The Southern Industrial and Lumber Review reported in July 1908 that the work force at the Williams mill had Honey Island over the 11-hour work day. The company had precipitated the strike when it increased hours without increasing pay. Williams Bros state that the pay structure must remain in order for the mill to be profitable, or the mill must be shut down. The workers at Lufkin Land & Lumber had accepted a similar propostion a week before after a strike.
The Southern Industrial and Lumber Review in March 1909 reported that T. J. Williams had a mill at Honey Grove and the Williams Lumber Company at Thicket. The latter mill and company was owned by David J. Williams, so it is certain that a simple typographical error was made by the review or that the writer confused D. J. Williams with T. J. Williams, a sawmiller active at this time in Nacogdoches and Angelina counties. The Honey Grove (meaning Honey Island) sawmill was receiving new equipment, including dry kilns and more boiler power for the planing mill. In October 1908, the Southern Lumberman reported that the mill was being expanded and seventy-five new tenant houses were being built.
David J. Williams had interests in other sawmills in the Thicket and Bragg areas, several miles west of Honey Island.