Martindale, John

Interview 255a: In this interview with Jonathan Gerland, Jasper native John Martindale reminisces about his life in East Texas. He grew up in Jasper, attended Stephen F. Austin State University and Texas A&M, joined the Army Air Corps in World War II and returned to East Texas to work and raise his family. Mr. Martindale talks about working as a land inspector, as a drafter for highway construction, and as a land inspector and personnel manager for Kirby Lumber Company, Southwestern Settlement and Development and Temple-Eastex. He talks about the differences between his jobs at Southwestern and after the merger with Temple, the differences in forestry practices throughout his career, and the changes in the forest products industry. Mr. Martindale recalls negotiating land leases and hunting clubs, managing the forests and the personnel that worked the forest, and keeping his districts around Kirbyville and Silsbee free from any land disputes.