The nearby structure commonly known as a silo was actually an incinerator for the DeShazo Lumber Company located on this site. George Napier "Nappy" DeShazo, born in 1901, began his sawmill career in 1922 as a bookkeeper with G.M. Finley's sawmill operation on Bridge Street. After Finley's death, DeShazo bought the Finley family's interests and continued operating the firm on Bridge Street until 1955, when a new facility was built at the corner of Clay and Mineral Streets. The Uptown Spur from the Dick & Willie railroad line ran through the building, and the firm closed in 1971.