Sanger Lumber Company
| Industry | Logging |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1905 |
| Founder | Thomas Hume, Ira Bennett |
The Hume-Bennett Lumber Company was a logging operation located in the Sequoia National Forest .
In 1878, Congress passed the Timber and Stone Act to encourage private ownership of timber land and facilitate logging. 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.
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. 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. 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. 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. The Company operated until going bankrupt during the Depression of 1892.
...
Wikipedia