J. A. O'Byrne first began sawmilling in 1920 and was sawmilling at Maydelle, Cherokee, in 1934. O'Byrne sold his interest in the mill to an Andrews and Akers in 1945 noted The Jacksonville Journal. He moved to New Mexico then returned and built another sawmill, immediately south of Jacksonville. He added a new planer and employed 100 men. He held contracts on three tractors sawmills as well.
His company at Jacksonville was listed in Nelson T. Samson's Directory of Wood-Using and Related Industries in East Texas in 1957.