According to census records for the year ending June 1, 1850, G.A.M. Starke's steam-powered sawmill, with a capital investment of $2,500, consumed 450 cords of wood to produce 300,000 feet of lumber, valued at $4500, during the census year. It ground 1,000 bushels worth $1,000. Starke employed six men workers during that time, each earning $12 monthly.