The Waldensians purchased 10,000 acres of land on credit for their colony, and as part of the agreement the Morganton Land and Development Company provided a sawmill so they could make lumber for their homes, sell surplus lumber for profit, and pay for the land. The colonists held the land in common, sharing debt and profit equally, but the hoped-for surplus lumber never materialized. The sawmill was new to them, none knew how to operate it, and inefficiencies and breakdowns made lumber production laborious and painfully slow. Some learned to run the sawmill better than others, which led to arguments and occasional fist fights over the division of labor, with those getting more turns at the saw accused of taking the easy jobs for themselves. Eventually the corporate arrangement was abandoned, the land company took back the property, and each Waldensian family purchased its own land and turned to farming for family needs and income. The sawmill was powered by a single-cylinder hit and miss engine. The engine associated with it is the original, while the sawmill itself was built the same year as that engine. In 1993, just in time for the 100 year celebration of the town of Valdese, Jim Jacumin, whose grandfather was one of the original settlers, and his longtime partner Pat Ross got the old engine running again after nearly 70 years of idleness. The Jacumin and Barus families remained active in the sawmilling business for more than 100 years.