Kountze Lumber Company operated a sawmill at Kountze from about 1890 to 1893. In October 1890, Kountze Lumber had almost 350,000 feet in the yard. The following April, the company replaced a small steam engine with a 12-inch by 18-inch engine. It tripled the daily capacity from 10,000 feet to 30,000 feet. It was milling lumber for the Beaumont Furniture Company. Neither company lasted long, probably victims of the recession of 1893.