Greenwood has always relied on logging. When Greenwood was founded, there was a need for lumber for new construction of stores, businesses and housing for the Miners, Storekeepers and all the amenities surrounding a booming town. When the Railway came into town, there was a need for the Railway Ties, Trestles and Buildings. Plenty of trees surrounded Greenwood.

Sawmills were established close by Greenwood in Anaconda. Boundary Creek Milling and Lumber Co. had an advertisement in the newspapers of January 1899.

Boundary Falls Mill was owned by Tomlin & Perversoff and Tom Skeratow before 1951, and by Taylor & Jeffery from 1951 to 1968. McCarren Creek Mill was at the L. Folvik Home site. Padmoroff had a mill a few miles up from McCarren Creek Mill which was run by a steam boiler.

Cooke Lumber Company was purchased from the Folvik’s but moved to Greenwood after it burned down in 1953. It became one of the major lumber producers in the area turning out 11-12 million board feet of finished lumber per year. The mill received logs both by truck and by rail and had a special skyline to carry bundles of logs from the CPR across Boundary Creek to the Mill. It became one of the most efficient and up-to-date mills in B. C. In 1955 a chipper was installed to reduce waste wood to chips for the pulp mill in Castlegar. In 1967, the Mill was sold to Northwood Mills Limited.

Greenwood also had a Mill owned by Tedesco on the Northeast side of Greenwood below the Tramway Bore. George and Bud Peters also had a mill on the Creek near the existing Ball Diamonds.

Jim Forshaw also had a Mill located across Boundary Creek.

Paul Forshaw had a Mill located about 2 miles up Phoenix Road, later moved to the Hartley-Lind Creek Road.

Other Portable Mills were located around the area.

In 1936, a mill was setup cutting ties about 4 miles up Ingram Creek. Employing about 30-40 men for the next few years. In 1939, a planer was rented at the current site of Pope & Talbot in Midway. Many Japanese men started working at the Mill in 1942. In 1943, Boundary Sawmills Ltd was incorporated from 3 companies, J. W. Sherbinin and Son (Ingram Creek) Midway Logging Co. (Boundary Creek Operation) and J. J. Sherbinin Ltd. This with the mill started on the site by Ted McArthur and became the Boundary Sawmills Ltd.

The mill up Ingram Creek continued until it was destroyed by fire in 1952 by Freedomites. The lower mill was plagued by fires as well.

In 1957 the company acquired Grand Forks Sawmill followed by the Fritz Sawmill in 1961. In 1966, the Boundary Company gained control of Olingers of Carmi, BC and the Sandner Brothers at Christina Lake. Boundary Sawmills Ltd stayed busy until 1969 when Pope and Talbot Ltd. bought the Sawmills in Midway and Grand Forks.

Logging is still very active in the area and employs many people. We have an excellent display of old logging equipment in our Museum.

For more information about logging in the area visit Son Ranch Timber Co.