The Cummings sawmills at Anahuac and Liberty cut hardwoods (oak, ash, gum, cottonwood, hickory) for the export trade to Germany. Cummings owned a shipyard at Wallisville that built tugs and ships, which exported hardwood products. Jesse Cummings sold his interests to German businessmen. The company bought the Horatio, the old steamboat used by C N. Fisher, and quickly made it the flagship of the Cummings fleet. W. T. Block suggests that the company (C. R. Cummings after Jesse sold out) supported its two mills with a floating commissary. Eventually both mills were consolidated at Wallisville.