In the early 1950s I had occassion to visit the Southern Naval Stores Co. in Columbia, Miss. After I got interested in logging and lumber railroads I have often wondered what was the history of this company and its predecessors. At the time I was there they were owned by a Mr. G. L. Reasor of Chicago, IL, who owned the company I worked for at Jacksonville, Arkansas. They were hauling pine stumps, by truck, from east Mississippi and Alabama. Was the plant ever owned by one of the saw mill or logging companies? Did they use any of the logging or small common carrier railroads to haul the stumps which were processed into turpentine and other naval stores? Any information would be appreciated.

-- Russell Short (russshort@aol.com), January 28, 2001