2018.024.003 [Print, Photographic]

This is a photograph of William J. Young. Young was born in Ireland in 1827 and emigrated to the United States in 1846. As a young man, he worked as a railroad contractor, and it was while he was working for the railroads that he met some wealthy men in Cincinnati who owned the Ohio Mill Company. They wanted to open a lumber yard in Clinton, Iowa and hired Young as an agent to run it. Young believed he would have more opportunities in the lumber business than he would working for the railroad, so he agreed to move west to Iowa. Eventually Young became a partner in the business, and it was renamed the W. J. Young Lumber Company. Young's lumber company provided setllers in Iowa and nearby states with lumber to build homes, barns and businesses. The expansion of the railroad after the Civil War also contributed to the success of the company in a couple of different ways. Railroad companies required a large amount of lumber, especially to build bridges, and the railroads provided a way to transport lumber to other markets. To meet growing demands, Young doubled his capacity in 1867 with the construction of a second sawmill. This second sawmill was said to have the largest production capacity of any mill along the Mississippi River. Content can be used with the following standards: SS-Econ. 9-12.24 Iowa Impact Upon Economy in a lesson on Iowan businesses during Reconstruction and its impact on the state. For any use other than instructional resources, please check with the organization that owns this item regarding copyright restrictions.