Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
White Pine: King of Many Waters Collection
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Strong, Clarence; Webb, Clyde
- Title
- White Pine: King of Many Waters Collection
- Quantity
- 2 l.f.
- Collection Number
- MG 069 (collection)
- Summary
- Research materials, correspondence between authors Clarence Strong and Clyde Webb, photographs, and drafts of the manuscript of White pine: King of many waters, a history of lumbering in the Inland Northwest published in 1970.
- Repository
-
University of Idaho Library, Special Collections and Archives
Special Collections and Archives
University of Idaho Library
875 Perimeter Drive
MS 2350
Moscow, ID
83844-2350
Telephone: 2088850845
libspec@uidaho.edu - Languages
- This collection is in English.
- Sponsor
- Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
White Pine: King of Many Waters, published by Mountain Press, Missoula, Montana, in 1970, is a history of logging, sawmilling, and shingle manufacturing in the Idaho counties of Kootenai, Benewah, and Shoshone, and is the culmination of a six year research project of two retired foresters, Clarence Strong and Clyde Webb. Some of their research was done at the University of Idaho library and the library was fortunate enough to become the recipient of their materials.
Included among these materials are 137 photographs, many of which were not used in the book, both holograph and typed notes, newspaper articles on the timber industry, correspondence with informants, often relatives of prominent lumbermen, and the correspondence between the two authors. This correspondence begins with Strong's letter to Webb on July 28, 1964 in which he sets out his ideas for the book and asks Webb if he would be willing to assist with the research, and continues throughout the many fact finding trips, the attempts to find a publisher, and the final publication and distribution of the book. The final items in this group are typescripts of two drafts of the text.
The contents of this archival group are related in more detail in the following Description of Series.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
Materials in this group are arranged by type. The research material in the first series is in the order in which it was received from the authors, newspapers and newspaper clippings are arranged by the city where the newspaper was published, Coeur d'Alene, Harrison, or Spokane, and then arranged chronologically. Small clippings have been mounted, larger items, 1/2 sheet or larger, have not been mounted. Correspondence between the two authors forms part of the correspondence file; these letters are in chronological order. The remainder of the correspondence is in alphabetical order by correspondent.
Many of the photographs in this collection were numbered and cataloged when the collection was received in 1971. In 1980 more photographs were received, some duplicated what had been received earlier and were given the same number, the rest were numbered and cataloged when this inventory was prepared.
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Series I. Research Notes Return to Top
In compiling the data for White Pine: King of Many Waters the authors spent many tedious hours copying information on sawmill locations and output, mill and lumber yard fires, and other historical material from old newspapers and lumber trade journals. They also spend many interesting and enjoyable hours interviewing the old-timers who were present in the Coeur d'Alenes during the early days of lumbering.
The material compiled includes charts of incorporation records which list the name of the firm, the names of the incorporators, the date of incorporation, the capitalization, and the place of business for concerns in Benewah and Kootenai counties. There are also listings from the tax rolls of Kootenai, Benewah, and Shoshone counties. Then there is a folder listing lumber mills found in various editions of the Polk Directory, West Coast Lumbermans Directory, Handbook and Directory of the Forest Industry, and the Timberman and Lumbermans Directory of Lumber and Sawmills.
There are two typescripts of articles on mining in the Coeur d'Alenes, "First-hand accounts tell of the colorful beginning of mining in the Coeur d'Alenes," by Joel E. Ferris (23 p.), and Eugene V. Smalley's article which appeared in an 1884 Century magazine, "The Coeur d'Alene stampede; the Pritchard-Murray Gold Rush," (21 p.):
The manuscript notes include statistics on logging railroad mileage and flume mileage, a list of people interviewed, and notes from various printed sources. The notes are on loose sheets of paper, each one dated, identified as to the place where the notes were made, and the source of information. These include not only the notes made in libraries, but also contain the notes made during personal interviews. Another set of notes contains information on sawmill construction taken from trade journals or newspapers dating from 1894 to 1909.
The typed notes contain the same type of material found in the manuscript notes, and in some cases duplicate it.
Series II. Newspaper Clippings Return to Top
The material in this series has been divided into several folders, Miscellaneous newspapers, The Harrison Searchlight, Coeur d'Alene Press, Spokane papers, and The Authors and the Book.
The items in the miscellaneous folder include several advertisements for forest products, obituaries of lumbermen, the log marks (brands) of the Coeur d'Alene Log Owners Association, the January-February 1959 issue of Western Conservation Journal, and the following articles: Oscar W. Blake, "Bull Punchers of the lumber camps," Old West, Summer 1965, Pp.32-35; "Company sawmill shut down; sixty-six year operation closed," Bunker Hill Reporter, July 1966, P.1; Charles Cook, "History of Blanchard, Idaho," (1959) 4 p.; and Ed. Rosenlund, "Perl Bailey: with axe and saw he helped to carve a western empire," Match Tips August 1963.
The Harrison Searchlight, which was published each July in time for the old-timers' picnic, contains articles of historical interest. The issues in this folder are for the years 1963, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, and 1972.
Each year the Coeur d'Alene Press published special supplements containing articles on the early history of north Idaho. The following supplements are available in this collection:
February 28, 1959, containing articles on the history of Coeur d'Alene City, Post Falls, the Cataldo Mission, steamboats, and lumbering. Centennial Edition, 1963, sections 2 and 4, with articles on the Mullan Road, General Sherman, Frederick Post, the Cataldo Mission and the Rutledge Mill. April 25, 1964, includes articles on the lumber industry and the Mullan road. April 30, 1966, with articles on Fort Sherman and the Cataldo Mission.
April 27, 1968, "Focus on North Idaho" in two sections, one entitled "Lumbering" the other "Historical".
April 26, 1969, "The Face of North Idaho" with "Lumbering" and "Historical" sections.
The articles clipped from the Spokane papers include articles on lumber companies, mill fires, an article and obituary notice on John Judson Pugh, two articles on the forest industries from the January 28, 1968 Spokesman Review Annual Progress Magazine, an article on tug boats, and one on the "Last free-running log drive in the West."
The final folder, entitled "The Authors and the Book" contains the following articles: "Lumbering history project is planned," unidentified, 12/9/1966; "Webb will discuss early-day lumbering," Coeur d'Alene Press. 1/16/1968; "Former foresters due here tonight," Coeur d'Alene Press, 3/20/1970; "Old-timers relate saga of early-day lumbering," by Tom Burnett, Spokesman-Review, 11/16/1970; and a portion of an unidentified newsletter describing an autograph party, "Clarence Strong and Clyde Webb sign."
Series III. Correspondence Return to Top
In order to obtain first-hand information on, and photographs of, early logging in the Coeur d'Alenes the authors corresponded either with old-timers or their descendants. In addition to this correspondence there is a folder containing items pertaining to Rev. Dick Ferrell, a folder containing letters from Neil Fullerton, and another containing letters from Andy Porterfield. The most interesting correspondence, however, is the six year development of White Pine: King of Many Waters from a retirement project of two foresters into a published book, a development related in the correspondence between the authors.
Description |
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Ferrell Material
Reverend Dick Ferrell, who early in his life was a prize fighter and a blacksmith,
later became a minister and spent many years preaching in the lumber camps of northern
Idaho. The items in this folder include a letter from Mrs. Ferrell to Clarence Strong
dated June 24, 1967, portions of four circular letters telling of Ferrell's
experiences in the camps, a mimeographed typescript of Rafe Gibbs' article "Fighting
Parson of the Pines" which was published in Sunday Digest, April 6,
1953, Thorp McClusky's "Timberland Parish" reprinted from Presbyterian
Life of September 17, 1949, and a portion of a letter from Neil Fullerton in
which he tells of his acquaintance with Dick Ferrell.
|
Fullerton Correspondence
The letters from Neil Fullerton to Clarence Strong, written between 1966 and 1968,
contain information on whip saws and sawing, goose necks (used to slow down logs in
chutes), and information on early mills in the Coeur d'Alenes.
|
Porterfield Correspondence
This folder contains two letters from Andy Porterfield, one dated October 21, 1965 to
Clyde Webb, and the other, March 23, 1968, to Neil Fullerton. Also included are two
sets of notes on early mills in the Coeur d'Alene region written by Porterfield and
several pages of comments by Webb on these notes.
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Correspondence: A-Z
The following is an alphabetical list of correspondents with the years for which
letters are present. The file cards maintained for this series give the exact dates
and subjects of the letters.
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Correspondence Between the Authors
From Clarence Strong's letter to Clyde Webb on July 28, 1964 in which he outlines his
ideas on compiling a history of sawmilling in the St. Joe and Coeur d'Alene river
drainages and asks, "Would you be interested in collaborating with me on such an
undertaking?" through Webb's letter to Strong on November 18, 1970, this series of
letters traces the entire development of the book White Pine: King of Many
Waters.
Other letters in 1964 deal with plans for research and the progress made. A letter on
November 30 contains a five page "Partial list of milling companies operating or
having operated in the area of the sawmill study." The following year, 1965, the
authors continue to correspond about the progress each is making, offering suggestions
on sources to consult and people to interview.
The 1966 letters contain notes on early mills around St. Maries. There is also a
nine-page memorandum by Clyde Webb detailing his activities in the northwest between
1911 and 1952. Webb also completed "Chapter I", but this 11 page typescript does not
correspond to the first chapter of the published work. Clarence Strong began to
organize and type portions of the manuscript in 1967 and sent them to Clyde Webb for
his comments. In May of 1968 Webb had major surgery and decided to terminate his
connection with the project; as it turned out, this decision was only temporary. Then,
in January 1969 Strong suffered a heart attack and the history project was set aside
for several months. The letters throughout the remainder of 1969 deal with the
revision, editing, and typing of the manuscript and the attempts to find a publisher;
Mountain Press was first mentioned in June 1969. On January 24, 1970, Webb sent Strong
a list of ten possible titles for their history, but "White Pine: King of Many Waters"
was not among them; indeed, the penultimate manuscript has the title "Lumbering
history of the Coeur d'Alenes." Other letters in this final year of correspondence
deal with the choice of illustrations and the publishing and promoting of the
book.
In addition to the business portions of the letters, this correspondence also reveals
much of the personal lives of the two men and their families.
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Series IV. The Manuscripts Return to Top
There are two drafts of the manuscript contained in this archival group.
The first appears to be the one typed in late 1967 and early 1968 by a professional typist and contains some holograph corrections and substitution pages. The typescript itself is 318 pages. Also present are a foreword marked "Obsolete," a series of five graphs, and several lists of sawmills and shingle mills.
The second draft appears to be the penultimate draft. The original title page reads "Lumbering History of the Coeur d'Alenes, by Clarence Charles Strong, Clyde S. Webb, Research Consultant." The title is crossed out and "White Pine: King of Many Waters" is written in pencil above it; likewise the term "Research consultant" has been crossed through, thus making the two men joint authors. The typescript is 213 pages and contains many holograph revisions. Appendices B, D, and G, plus the negatives for two charts are also contained in this box.
Series V. Photographs Return to Top
In an attempt to make their book more interesting the authors tried to locate photographs of early logging methods, early sawmills and shingle mills, and also photographs of the early lumbermen. Many people loaned them original photographs which were then copied, the original photograph and usually a new print were then returned to the owner. Clarence Strong also took some photographs.
This series contains 137 photographs, only 67 of which appear in the book. All photographs are numbered and cataloged; two sets of file cards were typed, one set is with the archives file cards for this group, the other set is filed in the Special Collections photograph card catalog.
Description | Dates |
---|---|
1: Clarence C. Strong |
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2: Clyde S. Webb |
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3: Milwaukee Lumber Company log train |
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4: Ohio Match Company log train |
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5: Edward Rutledge Timber Company "incline" railroad
|
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6: Using an "A" frame to load railway cars |
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7: Logs being towed on St. Maries River |
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8: Tugboat pulling logs |
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9: Tugboat "Hercules" towing logs on St. Maries River
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10: Tugboat "Hercules" towing logs on St. Maries River
|
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11: Tugboat "Coeur d'Alene" towing logs on St. Joe River
|
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12: Tugboat "Hercules" towing logs on the St. Maries River
|
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13: Tugboat "Coeur d'Alene" towing logs on St. Joe River
|
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14: Corliss Steam Engine sign in Newport, Washington
|
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15: Corliss Steam Engine sign and "The Big Wheel" in
Newport, Washington |
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16: Lake Steamers historical marker |
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17: One legged lumberjack who worked for Ohio Match
Company |
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18: Ruth Turcotte & June DeGraff sawing dead tree in
Central Park, New York |
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19: Ruth Turcotte & June DeGraff, champion women
sawyers, in Rose Lake |
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20: Aerial view of Fort Coeur d'Alene (later Fort Sherman)
|
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21: Fresh burn, North Fork St. Joe River |
about 1930 |
22: Debris along Milwaukee tracks, St. Maries, after 1938
flood |
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23: Log jam above drawbridge, St. Maries |
1938 |
24: Rogers Lumber Company yard after 1940 fire
|
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25: Flood in St. Maries |
December 1933 |
26: Aerial view of Milwaukee Lumber Company during 1933
flood |
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27: Rose Lake Lumber Company, Falls Creek Camp
|
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28: Typical logging chute, St. Joe-Big Creek area
|
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29: Horses trailing logs in chute |
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30: Diamond Match Company chute and flume |
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31: Team of Percherons skidding corral poles |
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32: Hauling logging supplies by flatboat and team
|
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33: Hauling logging supplies by flatboat and team
|
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34: Lafferty Transportation Company diesel tugboats on
Lake Coeur d'Alene |
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35: Logging with oxen in Benewah County |
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36: Deck of white pine logs |
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37: Delaney Creek Chute, Winton Lumber Company
|
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38: Milwaukee Lumber Company property, St. Joe National
Forest |
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39: Falls Creek Flume |
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40: Tractor ready to pull a load of logs to the river
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41: Sleigh load of logs drawn by horses |
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42: Rose Lake Lumber Company flume, Falls Creek
|
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43: Kirtly & Stone pack string loaded with hay
|
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44: Marianne Hensley helping on logging operations
|
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45: Falls Creek flume |
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46: Neil Fullerton at Mica Creek trailing flume
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47: Brickle Creek flume |
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48: Neil Fullerton at Mica Creek trailing flume
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49: Brickle Creek flume |
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50: Benewah Creek flume |
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51: Winton Lumber Company flume on Skookum Creek
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52: Leiberg flume, Coeur d'Alene National Forest
|
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53: Log drive on Coeur d'Alene River |
1921 |
54: Sanders, Idaho |
ca. 1905 |
55: Logs in Cranberry Creek, St. Joe National Forest
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56: Joe Brown logging operation at Sanders |
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57: Joe Brown logging operation, sleigh load of logs
|
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58: Logging truck loaded with white pine |
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59: Sleigh load of logs |
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60: Logs stored in slough along St. Joe River |
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61: A.B. Lafferty |
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62: Hand logging operation, Big Grizzly Creek, Coeur
d'Alene National Forest |
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63: Sleigh load of logs pulled by tractor |
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64: Stand of white pine, Coeur d'Alene National Forest
|
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65: Horse skidding logs, Kaniksu National Forest
|
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66: Steamboat "Georgie Oakes" |
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67: Truck load of logs, Kaniksu National Forest
|
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68: Logging fire damaged timber in St. Joe-Big Creek area
|
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69: Bunker Hill sawmill |
ca. 1900 |
70: Jackson lumber harvester |
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71: Grant Lumber Company, St. Maries |
ca. 1892 |
72: Idaho Lumber & Manufacturing Company, Post Falls |
ca. 1900 |
73: Ohio Match Company sawmill, Huetter, Idaho |
ca. 1928 |
74: Athol Lumber Company |
ca. 1911 |
75: Cameron Lumber Company sawmill |
ca. 1901 |
76: Charles W. Russell boarding house & sawmill,
Harrison |
1900 |
77: Rutledge Unit of Potlatch Forests, Inc. |
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78: St. Maries Lumber Company sawmill |
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79: B.R. Lewis Lumber Company |
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80: B.R. Lewis Lumber Company - composite of several
pictures showing logging operations |
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81: B.R. Lewis Lumber Company sawmill |
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82: Ohio Match Co. sawmill, Huetter |
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83: Coeur d'Alene Lumber Company sawmill |
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84: Coeur d'Alene Lumber Company |
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85: Post Falls Lumber Company sawmill |
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86: Frederick Post Water-powered sawmill, Post Falls
|
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87: A.W. Post mill and log pond |
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88: A.W. Post sawmill, Rathdrum |
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89: A.W. Post sawmill, interior |
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90: Aerial view of PFI's Rutledge Unit yard |
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91: Army sawmill, Fort Coeur d'Alene |
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92: St. Joe Lumber Company sawmill |
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93: Whip-sawing at Lake Bennett |
1890's |
94: Frank J. Davies |
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95: Richard T. (Dick) Ferrell |
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96: Fred Herrick |
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97: George Frederick Jewett |
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98: A.C. Morbeck |
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99: Frederick Post |
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100: Walter S. Rosenberry |
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101: Group photo including W.B. Russell, Dick Ferrell, and
A.B. Lafferty |
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102: Huntington Taylor |
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103: C. Lee Billings |
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104: Edward Rutledge |
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105: Arthur Perl Bailey |
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106: Log branding hammer |
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107: James D. Miller and 2 grandsons |
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108: Stine Lumber & Shingle Company, St. Maries
|
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109: Herman Laumeister Shingle Mill, Harrison |
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110: Day crew at Stine Lumber & Shingle Company |
ca. 1915 |
111: Sam Avery |
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112: Herman Laumeister |
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113: Tugboat "Hercules" towing logs |
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114: Tugboat "Hercules" - view of deck |
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115: Logs being towed on Coeur d'Alene River |
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116: Tugboat towing logs on St. Joe River |
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117: Tugboat towing logs on St. Joe River |
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118: Log jam near drawbridge, St. Maries |
1938 |
119: Unloading logs into St. Joe River |
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120: Deck of logs |
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121: Beaver Creek flume |
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122: Crane loading logs onto truck |
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123: Scaling logs |
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124: Potlatch logs from Stony Creek |
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125: A.P. Bailey & Howard Drake on cars loaded with
Ohio Match Company logs |
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126: Log train loaded with yellow pine |
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127: Sleigh loaded with logs |
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128: Sleigh loaded with logs |
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129: Pack string owned by Kirtley and Stone |
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130: Falls Creek chute |
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131: Falls Creek chute |
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132: "Rearing" a flume, Falls Creek |
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133: Falls Creek flume |
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134: Falls Creek chute landing |
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135: Falls Creek chute |
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136: A.B. Lafferty and Ross Hall |
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137: Richard T. Ferrell |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Lumbering--Coeur d'Alene Mountains (Idaho and Mont.)--History
- Lumbermen--Idaho--History
- White pine--Idaho--History
Personal Names
- Strong, Clarence C. (Clarence Charles), 1895-1982--Archives
- Webb, Clyde S., b. 1889--Archives