Aycock-Lindsey

Turpentine - located in the Athena and Nathan areas. This company operated at many locations including ther Nine-Mile Still. According to an article in The Perry Herald published in 1928, the Adcock-Lindsey Company was the largest turpentine industry in the world. Ben Lindsey, gave the following account of the Adcock-Lindsey operation. - The firm operated in the largest continuous track of virgin timber in the world. The land was bought from Brooks-Scanlon, the county's largest land owner at the time. In 1928, the company acquired additional land from the Putnam Lumber Company. Most of the land was on a lease basis. Under terms of the lease, Adcock-Lindsey paid the landowners a percentage of the selling price of the product. Headquarters for the Adcock-Lindsey operation was at Camp Nathan near Athena. It was a paternalistic operation; wherein a close relationship was maintained between owners and workers. In addition to the mill, the company built schools, churches and the inevitable commissary as well as homes for the workers. Primitive railroads made of poles were used to carry the gum from the woods to the still. Mules pulled the loaded flat cars along the crude track. So large was Adcock-Lindsey that they owned the tank cars used in shipping. The car hauled rosin to Chicago and turpentine spirits directly to the consumer market. In its peak year of 1928, the company employed 1,400 men and operated 11 stills. 

 From They Were Here Book 6

A couple of letterheads - - -