Over the years, the village of Conklin has contained three lumber yards.  Daggett Lumber Company operated the first lumber yard in the community.  John W. Cazier opened the second of the businesses, Conklin Lumber Company, in the early 1900’s and operated it for about 20 years.   Valentine J. “Fulton” Schaefer and Barnard D. “Barney” Wiltenburg opened a new lumber yard in 1925, also calling it Conklin Lumber Company.

About the Conklin Lumber Company, owned by Schaefer and Wiltenburg, the July 31, 1931 Coopersville Observer article states,

“Schafer & Wiltenberg [sic] are the proprietors of the lumber yard at Conklin and their arrangement of the work connected with the business causes the wheels to run smoothly and without the slightest friction. The firm carries a complete supply of lumber and building material and also does a large amount of contracting, distributed over a wide area. Here you may ask for and receive a price on any type building or dwelling, complete and ready to move into, with heating plant and plumbing installed, all furnished by this firm. Mr. Schafer is in charge of the work outside the shop and Mr. Wiltenberg handles the affairs of the firm at the yard.

Here they have installed a planing mill where lumber may be sawed, ripped and planed to meet your requirements, without the loss of any excessive amount of time, which is a big factor in the lives of the community they serve. Both of these gentlemen were born and reared in the community where they conduct their business and have been filling the lumber needs of Conklin for the past six years. The firm are [sic] agents for the heating plants they install and also do a large coal business.”

Mr. Schaefer bought out Mr. Wiltenburg’s share of the business in 1936.  Mr. Schaefer’s son, Herbert, started working with his father in 1937.  Herbert continued to work part-time during the school year and full-time during the summers.  When the business had expanded to the point that Valentine could not operate it by himself, Herbert dropped out of the University of Cincinnati in 1945 to join the business on a full-time basis.  In 1955 and the firm’s name changed to Schaefer Building Supply.  Valentine died in 1967 and Herbert took over the business.  A few years later, Herbert returned to college and earned his Civil Engineering degree.  He auctioned the contents of the business and sold the building and property to Ray and Jo Kelly.  The Kelly’s used the building for a few years as rental storage.  They sold the building and property to Jack Pruitt in 1972.   Mr. Pruitt opened Pruitt’s Packaging Service and still operates the bulk box and pallet manufacturing business today.