upon his arrival in the city to 
look over and get under way the overhauling and improvements to the property they recently acquired in 
Tallulah, the Kurz brothers' property in this city. Mr. Schatz assured those present that we would see a 
substantial growth in the population of Tallulah and cited as an illustration that Blytheville, Ark., when 
the Chicago Mill & Lumber Co. located their plant at that place it had a population of but 4,000 people and 
at the present time has grown to 14,000.

Mr. Schatz says that it is not the policy of his company to build houses or operate a commissary as they 
are only in the manufacturing business. He already has a crew of men at work at the Kurz Bros. Mill and within 
the next few days expects to bring twenty white men to our city.

Mr. Schatz chose Tallulah as a location for their new plant on account of its location, being on the Illinois 
Central and Missouri Pacific railways, nearness to the Mississippi River, which will permit of a river and 
rail rate in the shipments of their products and he especially stressed upon those present that one thing 
impressed him most favorably for the location here was the atmosphere of good fellowship and desire by the 
business men to help him and all pull together.

It is the wish of the Madison Journal that in the near future we can have Mr. Schatz with us at a get-together 
meeting at which time he can tell us more about their plans.