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Born in 1860 in Helena, Montana, William Bill Carter grew up in a family of carpenters of English origin. At a very young age, he learned to saw, cut, and assemble wood alongside his father. Curious and ambitious, he dreamed of adventure and independence, far from the constraints of working-class life. At the age of eighteen, he joined a caravan of American emigrants heading for the Lochburn Archipelago, hoping to make his fortune in gold.
Upon arriving in the Ivory Canyon area, Carter took part in several unsuccessful prospecting campaigns. Convinced that the real treasure lay in the virgin forests rather than in the ground, he joined forces with two other families, the Hendersons and the O'Donnells, to build a 60-meter wooden bridge across the ravine in 1879. This crossing, later named Old Woodbridge Crossing, opened up the road to the west and attracted other settlers. Faced with this influx, the families officially founded Woodbridge in 1881.
Settling permanently on the west bank of the canyon, William Carter married Ellen Henderson, the daughter of his friend and traveling companion Thomas Henderson. Together, they had two sons, Robert (born in 1885) and Samuel (born in 1888). William passed on to his children his passion for woodworking and his sense of a job well done. During this period, he worked as a freelance carpenter, helping to construct several buildings in the young village.
In 1905, seeing the growing demand for lumber throughout Lochburn County, Carter founded Carter & Sons Lumber Company with the help of his now adult sons. Located on Main Street, the sawmill quickly became the largest local employer and a pillar of the regional economy. The boards produced in its workshops were used to build Woodbridge Town Hall, a symbol of the prosperity of the era. Carter, known for his integrity and optimism, often said, “Gold is in the trees, not in the ground.”
William Carter passed away in 1932 at the age of 72, leaving behind a thriving business and a respected name throughout Lochburn county. His sons continued his work with the same dedication, ensuring the sawmill's longevity for generations to come. Today, Carter & Sons Lumber Co. remains in business—a living legacy of a man who saw in the forests of Ivory Canyon the future of a village born from a simple wooden bridge.
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Fun fact:
It is said that William Carter categorically refused to use metal nails for his early constructions, claiming that they “break the soul of the wood.” He preferred to make his own oak pegs, which he carved by hand while whistling western tunes. Some of the original structures in Woodbridge, including a shed behind the old sawmill, are said to still be assembled with his period pegs.
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