Mount Emily Lumber Company
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Lumber |
| Founded | 1920 |
| Founder | August J. Stange |
| Defunct | 1956 |
| Fate | Acquired by Valsetz Lumber Company, rebranded as Templeton Lumber Company |
| Headquarters | La Grande , United States |
Key people | August J. Stange (President), Charles J. Kinzel (Vice President), Leslie K. Kinzel |
| Products | Lumber |
The Mount Emily Lumber Company was active in La Grande, Oregon from 1920 through 1956. Following its acquisition by the Valsetz Lumber Company in 1955, it was rebranded as Templeton Lumber Company.<ref> In 1960, the company changed hands again and became known as Boise Cascade, La Grande.
History
At the start of the 20th century, August H. Stange, proprietor of the Stange Sash, Door, and Blind Company located in Merrill, Wisconsin, encountered timber shortages caused by extensive clear-cutting practices that lacked reforestation efforts. His manufacturing facility in Merrill demanded approximately 125,000 board feet of lumber daily.[1] Observing the expanding timber industry in the Pacific Northwest and significant contracts awarded by the United States Forest Service, he identified a promising opportunity for growth.<ref>
In 1910, August H. Stange and his son, August J. Stange, conducted a survey of forest lands around Mt. Emily in Eastern Oregon. Utilizing his father’s financial backing, A. J. Stange established Mt. Emily Timber Co., securing ownership of more than 100,000 acres estimated to contain about one billion board feet of timber. He resided in La Grande, Oregon until 1913 to strategize the construction of a sawmill with access to the Union Pacific railroad, enabling efficient shipment to their Wisconsin facilities.[1]
After returning to Wisconsin to oversee other ventures such as land speculation and involvement with Charles Kinzel Logging Co., A. J. Stange came back to La Grande in 1920 to launch Mount Emily Lumber Company utilizing assets from Mt. Emily Timber Co.<ref>
The company’s executive team comprised:
- August J. Stange, President (also serving as President of Union Land Co., Merrill, WI)
- August H. Stange (founder of Stange Sash, Door, and Blind Co.)
- Charles H. Stange (Vice President at Stange Sash)
- Charles J. Kinzel (owner of Charles Kinzel Logging Co.)
- Leslie K. Kinzel
- E. W. Ellis (President of Wisconsin-Michigan Lumber Co.)<ref>
Among these leaders, only August J. Stange and Leslie K. Kinzel relocated to Oregon; the remaining members stayed in Wisconsin.
The sawmill was constructed on land adjacent to La Grande’s former sugar mill site.<ref> The inaugural log was milled on November 15, 1925.<ref> Initial operations encountered environmental issues due to toxins in the log pond that adversely impacted local water quality.<ref>
In 1925, Mount Emily Lumber Company expanded by acquiring The Grande Ronde Lumber Co., along with its short-line railroad,<ref> which enhanced log transportation from Mt. Emily to the sawmill in La Grande.
The sawmill had an annual production capacity rated at 50 million board feet,<ref>[2] substantially surpassing regional competitors such as Wisconsin-Michigan Lumber Co., which produced approximately 15 million board feet annually.
Charles Kinzel maintained logging activities in Wisconsin until he ended rail operations there in 1926 and closed his sawmill by 1930.<ref> By 1939 he held the presidency of Mount Emily Lumber Company while August J. Stange served as vice president.<ref> Following Kinzel’s passing in 1942, Stange reassumed the role of president.
The Camas Creek timber sale
In 1930, the Forest Service initiated mapping of Mount Emily Lumber Company’s holdings within the Umatilla National Forest in anticipation of a purchase request exceeding 221 million board feet of lumber. A confidential Forest Service prospectus from 1937 included detailed financial records covering the short line railroad and revenue figures. Armed with this information, the Milton Box Company based in Milton, Oregon submitted a bid surpassing Mount Emily’s offer by more than $35,000 and won the contract. Milton Box subsequently relocated to Pendleton, Oregon, where local officials provided free land along with a $10,000 cash incentive. Despite public outcry and an ensuing investigation into the transaction, no criminal charges were ever brought forward.
Acquisition by Valsetz Lumber Company
In January 1955, Valsetz Lumber Company purchased all outstanding shares of Mount Emily for an undisclosed amount. After the takeover, Valsetz substantially raised both wages and production levels; lumber deliveries increased from 36 million board feet in 1954 to 58 million in 1955. Additionally, the new management phased out the short line railroad, opting instead for more economical logging trucks.
Camp Elkanah
In November 1956, Valsetz gifted Mount Emily's primary logging camp—which included housing and 12 acres of forestland—to the Blue Mountain Conservative Baptist Association of Eastern Oregon.
The Mount Emily Shay Steam Locomotive in Prineville
Mount Emily Lumber Company operated a Shay steam locomotive on its short line railroad to move logs, a typical method before the advent of powerful logging trucks and improved road infrastructure. The company possessed four Shay locomotives; following Valsetz’s acquisition and switch to truck transportation, one locomotive was donated to the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry and later transferred to the Oregon Historical Society. Currently, it is leased and operated by the City of Prineville Railroad.
References
- Renewable resource companies established in 1920
- Renewable resource companies disestablished in 1956
- American companies established in 1920
- La Grande, Oregon
- 1920 establishments in Oregon
- History of forestry in the United States
- American companies disestablished in 1956
- 1956 disestablishments in Oregon
- 1956 mergers and acquisitions
- Defunct companies based in Oregon
- Defunct forest products companies of the United States
- Companies of the United States by year of establishment