Rand, McNally and Company's Directory and Shipping Guide of Lumber Mills and Lumber Dealers listed the sawmill firm of “J. O'Bern” at Longview in 1884.
The man's name was James O' Byrne; he was listed as such in the 1880 schedule of manufacturers in Precinct 3 of Gregg County during the 1880 Census. His sawmill, valued at $1,500, was powered by a 30-horsepower steam engine and boiler. The mill in the twelve-month reporting period employed twelve to twenty men who earned a wage of $1.25 to $2.00 for an eleven-hour day. The men were paid a total combined wage during the period of $2,400. The mill cut from $6,100 worth of raw materials a total of 1,200,000 board feet of lumber valued at $11,968. O'Bryne did his logging near his mill.