Henry J. Lutcher
Encyclopedia
Henry Jacob Lutcher was a sawmiller and business partner of the Lutcher and Moore Lumber Company. His business ventures would help establish Orange, Texas
as the timber-processing capital of the South in the late 19th century and early 20th century.
Henry J. Lutcher was born on November 4, 1836, in Williamsport, Pennsylvania
, the son of Lewis and Barbara Lutcher, who were German immigrants. In 1858, he married his hometown sweetheart, Frances Ann Robinson. According to Lutcher, her secure business judgment was the key to his many economic successes.
The Lutcher-Robinson marriage produced two daughters, Miriam, who became Mrs. William Henry Stark
, and Carrie Launa, who married Dr. Edgar William Brown
.
In his hometown in 1862, he began his career in the lumber industry with a joint venture with John Waltman. Two years later, Lutcher purchased Waltman’s interest in the business, and the Lutcher and Moore Lumber Company was established. Realizing the profit potential of lumber sales and cattle-buying, the two partners moved to Texas
in 1877 and expanded their business onto the bank of the Sabine River
. The city of Orange was chosen by the partners, primarily due to the proximity to the nearby tracts of land with enormous pine trees, and the ability to use the river to transport the lumber to the markets. Lutcher purchased more than 500,000 acres (2,000 km²) of land in the southwest Louisiana
parishes of Calcasieu
and Beauregard
. To transport the timber, he built approximately 100 miles (160 km) of tram road known as the Gulf, Sabine and Red River Railroad.
By 1900, this operation employed more than 500 men as loggers in the nearby forests.
During the 1880s, Lutcher purchased a fifty square-mile (130 km²) tract of virgin cypress swamp near the Mississippi River
, and in 1889, he built a sawmill in St. James Parish at a town that was named after him. Lutcher, Louisiana
is still a prosperous community on the east bank of the river between Baton Rouge and New Orleans.
Lutcher died in Ohio
in 1912. His economic contributions, including that of his two sons-in-law W.H. Stark and E.W. Brown, helped establish Orange, Texas
as an industrial center on the Gulf of Mexico
.
Orange, Texas
Orange is a city in Orange County, Texas, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 18,643. It is the county seat of Orange County, and is the easternmost city in Texas. Located on the Sabine River at the border with Louisiana, it is part of the Beaumont–Port Arthur...
as the timber-processing capital of the South in the late 19th century and early 20th century.
Henry J. Lutcher was born on November 4, 1836, in Williamsport, Pennsylvania
Williamsport, Pennsylvania
Williamsport is a city in and the county seat of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania in the United States. In 2009, the population was estimated at 29,304...
, the son of Lewis and Barbara Lutcher, who were German immigrants. In 1858, he married his hometown sweetheart, Frances Ann Robinson. According to Lutcher, her secure business judgment was the key to his many economic successes.
The Lutcher-Robinson marriage produced two daughters, Miriam, who became Mrs. William Henry Stark
William Henry Stark
William Henry Stark was an industrial leader whose contributions helped the city of Orange, Texas develop financially. Stark was the president of the Lutcher Moore Cypress Lumber Company of Lutcher, Louisiana....
, and Carrie Launa, who married Dr. Edgar William Brown
Edgar William Brown
Edgar William Brown, Sr. was a physician who turned from the medical practice to become one of the most successful businessmen in the southern United States. His business contributions would help fuel the industrial development of the city of Orange, Texas.Edgar W. Brown was born in Ringgold,...
.
In his hometown in 1862, he began his career in the lumber industry with a joint venture with John Waltman. Two years later, Lutcher purchased Waltman’s interest in the business, and the Lutcher and Moore Lumber Company was established. Realizing the profit potential of lumber sales and cattle-buying, the two partners moved to Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
in 1877 and expanded their business onto the bank of the Sabine River
Sabine River (Texas-Louisiana)
The Sabine River is a river, long, in the U.S. states of Texas and Louisiana. In its lower course, it forms part of the boundary between the two states and empties into Sabine Lake, an estuary of the Gulf of Mexico. The river formed part of the United States-Mexican international boundary during...
. The city of Orange was chosen by the partners, primarily due to the proximity to the nearby tracts of land with enormous pine trees, and the ability to use the river to transport the lumber to the markets. Lutcher purchased more than 500,000 acres (2,000 km²) of land in the southwest Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
parishes of Calcasieu
Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana
Calcasieu Parish[p] is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Lake Charles. As of 2010, the parish population was 192,768...
and Beauregard
Beauregard Parish, Louisiana
Beauregard Parish [p] is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Beauregard Parish was formed on 1 January 1913. The parish seat is DeRidder. As of 2000, the population was 32,986. Beauregard Parish is part of the DeRidder Micropolitan Statistical Area as well as the Fort Polk...
. To transport the timber, he built approximately 100 miles (160 km) of tram road known as the Gulf, Sabine and Red River Railroad.
By 1900, this operation employed more than 500 men as loggers in the nearby forests.
During the 1880s, Lutcher purchased a fifty square-mile (130 km²) tract of virgin cypress swamp near the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
, and in 1889, he built a sawmill in St. James Parish at a town that was named after him. Lutcher, Louisiana
Lutcher, Louisiana
Lutcher is a town in St. James Parish, Louisiana, United States, on the East Bank of the Mississippi River. The population was 3,735 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Lutcher is located at ....
is still a prosperous community on the east bank of the river between Baton Rouge and New Orleans.
Lutcher died in Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
in 1912. His economic contributions, including that of his two sons-in-law W.H. Stark and E.W. Brown, helped establish Orange, Texas
Orange, Texas
Orange is a city in Orange County, Texas, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 18,643. It is the county seat of Orange County, and is the easternmost city in Texas. Located on the Sabine River at the border with Louisiana, it is part of the Beaumont–Port Arthur...
as an industrial center on the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
.