County High School and took a shot at college before joining the Air Force as a medic. He was stationed in Scotland when he decided to check out a square dance in 1963, where he met a young woman named Susan. They fell in love and married the next year. The couple moved to Brown County in 1965, bought land north of Bean Blossom, and began raising a family— along with a Christmas tree farm.
There has been a sawmill of one sort or another in Helmsburg since the early 1900s. Bill was working at the Chrysler plant in Indianapolis when Charlie Richards decided to sell the sawmill at 2230 State Road 45. All Bill knew about wood at that point was how to cut firewood. But he was a quick learner, and Richards stayed around for a few years to show him the ropes.
Along the way his children, Willie, Kevin, and Melanie, grew up at the sawmill and naturally became a part of the business. Ian, Kevin’ s son, has also begun work at the mill. Bill and Susan turned over the business to the two sons about three years ago.
Lots has changed since the Pools took over the sawmill. In 1973, Bill says, some of their major customers were“ hippies” from the Needmore area, and area farmers. In recent years, over-the-counter sales have tripled, and builders come from a wide area to get the air-dried poplar.
Here’ s the secret to his success: Treat customers fairly and give them a product they want, and dividends are paid via word-of-mouth advertising and repeat business, he said. And a presence on the Internet, overseen by daughter Melanie, has brought another set of changes.
The Pools buy timber from landowners, and carefully cut and manage woods from Terre Haute to Rising Sun. They harvest the trees, haul it to Helmsburg, process it, and take pride in seeing the final product.
It’ s a no-waste business. The cut lumber builds everything from cabins to fine furniture, while the sawdust goes to horse farmers, bark mulch goes to flower growers, other mulch is sometimes dyed and commercially sold, and the tops of trees become firewood.
Some of the wood goes to make veneer, and the Pools offer hickory, walnut, white and red oak,
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Where are the nearest restrooms? How late do the shops stay open? Where can I take a beautiful scenic drive? Our friendly staff can answer all of these questions and more at the Brown County Visitors Center at the corner of Van Buren and Main Street. Stop by for advice, recommendations, and official souvenirs.
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May / June 2016 • Our Brown County 21