Florida Historical Markers Programs - Marker Detail

Description: The Boggy Mill Company incorporated in August 1908. The mill consisted of 40 acres on the east side of Boggy Bayou. With access to the forest and waterways, it was in an ideal location. The company drew settlers for lumber industry jobs like logging, turpentine, and shingle-getting. It was rough, difficult, and dangerous work. In November 1908, the flywheel of the sawmill’s largest engine gave way. A piece of it struck engineer George Bostick, resulting in his death. The Pensacola News Journal reported in November 1908: “The Boggy Mill Company is now running its plant on full time, cutting about 21,000 board feet per day. The mill of the Consolidated Land and Lumber Company will be ready to start up within a short time. Boggy is becoming one of the best towns in this section. The name Boggy signifies that it is bogged up with business. There are about ten buildings in the course of construction and everyone is busy. New families are locating rapidly, and at the present time the town has four stores, two mills and two turpentine stills.” In 1912, J. P. Rawls bought the mill site at public auction, plus 6,000 additional acres. He later sold it to the Mutual Land and Lumber Co., owned by developer R. E. L. McCaskill.