The Lumber Industry - Miller and Sons Shingle Mill...part 2 of 3.

Mr. Mike Miller has very generously shared a wealth of photographs and information of his grandfather's business, Miller and Sons Shingle Mill from the early days of Sumas. 

According to Mr. Miller, his grandfather Clarence Leonidas Miller and his Great Uncle Percy, moved from Iowa to Port Angeles, WA in 1889 where their father, Michael Hagar Miller was working at a mill (possibly as the owner).  In 1900, the brothers relocated to Bellingham and attended Western Washington Normal School with their sisters. Michael Hagar also moved to Whatcom County, working at the Washington Shingle Company.

In 1905, Michael Hagar Miller purchased the Hastings Mill at Van Buren, WA.  This facility became the original Miller and Sons Shingle Mill.  The Van Buren townsite has now reverted to farmland but was approx. halfway between Everson, WA and Sumas (3 miles SW of Sumas) on what is now Van Buren Road.

Picture 1

 The original Miller and Sons Mill at Van Buren, WA
posted with permission from the M. Miller collection

Picture 2

Detail from picture 1 

 The young man seated on the left is Clarence Leonidas Miller and Percy Miller is standing. 

posted with permission from the M. Miller collection.

 

In 1906, Michael Hagar Miller's wife Louisa died and in 1908 he also died leaving the boys the mill at Van Buren.   In 1918 Clarence and Percy bought the Cline Mill in Sumas renaming it the Miller and Sons Shingle Mill (see my previous post http://nooksackvalleynostalgia.blogspot.com/2014/11/millers-and-sons-shingle-mill.html.) 

 

Picture 3

It appears from the letterhead in picture 3 that Percy managed the Van Buren mill and

Clarence Leonidas managed the Sumas mill. 

posted with permission from the M. Miller collection

 

Picture 4

 

posted with permission from the M. Miller collection

 

 

 

picture 5

Posted with permission from the M. Miller collection.

 

picture 6

 

 picture 6 shows the mill at Sumas, WA.  Notice the mill owner Clarence Leonidas Miller's son Clarence Leon (M. Miller's father), on the top of the shingle pile

Posted with permission from the M. Miller collection.

picture 7

Another picture of Clarence Leon with an unident. lady at the Sumas mill.

Posted with permission from the M. Miller collection

 

 



 picture 8



This a picture of Clarence Leon Miller (b. 23 Dec, 1921 - d. 30 Jan. 2008) son of Clarence Leonidas and Johanna Miller, in front of the mill in Sumas. 

Posted with permission from the M. Miller collection

 

 picture 9

Miller and Sons Shingle Mill was the proud owner of some of the first Duplex 4 trucks. 

'Duplex manufactured one of the early 4 x 4 trucks starting in 1916 until they switched over to making fire engines.  The Duplex manufacturing company was originally located in Charlotte, Michigan.  In 1955, the company was bought out by the Warner and Swasey Company and continued production till 1975. (Michigan State univ. archive and hist. collection) 

In the above picture, the driver of the lead truck was Cliff Howe.  The driver of the rear truck was Glen Vail. (written on the picture back).  Picture 9 was taken in August of 1925.

posted with permission from the M.Miller collection

 

 

picture 10

posted with permission from the collection of M.Miller

 

 

 

 

picture 11

The Miller and Sons Shingle Mill trucks hard at work in the field.   Notice the dog laying in the shade between them.

posted with permission from the M. Miller collection

 

 picture 12

driver Cliff Howe with the mill owner's son, Clarence Leon standing on the front tire (August, 1925).

posted with permission from the M. Miller collection

 

picture 13



driver Glenn Vail with the mill owners son, Clarence Leon standing on the engine cover (August 1925) next to the Mill in Sumas (Johnson Creek).

 

 

According to M. Miller,  during the early 1920s Clarence Leonidas and Percy Miller had a falling out over finances.  The brothers went their own directions and supposedly never spoke to each other again.  Percy ended up in Granite Falls and the mill he founded there is still in operation

and is believed to be the largest supplier of cedar shakes and shingles in the nation.

My next post will be the third and final instalment regarding Miller and Sons and will continue the larger thread covering the lumber industry here in sunny Sumas!  See you then...

 







The Lumber Industry - Miller and Sons Shingle Mill...part 1 of 3.

 

 

In the last posting, I presented pictures of Miller and Sons parade float at the Sumas Roundup in 1923 and planned to follow up on a the mill itself.   The picture below was the only picture I found with the name of the company visible.  

Credited to the Central Washington University, James E. Brooks Library digital collection.

http://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/edward_nolan/256/

 

Miller and Sons shingle mill was established by brothers Clarence L. Miller (b. 1886) and Percy David Miller (b. 1889).  The brothers moved to Whatcom County from Iowa in 1910 and worked in the local lumber industry.  In 1918, they started the business, Miller and Sons, which successfully operated through 1971.   Percy sold his share off in 1921 but continued in the industry in Whatcom, Skagit and King Counties.   Clarence and Johanna Millers son Clarence Jr. was born December 23, 1921.  In 1950 Clarence Junior became a partner in Miller and Sons.  The senior Clarence was also the treasurer of the Sumas Roundup Association and can be seen pictured in my posting, Sumas Roundup "See 'em Buck, part 13 of 14  http://nooksackvalleynostalgia.blogspot.com/2014/09/sumas-roundup-see-em-buck-part-13-of-13_14.html.

 

 

 



A receipt from Miller and Sons shingle mill

Printed with permission from the Wes Gannaway collection.



 

I was fortunate to speak with lifelong Sumas resident Josephine Fadden who used to assist with Miller and Sons banking needs.  She informed me that Miller and Sons was located on the N side of Front Street, in between the bridge crossing Sumas Creek and Cherry Street.  After the mill was removed, the site was turned into a picnic area (with free campsite for weary travelers) .  This picnic area was shut down a number of years ago and it is now overgrown with brush and blackberries  It is hard to imagine a large vibrant mill operating at this location. 

 A panorama, looking NE with Sumas Drugs to the right, taken at the intersection of Front St. (West/East) and the Burlington Northern right of way (North/South).
Photo taken by David Morgan, 12 November, 2014
 





Map 1 

1914 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map (portion)

Printed with permission from the City of Sumas.



Map 1 is a small portion of the 1914 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map showing the Cline Lumber Company's shingle mill which went into operation in 1912 (L.M. Cline, owner). 

                                                                           

Map 2

                             1925 revision to the 1914 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map (portion)

                                   Printed with permission from the Krieg family collection.

 

Map 2 shows a 1925 revision of the Sanborn Fire Insurance map and shows the Cline Lumber Co. has been taken over by the Sumas Mill Co.  The Sumas Mill Co operated the mill from sometime after 1914 until 1918 when Miller and Sons purchased it.  It appears the maps weren't revised on a yearly basis.  

 

The lumber industry was one of the leading early success stories here in Sumas.  There have been 18+ lumber mills in the Sumas area since the 1880s.  Those mills have been a major job source and income for the community.  The lumber industry still has an important role here in Sumas and my next posting will share more photographs and information on the topic.

 

See you next time!