Robert A. Long

Robert Alexander Long (December 17, 1850 – March 15, 1934) was an American lumber baron, developer, investor, newspaper owner, and philanthropist.As the timber land was deforested in Louisiana, he moved west to the state of Washington and bought 270,000 acres (1,100 km2) of Douglas fir.In 1889, Samuel H. Wilson, Robert's brother-in-law, that began with the company in 1887, took over the retail department, a position he held until his death on October 20, 1903.In 1903, Long-Bell organized the Hudson River Lumber Company in DeRidder and built a sprawling mill across the tracks from Washington street.In October 1906, a new location (sections 25 and 30, township 5, of range 8 west) was cleared along the route for the Longville Long Leaf Lumber Company and town.[4] Unions had been operating in many industries, such as the railroads and coal mines in the United States as early as 1870, and played an important part in securing a better working environment and pay.Coal miners benefited from unions because their work under ground was poorly ventilated causing Pneumoconiosis also known as black lung (and even referred to as P-45),] was a fact of life.The association took immediately plans to include lockouts, importing strikebreakers, hiring the Burns agency, Pinkerton detectives, and other steps with the purpose of destroying the union.John Henry Kirby, that owned the American Lumber Company in Merryville, Louisiana, did hire agents to infiltrate the union.Employees of many sawmills were required to sign yellow-dog contracts to prove loyalty to the company and agree not to join unions.Sweet already paid his employees in cash and made other concessions and there did not appear to be any union action directed at the Long-Bell company sawmills in Louisiana.He personally donated funds for the city's public library, first high school, train station, YMCA hall and its Hotel Monticello.Long was an early investor in the Kansas City Southern Railroad, a source of transportation for his raw material and products.The 2,000-acre (8.1 km2) farm had 42 buildings, 250 acres of clipped lawns, extensive flower beds, and four greenhouses; in later years fresh carnations and gardenias were shipped daily.Long was a driving force behind the creation of Kansas City's Liberty Memorial, a World War I museum and monument.Loula remained faithful to the Longview Chapel Christian church (Disciples of Christ) until she died and was celebrated as one of the longest attending members.