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Pacific County Historical Society welcomes articles relating to Pacific County. Materials accepted for publication may be edited. Entire contents copyright 1999 by Pacific County Historical Society. All rights reserved. Second class postage paid at South Bend, Washington.
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 airplane building boom was over, spruce and hemlock cut by companies like Bay Logging largely went to veneer pealing companies which made the wood into packing boxes for fruit. Waterproof glues developed during World War II allowed this same type of wood to be used in the manufacture of plywood. PCHS 1993.4 |
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Labor unrest in the mills and logging camps of the Northwest had seriously slowed |
| the manufacture of spruce lumber. Airplane quality
spruce was the main structural element in airplane construction of that
era. With the war in Europe having rapidly developed into a stalemate
in the trenches, the airplane was perceived as a way to break the deadlock
and turn the tide of the war. Not only could it over fly the enemy
trenches gaining vital intelligence regarding troop and artillery positions
but the flying machine was just coming into its own as an attack platform.
The airplane's role as an offensive weapon with the capacity to take the
war behind the trenches to the rear areas and cities of the enemy was becoming
obvious. Enter the U.S. Spruce Production Division (SPD) to build
logging railroads and mills to supply the aircraft manufacturers with high
quality aircraft spruce. The war was over in November, 1918 before
the massive production effort was fully geared up and less than half the
354 proposed miles of mainline and spurs were finished.
The government had laid 2.282 miles of standard gauge with an additional 1.618 miles of spurs. Curves were maximum 15 degrees and grade was maximum 4%. Bay Logging Company used this legacy of the Great War for a two sided operation with a narrow gauge railroad running from the woods to a dump and booming ground on the Middle Nemah River. The founders expected to start logging in October. In its typical optimistic fashion the August, 1922 Timberman stated: "they have ample capital and may develop a major operation." As will later be seen this was wrong on both accounts. Charles Funk was in charge of the camp and the initial equipment comprised one locomotive, 8 log cars (disconnects) and 4 donkeys. Initial capitalization was $15,000 and later increased to $30,000. Very likely all equipment was second hand. |
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| Charles Funk had a well known
reputation on the Coast. The Willapa Harbor paper had this to say
about him in a 1/5/17 column: "Chas. Funk left Tuesday morning
with a crew of loggers for his camp near Chetlo Harbor. The crew
was composed mostly of 'bane Swedes' and was according to Mr. Funk one
of the huskiest ever assembled here. By digging their own clams,
Mr. Funk asserts his loggers will experience little difficulty in making
a living at his camp this year," In February 1923 capital stock
was raised from $30,000 to $55,000 as more money was poured into Bay Logging
Co.
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| to Bay. It should be noted that Sam Sizer also
solely owned at this time the Raymond Veneer Company which specialized
in veneer and box manufacture.
The Timberman of July, 1923 reported that Bay Logging Co. was installing a new rollway at the mouth of the Middle Nemah River and running two sides. The summer progressed and Ripley wrote WTC a letter dated August 29, 1923: "Herewith, our check for $3.31, being additional interest on note #4, maturing July 28 and payment extended to August 28. We figured this interest at 6%, but as you have charged us 8% on this one month extension, we are very glad to pay it." Responding to a November 21 dun requesting a payment of $1,373.03 on Timber Contract #527 Ripley pleaded: "All our calculations have miscarried, owing to the excessive high tide, wind and rain they have had down here the past two weeks. Our trestle spanning the South Nemah River was carried away necessitating a new structure which will take approximately three weeks to complete. This misfortune coupled with other delays we have experienced for the last six months is indeed very discouraging." Ripley's believe it or not letter is dated December 13, 1923 ironically. Ever the positive spin master he further states: "We now have a new manager at our camp, Mr. Geo. 0. Grey, a very efficient man, and shortly after the first of the year Mr. Grey claims he will be doing business on the right basis." George Long must have found some amusement amongst these colorful letters of financial woe. Benighted Bay was not alone, however, in their trials logging under contract for Weyerhaeuser stumpage. Dozens of other more well known outfits including the likes of Wood & Iverson and White River Lumber Co. also begged the pleasure of an extension from Mr. Long. |
The Spruce Production Railroad, built by the U.S. Army Signal Corps during World War I was sold after the war to the Hartwood interests and supplied logs to their mill in Raymond for another 20 years. The locomotive in this photo is a 2-track Heisler type, geared steam engine. PCHS 1993.4 |
| November and December, under your
Timber Contract No. 527, which at $4.00 per thousand amounts to $3451.72.
We trust we may have your check to cover this delinquency within a few
days. Yours Very Truly, WEYERHAEUSER TIMBER COMPANY". In
his position as WTC's manager of western operations Mr. Long kept close
tabs on Company business and as will be seen later very little escaped
his or his agents' vigilance.
On new Bay Logging Company letterhead with no officers listed Samuel A. Sizer responds to WTC with the following text dated February 1, 1924. "This company's camp is not operating having closed down some time ago until the market for cedar and hemlock is better and also for the reason the company is completely out of funds. The Raymond Veneer Company has recently taken over the Bay Logging Company and is now arranging to refinance and take care of all outstanding accounts which amount to a considerable sum." At this point the note due was $3,451.73. Exactly how Mr. Sizer was going to bail out Bay Logging Co. is intimated in this advertisement in the Timberman February, 1924 issue. "As owners are neither loggers nor mill men, plant offered at a very reasonable price: 2 1/2 miles of narrow gauge railroad, Climax, 5 donkeys, new camp buildings, 11 log cars, full woods equipment, 8MM timber, with 1MM fell and bucked." At this point in time a small, narrow gauge Climax locomotive, a half dozen used donkeys or so, a couple of used trucks and perhaps a dozen pairs of disconnects |
| were not very marketable and no immediate buyers were
forthcoming to purchase this negligible amount of used logging equipment.
The Northwest logging industry was never much of a market for narrow gauge
equipment so Bay's equipment sat rusting for a time in the South Nemah
River bottoms of Section 35.
5 days latter George Long responds firmly: "Your letter of May 15th relative to the affairs of the Bay logging Company, Contract #527, has our careful consideration. The personality of yourself of course is fine, but we are doing business with the Bay Logging Company who have not yet been very prosperous, and they are the people, whoever they are as a corporation, that we have to look to. Your suggestion of payments implies an indefinite time in the future when you hope that their obligations can be met to us, and this leads us to ask you to advise us how much area of the land under contract has been cut over, and what amount of timber, in your judgment is still uncut. With these answers before us, I think we could more clearly tell you what our position would be in the matter." Sam Sizer responds to this inquiry that during November and December, the last two months Bay operated, Mr. George Gray from Seattle ran the camp. "He is an |
| experienced logger and I was quite satisfied
with him. He seemed to know his business and I found him quite reliable."
Mr. Gray estimated there were between 6 & 8 million feet left uncut.
Regarding resumption of operations Sizer hedged, stating the market was very poor. "There is absolutely no market here. We could not give the timber away. Cedar as you know has been a dead letter for the past year or more and the same is true of hemlock. The timber is very scattering and therefore very expensive logging. How long this condition may last, it is impossible for me to estimate but the camp would be started up immediately when the demand and price will warrant; that is, when spruce and cedar will sell for no less than $20.00 and hemlock no less than $14.00." These prices would be understood at the time for a thousand board feet. He goes on to assure Mr. Long that the camp is being well taken care of and conditions there are excellent should the market change favorably. He encouraged Mr. Long to look into it personally and that Raymond Veneer will meet this obligation as soon as it is able. Now to the negative factors. This section was already partially high graded by the Spruce boys. The ground was not the best so there was very little fir on it and hemlock and cedar were very dependent on an unstable market. Only the best was worth logging and in this case the SPD had taken a good deal of it already. The spruce left was considered #3 grade so it seems Bay had very little margin for error in its logging costs available on Section 35. By July 1924 both Bay and Raymond Veneer are in trouble and Sizer informs WTC that "this Company has been doing nothing and probably will do nothing for some time to come. There is absolutely no market for logs," At this point Bay is in arrears to grocery and wholesale supply houses and Sizer laments Raymond Veneer has no orders and "having an unusually large number of logs on hand to be paid for which the Company has not been able to utilize,". He requests patience and assures that the account will be taken care of as early as possible. |
| "This is the worst year people in our line of business
have ever experienced. The foot and mouth disease in California,
coupled with the long extended drought killed our business in that territory.
On top of this there was a freeze in Eastern Washington, which reduced
the crop 50%. Altogether, it has been a hard struggle for us.
We bought some 10,000,000 feet of logs, expecting a big year, but we have
been finding it difficult to meet this paper." This missive is
wrapped up by the standard verbiage stating the obligation would be paid
up at earliest opportunity. More weeks went by with no payment on
the note to Weyerhaeuser. Sizer again wrote Weyerhaeuser as 1924
came to a close 17 December... "we write to say that the matter has
given us considerable concern, as we make every effort to pay our obligations,.
... The camp has been closed down for more than a year, and may continue
to be idle for some time. There has been no market in Willapa Harbor
for cedar or hemlock, which prevails. The camp is well looked after,
having a watchman there all the time, and is fully equipped to go ahead
whenever conditions warrant it. The Raymond Veneer Company has advanced
the Bay Logging Company a great deal of money, but the Veneer Company has
had a very hard year and has gone as far as it possibly can in taking care
of these matters. We, therefore, respectfully request that you continue
to carry this note with the assurance that it will be taken up at the earliest
possible time.
The writer got himself into the biggest jackpot he ever got into in his entire life when he went in with Charles Funk, Henry Huling and the Raymond Shingle & Timber Company, on this logging proposition. These men did not have a dollar to lose themselves, but lost a large amount on this operation, which the writer had to stand and assume all obligations that it will take a good many years to work out. Charles Funk seemed to land on his feet it seems, as shall be seen later. While obviously short on cash Bay seemed to have no such limitations on letterhead. The note at this point stood at $6,111.00 with interest accumulating. In the SE1/4 of this section there now stands the main body of timber which has not been cut into, and over in the SW1/4 of the section there is considerable area which has been logged on, to some extent, by the Spruce Production Corporation and also by shingle bolters. |
| There is a landing located
in the SW1/4 of SE1/4, and there is felled and bucked about 500,000 feet
of logs. Within a short time a side could commence logging at this
landing, but the timber which is tributary to it would not amount to over
about 500,000 feet.
To open up the balance of the timber in the SE1/4 a spur road would have to be taken off the main line up in the S1/2 of NE1/4, or a branch would have to be taken of the present spur located in the SW1/4 of SE1/4. The latter spur would not be as practical as the former, as the ground is rougher and steeper. All the timber in the SW1/4 can be readily reached from the state road, and I presume would be hauled by trucks. I was unable to see Mr. Sizer, so cannot say just when they plan on resuming operations. |
Portion of Pacific County map showing area of Bay Logging operation. 1927 Metsker's Pacific County Atlas, Weyerhaeuser archives |
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| However, the camp watchman told me that
he had been told the Logging Company wished to sell the equipment and interest
in this timber.
The fir, cedar and spruce has been logged reasonably close, but they hauled only the best of the hemlock. The balance on this section now amounts to about $6,000.00, so there is ample timber here to take care of this amount. Very Truly Yours, EJM" In a letter dated June 12, 1925 a note of optimism crept back in to Sam Sizer's writing, after reiterating his express desire to clearing Bay's debt he goes on to state: "The market for cedar has brightened up lately and we have just begun figuring on starting up operations for the cleaning up its indebtedness to you. although in doing so we anticipate having a loss on the operation." Sizer stated he'd been in communication with a man who was going to look over the camp with the intention of resuming operations. Even this was not an easy proposition after 18 months of idleness. A month later Bay Logging asked for another extension and Sizer stated they had no money to pay on the note but had recently completed arrangements to reopen logging operations. Since nothing had gone according to plan for the Company thus far there was no reason to expect a smooth return to logging operations. In response to an inquiry for payment from George Long, Sam Sizer wrote back July 18, 1925: "After the period of a year and a half or more closed down, the logging equipment has become so damaged it will require some little time to begin operations. The donkeys have to be reflued and everything put into shape. This work has commenced and we figure on the camp starting up sometime within thirty days. It will be confined to a small operation. Probably around 500,000 per month. From the time of the beginning we expect to complete it within six months as we do not expect to get more than 3 million feet ... Part of this logging will be done by trucks as a corner of the section lays across the state road." Sizer closes assuring WTC that "beyond a doubt the whole sum will be paid. Regardless of outcome or other indebtedness." The operation will employ 40 men, and will involve putting in several million |
| feet of cedar, spruce and hemlock logs
into the water, the logs being taken by railroad to the dump."
Ever vigilant, George Long wrote Bay five days later on 29 July, 1925: Gentleman: "In a recent notice in one of the papers the report is that Bay Logging Company has sold its timber to the Niagara Logging Company who will hereafter conduct the operation on their old contract. Does this refer to our contract with your company No. 527 for timber on Section 35 in Township 12 North of range 10 West? I ask this simply because our contract provides that there shall be no assignment or sale of the contract without the written approval of ourselves." Ever proper, writing on Raymond Veneer Company letterhead now Sizer replied immediately on I August, 1925. The mail took two days from Raymond to Tacoma in the 1920s. Dear Mr. Long: I have your letter of the 29th inst. to the Bay Logging Company relative to your contract No. 527. The facts are these: The camp of the Bay Logging Company has been closed for some time, and as you know, there was a small amount of timber left on Section 35, which I have been desirous of removing, but have been unable to do so, as it was a character of timber that I was unable to use myself. Just recently I entered into a contract with George King, wherein he uses my equipment, including camps, railroad and all logging equipment, and removes the timber I did not sell or assign the contract I merely gave him a contract for logging. As you perhaps know, I have a large investment in railroad, camp equipment, etc., and have no intention whatsoever of abandoning this property. As soon as logging conditions will permit, I expect to open the camp and operate at its full capacity. At the time that I made this arrangement with Mr. King, it did not occur to me that it might be a technical violation of your contract, and I wish to assure you that had it occurred to me, I certainly would have communicated with you before making any contract, as I fully appreciate your fairness in the past, and wish to continue our cordial relations in the future. Very Truly Yours, Samuel A. Sizer" Not far behind in the breaking news the Timberman of August 1925 reports the same information as the South Bend Journal. Charles Funk was back in charge in Section 35. Undoubtedly happy to see someone logging this albatross of a Section George Long responded to Bay Logging Company on 3 August, 1925: "We interpret your letter of Aug. 1st relative to contract 527 that you have in no way sold or transferred the contract nor the timber, but have simply given to Mr. King of the Niagara Logging Company a contract to use your equipment and log and remove your timber for your account. We, of course, can see no objections to that. Yours Very Truly, Weyerhaeuser Timber Company." |
| Pacific County but at this point Bay
Logging Company disappears from the Timberman Registry and into history.
Its claim to fame in this author's opinion is that it was one of the few
narrow gauge logging railroads in the state of Washington (probably less
than 1% of logging railroads were narrow gauge in the state). That
for so small an outfit with such a short history should have any historical
record remaining is a feat in itself. Bay's story illustrates very
well the marginal operators who logged in relative obscurity but put food
on the table for smaller communities and contributed to the Northwest's
rich logging heritage in their own small way. Sam Sizer and Raymond
Veneer continued on for several years but the Veneer Company and Sizer's
ultimate fate has not been determined at this point. Sam claimed
the title of mayor of Long Island (now the Willapa National Wildlife Refuge)
and he is remembered as quite a character by people in Pacific County.
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| July 5th, 1920 George King wrote Weyerhaeuser
thanking them for their letter of the 25th granting Niagara an extension
and "to state that the logs that we are cutting on the 80 acres we recently
purchased from you are branded W and that up to the present time there
has been cut about 200,000 feet. We are instructing the mills to
deduct and hold for your account $4.00 per thousand on all "W" brand logs
delivered". PS ... we have allowed $4.00 on Fir, Spruce and Cedar,
but on the Hemlock, we have deducted $1.50 on the Hemlock." This
was on Timber Contract #445 and on 4 September, 1920 George King wrote
Weyerhaeuser that because of the Nasel Hatcheries fish racks being in the
river to catch salmon Niagara would have to suspend operations for a period
of six weeks or more. This letter being closed by the almost obligatory
request for an extension of 30 days on the payment.
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it was better to ask permission than
beg forgiveness from the timber giant. Abbeys Register lists
one sided camp for Niagara at Deep River with 2 steam donkeys and trucks
with a daily output of 60,000 board feet.
On June 28, 1927 Niagara (the second owner) ordered parts for no. 716. No. 843 went from E.H. Lester to Raymond Shingle & Timber (this was the Huling/Funk outfit Sam Sizer first partnered with to form Bay Logging Co.) and then to Niagara. There is a chance that No. 843 was for a time a Bay Logging Co. donkey. Additional information that can be gleaned from the Willamette records in Portland was that Nos. 715 and 716 had 66 inch diameter boilers. Without further documentary or photographic record this is the best that can be said about the steam donkeys associated with these Pacific County companies at this time. |
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| master mechanic R. Sibert; 3 miles
n. g. track (author's note, narrow gauge track); 40-60 lb rail; one geared
locomotive; 16 sets of disconnected trucks; 1 speeder; maximum grade, 2
percent, locomotive fuel, wood." This is the only listing showing
Niagara with a railroad so it can be speculated that after George King
and Niagara cleaned up Section 35 on Bay Logging Company's Timber Contract
527 the Climax
lokie, the disconnected logging trucks and other associated railroad equipment
was sold or scrapped. The donkeys and motor truck would of course
be useful in Niagara Logging Company's other Pacific County operations.
Thus ended the checkered career of the little narrow gauge railroad on
the Middle and South Nemah Rivers. There is no further listing for
Bay Logging Co. and the 1927 Timberman's Guide lists for Niagara
at South Bend 50 men operating 2 sides with 4 donkey engines, 1 logging
tractor and 3 motor trucks taking out 70M (70,000 board feet per day).
George King is still manager.
The 1928 listing has changed very little except for the addition of 2 more motor trucks and now Thomas Larkin (formerly of Kalb-Larkin Logging Co.) is superintendent and foreman. The fate of the old Bay works seems final with this short paragraph in the January 1929 Timberman entitled "Bear River Operations SOUTH BEND, Wash., Jan. 14; Preliminary operations have been started on a logging development on Bear River by the Niagara Logging Co., George King, manager. The Wahlberg holdings, consisting of eight million feet of high-grade spruce, will be logged first. There is a considerable body of timber adjacent which will be logged later. The equipment will be moved from near Willapa. The timber will be transferred by motor truck to Bear River and rafted to Willapa Harbor." With little change the 1930 Guide lists Niagara's address at South Bend, capacity |
| still at 70M and 50 men operating 1
side. Of course the Depression is in full swing at this time and
the following article in the April 1931 is not surprising in its opening
line: "SOUTH BEND, Wash., April 15; Niagara Logging Co., South
Bend, will resume logging on Bear River, in the lower Willapa Harbor district,
after a shut down of six months. This company has all improvements
completed preparatory for an extended run. The operation is in a
very excellent belt of spruce and cedar, sufficient for several years'
steady logging, and it is the intention of this Company to deliver spruce
logs and veneer blocks to the Columbia River. The cedar timber in
this area is regarded as superior quality suitable for the Japanese market,
and this product will be made into Jap bolts and shipped from Astoria,
Oregon. Operations will begin with two sides and it is understood
the company expects to operate continuously for several years."
This optimistic theme continues in an August 1931 Timberman article and the spirit of the Spruce Division and Bay/Niagara can be imagined to come full circle: There were dozens of outfits like Bay and Niagara operating throughout the Northwest. Certain tracts of timber did not lend themselves to full scale logging railroads |
| and these small operators were at the
forefront when it came to motor truck logging it can be claimed.
Acknowledgments: The author would like to thank the following individuals and organizations for their help with this endeavor: Special thanks to Bruce Weilepp, Director of the Pacific County Historical Museum who introduced me to Bay a couple of years ago with one photo of a narrow gauge Climax lokie. Much of the material is from his Museum; also to Megan Moholt, Weyerhaeuser Archivist, who copied all the correspondence between the small logging companies and George Long. This is the best known record of these tiny logging companies. Thanks to Glen Comstock for his trade journal listings, J. Henderson, M. Johnson and J. Taubeneck for their Willamette and Washington donkey data. Special thanks to John Labbe for his excerpts of the trade journals and to Bryan Penttila for assisting me in trying to find Bay's old Camp. (We will this summer). Photo credits are given and thank you to all those who furnished / loaned them. He was fatally injured a week ago yesterday afternoon at the Case Logging company camp on Cedar River, when he was struck by a big slab, sustaining a fractured skull and other injuries. Funk was rushed to the South Bend General hospital in the company's camp boat, Hazel, and passed away last Thursday morning. He and Eric Nelson, boom man, were at work on the river attempting to break a jam with the aid of a truck and cable. The large slab flew up and struck Funk in the head. Funk had charge of the road building at the camp. but was temporarily assisting Nelson in breaking the log jam. Born in Dixon, Ark., December 18, 1880, he came west in 1900 and to Willapa Harbor in 1908. He and Mrs. Funk, whose maiden name was Florence McBride, were married in Vancouver, Wash., in 1909, and had made their home in and near South Bend ever since. In the earlier years of his residence, he had been actively engaged as a master logger, and for a time was associated with James Brazil. During the World War period they had a big camp on Bone River, and also logged other shows in the vicinity of South Bend. He was an expert woodsman, a fine employer, fine type of citizen, good husband and father, and had a host of friends among local and harbor businessmen and men of the woods. His untimely passing was a shock to the community. Surviving are his widow, Florence, a daughter, Mildred Funk Johnson, (Mrs. Joseph S. Johnson) |
| who had arrived the Saturday before
to visit her parents; a son, Charles Ernest Funk, South Bend; a grandson,
Ira Funk; and daughter-in-law, Mildred, Wife of Charles Ernest Funk; three
brothers, Clarence and Martin of Hiwassee, Ark. and Melvin in Montana;
four sisters, Mrs. Effie Jansen of Puyallup; Mrs. Mary Nott, South Bend;
Mrs. Betty Hart, Valeda, Kansas, and Mrs. Melvin Reed of Alpina Pass, Ark..
His sister Mrs. Jansen of Puyallup and her sister, Mrs. Bill Long, were
here to attend the funeral services.
All this I have loved at Long Beach
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| The exquisite tang of wild blackberry pie
The silent prayer of a sunset sky The excitement and fun of an early crab tide The succulent goodness of razor clams fried The beachy smell of our house each year When we opened the shutters to air fresh and clear The sunbaths we took on the roof in the back The slide we built with its bacon-greased track The pogies we caught off the Fishing Rocks The Tom Cod we caught at Ilwaco docks |
Harriet Adams Flynn about 1974. Courtesy Donald A. Flynn |
| And Mrs. Pape and her home-made
bread
The crazy things we did and said The family fun which will always survive The undefined thrill of just being alive The Japanese lanterns which lighted our way To the "Daddy Train", on our favorite day Dad's weekly gift, Swetland's Candysticks Which we sharpened to points with expert licks (All wonderful flavors, yet it would seem That we fought the most over Wintergreen) Dad's weekly cutting of all the boys hair And Mother anointing our sunburns with care The Sunday dinners at the Breakers Hotel The secrets we promised never to tell |
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| Dead Man's Hollow where we loved to explore
The wreckage from ships that would sail no more The taste of fresh carrots just pulled from the ground Mrs. York weighing candy by the pound With myopic strain, peering over her glasses As she weighed each chew of mint and molasses The bowling alley, the Japanese store With its gaudy, tinseled junk galore The swimming tank and the skating rink And the ice cream sodas we used to drink The smell of seaweed and driftwood and such The warm crab holes we swam in so much The dark washed sky with its milky way The cows in the meadow that wandered astray The pea pods we fed them at our gate From sugar-sweet Long Beach peas we ate The daily treks we made for the mail The thrill of a shiny new shovel and pail The sweet wild strawberries everywhere And honeysuckle in the air The meadow larks with their heart throbbing song The winters which always seemed too long Till the T. J. Potter and the little train At last each year, brought us back again The pump in our yard which we had to prime The beach friends we saw each summertime The Woods' shiny buggy and beautiful horse And all the Woods family and dogs, of course The wait at Tioga for a home bound train As we sat at the station, our hearts full of pain The strange confinement of city clothes The shoes too tight for barefoot toes The summer fun we shall never forget The sweet, sad parting, the regret Of leaving our beach for school each Fall All this and so much, much more I recall When I remember Long Beach |