Tag Archives: Red River Lumber Company

History, News

House of Walker

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Camp 38
Camp 38, Red River Lumber Company, 1922. It was located on the east shore of Lake Almanor. Courtesy of R.S. Pershing

The family dynamics of the Red River Lumber Company is fascinating. While founder, T.B. Walker, in his western expansion was meant that his five sons would be in charge. While that was noble, it did not turn out the way he envisioned.  Three of brothers, Clinton, Fletcher and Willis would relocate to California, while Gilbert and Archie remained in Minnesota.

Clinton was the first t arrive in California as he assisted his father with the acquisition of the California timberland. It was Clinton’s first hand knowledge of the California timber, that he would be at odds with his brothers. Clinton was early day supporter of control timber burns. In the 1930s, Red River faced a myriad of problems. In a letter, dated August 10, 1935,  Clinton wrote his brother, Archie, about his thoughts of the condition of Red River’s California forest. For posterity is the following excerpt:

“It is regrettable that the house of Walker has no forest man. Kenneth covers the nearest but he seems to be absorbed in the performance of log contracts; our annual fire and insect losses are staggering.  A systematic annual light burning at the right season of the year would reduce and ultimately eliminate these sources of loss and the cost would be insignificant as compared to the loss and yearly increasing fire hazard conditions in the forests. Burning by means of power burners on or dragged behind tractors could be done very cheaply and the prospective danger of injuring hollow hulled trees could be eliminated by following the burning with a few shovelers. For the entire period of the Walker family timber operation we have centered our attention largely or almost exclusively to lumber operation. Kilne followed the woods and logging and now Willis is attending to the contract writing in log sales matters but little if any thought is be given to Forest matters. I think the Forest bill Introduced in Washington should be followed up and that a competent forest engineer should be working on our forest matters. We are doing nothing but slash down that wonderful forest and letting the fire and beetles burn and eat us down year by year without raising a hand or a voice to afford protection from these annual staggering losses. ”

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P.S. I have it on good authority that final load of the archives arrives today. However, it is going to take time organize all those documents.

History

Not Your Typical Log Landing

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Camp 20, RedRiverLumber Company Courtesy ofD.B. Martin

The logging terminology might be foreign for some, since around this territory harks back to a different era. A landing is a site where logs are skidded and then decked before loading on rail cars or trucks. This haphazard log deck was taken at Camp 20 of the Red River Lumber Company, circa 1918. Since I am a logger’s son, Dad would have a fit if he had an encounter scene like this. I like express my gratitude to David Martin, who sent me this photograph along with a get well card. It really brightened my day. It is an example, how the archives keep expanding. I think my volunteer  packers/movers were a bit overwhelmed of a portion of the accumulation.

Tim

History

Westwood’s Fire Train

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Westwood's Fire Train courtesy of Doug Luff
Westwood’s Fire Train courtesy of Doug Luff

he winter of 1923-24,  was one of the driest on record in California. That summer another record would be broken–forest fires. It was June, 1924, when the Red River Lumber Company having been in operation for over a decade experienced its first major forest fire. The fire broke out at Chester Flats between Camps 34 and 38 and burned a narrow strip of land, eight miles in length. Red River’s loss was minimal as the fire burned recently logged over land and the only significant damage was 500 cords of wood burned along 1,000 feet of railroad track. Red River considered its biggest loss was to the men fighting the fire which cost the company a $1,000 a day in wages, and it took a week to contain the fire. Continue reading Westwood’s Fire Train →

History

Jacks Valley

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Jacks Valley, 1921
The cement water trough at Jacks Valley, 1921

Jacks Valley, located ten miles north of Susanville, along Highway 139, does not seem like much to the untrained eye. In 1865, John C. Wright located on the abandoned homestead of Thomas Pearson, who had perished in a snowstorm on New Years Day 1865. Wright as known locally was Coyote Jack, and hence the name of Jacks Valley. In 1869, he left for parts unknown. By 1880, this had become a crossroads for travelers as five different roads converged in the valley. Frank Fluery took advantage of the opportunity provided by this unique junction and established a saloon. In 1884, as one of Fluery’s patrons noted: “. . . for ten cents he will give you enough to make you happy to cause you to forget all your trials, troubles and tribulations for a time.” In 1889, Fluery sold to A. J. Conklin who operated the saloon for a number of years. In 1907, Conklin ventured into the lumber business and built a sawmill that had a daily capacity of 15,000 board feet. In 1920, Conklin sold the sawmill to William Johnson. Johnson operated the mill for three years and then sold to the Red River Lumber Company who immediately closed it. In August 1926, a forest fire ravaged the region that encompassed some 20,000 acres. The following year, the Red River Lumber Company established logging Camp 70 to salvage the burnt timber. This was one of that Company’s earliest truck logging camps. While those enterprises have long since faded into oblivion, a cement water trough remains and is still a recognized feature to travelers. In 1913, Thomas Hill and the County of Lassen constructed the water trough. For early motorists, it was a wonderful blessing, a source of water for overheated automobiles making the trip up Antelope Grade.  For the next 80 years it was popular stop to drink the water and take a break, though it appears the water line has been disconnected.

 

History

Westwood’s First Train

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First Train
First train to Westwood, February 21, 1914

When the decision was finally made by the Red River Lumber Company to locate a mill at Mountain Meadows, there was still the obstacle of a railroad. Actually, the selection process was a volatile one, which one can read in Red River: The Early Years. On January 29, 1912, Red River entered into a contract with the Southern Pacific Railroad to construct a 125 mile railroad from Fernley, Nevada to Mountain Meadows, to the town that would be named Westwood. As an incentive, Red River guaranteed the Southern Pacific that all their freight would be handled by this line for a period of five years. In addition, it was understood that once Red River was ready to expand north, the Southern Pacific would extend its line to Klamath Falls, Oregon. However, that is another story, though Red River gave serious consideration to build a second mill near Lookout. Continue reading Westwood’s First Train →

History

Camp 33 – Red River

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Camp 33
Camp 33

Red River operated numerous logging camps from 1913 through 1944 when it sold to Fruit Growers. The camps were assigned numbers, though in no particular order. The majority of the camps were short lived and only had a span of one to maybe three years. One of the more interesting camps was Camp 33, but referred to as Town Camp, as it was located less than a mile west of Westwood. What made it unique was that Red River’s company town of Westwood would experience from time to time a housing shortage for its employees.. On occasion, this camp was used to house mill workers instead of loggers.

Tim

P.S. – Still in search of a  home.

 

History

Westwood’s El Solano

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El Solano, Westwood, circa 1916 – Courtesy of D.B. Martin

One of the peculiar oddities back in Westwood’s early history there were no accommodations for the traveling public. The Red River Lumber Company who controlled the town wanted it that way. This would hinder any “undesirables” to try infiltrate the town, i.e., such as union organizers. However, Red River needed to provide some sort of accommodations for people visiting on official business with the company. Red River constructed the El Solano at 501 Birch Street to meet those needs.

The El Solano, circa 1916. Courtesy of Leona Jackson.

In the 1930s, during Red River’s financial crisis, the company converted its American Legion Hall into a hotel known as the Blue Ox Inn, and thus the El Solano diminished in status. It would later be converted into apartments. In the fall of 1965 the Assembly of God Church renovated the building, and the second story removed. Today, it is a private residence.

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History

Red River’s Other California Mill

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Best tractor engine, Terry Mill-Gleta Perry

A subscriber, some months ago sent me some old logging postcards printed by Susanville’s Eastman Studios. Many assumed they were attributed to Red River Lumber Company’s logging/sawmill operations at Westwood. These photographs depict the operations of the Shasta Land & Timber Company east of Redding. In 1897, it became known as the Terry Mill. In 1917, the Terry Mill at Bella Vista suffered major fire damage and was a financial blow to that company. In 1920, the Red River Lumber Company acquired Terry. Red River only operated the mill for a couple of years. In 1925, the logging railroad at Round Mountain was pulled up and the rails were sent to Westwood.

Another relic of Terry, Courtesy of Gleta Perry

Tim

 

History

Red River’s Westwood Club

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Westwood Club–Courtesy of David B. Martin

Company town’s such as Red River Lumber Company’s  Westwood, in a rural setting had its challenges. To prevent labor turnovers, recreational outlets needed to be provided. However, this one amenity was not a cure all. In the 1920s, with affordable automobiles and improved highways laborers had an upper-hand in mobility. One of Red River’s earliest endeavors in its newly constructed town of Westwood, was aptly the named the Westwood Club. This institution included a restaurant, lunch counter, soda fountain, cigar and newsstand, a barbershop, reading room and a billiard room. While many enjoyed the Club, it did prevent Red River’s high turnover rate with employees, or with management. If there was a bright aspect, that due to high volume of high traffic in and out of Westwood assisted in the construction of Highway 36 between Red Bluff and Susanville. It would also be catalyst to establish Highway 32 to Chico. The Westwood Club was destroyed by fire on March 31, 1944, the cause was never determined.

Tim

History

Charles Gardner-Red River Timber Cruiser

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The grave of Charles Gardner, Westwood Cemetery, 2013.

In August 2013, I conducted a Westwood Cemetery Tour. Since Westwood began as a company town of the Red River Lumber everyone worked together in a common goal.

With that in mind,  in every operation, everyone plays an important role, as one cannot exist without the other. But before you can build a mill, first you  need timber. That is where Charles Gardner, along with brother Irvine, better known as “Ippy.” The Gardner brothers, along with E.G. Scammon were part of the early California timber cruisers working under T.B. and Clinton Walker to not only examine timberlands, but also had the tedious jobs of going to a variety of county courthouses to examine land titles, so see who owned what parcel, values, taxes, etc. In a relatively short time frame of just over a decade Red River owned nearly 800,000 acres timberland in California making it the third largest landowner in California, only behind the railroads, who received their land for free from the government. Even after the Red River assembled its timberland, there was still plenty of work for the timber cruisers to do. Chief among them, was to plot out every year which sections of land that would be logged.

As it was in the past, timber is still part of Red River’s heritage, as certain heirs of T.B. Walker have retained their share of the timberland. It is now operating under Red River Forests, which is managed by Beaty & Associates.

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