Dublin Core
Title
Richardson Lumber Company
Subject
Industry
Description
William McDonald Richardson owned the Richardson Lumber Company. Richardson had served as the first manager of the Acme Lumber Company. The Richardson Lumber Company was located on Sweetwater Creek on Huntsville Road between Sweetwater Avenue and Minnehaha Street. Richardson built his lumberyard on the old site of the Florence Planning Mill and Manufacturing Company. After some time, Richardson moved his lumber company to downtown Florence on to East Tennessee Street.
Richardson had gained valuable experience at Acme Lumber Company as manager before opening up his own lumberyard. He had the unfortunate privilege of being the Acme Lumber manager when the Spanish influenza broke out in Florence in 1918. He had to oversee round the clock shifts to produce the large number of coffins necessary to bury the deceased during the influenza outbreak. The coffins were primarily for the construction workers at Wilson Dam in 1918 and the workers at the Colbert County nitrate plants as well.
Richardson had gained valuable experience at Acme Lumber Company as manager before opening up his own lumberyard. He had the unfortunate privilege of being the Acme Lumber manager when the Spanish influenza broke out in Florence in 1918. He had to oversee round the clock shifts to produce the large number of coffins necessary to bury the deceased during the influenza outbreak. The coffins were primarily for the construction workers at Wilson Dam in 1918 and the workers at the Colbert County nitrate plants as well.
Creator
M.C. Fesmire, University of North Alabama
Source
Text Sources:
McDonald, William Lindsey. "Remembering Sweetwater: The Mansions, The Mills, The People." photos by L.D. Staggs, Jr. Killen, Ala., Bluewater Publications, 2002.
McDonald, William Lindsey. "A Walk Through the Past: People and Places of Florence and Lauderdale County, Alabama." Killen, Ala., Bluewater Publications, 2003.
Picture Source:
UNA Archives & Special Collection. William L. McDonald Collection. “Richardson Lumber Company.” Florence, Alabama. Box 12: Florence Industry, 12-06.
McDonald, William Lindsey. "Remembering Sweetwater: The Mansions, The Mills, The People." photos by L.D. Staggs, Jr. Killen, Ala., Bluewater Publications, 2002.
McDonald, William Lindsey. "A Walk Through the Past: People and Places of Florence and Lauderdale County, Alabama." Killen, Ala., Bluewater Publications, 2003.
Picture Source:
UNA Archives & Special Collection. William L. McDonald Collection. “Richardson Lumber Company.” Florence, Alabama. Box 12: Florence Industry, 12-06.
Publisher
Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
Format
Image