The American Lumberman of January 21, 1905 stated: “Howard Lee, who owns a large mill at Garrison and has the reputation of having been in the lumber business longer than anyone else in Nacogdoches County, was in Beaumont for a few days last week. He has owned mills at Lola, on the Houston, East and West Texas; at Nacogdoches and at Fitze, from which latter place he moved his mill to Garrison.”
The Nacogdoches newspaper noted that “W. G. Harrington is putting up a planer on the Lee mill site, instead of Mr. Lee, as stated yesterday. Mr. Lee, however, is superintending the work. Joe Langston is keeping books for Mr. Harrington.” This mill was located in the old Davidson pasture until about 1902. W. G. Harrington put his original planer in the spot but then was ordered to move it in February 1903 when the Texas and New Orleans rented or leased the area for its expansion efforts in making Nacogdoches the freight headquarters for the railroad company.
The R. H. Lee mill at Nacogdoches was not listed in the 1905 Reference Book of the Lumbermen's Credit Association.