Laurel Municipal Court

Laurel was established in the early 1880’s and grew with the expansion of the timber industry in the area. Ten years after the railroad opened the region for large-scale timber production; the first giant lumber mill was opened in Laurel and other mills soon followed. Laurel became the most significant producer of yellow pine lumber in the world. In the 1920’s a local lumber mill owner discovered the process by which durable, inexpensive hardboard could be made from the massive amounts of wood paste produced by the mills. He created the Mason Fibre Company which later became the international Masonite Corporation. In the 1940’s the discovery of oil in Laurel ushered in a whole new industry leading to the establishment of more than 150 companies providing regional service for oil and gas drillers..