Handbook N-P - Fulton County Public Library

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The Powell-Myers saw mill, located at Ninth street and the Lake Erie tracks, will close
down within the next day or two, according to a statement made by Manager Sidney Wilson, and
there is a strong possibility that the plant may be moved from Rochester.
This concern, which employs from 20 to 40 men the year round, located in Rochester
four years ago, taking over the interests of H. G. Young.
This firm, which has its home office in South Bend and a large plant at Argos, has
purchased many feet of lumber in Fulton county, but a lack of a market for its product is directly
responsible for the present shut-down.
It was stated by Manager Wilson that at one time the company had made a proposition to
the city of Rochester whereby it would move the Argos plant to Rochester if the city would
furnish a building, the company to pay the rent equal to seven per cent interest on the city’s
investment and to erect outbuildings for storage purposes and present them to the city when they
were finished with them.
Action of other interests, it is said, put a halt to this step almost before it was gotten under
way. In the meantime the company has had trouble with local residences of various kinds, but
these difficulties have practically all been settled.
The company last year paid to its employees $54,000 besides purchasing feed for 12
horses, all supplies that could be bought locally and purchasing many feet of lumber in the county.
Just what action will be taken by the directors of the firm could not be ascertained
Monday, but there is a strong possibility that the plant will be moved into Michigan. It was stated
Saturday that the plant would be closed down then, but it will remain open for a few more days to
clean up a half million feet of timber yet on hand.
[Rochester Sentinel, Monday, December 20, 1920]
POWELL-MYERS MILL PERMANENTLY CLOSED
At a recent meeting of the directors of the Powell-Myers Lumber Co., of South Bend, a
decision was reached whereby the local mill operated by the company will be shut down for all
time, so far as the South Bend men are concerned. Manager Sidney Wilson stated that if the
company is unable to close out its interests here the plant will be moved to Michigan, but an effort
will be made to sell.
[Rochester Sentinel, Wednesday, December 22, 1920]
POWNALL, H. C. [Liberty Township]
BIOGRAPHY
H. C. Pownall was born March 25, 1838, in Shelby County, Ohio. At the age of seven
years, removed with his parents, Joshua and Nancy (Carter) Pownall, to Marion County, ten miles
north of Indianapolis, and four years later to this county. He served three years in the civil war, in
the Army of the Cumberland, a private in Company E, Twenty-ninth Regiment of Indiana
Volunteers; was at the battle of Shiloh and Stone River, in the former receiving a wound which
fractured one of the bones of the fore-arm. He was mustered out of the service September 26,
1864, at Chattanooga, Tenn. He married Milla J. Conn, eldest daughter of V. C. and Angeline
Conn, born October 3, 1843, in this county, on January 26, 1869. To them has been born one son-
-Vachel J. He owns 80 acres of land, forty-five of which are under the plow. His father was born
April 17, 1807, in Hampshire County, Va. His mother in Clermont County, Ohio, March 31,
1811. They were married June 15, 1837, and she died December 10, 1879. Isaac W., was born
March 11, 1840, died March 20, 1863, at Nashville, Tenn. George H., born April 12, 1844, died
Decemb er 9, 1864; Thomas J., born August 12, 1848; Mary E., born October 18, 1850, died
October 29, 1852. Thus four out of a family of seven have passed away.
[T. B. Helm, Fulton County Atlas, A. L. Kingman, 1883, p. 44]
POWNALL, JOB V. [Liberty Township]
TRAGEDY IN LIBERTY