Charles A. Vandersteen

Founded in 1992, Southern Forest Heritage Museum & Research Center, Inc. is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and interpreting the forest and sawmill history of the southern United States. The museum encompasses a historic sawmill complex, including the Long Leaf Mill, a 1910 planer mill, a power plant, and railroad facilities. The private company is based in Long Leaf, LA. It houses rare logging equipment, such as a steam-powered Clyde rehaul skidder and a McGiffert log loader, and features exhibits on the Civilian Conservation Corps, World War II contributions, and the Red River & Gulf Railroad. The museum offers archival collections and research resources on sawmill towns, forestry, railroads, and wartime history, and collaborates with the USDA Forest Service to provide educational exhibits and publish research on early lumbering and forestry practices. It also serves as a rustic wedding venue within its historic planer mill.