The Oregon Lumber Company was a company west of Portland, Oregon, that claimed extensive land via the Homestead Act of 1862. The company was formed by Charles W. Nibley together with David Eccles[1] and George Stoddard in 1889. The company had its principal holdings near Baker City, Oregon, and in the Sumpter Valley, with others near Hood River area, and around Chenoweth.[2] It also owned a number of associated railroad companies constructed primarily to haul its timber.
| Industry | Wood processing |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1889 |
| Founder |
|
| Defunct | 1917 |
| Fate | Rebranded to Oregon-American Lumber Company |
| Successor |
|
According to Hugh Nibley (Charles W Nibley's grandson), much of the rain forest west of Portland was acquired by the company using illegal claims under the Homestead Act.[3] It was part of the large group of business enterprises controlled by Nibley,[4] who was to become presiding bishop of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1907 to 1925.[3]
The company became the Oregon-American Lumber Company in 1917, with headquarters in Vernonia, Oregon. Eccles gradually became the predominant owner. The company underwent multiple amalgamations and changes of ownership [2] and was dissolved in 1957.
References
edit- ^ Leonard J. Arrington. "David Eccles". Utah History Encyclopedia.
- ^ a b Kamholz, E. J., Blain, J., Kamholz, G., & Ebrary, Inc. (2003). The Oregon-American Lumber Company: Ain't no more. Stanford, Calif: Stanford University Press.
- ^ a b Nibley, Hugh. Approaching Zion (The Collected Works of Hugh Nibley, Vol 9), p. 469.
- ^ Godfrey, Matthew C. (2007). Religion, politics, and sugar : the Mormon Church, the federal government, and the Utah-Idaho Sugar Company, 1907-1921. Lehi, Utah: Utah State University Press. pp. 188–190. ISBN 0-87421-658-3. OCLC 74988178