Bud had been employed by The Chicago Lumber and Coal Co. in Cuba, KS.  After arriving in Miltonvale, 21 year old Bud started as manager of the Chicago Lumber Co. under the direction of E. Fullerton.

In April of 1920, The Chicago Lumber Co. dissolved partnership and went out of business.  A great many of the Chicago yards in Kansas re-organized into what is known as the Home Lumber Co. Bud had a chance to go into this company but had a different idea.  He thought that a yard owned entirely by Miltonvale capital would fit the people of Miltonvale better, so he organized one and the charter of the Miltonvale Lumber and Coal Co. was issued.

The new corporation was capitalized for $50,000.  The stockholders were C.A. Graham, E. C. Gentry, Hugh Adams, A.O. Barber, Geo. H.  Palmer, P.D. Hammel, M.W. Covey, C.E. Horn, D.B. Rankin, F.R. Rankin and J.M. Monahan.

The Graham’s were the main suppliers of coal for the area, selling in excess of 100 railcar loads of coal per year.  They also supplied the building materials for the Miltonvale Wesleyan College campus along with the buildings and residences to be built on what became to be known as “College Hill”.  With the coming of natural gas and propane gas around 1930, coal sales started to decline.  The last coal to be sold was in 1963.

Bud was also owner of Graham & Fury in Wells, KS and the local lumber yard in Delphos, KS which was managed by Les Talley.  Over the years, Bud was able to purchase stock from the remaining stockholders and by 1947 had purchased all the outstanding stock to become the sole owner of the company.

Bud married Berenice Harris in 1900 and had 3 children, Edyth Lyne of Dearborn MI, Erle H Graham of Kansas City and Bill Graham of Miltonvale.

On October 6, 1960, the town celebrated Bud with a special day just for him, “Bud’s Day”, for being “the only person in Miltonvale who was in business in 1900 as well as 1960”.  At the time, Bud who was 82, was still on the job daily.  “Bud’s Day” included a horse pulling contest, Miltonvale Rural High school band performance, a share-a-meal dinner, an airplane paper plate drop and a program and presentation with free hot dogs and Pepsi-Cola.  Bud managed Miltonvale Lumber Co. until 1953 when his son, Bill, assumed the management.

Before taking over the management of the company, Bill served as a pilot in the US Army Air Corp. during WWII.  Upon returning from service, he briefly operated a dairy north of Miltonvale where his son, Bruce, currently resides.

Bill worked at the company from 1951 to 2006.  Bill married Norma Brittenham on November 13, 1943. Their 4 children:  Deborah, Steve, Tyler and Bruce, all worked at the lumber company over the years.  In 2006 Bill’s son, Steve along with his wife Walene, purchased the lumber company from Bill.  Steve has worked there since 1973 after graduation from Fort Hays State University.  In 2008 a new office and showroom were built across the street from the original office.  The original office still stands today.

Steve and Walene have 2 sons, Matt and Blake.  Matt joined the company in 2000 after graduation from Manhattan Area Technical College.  Matt’s wife, Nicole, also was employed at Miltonvale Lumber Co. In 2013 Blake also joined the company.  Blake graduated from Kansas State University and prior to joining the family business was previously employed by J.E. Dunn out of Kansas City.  He was a project manager during the restoration project of the State Capital building in Topeka.

Over the years, Bud Graham would travel by train to attend the Mid-America Lumberman’s Association convention in Kansas City, which he was a long time member.  In 2020, Matt, Bud’s great-grandson, was elected  president of the association, which began in 1889.

The 5th generation of the Graham family currently help out at the lumber company.  Bud would be pleased to know that his great-great grandchildren are carrying on the family tradition.

Bud’s motto was:  “Always tell the truth and cheat no man out of a penny.”  Bud carried this motto throughout his sixty successful years in business.