According to my grandfather, anyone who wanted to get rid of some hickory wood could take it to Dexter, MO in Stoddard County to the axe handle factory there. 

Also, there was a barrel stave factory at Grays Ridge, MO, and thriving lumber mills at Morehouse.  There were different mills for different types of timber. 

He also says some of the cypress in the swamps of Niggerwolf Bottoms (SE of Parma) were so large you couldn't see over them when they were cut and on the ground.

Cindy Birk Conley