John Dolbeer
| John Dolbeer | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
March 12, 1827 Epsom, Merrimack County, New Hampshire |
| Died | August 17, 1902 (aged 75) San Francisco |
| Occupation | Inventor, entrepreneur |
| Spouse(s) | Harriet Schander |
John Dolbeer (March 12, 1827 – August 17, 1902) was a partner in the Dolbeer & Carson Lumber Co., one of the early major Humboldt County, California lumber operations based in Eureka. While in that business, he invented the logging engine, more commonly known as the steam donkey or donkey engine. This invaluable equipment, especially with regard to difficult terrain and very large trees, revolutionized 19th century logging so significantly that variations of the engine were still used well into the 20th Century.
John Dolbeer was born in Epsom, Merrimack County, New Hampshire on March 12, 1827, the son of Nicholas Dolbeer and Esther Chase of New Rye. He left the family farm in 1850 at the age of 23 and set out to the California Gold Rush to make his fortune.
Looking for opportunity beyond the mines, Dolbeer arrived at the Humboldt Bay area where in 1853 he purchased Martin White's Bay Mill in Eureka, California. Finding himself in need of capital after fire destroyed his mill twice, he became partners with William Carson (builder of the Carson Mansion) by the spring of 1863. The two formed what would become one of the first truly huge Redwood lumber operations, the Dolbeer and Carson Lumber Company. The mill operated with his name on it on the Eureka waterfront until the 1970s.
His several patents showed his ingenuity in problem solving, and he had an impact in all facets of the industry, from the actual lumbering operation itself, to transporting and exporting – even owning the barques and brigs to ship the lumber to worldwide markets. Among his most useful and successful patent was that for the Dolbeer Logging Engine in August 1881. This machine was a simple steam engine mounted on a wooden skid which enabled loggers to employ cables to move giant logs across long distances or steep terrain to adjacent railways or waterways. This invention improved log retrieval in difficult terrain and revolutionized the industry. It was so cost effective and useful that the technology continued to be used well into the 20th century. Examples of working Donkey engines can still be found operating during special occasions at Fort Humboldt State Historic Park in Eureka. The patent (Patent number: 256553) was issued April 18, 1882.
...
Wikipedia