The W. B. Smith sawmill was listed in an 1880 Chicago lumberman directory at Hallsville.
The census that year listed the sawmill, d a capital value of $1,000, as cutting 800,000 feet of lumber, valued at $8,000, from $4,500 worth of supplies and sawlogs. The circular saw was powered by steam. Smith employed fifteen men at peak production and nine men normally. They were paid $1.15 to $2.00 daily for ten-hour shifts and received a total wage of $1,400.