The Museum was given a number of interesting photographs from a variety of locations throughout California, but mostly in the Tuolumne County area. The donor was Loren Lacy from Tuolumne County. His family was involved in logging there and some of the photos depict his family.
Let’s start with a photo of a 36 foot Sequoia Gigantea cut in the Converse Basin in what is now Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Parks. At one time, it was one of the largest and most prolific source of giant redwoods anywhere. Unfotunately, as they were harvested many, if not most, of the trees broke up into small pieces when they fell. This didn’t seem to discourage the cutting of even more. The area now pretty much is devoid of giant trees. One can see this area as it looks today by viewing:
Converse basin as it looks today.
Back to the 36 ft. diameter tree immediately after being felled.
(click on photo to see larger version)
Camp 17 in Tuolumne County
This is Loren’s (photo donor) Grandfather at Camp 17
View of Camp 17, a part of the Yoseimite-Sugar Pine Logging Operation As you can see this must have been in the late 20’s or early 30’s.
Camp 17 Note cabins are built on skids so that they can moved as needed.
Another view of Camp 17
Dead Wood-Westside-Cherry Valley Near Camp 16
Crocker Ridge
Donkey Engine (click to enlarge)
This is Crocker Ridge, and that’s the Yosemite Sugar Pine Railroad, but you’ll have to draw your own conclusions as to the rest of the story.
Yosemite Sugar Pine Railroad at Crocker Ridge
Steam Donkey moved by rail. We don’t know for sure where this picture was taken, but it appears to be earlier than our Crocker Ridge photos.
The next two photos (below) are not related directly to any of the other photos, but too good not to post somewhere.
Click to enlarge, and then you can enlarge again
Interesting contrast to the photo above this one. Sad to realize that this was close to the end of the Westside Lumber Company
SNLM:
I’ve written before. I am interested in old logging photos from Tuolumne County, particularly those that might reveal information about the Empire City Railway which ran from the Lyons Transfer Station to the Empire City Sawmill and the Cold Springs Sawmill on the North Fork of the Tuolumne River. Please let me know if you have any photos that will help in my research. I will be in Tuolumne County in June of 2009 and willl come to visit your museum. I’ll call first to make sure that I know your operating hours.
Jerry Matkin
The “Steam Donkey moved by rail” was not on the Yosemite Sugar Pine operations. The log cars, supplied by the Yosemite Valley RR, all had bulkheads to prevent the logs from shifting while descending the very steep incline into the Merced River canyon.
Some items of note: 1) The brake wheel has been removed to prevent damage during loading. The wheel is lying on the ground. 2) Some of the corners of the car have been blocked to prevent the car from tipping during loading. 3) One or two more empty cars can be spotted under and behind the loader then rolled or pushed into postion for loading. 4) Two ramp planks are against the side of the car and the cables have been set so that this log will be rolled on to the car.
You, Mr. Haldeman, are a much keener observer than I, at least when it comes to railroad stuff. Thanks for your observations. I followed them all.
snlm
hey..im 12.
this is cool
A pleasure to come to your site. Thnks very much!
Thanks Joseph, every kind word makes my work more pleasurable.
snlm