Panola County records note that J. H. Morton ran a sawmill operation at Marshall before he moved it to Panola County, about eight miles east of Carthage on Cook and Hill land. On March 9, 1921, Morton mortgaged his sawmill and property. He had been manufacturing lumber and ties on contract to the Kirby Lumber Company.
His equipment included the sawmill with a twin-engine feed works, belts, pulleys, shafting, a No. 2 Maud carriage; a 12-inch by 14-inch Atlas steam engine; and a 54-inch by 12-foot stationary boiler.