COUGAR PARK, HELL CANYON BRANCHLINE; BARNEY FLATS: Recent Findings and Research

 COUGAR PARK, HELL CANYON BRANCHLINE; BARNEY FLATS

Recent Findings and Research

COPYRIGHT; ALL RIGHTS RESERVED (5/10/22)

        The  spur starts at the intersection of FR3110 and Highway 73 (Perkinsville Road.) Satellite imaging shows the grade crossing Cougar Park, then entering Hell Canyon. This entire region is rugged, steep and challenging to traverse. Evidence indicates, from the numerous stump fields, that a centrally located spur might have existed in the Canyon. 

    Recent research, conducted in the field, and in the climate controlled archives at the Cline Library, NAU, have offered evidence that challenges my earlier view that a line existed within the confines of the canyon.

    Field research, Forest Service maps, and satellite imaging confirms that a line did exist to the mouth of the Hell Canyon; it is a speculation as to how far it penetrated the area. Stump fields exist that tell a story of early logging methods, so some harvesting at an early date did take place. a large stump field exists just to the west of Cougar Park, and additional stumps border the park. throughout the Hell Canyon area stumps indicate early logging activity, so the question remains: when did it occur, and how was it harvested?

    Parts of the area were logged in early years by railroad logging. Spurs do exist, however, they connect with other lines that were operated in the area. One example is the Coleman Lake line, which logged an area to the south of Hell Canyon, including the nearby hills.

    As mentioned previously, the Cougar Park-Hell Canyon line penetrated the area, to an unknown depth. More than likely the steep terrain barred any quick and easy harvesting. What is more plausible was that the area was on government land, and not as yet open for a timber sale. 

    The Audit Report of September 1, 1929 to August 1, 1930 (MS NO 84, Box 15 of 15, S&M Collection, Cline Library) reviewed all of the current operations of the Company. It references truck hauling southwest of the mill (page 8.) These holdings were logged by a contractor by the name of Gibson. It was hoped that 2 million feet of timber would be logged before winter. Some 75 million feet were available, and 50 million could be harvested by truck haul. This would help to answer as to how the mill was provided logs from the time that the South Garland Prairie and the Bellemont lines shut down, and that the Tusayan Line became operational.

        The Sixteenth Annual Report of the Saginaw and Manistee Lumber Company for the year 1936 (MS No 84, box 12 of 15, Cline Library) stated the area south of Williams, with combined Government and Company timber, had holdings of 100 million feet of timber, or 3 years worth of supply. The company had spent $63,701.12 on three Caterpillar tractors, twelve White logging trucks and trailers, and one Ross lumber carrier (pages 4,5.)

    The general area  mentioned was referred to as "South of Williams." This probably included the remaining holdings in the Hell Canyon area,  and the vast  area generally to the south of White Horse Lake, and East of Perkinsville Road. The latter area shows signs of extensive logging. However only truck logging camps have been found, giving credence that this was the domain reserved for trucks and caterpillar tractors.  This is also supported by the Forest Service Timber sale maps.

    To sum up, Hell Canyon had a short spur at one time, not an extensive line into the depths of the canyon. The area was later harvested by mechanized logging, long after the fires had gone cold in the once proud and prancing iron horses.