More About the Sawmill at Schumm, Ohio

Last week I wrote about the Fred. A. Smith Lumber Company at Schumm, more commonly known as the Schumm Sawmill by locals.

Before 1923 the sawmill was owned by W.P. Robinson of Decatur, Indiana, and was the W.P. Robinson Company of Schumm. Robinson entered into partnership with Fred A. Smith in 1923, but the sawmill retained the Robinson name. In 1953 Robinson sold his interest in the sawmill to Smith and Smith changed the name to the Fred A. Smith Lumber Company. Smith ran the sawmill for five more years and closed it in 1958.

Schumm Sawmill, c1924.

Van Wert newspaper articles provides some information about Fred A. Smith and the sawmill at Schumm.

Robinson Sells Share in Mill
Van Wert Man to Operate Schumm Firm (Van Wert Times Bulletin, 9 Jan 1953; NewspaperArchive.com.)
W.P. Robinson of Decatur, Ind., and Fred A. Smith of 729 Elson Avenue, who for the past 30 years have operated the W.P. Robinson Company of Schumm, a sawmill and lumber firm, today announced dissolution of the partnership.

Robinson, who has been in the sawmill and lumber business in Indiana and Ohio for 55 years, is retiring, and Smith has purchased his partner’s interest to operate it under the firm name of “Fred A. Smith Lumber Company.”

The company, located on the Nickel Plate Railroad siding, formerly the Cloverleaf Railroad, at Schumm, buys timber and truck logs within a radius of 150 miles in Ohio and Indiana.

The logs are cut for a wide variety of uses such as long ship-building timbers, farm buildings, fences, and cribs and kiln-dried oak flooring and finish.

The firm operated a planing mill and caters to a large firm and industrial retail trade within 40 miles of Van Wert, conserving the lumber from chair-let size to 50-inch oak timbers, using the sawdust as fuel for the big steam-powered engine and boiler.

In the past, lumber has been shipped to all sections of the country. In 1927 the firm shipped three carloads to choice oak timbers to the Navy yard at Boston for the rebuilding of the ship, “Old Ironsides.”

During World War Two, many cars of oak were shipped for use in building Navy landing boats and last year timber was shipped for building mine-sweepers.

W.P. Robinson Co. with largest bur oak sawed in Ohio, 1934.

Written a few years later about Fred A Smith. (Van Wert Times Bulletin, 27 Nov 1962; NewspaperArchive.com.):
…Fred A. Smith, 835 S. Race St, lifetime wood dealer and buyer and timber scout for Pike Lumber Co., once operated a sawmill at Schumm in partnership with the late W.P. Robinson of Decatur.

Smith started out as a young man in the lumber business in Wabash, Indiana, with Durward Pike, of Pike Lumber Co, Wabash.

Smith entered into partnership with the sawmill operation at Schumm in 1923 and they installed an entirely new mill for cutting the logs into boards and dimension lumber.

“Our work force ranged from 12-15 men and we hauled the first logs into Schumm with teams of horses and wagons. Our first truck was purchased in 1929.”

During WWII, the sawmill, known as the Robinson Sawmill, cut many lumber contracts for the U.S. Navy. They shipped lumber to every shipyard in the U.S. and some of the civilian customers included the Marion Shovel Co, Marion, Ohio, and Chriscraft, builder of pleasure boats.

One lumber order filled for the U.S. Navy and shipped in 1927, was for three large carloads of Indiana and Ohio white oak timbers and planking ranging in length from 36-44 feet, for refurbishing the U.S.S. Constitution, aka Old Ironsides. The ship’s renovation was made possible by the contributions of pennies from school children all over the United States.

Smith became the sole owner of the sawmill at Schumm in 1952 and operated it for six years, when the sawmill was dismantled and the lumber stocks on hand sold.

Smith became employed by the Pike Lumber firm again.

Fred A. Smith, Fort Wayne News Sentinel, 3 Dec 1964, NewspaperArchive.com.

A regular Van Wert Times Bulletin column entitled Between Us featured items of interest about local people and often wished Happy Birthday to locals, especially those over 90.

This particular piece congratulated George Weinman, of Schumm, who turned 98 that day and who was the fifth oldest resident of the county. Weinman had at one time been employed at the sawmill at Schumm.

The informant for the article was lumberjack Fred A. Smith, owner/operator of the Fred A. Smith Lumber Company in Schumm. (Van Wert Times Bulletin, 18 Sep 1957; NewspaperArchive.com.)

In the article, Smith talked about George Weinman, “I visit with him at his home on the way back to my sawmill quite frequently. You will recall that he operates a small store and filling station at the corner in Schumm.

“I find him reading and always ready to talk about the history of this area. Believe me, he has experienced a great deal. He was born in Alsace-Lorraine, coming to Loudonville, Ohio, in 1872. He then moved with his parents to a farm near Chattanooga in Mercer County, where he lived until coming to Schumm in 1916. Here he served as postmaster from 1916 to 1928. In 1931 he returned as postmaster, serving until 1940.

“Mr. Weinman recalls very vividly the Franco-German war in 1870. He lived about 22 miles from Strasburg and I have heard him tell of going to a very high hill and watching the lights from the gunfire of that battle. I would say that George is 98 years young.”

John “George” Weinman died nine months later, on 22 June 1958.

His son Carl Weinman (1888-1971)  also worked at the Schumm sawmill.

Carl Weinman, son of George Weinman, Schumm sawmill. Photo courtesy of Tom Reichard, Carl’s grandson.

John “George” Weinman died nine months later, on 22 June 1958. His son Carl Weinman (1888-1971)  also worked at the Schumm sawmill.

The Schumm sawmill ceased operation in 1958.