News

Sawmills were vital to growth of Mills River

Billy Kimzey operates Woodpecker Sawmill. [PHOTO BY DOUG BRITTAIN]

By Jere Brittain, Published: May 13, 2024

Since the mid-1800s, sawmills have played a vital role in the growth and development of the Upper Mills River community. Joanne’s grandfather, Tom Wilson, operated a mill off Dalton Road from around 1941 through 1965. His mill was eventually sold to the Cradle of Forestry, where it remains on display at the Pink Beds.

Ed Whitaker’s mill was a fixture on Whitaker Lane during this same period. These mills converted logs to rough lumber for building farm buildings as well as for cash to pay property taxes. Many of the early houses were built with lumber from the water-powered Silas Sitton mill near the iron forge site on south Mills River. Silas, my great-grandfather, was tragically killed in a sawmilling accident in 1912.

Currently, the only remaining sawmill in upper Mills River is “Woodpecker Sawmill,” owned and operated by Billy Kimzey and his son, Willy, off South Mills River Road, designated by a playful painting of Woody Woodpecker on a sawmill blade.

Billy says he learned the art of sawmilling from his dad, Alan, and from an instructor at Haywood Tech.

For 45 years, the commercial part of the business has operated as National Wood Products Co. Billy says the mill turns out about 400 pallets per day with a total crew of six. His biggest customer is Super Sod of Mills River.

In addition to pallet production, Billy saws small custom orders of lumber for farmers and others, an important service for nearby woodlot owners. These small woodlots are an underappreciated but vital component of farmland preservation in Mills River.

Billy Kimzey serves on the Town of Mills River Planning Board. He is concerned about the rapid conversion of farmland to residential and commercial use, citing sewer and water expansion as the only tools available to regulate the pace of development, given the aversion to outright zoning.

Journeying on …