Ralph S. Stugeon and his father Wade Sturgeon falling a tree on Ed Smith's timber, Coleman Valley up along Coleman north side boundary, or Ed's south line, September 5, 1945
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Description
Photo--black and white: Photo identified by R.S.Sturgeon as "Logging 104." Ralph S. Stugeon (L) and his father Wade Sturgeon falling a tree on Ed Smith's timber, Coleman Valley up along Coleman north side boundary, or Ed's south line, September 5, 1945. Handwritten on verso by Ralph Sturgeon- "I'd, say it run pretty much east & west. Much pitch in butt cuts, took 2 ½ hours to fall this one & didn't have to left (or lift) it either. Besides pitch the wood was hard & tough or whatever a butt cut can come up with. You knew it in the hand tool days. I filed when I got home the evenings. Note. I still have 5-gallons of clear honey colored pitch stored in garage only a small part of what run out on the ground. Upper logs were very good logs, no rot or conde? & knots run in small, sort of unusual! I still have the tools you see, saw greased and stored as are the axes. I started back when I was 12 yrs old helping dad in the woods. Worked two summer seasons in Sturgeons Saw Mill back 21-22 and some of 1923, its' last run at that location. Later Steve Panoli & his nephew Elmer Panoli, south of Occidental on Steve Meeker tract fell several M. ft. of redwood. A fine grade of mostly second growth, fell, bucked & peeled. I put in a couple days bucking. I filed for them. Heading out of Occidental on Bittner Rd., turn left at end of long bridge. I used to back Dorris truck from there back to landing. A.J. (Blaney) & I set of A. loading frame. I helped set AJ at times logging there. He used his first J.D.-14 (steam donkey?) no winch, no canopy, but a good blade. From this operation not too long later over to Fern Spring (Bodega Rancho) V. Russmussen & Trains bought that some near 2000 acres for $10,000. A few months later Ejnar, (Jim E. Henningsen) my partner, a. J. Blaney and I bought out Trainers ½ for $10,000. There was kind of a slump at the time & Trainer, a realtor in San Francisco, wanted out. I pushed this, as did A. J. Blaney, best move we ever made! Many years later, James E. Henningsen, Andrew J. Blaney and I, Ralph S. Sturgeon bought V. Russmussin's ½ for $15,000. With this deal in those investments that Vego entered with Ejnar and I he made something like $84,000. But in 1968, I guess it was we sold out. I kept 10 acres n.w. of Fern Springs near highest point in area. One spring survey, ______ Rd. $1,100 land of 10 acres included. Believe we paid $150 per acre. I certainly have enjoyed this retreat. On April 30, 1975 we had an offer of $5,000 for ___ft x 50 ft for a ____. "
Logging and Mining Smith, Edwin H., 1871-1952 Sullivan, Kenneth Charles, 1927-2003 Stugeon, Ralph S Sturgeon, Wade S., 1878-1957 1940-1949 United States California Sonoma Coleman Valley
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