The most commented post on this site is about the former town of Hilt located in Siskiyou County near the Oregon border. While Hilt is far removed from the Lassen region, it has a unique relationship to the area. This was Fruit Growers Supply Company’s first sawmill, which proved successful. With the expansion of the citrus industry, created the need for an additional lumber to manufacture box shook, the wooden components to make a wooden box, which was the standard container. In 1919, Fruit Growers established a second mill in Susanville and in 1944 the company purchased Red River Lumber Company’s mill at Westwood.

The origins of Hilt started in 1855, when John Hilt began mining along Cottonwood Creek, just south of the Oregon border. In 1878, he purchased his son-in-law’s sawmill. In 1887 when the railroad was built through there, Hilt did not take advantage of it and  continued with a small time operation. That changed in 1901 when he sold out to some Grants Pass, Oregon businessmen who formed the Hilt Sugar Pine Company. That was short lived. It was acquired in 1907 by Shasta County investors who formed the Northern California Lumber Company. From day one they had financial problems.

Enter Fruit Growers. Fruit Growers reluctantly lent the lumber company $100,000, however, they were not impressed with its operation. Their logging operations deemed primitive, as they still used oxen with no intent to convert to modern railroad logging. It was stipulated that a portion of the cash advance was to be used to construct four miles of logging railroad. Progress, was slow but sure, with the construction of a box factory, but again needed additional money. By 1910, the  day of reckoning was at hand, whether Fruit Growers should cut their losses or take over the troubled lumber company. After careful consideration, Fruit Growers went ahead and acquired Hilt and entered into the lumber industry. They would operate the Hilt mill for sixty-one years.

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