Historic Hood River
Oregon Lumber Company Chenowith Mill
9-25-2013
Notes
Here’s a closeup of the Oregon Lumber Company sawmill at Chenowith, on the Little White Salmon River. Wondering where this mill was? I’ve run the text from the photo album through OCR so you can read all about the operation. While there are a few inconsistencies in this narrative, I think there is a enough evidence to give us a pretty good idea of the mill location.
Tomorrow we’ll look inside.
Category: default
Tags: 1900s, Chenowith, horses, logging, lumber, mill, Oregon Lumber Company, Skamania County
Tags: 1900s, Chenowith, horses, logging, lumber, mill, Oregon Lumber Company, Skamania County
Charlott
Wonder if this mill was named after Chief Chenowith, who’s daughter was Ellen (Taswatha) Underwood?
spinsur
Great text from your OCR link, Arthur.
l.e.
Yes, I think it is Charlott, but not positive. Chief Chenowith was hanged for the Cascade uprising.
However, the Chenowith of The Dalles is named for an early surveyor in the area.
Odd to have the same name by two people.
I haven’t read Arthur’s link yet, so I am going to get a fresh cup of coffee and enjoy reading.
l.e.
I think the tool being used is a cant hook.
Arlen Sheldrake
AGREED, great text & capture,,,,,really describes this process. I suggest adding a railroad tag to this listing as this includes some interesting information about the OR&N railroad and where it got some it’s loads. I plan to share this text with some of our OR&N 197 steam locomotive volunteers.
charlott
Well, my family has links to Chief Chenowith and his family. Quite an interesting history there, going back to Virginia and even up into Alaska. Have been doing a lot of work on that particular line.
l.e.
Charlott….Isabelle’s obituary says she was born "at Hood River in the ancient village of Chenowith on what is now the Morton Farm."
That’s interesting.
http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~westklic/oilunder.html
AndrewB
Where I grew up that tool is called a Peavey. One or two men can maneuver a huge log without ever having to pick it up.
Peavey:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peavey_%28tool%29
Buzz
Well written article. Probably a little rosier than reality, but interesting. Have never read about skid roads that were this sophisticated. But most of my knowlege is of the coast country with its steep country and big timber and high-lead logging was the norm. Thanks for info.
nels
With the steam coming up in the background, it appears that the pond is above river level. And those shoes sure don’t compare to what later loggers
wore for protection.
spinsur
Nels, read the scanned article in Arthur’s text; it describes this pond.
I’ve always used a peavey, but I believe a cant hook is similar, but has a blunt face, doesn’t have the point of a peavey.
l.e.
I am a little confused, but nothing unusual about that.
If you are on the west side of Drano Lake, looking across the lake at the mountain on the east side, you can see where an old flume or road came down to Drano Lake. I always thought a guy named Drano built that flume.
I assume we will learn more about where the Oregon Lumber Company flume entered the Columbia in the next few days.
I need to make more of an effort to get some of the "old folks" around here to view Historic HR.
longshot
Would this have been Mill "A" we are seeing here? If so I assume Mill "B" to follow later? I had thought these mills were part of the Broughton operation. Anyone know the relation of the Oregon Lumber Company to Broughton? Did Broughton buy the holdings of Oregon Lumber Company at some point?
Charlott
Yes, that is where Isabella Lear was born. I know just about the exact location, but it is covered up by water now from Bonneville Dam.