Exploring Truth and Meaning Lumber Industry and the most beautiful park

The Williamson River and its Spring Creek tributary at Collier Memorial are known for their brook and rainbow trout.  Although, Pat has a fishing pole he has not ventured to fish. We will have more time after the Volcano Legacy Trail when we are in the Canyonlands, but first he has to get a net, but I wonder if he will try.  We kayak the slower Williamson until we couldn't pass over some fallen trees. The photo was taken along the 1/2 mile Spring Creek trail behind the campsite that leads to the most unique outdoor museum, Collier Memorial Logging Museum which is dedicated to preserving the proud tradition of logging.  Most of you don't know the story of my Uncle Ray who drove a logging truck.  One day a school bus started to pass him, the driver was drunk. Uncle Ray pulled over and the truck fell into a honeysuckle covered ditch.  The logs shifted and Uncle Ray was killed leaving a wife pregnant and three other children. I was very young when this happened, but my cousin Kenny, his son, is one of my favorite relations so I have an interest other than environmental in the industry. It has always been dangerous work and the loggers have to be very physically able. The outdoor museum is arranged as a logging camp in history, starting in 1860s -preindustrial era when everything was done by manual labor where oxen and horses were used to pull wagons for log transport to large scale logging starting after WWII. The history, tools and machines are so fascinating which David, Doug, Ben and Toby would so much enjoy. Every camp had to have a blacksmith, Ben. I have to stop now but will write more the next time we have internet.  The big wheel Pat is in front of was pulled by huge draft horses and it was one of the first machines. In winter the horses pulled the logs out on huge sleds. The coming of the steam age and all the new inventions...well, well that is another blogg.

One of the reasons I titled this post the way I did is that the lumber and railroad industry made this beautiful preserved Volcanic area possible as well as gave jobs for all the people in the past. Today, the people have jobs as rangers and interpreters of history and nature.  Near here is the OC & E Railway Woods Line State Hiking/Biking Trail. This is our last stop in Oregon.