Springfield-Greene
County LibraryTHE SPRINGFIELD PLANING MILL AND LUMBER COMPANY. Among Springfield's lumber merchants and saw mill men there is perhaps not one who has been more successful than R. E. Everett, a gentleman whose bustling abilities are well recognized in this city, in which he ranks as a most worthy representative of business life. The business, which is now one of the leading ones of its kind in this portion of the State was established in 1868, he being the successor of the Chicago Lumber Company. The business is conducted on a very extensive scale, and the buildings and yards cover about half of a block, the main building being a substantial two story brick. The work done by this firm has been very extensive, for the rapid growth of Springfield has called for exceptional activity on the part of the lumber merchants and they have responded nobly to the demands made upon them in the past few years. The Springfield Planing Mill and Lumber Company has been one of the most prominent in its line of work, and as all the machinery in use is of the latest improved and most costly kind, it has always been found equal to the demands upon it. From this mill has come a very large part of the material which has entered into the construction of the leading private residences and prominent and extensive business blocks which have been erected of late years in this city. From this plant also have come most of the hardwood fittings for the Springfield banks, depots and other well known buildings. Mr. Everett has done nearly all the woodwork on the shops of the Gulf railroad at Springfield, and furnished the material and done all the building for their line from Memphis, Tenn., to Birmingham, Ala., and from Willow Springs to Grandon, on the Current River branch from Ash Grove to Clinton, Mo. In his yards he keeps a full line of lumber of all kinds, and his planing mill is fitted out to furnish anything usually manufactured in a planing mill. The plant was originally established in 1868 by Knott & See, was afterward purchased by L. W. McLaughlin, then by the Chicago Lumber Company and finally fell into the hands of its present owner. The yards extend from Phelps Avenue to the Gulf railroad tracks thus giving the company excellent shipping facilities, and there from seventy-five to one hundred men are given constant employment. He was born in Fairfield County, Conn., November 20, 1856, a son of William and Nora Everett, the former of whom died in that State in January, 1893, the latter still surviving him. R. E. Everett attended the common schools of Connecticut in the town of Darien, and in 1881 first entered the arena of business life for himself. He emigrated to Missouri in 1877 and for one year thereafter was a builder at Ash Grove, erecting the High School building of that place, and a number of the most important business houses. For three years thereafter he was pattern maker for the Springfield Foundry & Machine Company, at the end of which time he embarked in his present business. For the past fifteen years he has been a builder of prominence and some of the principal structures which he has caused to he erected during this time are the public school buildings, the Board of Trade building, the electric power houses, the water works, and the following residences: L. Elenberger, D.D. Denton, R. L. Goode, the Episcopal Church parsonage and the residence of J. W. Lisendy. Mr. Everett served a thorough apprenticeship at his trade in his youth, then for one year was in the United States Navy being a joiner on the ship "Colorado." He is a Democrat politically, has been prominent in city affairs and has been connected with the city fire department for fifteen years, having served in the capacity of chief for the past seven years, and during this time, under his able supervision, the department has greatly improved and now ranks third in perfection in the State. Mr. Everett is a member of the K. of P., Atlas Lodge, No. 213, and Uniform Rank, Springfield, No. 21, also prominent in the Royal Arcanum, Ozark Council, No. 418. He was married in Springfield to Miss Lizzie M. Titus, daughter of Joseph Titus. She received her education in the public schools of Springfield and was one of the youngest pupils that ever graduated from the High School. She has borne her husband five children: Leo, Karl, Irene, Eugene, and Richard E., Jr. That he is a wide-awake business man has been seen in the success which has attended his efforts in the lumber and planing mill business, both of which he purchased on limited capital despite the warnings of many old croakers who predicted for him utter ruin. Mr. Everett not only has the respect of all his social and business acquaintances, but has the good will of every man in his employ, a fact that speaks eloquently as to his generosity, consideration and good judgment.
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