Helmsburg Sawmill
~ story and photos by Bob Gustin
Now 75 years old, Bill Pool still laces up his boots every morning and makes the five-mile trip from home to the Helmsburg Sawmill, which he has owned since 1973.
But he hasn’ t put in a single day of work in those 43 years. At least, that’ s the way he sees it.
“ I love what I do. I haven’ t worked a day since I bought the mill,” he said. Most days, you’ ll find Bill at the sawmill by 7:30 a. m. or earlier, cutting, planing and stacking wood, operating heavy equipment, helping customers and generally taking care of business. Such a schedule would easily wear out even younger men, but while he
Bill and Susan Pool.
admits it isn’ t play, he refuses to call it work. It’ s more like his calling, and he says he’ ll retire when he can no longer lace up those boots.
Bill can tell what type of wood he’ s dealing with by its smell. He can judge its thickness by feel, and he can figure complicated board feet pricing in his head. He’ s right where he wants to be, running a family business with his wife, two sons, daughter, and grandson involved.
Born in Iowa, Bill moved with his family to Brown County in 1956, graduated from Brown
20 Our Brown County May / June 2016