Hume-Bennett Lumber Company

The Hume-Bennett Lumber Company was a logging operation located in the Sequoia National Forest .^[1]

History

In 1878, Congress passed the Timber and Stone Act to encourage private ownership of timber land and facilitate logging.^[2] At this time in American history, resources such as timber were largely viewed as unlimited resources that could best be used for commercial gain and economic growth. Despite a growing human presence in other regions of California, the Sierra Nevada was still a relatively uncharted and virgin land up until the late 1860s due to its formidable and rugged terrain. The Timber and Stone Act facilitated commercial exploitation of these mountain areas, requiring a modest fee and filing in order to transfer complete and unrestrained ownership of federal land to any individual. Tracts were sold in 160-acre (65 ha) parcels to applicants, who at most times were illegally recruited and paid by corporate interests to file claims then transfer their ownership to lumber companies. As a result of this practice, large tracts of old growth forest passed from the federal government to lumber companies in relatively short order during the late 19th century.^[2]

Kings River Lumber Company

In 1888 Hiram T. Smith and Austin D. Moore purchased 30,000 acres of land in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and founded the Kings River Lumber Company. A terminus was needed and the town of Sanger offered the company 65 acres adjacent to railroad access. On August 29, 1889 the company agreed to the purchase and started construction.^[3] Smith originally planned to build a railroad to transport lumber down the mountains but instead built a log flume. It was constructed by between the years of 1889 and 1890. On September 3, 1890, 2500 people attended "Flumeopolis", a celebration and barbecue to mark the completion of the flume.^[3][4] The log flume was 62 miles (100 km) in length, as tall as 300 feet. The flume transported lumber from three mills in the Sierra Nevada Mountains parallel to the Kings River to a lumber yard in Sanger, California. Along the route 11 "flume houses" were built where people known as "flume herders" kept the flume clear of blockages and reported any damage to the flume.^[3] Two of the mills were at the headwaters of the Kings River and one was in Millwood, in the upper Kings River region. The three mills operated ten hours a day employing 300 men and had a capacity of 3 million feet of lumber per month. An additional 200 men worked for the company in Sanger at a box factory, door and sash factory, planing mill and drying yard. The company operated rail lines for transporting lumber as well as oxen known as "Heart Bulls". Their first locomotive, Shay No. 1 named "Sequoia", was a narrow gauge locomotive built by Lima Locomotive & Machine Works in 1891.^[5] The Company operated until going bankrupt during the Depression of 1892.^[6][7]

Sanger Lumber Company

Moore and Smith reopened after two years of loan negotiations as the Sanger Lumber Company. In 1894 Moore & Smith founded The Sanger Lumber Company with 24,000 shares of stock totaling $600,000. Their creditors exchanged their liens for stock in the Sanger Lumber Company. For a sum of $100,000 The Moore & Smith Lumber Company mortgaged their Port Discovery mill, lumber lands in Washington State, three $56,250 notes of the Kings River Lumber Company, one $1,490 note of the Pacific Pine Lumber Company and a loan of $10,000.^[8][9] Due to continuing financial struggles in 1895 creditors foreclosed on the company and in 1896 moved operations to the Converse Basin named for Charles P. Converse.^[5] During this period destructive lumbering techniques were practiced and an estimated 191 Million board feet of giant sequoia trees were cut while only using an estimated 20%.^[6][7]

Hume-Bennett Lumber Company

The Hume-Bennett Lumber Company was formed in 1905 when Thomas Hume and Ira B. Bennett purchased the Sanger Lumber Company.^[7][10] The purchase included 22,240 acres ranging in elevation from 5,000 to 6200 feet. While 16,960 acres had been cut 5,280 acres of timber remained.^[11] The company also purchased two additional standard gauge Shay locomotives.^[5]

A fire destroyed the Converse basin sawmill in November 1905. Sparks from rail lines often caused fi so teams of two to six men patrolled during fire season.^[11] The mill was replaced and operated for two years.^[5] By 1908 logging of giant sequoia ranging from ten to twenty feet in diameter was common,^[4] but logging in the Converse Basin eventually became uneconomical.^[5]

The base of operations was moved from Millwood to hume and the flume was extended 17.5 miles at a cost of $100,000.^[12] The company began communication with John Samuel Eastwood regarding building a dam at Hume Lake. Eastwood saw the project as an opportunity to perpetuate his work with the logging industry as well as advance his work on hydro electric dams. Eastwood pushed for a multiple arch design. Hume had reservations about the proposal but eventually agreed. Final location surveys were carried out by Eastwood on June 20, 1908 and a few weeks later on June 26, 1908 construction started on a 61-foot concrete dam.^[13] The dam was completed in late November at a cost of approximately $35,000 and Eastwood received a fixed salary of $1,770.^[13] Chinese American laborers were used to complete the dam.^[3] It required 2,207 cubic yards of concrete and eight miles of steel cable to construct. Supplied by twenty five square miles of runoff in June 1909 the damming of Ten Mile Creek filled the valley and formed an 87 acres reservoir named Hume Lake.^[5][6] The 677 foot long dam is the first multiple arch dam built and stands to this day.^[14]

[Hume Lake Dam] is giving perfect satisfaction and has absolutely no leak, and shows no inclination toward seepage at any point whatever.

— Unknown^[5]

[The Hume-bennett Lumber Company has] a fine improvement at a reasonable cost... [we] hope that the dam will prove a valuable advertisement for your skill.

— George Hefferan^[5]

The town of Hume was founded and production began in 1909.^[15] Around 1909 a fire destroyed 80 -100 acres of land half a mile from Hume,^[11] but by June 1, 1910 the mill was running day and night, producing nearly 100,000 feet of lumber each day.^[5] Thomas Hume's son George was now president, Ira Bennett was vice president and T. W. Decker was general manager.^[15]

After 29 years with the company Bennett was bought out of his share, and replaced by Hume's son George,^[3] in the fall of 1912. On December 5, 1912 he bought a competitor, The Fresno Flume and Lumber Company, for nearly $950,000.^[16] By 1914 He was in such financial trouble that he left the logging industry.^[17]

The Recession of 1913–1914 forced the company to return to logging the more profitable giant sequoia. In order to accommodate such large trees the rail lines were converted from narrow(3 feet) to standard gauge(4 feet 8.5 Inches) and 50 additional logging cars were purchased.^[5][18] In February 1917 the company incorporated and changed its name back to the Sanger Lumber Company and later to the Sanger Lumber Company of Michigan.^[6] After the close of season on November 3, 1917 a fire destroyed the original mill at Hume and the surrounding buildings at a cost of $500,000.^[5][6] Much of the steel from the mill was salvaged for the war effort of World War I.^[19] The mill was replaced by a smaller mill and operated on the site into the 1920s,^[20] but after constant financial losses The Hume-Bennett Lumber Company closed in 1924.^[1][10] It was the last logging company to log giant sequoia.^[1]

Injuries and Deaths

On June 13, 1914 C. M. Mooney was injured by debris from an explosion intended uproot a tree. The company was ordered to pay disability of $104.67.

On October 20, 1914 Orlando V. Carter a night watchman fell to his death through an opening in a machine room. The company was ordered to pay a death benefit to the widow of $2,490.

National Forest Service

In 1926 a forest fire destroyed 7 miles of the log flume^[7] and in 1927 George Hume sold some of the company's assets.^[7] On April 8, 1935 he sold the holdings of the company, including the dam and 20,000 acres of land, to the U.S. National Forest Service.^[1][20] The U.S. National Forest Service has incorporated the land into the Sequoia National Forest.^[7]

Hume Lake Christian Camps

On January 9, 1946, 320 acres of land adjacent to Hume Lake was sold for $140,000 to Walter Warkentin and partners. The sale included the Hume Lake Hotel, store, service station, post office, 22 cottages, 22 boats, a saloon and a brothel. The land was converted into Hume Lake Christian Camps and serves as a summer camp and conference center for worship and religious studies.^[21][22]

References