The first mill of the Frank H. Elmore Manufacturing Company was mortgaged in 1939 to Egner Brothers. It was a inserted-tooth sawmill with a mandrel, sawmill track, with edgers, etc. Elmore Manufacturing, in 1946 bought a “lumber mill complete” from the University Oaks Lumber Company, which was recorded in San Jacinto County records. The company mortgaged on May 1, 1947, four trucks and trailors to the Huntsville State Bank. In January, 1950, the Frank Hill Elmore mortgaged to New Waverly State Bank for two tractors, a steam dry kiln, a boiler, a steam engine, a water pup, a planer, a sawdust blower, blowpipe, and other equipment. On April 30, 1952, Elmore mortgaged his portable sawmill, dry kiln, planer, and a sawmill to New Waverly State Bank for $11,435. On May 17, 1954, F. H. Elmore Lumber Co mortgaged to New Waverly State Bank a dry kiln boiler, a steam engine, a SA Woods planing machine, a 35-inch sawdust blower, all knives, and an International #20 power unit, and a complete sawmill, located in San Jacinto County.
This company evolved into the Elmore Manufacturing Company, located at Willis, which appeared in the 1957 edition of Nelson T. Samson's Directory of Wood-Using and Related Industries in East Texas.