 The sawmill was small and had been operating for several years alongside the Blackwater River With the Camp family's acquisition of the mill, it experienced 20 years of rapid growth under the leadership of Paul Douglas Camp (president), James Leonidas Camp (vice-president) and Robert Judson Camp (secretary-treasurer).At the end of this period, after a bout with near-bankruptcy, World War I brought the Camp family back to financial success, bringing along with it the city of Franklin.By 1918, "Tiny Franklin had become a booming wartime village..."

By 1955, the Camp Corporation's annual sales reached $28 million, much of which they spread throughout the city of Franklin.