HJ. Haskamp, Ben Hoeschen and Fred Heidgerken arrived in the Humboldt area around 1903 and realizing the area's potential, set up the Great Northern Lumber Company and the Great Northern General Store.

Fred Heidgerken was the general manager of the operations and supervised the construction in 1904 and 1905. The lumber yard was located just south of the railway tracks on the east side of the highway. Company stationary from 1905 read as follows:

Great Northern Lumber Co. Ltd.
- HJ. Haskamp, President
- H.N. Clausen, Treasurer
- F. Heidgerken, General Manager
- Incorporated Capital Stock $100,000.00
- Dealers in all kinds of building material, hardware
- General Merchandise and Wholesale Liquors.

The lumber company's books from

- Louis Kluge - Oats 50 cents
- Louis Crooks - Barley at $1, Oats at 55 cents
- Ross Bell - Oats $1.30
- AJ. Borget Lumber for shed - $38.85
- 18 ft. common board 20 cents

The general store was on Main Street (where Yuen's Family Clothing now stands).

Their book from 1908 record the following purchases: - Henry Stockert - shells - 75 cents
- Leo Woel - 12 boxes of shells $1.38
- Godfrey Schaeffer 50 Ibs. prunes $3.00
- Theodore Radom ski pants $3.76, vest $1.50
- John Ecker 5 gallons of coal oil $1.75
- AJ. Kruse shells - 82 cents - tobacco 30 cents

The two companies were bought by the Humboldt Builder's Supply Company owned by Fred Heidgerken around the 1920s, the Lumber Company closed in 1936 but kept up the real estate and insurance business.