Louisiana Cypress Lumber Company
From the Swamps to the Mainline Mill
This southeast Louisiana steam hauler operated a cypress lumber mill on the south side of Ponchatoula, La, as well as a patchwork of track that extended out into the numerous cypress swamps east of the Illinois Central Railroad's main line.
A standard gauge lumber operation, the pike was the reincarnation of the previous Williams Lumber Company operation. It operated in Tangipahoa Parish with the new name Louisiana Cypress Lumber until around 1955, when most of the cypress stock was removed from the swamps.
Remarkably, all three of the mill's light steamers survive today in some form:
#1 is stored in pieces in a private collection in Georgia;
#2 was purchased by the Mid-Continent Railway Museum in 1960 and remains in their collection;
#3 is on display in downtown Ponchatoula, next to the Canadian National (ex IC/ICG) mainline.
About 1920, a small 2-6-0 was sold to the Williams Lumber Co. at Ponchatoula, Louisiana, and sold again in May 1921 to the Joseph Rathborne Lumber Co. Rathbone closed in 1929 and was sold to the Joyce interests of Chicago. The Joyce family also operated rail lines at Rainey River, Minnesota and Manistique, Michigan. The Ponchatoula mill was reopened on July 15, 1936 as the Lousiana Cypress Lumber Co. The little 2-6-0 was renumbered to #2 and served as backup to the company's road locomotive #1, a 2-6-2 built by Porter in 1921. For about a year before the mill closed in January 1956, Cypress imported mahogany logs from Honduras to cut up at the Ponchatoula mill. The logs were shipped to New Orleans by steamship and then transported to Ponchatoula in Illinois Central gonolas. #2 was used in regular service as the switcher at the mill to switch the gondolas while #1 was out on the road.
collection
Motive Power
Louisiana Cypress Lumber Co #1
Ponchatoula, La / Sep 1954 / collection
Louisiana Cypress Lumber Co #1
retired, 1956
privately owned in Griffen GA
Ponchatoula, La / Jun 1956 / collection
Mark Ballard collection
Mark Ballard collection
Louisiana Cypress Lumber Co #2
Ponchatoula, La / Sep 1954 / collection
Louisiana Cypress Lumber Co #2
to Louisiana Cypress Lumber Co #2, 1921
to Mid-Continent Rwy Museum, 1960
Ponchatoula, La / Jun 1956 / collection
Louisiana Cypress Lumber Company #3
Ponchatoula, La / Apr 1958 / JCH
Louisiana Cypress Lumber Company #3
to Louisiana Cypress Lumber Co #3, 1920s
retired from service, 1940s
on static display in Ponchatoula LA
Ponchatoula, La / Apr 1958 / JCH
Ponchatoula, La / Apr 1958 / JCH
Scanning my father's negatives from the 1950s and 60s has, at times, revealed some unexpected treasures:
like finding a photo of my mother on the running board of Louisiana Cypress kettle #3, in a Sunday dress (above, right).
Based on the date attached to the negative, I realized that at the time of the photo my parents were not yet married.
That makes some sense: Boyfriends and girlfriends will do things that, once married, spouses will not!
When I asked my dad about it, he said, "Well, I asked your mother to get up on the locomotive ... and she did!"
(The things we do for love.)
Also, the car tucked just out view behind the tender (above, left) is my father's 1948 Buick.
Ponchatoula, La / Jun 1955 / collection
Ponchatoula, La / Dec 1959 / collection
Ponchatoula, La / mid 1970s / Ken McLemore
Ponchatoula, La / Jun 1956 / collection
Ponchatoula, La / unknown / JCH
Ponchatoula, La / Jan 2009 / RWH
Rolling Stock
Louisiana Cypress Lumber Co #16
wooden caboose / Ponchatoula, La / Mark Ballard collection
Lagniappe
I'm so grateful to Mark Ballard, who found my website and subsequently shared with me the wonderful collection of Louisiana Cypress Lumber Company images show below -- many of which are C. W. Witbeck photographs. About his collection, Mark comments:
I inherited photos, film, and some magazines from my grandfather Lloyd Ballard when he passed. He was the fireman from what I understand. He became friends with a photographer named Witbeck whom he brought into the swamp while they were working. He worked for Louisiana Cypress until they closed the mill and he bought a small service station in Ponchatoula and worked it until he passed a few years ago. I have a wonderful video that was taken in the swamp that shows the logging process and construction of the tracks thru the swamp also.
Ballard collection
Ballard collection
Ballard collection
Ballard collection
Ballard collection
Ballard collection
Ballard collection
Ballard collection
Ballard collection
Ballard collection
Ballard collection
Ballard collection
Ballard collection
Ballard collection
Ballard collection
HawkinsRails thanks Mark Ballard for use of his Louisiana Cypress Lumber Company images
I was delighted to receive the following correspondance from Harry Hungate from Florida. Harry grew up in Ponchatoula and wrote to mention his Louisiana Cypress Lumber Company memories and to share a picture of the progress of his beautiful live steamer project. Larry wrote:
Ralph, I suppose that you are John C. Hawkins' son or brother? I have spent many enjoyable hours looking through your locomotive photo collection, for which I send my thanks.
I am Harry Hungate, originally from Ponchatoula, now living in Florida. I fondly remember the LA Cypress Lumber Co. locos coming out of the swamp as they crossed Water Tower road with a consist of cypress logs and a large steam powered crane. Also, the locos switching rail cars around the mill.
I am five years into building a 1/5 scale live steamer (Allen Models Fitchburg Northern), photo attached. My boiler is due to arrive at the end of this year and it will take several months to pipe it up and insulate and install the jacket, etc. First steam up hopefully will occur in mid-2019.
Links / Sources
- Clifford Downey, Louisiana Cypress Lumber Company (NRHS Bulletin, Spring 2007)