In the 1800's, Callon was a busy stop for trains transporting lumber, potatoes, and pickles from local farmers. The power of the Eau Claire River inspired the construction of many sawmills, including the portable mill operated by William Callon. The town provided lumber for homes, a cheese factory, a saloon, a mission church, and a school. The first portable mills built by Charles Weston and William Callon were eventually replaced by large mills such as Roy Gavitt's sawmill. Gavitt's mill employed about 20 workers who rotated shifts and slept in the cook's shanty, which also housed the full-time cooks.