Timothy K. Perttula et al. noted that the Kay & Kay sawmill was located several miles northwest of present-day Hawkins. Kay & Kay were succeeded by R. Marshall Kay & Co in 1870. n 1870, the capital investment of the Kay & Co. sawmill, according to that year's Census Products of Industry Schedule, was d to be $7,000. In ten months of operations, ten men were employed at a total wage of $3,600. Six men worked at the grist mill for six months. The sawmill manufactured 1,000,000 feet of lumber valued at $20,000. The grist mill produced cornmeal valued at $1,300.