Fred Baechler Sr. started the Trout Creek Lumber Company
back in 1896. His son Fred Jr. ran it for many years and eventually
sold the business to Read Brothers in 1970. It was one of the largest
operations in the area with several saw mills in outlying towns. Many
people worked either directly for Fred at the mills or worked cutting
or hauling lumber. The local farmers also provided the logging camps
with hay and oat for the work horses, as well as fresh beef. The
majority of the lumber was loaded onto trains to be shipped to the
cities to the south.
In 2007 Tom Butler purchased the building that once was the office of
The Trout Creek Lumber Company. It had been occupied by numerous
businesses over the years. The last occupent was the Towns Meat Market.
When Tom removed the old ceiling he discovered boxes and boxes of old
papers, dating from the mid 1920's up to the early 1940's. Doug Cox
(local historian) was nice enough to allow me to go through the boxes
and I have organized an extensive collection of the business dealings
of the time period.
SCANS
FROM BUSINESSES WHO DEALT WITH THE TROUT CREEK LUMBER Co
www.toeppner.ca