J. R. Wood owned and operated sawmills in Smith and Upshur counties during the years before and after 1900. Upshur County deed records note that Wood bought in 1907 1775 acres of pine stumpage and took a five-year lease of the mill site of J. G. Town and W. M. Davidson. The site was located on ten acres north of Winona, Smith County. Equipment included an Atlas 11-inch by 18-inch steam engine, an Ames 10-inch by 12-inch steam engine, an Atlas 46-inch by 12-foot steam boiler, a sawmill, and a Ball and Williams planer.