Alex Williams, according to the Census of 1880, owned and operated a sawmill in Enumeration District #64 of Grimes County. The mill was d to be of a value of $5,000. The work force consisted of sixteen to eighteen men, who earned 75 cents to $3 per each ten to eleven hour day; they were paid a combined wage of $3,000 during the reporting period. This mill operated at three-quarters time for seven months and one-half time for two months. From $7,600 worth of raw materials, the circular and muley saws cut 1,500,000 board feet of lumber valued at $15,000. The workforce did its own logging in the vicinity of the mill.