Native Americans first roamed this area of virgin pines and crystal streams, and early pioneer settlers later named it Oction. The Civil War Battle at Oction Hill occurred here in 1864. In 1889, Jay Gould built the Iron Mountain Railroad through the area, and by 1892 he had built the Big Creek Lumber Company, the largest pine sawmill in the world, hiring Captain James W. Pollock as its first manager. The town that became Pollock sprang up around the mill. In 1906, the bustling town and prosperous mill burned. James F. Ball then purchased the remnants of the sawmill and renamed it Iron Mountain Lumber Company. The town was rebuilt, and on September 26, 1911, the State of Louisiana formally chartered the Town of Pollock.