In 1953 we bought our first fork truck. Another step to make our work load lighter but the mechanical failures kept us busy. Another new era was arising. Metal buildings. They were becoming more popular and we could see our farm building business going.
We began to convert to building pallets for fork trucks. This involved adding more room to our plant plus hundreds of thousands of dollars for pallet machinery and trucks. Basically, an all new business was to be built. We traveled extensively but could not find a modern pallet factory to pattern ours after.
As one of the first in a new industry we had the job of inventing and designing our own methods. Much was done by trial and error. Many mistakes were made but several of our better designs were later placed on the market by major machinery manufacturers.
In 1955, General Motors Corp. chose to exhibit their great industrial power show n Chicago on the Lake Front. This was a diesel engine power show. It was to show modern power on: oil wells, cotton gins, cranes, trucks, tractors, military equipment, and other machinery where power was used. It was a great show called the Powerama.
It was open for twenty eight days to show their exhibits to two million five hundred thousand people free of charge. Of course, with a show of this size they had to have a sawmill. Corely Manufacturing Co. of Chattanooga, TN was selected to furnish the sawmill. They were one of the largest manufacturers of sawmills in the business.
The Helle brothers of Savanna and Oregon, Illinois were chosen to furnish the logs and their technical ability at sawing the logs. We rotated the time. The Oregon crew sawed thirteen hours a day for fourteen days. Then Walter, Lyle, my son, and I ran the mill the same comparable time for the same number of days. Actually, we sawed ten minutes each hour so the large crowd could have time to observe the other exhibits. Most of our time was spent answering questions and visiting with the people.
It was a great experience, one we will never forget. One year later Lyle, age twenty, was killed in a logging accident. Life would never be the same.
The next few years were continual changes, expansion, and profit years. In 1965 we installed a wood chipper as a way to get a market for the slabs which we had been burning.
By 1969 we were producing about three hundred thousand pallets per year. We bought our brother Gene's half interest in the Helle Hardwood Co., of Oregon, IL. This was a major mistake as unfortunately we ended up selling it in December 1977 at a public auction.
In 1971 we bought the Weber sawmill and pallet factory at Monticello, IA. In 1972 we bought a sawmill at New UIm, MN. We moved this mill to Monticello. both of these purchases were mistakes.
In 1972 we had a major fire at the Savanna plant. The mill building burned but with the good work and effort of the Savanna Fire Dept. much of the machinery and pallet factory was saved. We spent two hundred and fifty thousand dollars to rebuild but received one hundred and eighteen thousand in insurance.
We did build a much more modern plant in a new all steel fire proof building. This plant with just the sawmill was located across the road away from the pallet factory. 1973 was a high profit year. 1974 was fair but 1975 and '76 were two years with severe financial losses.
When last I wrote my daughter, Lorraine was at the hospital having her baby. That was September 5th. Mother and son, Preston Wayne are doing fine.
I will take some space to tell of the family and other employees in the business. This will be brief due to space.
Walter and Alice have three sons, Vernon, Stanley, and Joe. Vernon is the timber buyer. Joe works as a supervisor at the pallet shop. Stanley is in Hawaii now but worked at the mill for many years. Their daughter, Janice is now in Arkansas. At one time she worked in the office at the mill. Their first born, Burnette Walter, died at age seventeen months in 1937.
Our brother, Gail was with us many years. He was managing our plant at Monticello, IA. when that plant was sold, he stayed on with the new owners as plant manager.
In our immediate family, Lyle started part time at a young age while still in school. He eventually worked full time. He became a skilled employee with many new ideas and so much enthusiasm. His untimely death in 1956 was such a tragedy.
Our daughter, Louise worked in the office about a year and a half in 1961 and '62. Her husband, Konrad Radke is now our sales manager and works in the office.
Our son, Harley also started work at a young age while still in school. He is thirty seven now and has been with us twenty two years. He drives an eighteen wheel tractor trailer over the road.
Our daughter, Lorraine has done most of the typing, editing, and corrections for me. Her husband, Ken McMunn does some of our electronic work on a moonlight basis. He has a full time position at Lehman and Co. LTD., in Clinton, IA.
Two employees who have been with us thirty-four years are Slim Weirather and Loyal Brunner. Loyal is head sawyer and Slim checks saws, is our main carpenter, and does other maintenance.
Ken Johnson, Herb and Gene Wilkinson have been with us over twenty years. These three men are in maintenance and keep the wheels turning.
Fred Myler, Ed Lundy, Harold Lewis, Harold Fredricks, Art Kosier, Jerry Randall, Harvey Eversoll, and Jerry Parker, and Dan Dauphin have been with us about fifteen years. Dan's father, George Dauphin, was with us about eighteen years but is now retired.
Harrison Osborn, married to our sister, Charlotte, takes care of the lumber yard and sharpens our saws at the sawmill. He has been a loyal company man all the way. He's been with us many years.
Russell Switser was with us twenty two years but he too is now retired. Bret Roe has been with us for over fifteen years. These last few years have been trying times for her as well as the rest of us.
We value the help and loyalty of these people very highly. We do appreciate each one of them.
I remember what Andrew Carnegie, the great industrialist of Library Fame said about his help, "Take away all my steel mills, all my great ocean ships, but give me my faithful employees and I will get it all back again."
It has been a great forty years at Savanna. Thanks to Savanna for furnishing us with a home town and a multitude of friends.

"Who Passes the Ball to You?"
I heard the story of a high school basketball player who scored the winning basket to put his team in the state tour-nament. He became an instant hero, but the game affected his attitude. He began to think of himself as a one man team.
One day his coach in an effort to salvage a good player, asked him a question that brought him to reality. "Who pass-ed the ball to you?"

All of us have our moments of success when the tenden-cy would be to feel that we achieved them alone. But when we allow ourselves a closer look, we know as others do that someone passed the ball to us.
Behind every accomplishment-every winning basket, there is someone who passed the ball to us. They are often unrecognized and seldom acknowledged, but they are there. They are tributaries just as little streams are tributaries to the greatness of the Mississippi River. This story perhaps, can help us express our gratitude to all past and present employees of Wood Products, Inc.

CHAPTER THREE  "Why Did We Choose Savanna? And Savanna History"

We had been driving through Savanna for five years. We had become acquainted with many of the merchants as we stopped for services and supplies. These were fine people, one in particular was the late Laird Castle. He ran the Shell Oil Service located at the junction of 84 and 64. Napa is there now.
We wanted a community close to the Chicago market with a large supply of timber on land not adapted to farming. We also wanted a market for our slab wood. We cut the slabs into short pieces for stove wood as back in 1940 many homes were still heated with wood.
Illinois' Hardwood Lumber Industry is mostly in the southern part of the state. Our travels and business takes us far and wide. We are asked many questions about our city and business. I will try to answer some questions that are most often asked.
First a brief history about our city. We have 4,600 people. We're located on U.S. Highway 52 and Illinois Highways 64 and 84, fifty miles north of Moline, IL and one hundred and fifty miles west of Chicago. Our town sits right on the banks of the Mississippi River. We have two major railroads, two banks, two super markets, one locker plant, many churches, and (too many taverns.) We have three city parks and the Palisades State Park.
The Palisades State Park is located north of Savanna on route 84. It sits on the east side of the highway over looking the Mississippi River. Savanna is well known for its hills, the Palisades is no exception. It is closed in the winter, except for the northern end which is open for winter sports. Take your pick of the other three seasons. Each are equally beautiful. There are trails for hiking, rock formations to study, picnic areas, an outstanding view of the river and several roads throughout the park just for a nice drive. It has camping facilities, an amphitheater, and wildlife study.
Savanna itself is a good place to live, a good place to shop and to work. It's called the "Sportsman's Paradise." It has excellent areas for fishing, hunting, and boating, etc.
The hill area has about one half of our population and the rest live on flat land. The business area has only flooded once. Most of the residences' homes never flood.
As our business is unique, I will give a brief description: We log throughout forty counties in northern Illinois, eastern Iowa, and southern Wisconsin. The average distance. for hauling logs is about fifty miles but can be up to one hundred and fifty miles one way.
We have a three man crew at Buda, IL, fifty miles west of Joliet. They cut and skid logs from the Joliet-Galesburg Rock Island area. We have another three man crew at Savanna. The timber supply is adequate but the prices are high.
Those logs are purchased from farmers and hauled to Savanna, mostly by tractor trailer units. They are skidded out of the timber with large four wheel drive rubber tired log skidders. We also use two tandem straight trucks.
We use all low grade logs for pallets. The better logs are used for furniture or paneling. Some is used for veneer and even whiskey barrels.
Our waste wood is chipped and then hauled to Fort Madison, Iowa for cardboard cartons. Our sawdust and bark is till a problem but is utilized more each year for livestock bedding and nurseries.

Me Mudder
When each night me prayers were said
Who tucked me in me widdle bed?
Who spanked me seat-till it was red?
Me Mudder
Who took me from me cozy cot
And set me on the ice cold pot
And made me pee when I could not?
Me Mudder
And when the morning light had come
And in my bed I dribbled some
Who wiped me tiny widdle buns?
Me Mudder
Who did me hair so neatly part
And press me gently to her heart
And sometimes sqeezed me till I fart?
Me Mudder

When our son Lyle was in High School he gave his Mother the preceding poem. She has treasured it ever since.


CHAPTER FOUR            "Wood Product's History 1979 and 1980"

January and February were cold with lots of snow, more cold, and more snow. It snowed eighty two (82") inches from November '78 through March '79. One of the longest coldest winters in recorded history.
We had many employees stranded at their homes. There were many days the company trucks were stranded all over the area. Work progressed at about 60%.
In January a section of the roof 35 x 90 collapsed under the weight of the snow. The company lost thousands of dollars during January, February, and March. It seemed like a wild dream. April and May were rain, rain, and more rain. It resulted in impossible logging conditions. We did survive. We now wonder how. June and July were average months. The weather was good. August and September we started replacing the roof on the pallet plant. This job was done without interruption to our production. The new remodeling and roof was completed by December. During July, August, and September we also installed a new gang saw line.
This one is much more efficient. The cost: over $50,000 but we were able to sell the old one for $20,000. With this new line our production has increased
The December Christmas party was held at Savanna's new Tiffany Room over the Brunswick. Each family brought a dish or two to pass. The company furnished broasted chicken and potatoes which were served by Brunswick Supper Club. Slim Weirather, Walt, and I each gave a short talk about our interesting experiences over the forty (40) years. I also told about some of mine back n 1928 when I was about fourteen years old. I was in the Spoon River Country, working at my father's sawmill. Back then I skidded logs with a team of horses.
Our thanks to Tom and Janeane Mills for furnishing the Tiffany Room and in making us feel welcome.
Now for the happenings with some of our employees: Larry and Debbie Miller have a new son born August 9th, named Eric. They also lost a son, Jody, ten years old and a very special boy. His heart was damaged since birth. He'd had surgery but it still gave out. Such a sad loss.
My daughter Lorraine and her husband, Ken had a new son, Preston Wayne in September. Of course, we are rather partial to that new addition. Butch Knapp and Rose Marie married December 16th. We wish them the best in their future years.
Due to the length of this story I will make 1980 very brief. The first five months were uneventful. Business was down thirty to forty percent. May was below fifty percent. We did not make and money until September and very little. October was better and November we broke even. December is too early to tell.
June 10th we started moving the pallet factory to a nearly new building south of Wacker Rd. near the sawmill. This 10,000 square foot building had been leased to Alco. When they moved out-we moved in.
We had intended a slow gradual move but Super Fiber Insulation Co. of Millegeville, IL. wanted the old plant July 1. This changed a slow gradual move to a hectic few months. We did get the job done with long hard hours and excellent help.
We moved about twenty machines plus all the electric motors and wiring, and built new offices and a lunch room. It sometimes seemed hopeless but we did get it done.
On October 11, 1980 we held an Open House at the new plant and forty years at Savanna. Many of our old original friends turned up which was a real pleasure. These were friends which we met when we first came to Savanna. In December we held our Christmas party at the Tiffany Room again. Each brought a dish to pass and we furnished the chicken and potatoes.
We had a nice turn out. I told a couple jokes and Walt played the harmonica which was enjoyable. He played a couple Christmas carols which we sang to. It was most pleasant. Slim told a couple stories and presented Russell Switzer with a Christmas gift of, what else - suspenders! With 1980 at a close, business picked up. Prices are low-cost are high, but we are optimistic about the future. We hope you enjoy this book as much as we enjoyed putting it together.

Is anybody happier,
Because you passed this way?
Does anybody remember,
That you spoke to him today?
The day is almost over,
And its toiling time is through.
Is there anyone to utter now,
A kindly word to you?
Did you waste the day or lose it,
Was it well or poorly spend?
Did you leave a trail of kindness,
Or a scar of discontent?
As you close your eyes in slumber,
Did you think that God would say,
You have earned one more tomorrow,
By the work you did today.

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