This mill was built in 1899-1900 by J.M. West and Peter Josserand. J.M. West, a native of Trinity County, began his sawmilling experience in Groveton, at the Trinity County Lumber Company mill. He was soon promoted to foreman, but left to accept the same position at Peter Josserand’s sawmills, just east of Groveton. Here, West was soon promoted to supervisor, and, in 1899, he entered the manufacturing business at a point a few miles west of Groveton with his former employer, Peter Josserand.

West bought out the interests of Josserand in 1903, and established the West Lumber Company and the Continental Lumber Company with Lynch Davidson the same year. The mill at Westville was operated as the West Lumber Company, but its output was marketed by the Continental Lumber Company. The mill burned in 1906, and it was rebuilt as a single band mill. The mill appeared in the U.S. government’s 1915 report on sawmills, but not in the 1928 issue of the Southern Lumberman’s list of Texas sawmills. It is believed the mill was closed about 1920.

In 1904, the log tram road stretched along 35-# rails seven miles into 90,000,000 standing feet of timber. Two locomotives and other rolling stock assisted the transport of sawtimber to the mill. A reporter from the Beaumont Enterprise noted in April 1905 that the West Lumber Company used six miles of logging tramways. The American Lumberman the following year recorded that West Lumber Company had a logging railroad.