Lock, Stock, and Boards: The Harris Pine Mills Story Hardcover – August 2, 2014

Not just the business growth, but the people that made it happen with God leading.

Fun to read about people you know and love.

Marilyn Applegate's telling of the Harris Pine Mills story is more than a heartfelt memoir of her childhood in the unique "company town" Clyde Harris built--It is a warm recollection of her family, her cultural ties to the Adventist church, and the many personalities whose lives were built around the founding vision of one man. It It captures well an era when small towns were still proud to have a factory, natural resources were considered a God-given blessing (to be managed wisely, to be sure), and middle Americans considered manufacturing a respectable job title. Beyond that, Applegate puts the history of the timber and mill industry into the context of westward expansion and pioneer settlement, while illuminating the many and mysterious ways some of those settlers (including her forebears) came to join the worldwide SDA church. As someone who was only vaguely aware of Harris Pine in my youth, I thoroughly enjoyed learning how the enterprise got started and how it imploded--or was mismanaged into premature death by well-meaning people who simply didn't understand the industry. Extended sections describing the bankruptcy proceedings, which includes long accounts of church politics and interactions between attorneys, accountants, and trustees, are hard to follow. In fact, there are a number of quotes in this section attributed to the author's father (the once-manager of the whole enterprise) which I frankly don't understand at all, and a good editor would have asked her to clarify and perhaps abridge these passages. But in general it is both an important document for future historians and church members and a well-told story.

It was an interesting and fact filled text that means a great deal to my Adventist family. However, one particular family member was referenced in this text and portrayed in a sexist and generalized fashion. This person was not contacted for their confirmation of the story or their place in this fascinating history. It is my belief that the responsibility of a good author is to corroborate all facts before making oversimplified statements. Words can have a powerful impact and can change how someone perceives their mark in the world.