SAGINAW SOUTHERN: NEW RESEARCH ON THE END OF THE LINE.

             SAGINAW SOUTHERN: NEW RESEARCH ON THE END OF THE LINE. 

The Saginaw Southern was an important part of the early history of the Saginaw and Manistee Lumber Company's vast empire. In comparison to other railroad operations in other areas of the country, the Saginaw was limited in scope, at best. However, when understood in the context of the history of development in the high country of Arizona, the Saginaw is second to none. 

The history of the Saginaw Southern is covered in the post, dated 6/15/21. One of the mysteries that continues, for this intrepid amateur historian, is: where exactly did this particular railroad end? We know that the initial planning was to reach the Jerome area, however they found one of the most difficult routes to lay rail, particularly for and entity that was incorporated as a class I railroad. My conclusion has been that they got caught up in the general railroad fever that gripped the nation, and rather hurriedly found a path south hoping to reach Jerome (possibly Prescott) before the Santa Fe. The fever only broke when the Santa Fe beat them to the Verde River. Once this was concluded, the Saginaw reverted to its original purpose of railroad hauling of the Ponderosa pine logs. 

I have visited, then revisited the area south of Williams to do field research, hoping to find answers. As of recent, I have found more evidence of their extensive operations in this region. The pine forests did end most abruptly, yet there were still big trees to be found in the numerous canyons and ravines that pointed like the fingers of a hand towards the southern regions of the Mogollon Rim. 

Map Courtesy Google Maps

Research area references of this post are 35.094108, 112.-191364 and 35.095550.112, -189770. Yellow designates a wagon road, red railroad line.

Other reference points will be covered in the Saginaw and Southern parts I-III.

A very large cut log that has disintegrated with time

A cut log, appropriate for the length of a Saginaw log, partially buried in the ground. 

A water bottle is shown for scale.

I walked up the ravine as far as possible, eventually stopping at a forest fence. Not in a particular mood to find a way over a barbed wire fence, I decided to return to the comfort of the car. The hike gave me the impression that this was not a box canyon, where access is minimized. Instead, the area could easily have been accessed from several directions. What is certain is that there would have been no way that the railroad could have progressed this way further south, due to the fact that a very rocky end was clearly in view. 

 

The end of the line, or is it?

It is quite obvious that this area was logged several times. Ample evidence as seen in the images suggests, nay verily verifies, that the Saginaw was here first. The type of logs and stumps indicates logging methods employed during the time period of the Saginaw Southern (1898.) 

Having revisited this site after many years, gaining experience and additional knowledge, I now look at this as an area having been logged by horse drawn big wheel logging carts, and is not the exact location for the end of the railroad line.

I have a theory that at the end of the line, which exists somewhere north of this location, the Big Wheel logging wagons or carts were used. This was not limited to just this site, but over a large area. Logs would be hauled to the railhead, then moved to the mill. The timeframe that they logged was very limited, as higher value timber tracts that were more readily available lay further north along the line. It would also be more profitable to log out the surrounding area as quickly as possible before heavy rains made the already difficult placement of the line more tenuous than before. A quick and intense logging effort would make the line more profitable, helping to recoup the costs of building with such haste on a marginal route. 

I would further suggest this broad area was cleared within a year, then the line was pulled up to be used elsewhere. One indication of their haste were the remnants of the more worthless logs, and at times spilling and leaving quality logs on the ground. 

More visits, more field research... Stay tuned for parts I-IV.