▁they ▁order ▁more ▁l umber . ▁Business ▁was ▁good ▁and ▁the ▁partners ▁opened ▁more ▁yards . ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 7 ▁the ▁young est ▁partner , ▁Robert ▁White , ▁died ▁and ▁the ▁remaining ▁partners ▁bought ▁out ▁his ▁share . ▁Robert ▁and ▁Victor ▁formed ▁the ▁Long - B ell ▁L umber ▁Company ▁in ▁Columb us , ▁Kansas . ▁ ▁While ▁in ▁Columb us ▁he ▁bought ▁ ▁and ▁developed ▁a ▁prof itable ▁coal ▁mine ▁with ▁two ▁sh aft s ▁at ▁Stone ▁City . ▁The ▁location ▁is ▁found ▁only ▁on ▁historical ▁maps , ▁as ▁the ▁town ▁no ▁longer ▁exists ▁today , ▁but ▁was ▁just ▁east ▁of ▁N W ▁ 4 0 th ▁street ▁south ▁of ▁the ▁j unction ▁of ▁N W ▁Me ir ▁road , ▁which ▁is ▁north west ▁of ▁Columb us . ▁ ▁Long - B ell ▁L umber ▁Company ▁In ▁ 1 8 8 7 , ▁Robert ▁A . ▁Long ▁and ▁Victor ▁Bell ▁formed ▁the ▁Long - B ell ▁L umber ▁Company ▁in ▁Columb us , ▁Kansas . ▁The ▁headquarters ▁was ▁moved ▁to ▁Kansas ▁City ▁where ▁it ▁remained ▁until ▁sold . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 8 9 , ▁Samuel ▁H . ▁Wilson , ▁Robert ' s ▁brother - in - law , ▁that ▁began ▁with ▁the ▁company ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 7 , ▁took ▁over ▁the ▁ret ail ▁department , ▁a ▁position ▁he ▁held ▁until ▁his ▁death ▁on ▁October ▁ 2 0 , ▁ 1 9 0 3 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 1 , ▁the ▁capital ▁stock ▁was