The contract files include agreements for the construction and operation of the saw mill and the town.

The numbered contracts—mostly dating from the early years of the company—cover the construction and maintenance of the mills and town, and various labor, land, forestry, and financial issues. Contract files 95 and 119 include letters from C.D. Johnson, president of Union Saw Mill company, directing activities from his office in St. Louis.

Contracts numbered 54, 55, 72, 152, 163 cover construction and maintenance of the sawmills. There are contracts for construction of a variety of town buildings (15, 16, 19, 23, 28, 29, 32, 83, 121, 273, 332)—some specifically for African Americans (83, 174). There are contacts for construction of sidewalks (112), a bowling alley (118), a Masonic lodge (48), and for organizing schools (48, 49, 83, 303, 307) and churches (96, 273, 321). There are contracts for a meat market (337-339), for growing and purchasing hogs (607, 630), and for truck farms, poultry farms and orchards (342, 343, 357, 496, 612). There are contracts with The Huttig News and printing plant (172, 333, 387, 506, 527, 583, 610), the First National Bank of Huttig with C.H. Murphy (439, 481), a cotton gin (520, 529), and an amusement parlor (562). There are contracts to create a fair grounds (551), operate a hotel (346), start a livery business (347), and to bring the Radcliffe Chautauqua to town (550).

There are agreements with the El Dorado Telephone Company/Southwestern Bell Telephone Company relating to phone service in Huttig (266, 349, 495, 558, 604) and with Clifford Well Company of Lewisville, Arkansas for water wells (24).

There are contracts—including correspondence about Arkansas medical services legislation—with Dr. L.F. Magee and Dr. H.F. Mayfield to provide health care for white employees (496, 532) and contracts for the purchase of medical supplies (43, 171).

The Union Saw Mill had contracts with various railroads, often involving the sale of ice from the company ice plant: the El Dorado & Bastrop (3,13,124, 205), Farmerville & Southern (1, 6, 210), Little Rock & Monroe (2, 7, 9, 13, 160, 170, 265, 341), St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern/Missouri Pacific (5, 33 170, 328, 345, 347, 486, 502, 517, 544, 553, 580, 592-594, 598, 627, 635), and Arkansas & Louisiana Missouri (608). There are also contracts relating to the Union Saw Mill’s own Louisiana & Pine Bluff Railway, including construction (47, 81, 84, 93, 507), the purchase of engines (186A, 221) and log cars (212), the handling of U.S. mail (153, 358), and other matters (173, 266, 280, 312, 319, 367, 454, 484, 486, 488, 490, 491, 504, 514, 515, 521, 543, 545, 547, 561, 565, 576, 577, 580, 584½, 587, 596-599, 602, 616, 634), including the Arkansas Railroad Commission and rates (526).

There are logging contracts with the Culbreath Logging Company of Huttig (4, 8, 42, 145, 355), involving not only cutting timber but also establishing a camp in the woods. And there are contracts with independent timber suppliers (11, 18, 45, 53, 56-67, 125, 129, 131, 133-135, 137, 139-141, 143, 146-151, 154, 156, 158, 159, 162, 164-169, 173A, 175, 176, 178, 179, 181, 182, 186-188, 192-197, 199, 200-204, 206-209, 211, 214, 217-219, 222-234, 257-262, 271, 282, 283, 285-287, 292, 294, 295, 298, 300-304, 309-311, 316, 317, 323, 326, 340, 353, 365, 366, 368, 372-375, 377, 378, 382, 384-386, 388-391, 394-409, 411, 412, 414-431, 433, 435, 436, 438, 440-453, 460-465, 486, 494, 496, 497, 501, 505, 531). There are contracts for the sale of hardwood harvested from USM land (363, 369-371, 379, 380, 383, 492, 530, 563, 624, 633). The Union Saw Mill allowed two hardwood companies to operate mills in Huttig: the Wisconsin Lumber Company (344, 345, 392, 524, 488) and the Miller Lumber Company (609). In the early years, once timber was removed from its land, the Union Saw Mill sold the land (348, 354, 458, 509).

There are contracts for the purchase of machinery, equipment, and supplies, mostly from companies in St. Louis, Chattanooga, Shreveport, Memphis, Chicago, and New Orleans. From Arkansas companies, the Union Saw Mill contracted to buy leather belting from Camden Hardware & Mill Supply (293); bricks from Arkansas Brick and Manufacturing (98); lime from Rogers White Lime Company (85); oil from Jones & Grimes of El Dorado, Lion Oil Refining Company of El Dorado, and National Petroleum Products of El Dorado (587, 615, 616, 634); packing from Lewis Mills Supply of Helena (552); crushed stone from Mississippi Valley Construction Company of Little Rock (77); roofing from Clarke Roofing Company of Little Rock (585, 589); and coal from Western Coal & Mining of Denning, McAlester Fuel Company of Little Rock, and Central Coal & Coke of Little Rock (128, 138, 263, 335, 376, 466, 487, 512, 547, 565). Coal contract 547 includes a letter discussing problems in the Arkansas coal industry. Contract 41 is for the purchase of an entire mill from the Rosebud Lumber Company.

There are contracts for abstracts and appraisals (46, 264); insurance (30, 315, 318, 350, 455, 479); the services of Louisiana attorney H.G. Fields (336, 413, 457, 559, 584, 614); and labor (20, 27, 40, 44, 52, 76, 235, 268, 270, 271, 288, 289, 309, 393, 493, 580), including specifically Black labor (270). There are contracts with individuals to look after company lands (152A, 267, 518). There is an agreement with Freeman Smith Lumber Company of Calhoun County establishing territorial boundaries (142); a lease of company land to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service for the construction of a Civilian Conservation Corps camp (613, 626); a lease of land to Standard Oil of Louisiana for a service station at a logging camp (622); an oil and gas lease (523); and a transfer of gas, oil, and other mineral rights on company land to Republic Production Company and Federal Petroleum Company (525). There is an agreement on pricing in logging camp stores (355). There is a copy of the constitution and bylaws of the Associated Industries of Arkansas, Inc. (611); a contract for the sale of ice to the American Refrigeration Transit Company for the shipment of peaches (636); a contract for the sale of boxes manufactured by the Union Saw Mill (638); and a settlement with Adolph and Ike Felsenthal following a successful lawsuit against the company (236).