EARLY DAYS IN THE FOREST SERVICE Volume 3 Compiled and Edited by Jessie Thompson 1962 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FOREST SERVICE Northern Region Missoula, Montana TABLE OF CONTENTS Cover Cover Photo: Cinnamon Ranger Station, Gallatin National Forest, 1922. Foreword by Boyd L. Rasmussen Stories By: Eva Ammen (Retired 1933) "A Librarian's Report" Albert N. Cockrell (Retired 1957) Albert E. Cole (Retired 1935) Albert J. Cramer (Retired 1955) "Highlights of Employment with Forest Service," 1918-1955 E.H. "Smokey" Cunningham L.W. Sevling "Quotes from Custer National Forest Files" Walter A. Donaldson (Retired 1944) Lloyd V. Donally "Tree Planting Experience on the St. Joe National Forest" G.M. DeJarnette (Retired 1962) Lewis E. Ewan (Retired 1950) Eugene R. Grush (Retired 1952) "Just Reminiscences" Ralph L. Hand (Retired 1955) Dean R. Harrington (Retired 1945) "The Beginning of The U.S. Forest Service, as Harrington Remembers It" George S. Haynes (Retired 1951) David Lake (Retired 1940) "Early Day Sawmilling in the Snowy Mountains" Lewon L. Lake (Retired 1940) "Hot Telephone Jobs" Fred J. Neitzling "Early History of the Flathead National Forest" David S. Olson (Retired 1944) "Fords Come Into the National Forests" Charlie E. Powell (Retired 1955) John F. Preston "Early Days in the Forest Service" Earl D. Sandvig (Retired 1959) "Chips From the Years of Service in Region 1 (R-1)" Charles S. Shaw "Early Flathead Forest" Ralph S. Space "The 1919 Fires on the Clearwater National Forest" Edward G. Stahl L.M. "Locke" Stewart Hollis Stritch Clarence C. Strong (Retired 1957) "Some Highlights of my Forestry Career" K.D. Swan (Retired 1957) "Reminiscences of the Dakota National Forest" J.C. Urquhart (Retired 1957) "Firefighting Experiences" Mark O. Watkins (Retired 1955) Clarence Westcott Harold T. Wicklund "The Bosworth Trencher" K. Wolfe George R. Wolstad Index (omitted from the online edition) LIST OF FIGURES 1. Members of Regional Office Staff, 1913 2. Headquarters for Middle Fork Ranger District, April 1911 3. Cartoons 4. Timber Marking Group on Mill Creek, 1906, Absaroka Division Yellowstone Forest Reserve 5. Cartoons 6. Ranger Meeting, 1907, Deadwood, South Dakota 7. St. Joe Ranger Station Following Forest Fire of August 20, 1910 8. Crew of CCC Boys Planting Trees along Butler Creek, 1938 9. Cartoons 10. Sylvanite Ranger Station, Kootenai National Forest, A Few Years After 1910 Fire 11. Sylvanite Ranger Station, Kootenai National Forest, August 1923. Area behind building was burned over in the 1910 fire 12. Sylvanite Ranger Station in 1958 13. Iris' Lookout on Bonita Ranger District, Lolo National Forest 14. Old Gold Peak Lookout Tower on the Missoula National Forest (Now Lolo National Forest), August 22, 1920, the day the tower was condemned 15. Cartoons 16. Visitors at Remount Depot, 1937 17. Trail Rider Party in Sun River Primitive Area, 1935, Under Chinese Wall, Lewis & Clark National Forest 18. L.L. Lake Working on a Black Bear Rug 19. Early Day View of Savenac and New Seedbeds 20. Savenac Nursery, 1941 21. Cartoons 22. Cartoons 23. Note Written by Sutliff, August 1911 24. Clarence Sutliff and Pilot Dick Johnson Two Weeks Following Plane Crash 25. Forest Supervisors at Meeting in Missoula, January 1942 26. Kaniksu National Forest: Largest Load of Logs Ever Hauled in the West with Two Horse Team and Sleigh, January 21, 1922, Priest River, Idaho 27. Cartoons 28. Cedar Tree 17.4 Feet in Diameter in Clearwater Country (1953) 29. Mules Leaving the Remount Depot for a Fire, 1917 30. Cartoons 31. Wallace, Idaho, after 1910 Fire 32. Hall's Sawmill, Sioux National Forest, Custer County, Montana November 22, 1907 33. Trail Creek Sawmill, Gallatin National Forest, 1902 34. Cartoons 35. Cartoons 36. Western Larch and Western Yellow Pine Forest Reclaiming A Homestead, September 1930, Kootenai National Forest FOREWORD November 20, 1962 THE PEOPLE OF THE NORTHERN REGION: This is the third volume of the Northern Region's "Early Days in the Forest Service" series. The first volume was prepared 18 years ago under the direction of Regional Forester Evan W. Kelley. Too often much of the colorful and meaningful history of the Forest Service is lost from the formal, statistical, day-to-day reports required of the Region's routine business. It is fortunate that these pioneering veterans of public service have written of their experiences in the constantly changing pattern of public resource management. From such accounts those with responsibilities for continuing this stewardship can better appreciate the dedication, hardship and obstacles involved in the hard-won progress. In this tradition, today's Forest Service must meet tomorrow's demands and challenges. Future generations depend on perpetuating this unselfish dedication to resource management. The debt to these pioneering efforts can only be met by rendering a similar service in the next 50 years. Resource management cannot be static. What is achieved tomorrow must be built on the achievements of these workers in the "Early Days in the Forest Service." This volume contains personal histories that touch on a wide variety of Forest Service activities: communications, firefighting, grazing, timber harvests, early use of cars by the Forest Service, etc. Through hardship, privation, and dedication to service, spelled out in these pages, modern day Forest Service workers cannot overlook or avoid the rich heritage purchased by thse men and women of principle and character. Sincerely yours, BOYD L. RASMUSSEN Regional Forester A LIBRARIAN'S REPORT By Eva Amen (Retired 1933) When my sister* and I came out to Missoula, Montana, in December 1908, having obtained jobs in District 1 of the U. S. Forest Service, everything was new and interesting to us. We had never been West before, and we were intrigued by the primitiveness of the town and the simplicity of conditions. The fact that the streets were mostly unpaved and, in the part of town where we were located, ran water ankle-deep in the spring, disturbed us not at all. The site of our location was just about where the Federal Building now stands. When the Missoula River rose in its might and washed out the wobbly little footbridge connecting the north and south sections of the town, interest rose to a high pitch in "Silviculture," which overlooked the river, and the entire office force rushed to the windows to view the catastrophe - planks of the bridge turning over and over, driven downstream by the angry waters. My sister, who was a good stenographer and typist, was well-placed at once, but I, who was a typist only, was sent to what was then called "Maintenance," where I was found not to have sufficient speed for an office receiving the overflow from all the other offices. So I was adrift. But shortly I went on trial to Silviculture where I remained until the District decided to establish a technical library. I was put in charge and as I had had a little experience in library work in my first job in the War Department, I was much pleased. I was accustomed to the handling of books and I enjoyed them. There was a collection of books on forestry and allied subjects in a dark closet, and these I brought out into the light of day and went to work. Several of the books I found were the property of various forests of which District 1 was headquarters; these I segregated and returned where they belonged. For those left over there was already a catalogue, but in such a confused condition as to be practically useless. This I was able to remedy and I arranged the volumes on shelves available to me and, with the catalogue neatly disposed in cartons (temporarily), I surveyed my achievement with pride. Thus a library was started (a sub-office under Silviculture). From then on the library and I advanced together. I held the post until my retirement many years later. Indeed, we all advanced the town, for it now had a consultative body along forestry lines. It was in those early years that the Savenac Nursery was established. In the course of time it developed, if I am not mistaken, into the largest nursery of its kind in the World. Because of a slight knowledge of French possessed by me I was detailed, together with one of the Service men, to accompany to Savenac the Secretary of Agriculture of Brazil, a visitor to the District. It was a delightful detail. The Secretary understood English, but he told me that when he was called upon to speak it he became horribly confused and was hopelessly at sea. But between French and English we managed very comfortably. During World War I we paraded for the honor of the flag and many members of the Service held rummage sales to raise money for the cause; one, notably, organized by my sister and her chief, realized the very substantial sum of a thousand dollars: Years before, the District instituted annual get-togethers which never lacked originality. I shall record only one such occasion when, as usual, we were present. It was bruited about mysteriously some time before the date of the party that a very lovely lady - a stranger - would be with us. Of course, great curiosity was aroused, but nothing could be learned as to who the lady was nor where she was to come from. When the long-expected evening arrived and we were all assembled waiting, the lady was escorted in to the elevator by an attentive bodyguard and ushered into our presence. A gleeful shout of welcome met her. The lady was a fine, upstanding young mare. *Miss Mathilde Ammen (now deceased) Members of 1913 District Office staff. 1. P.S. Gray; 2.