This photo is of a stave mill yard on the eastern edge of Independence County. Staves were stacked to dry then shipped down river. Francis Lafayette “F.L.” Saffell (born 1868) lived in Melbourne and bought timber. He made barrel staves and later automobile spokes. A team of mules is shown in the middle of the photo. The photo was taken around 1910 and is part of the Rowe Collection at Old Independence Regional Museum. The photo was taken by W.H. Saffell.
