S
is for
Sawmills
By Nick
(fifth grader, 1996/97)
Sawmills were a very important part of Virginia history. They supplied thousands of people with work. There were a number of sawmills in Virginia, but the Virginia Rainy Lake Sawmill was the biggest. At one time it was the largest white pine sawmill in the world. They made as much as 1,000,000 boards a day.
The logs were shipped in from the surrounding area by train.
The Virginia Rainy Lake Sawmill was on Silver Lake.
Virginia was the white pine capital of the world until 1929 when the mill shut down and put many people out of work.
Virginia has two major fires that destroyed the town (see F). The second fire was said to have been started by the wood chip bin in one of the sawmills.
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MARCH 1997