PELICAN BAY LUMBER COMPANY
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Klamath County - Shippington
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March 6, 1916: "Sawing operations at the big double band mill of the Pelican Bay Lumber company are scheduled to start next Monday morning, according to W. C. Landon, manager of the big concern. During the season the company will cut 15,000,000 feet.
Preparatory to commencing work in the logging camps of the company around Upper Klamath Lake, members of the Pelican Bay company's woods forces left this morning for the tall and uncut, and others will depart in the morning.
A supply of logs is already on hand at the mill to permit a start of cutting while other logs are on their way to the mill from the woods. The mill is to run a ten-hour shift, turning out 150,000 feet of lumber daily.
Demand for lumber is so good at present that the drying facilities at the Pelican Bay plant are taxed to their capacity. Prices are better now for upper grades than they have been for a long time." (The Evening Herald)
Preparatory to commencing work in the logging camps of the company around Upper Klamath Lake, members of the Pelican Bay company's woods forces left this morning for the tall and uncut, and others will depart in the morning.
A supply of logs is already on hand at the mill to permit a start of cutting while other logs are on their way to the mill from the woods. The mill is to run a ten-hour shift, turning out 150,000 feet of lumber daily.
Demand for lumber is so good at present that the drying facilities at the Pelican Bay plant are taxed to their capacity. Prices are better now for upper grades than they have been for a long time." (The Evening Herald)
May 11, 1916: "An increase in the payroll of the Pelican Bay Lumber company, of Klamath Falls, is to be made. The big mill is to be operated 20 hours a day. This will increase the daily cut to 300,000 feet of lumber and necessitate the employment of 50 more men.
President H. D. Mortensen, of the Pelican Bay company, made the announcement. If the new municipal highway, connecting Klamath Falls with Shippington, the important mill center on Upper Klamath lake, where the Pelican mill is located, is favorably voted upon at the regular city election Monday, and built, employees of that and other mills in the neighborhood can reside in the city and work at the mills." (The Forest Grove Express)
President H. D. Mortensen, of the Pelican Bay company, made the announcement. If the new municipal highway, connecting Klamath Falls with Shippington, the important mill center on Upper Klamath lake, where the Pelican mill is located, is favorably voted upon at the regular city election Monday, and built, employees of that and other mills in the neighborhood can reside in the city and work at the mills." (The Forest Grove Express)
May 15, 1916: "True to the announcement made two days before the voting on the Shippington road, the Pelican Bay Lumber company last night started operating its sawmill twenty hours daily. A night crew began work last night, and the sawmill is now turning out 300,000 feet of lumber a day, giving employment to a good many more men." (The Evening Herald)
November 15, 1919: "A carload of corrugated iron is being unloaded today which is to be used in the reconstruction of the Pelican Bay mill which was recently destroyed by fire. Everything possible is being done by the management to have this factory running with a full force of employes at the earliest possible date, as orders have been booked away in advance for future delivery, and it is the aim of the company to fill these orders just as fast as may be practicable rather than cause loss or damage to their customers who have been depending on them for their supply of lumber." (The Evening Herald)
March 24, 1920: "Officials of the Pelican Bay Lumber company state they expect to have the mill built in the place of the one destroyed by fire in operation about April 1, although in order to do this it has been necessary to have large pieces of machinery brought to Klamath Falls by express.
The plant which has two band saws and one resaw has the same capacity as the old one and it is planned to saw eleven months in the year. By utilizing the exhaust steam from the engine the log pond will be kept free of ice in the winter. The company will give employment to 300 men in the woods and at the mill." (Ashland Daily Tidings)
The plant which has two band saws and one resaw has the same capacity as the old one and it is planned to saw eleven months in the year. By utilizing the exhaust steam from the engine the log pond will be kept free of ice in the winter. The company will give employment to 300 men in the woods and at the mill." (Ashland Daily Tidings)
July 1920: "An emergency sale was made to Pelican Bay Lumber Co., Klamath Falls, for 1,300,000 feet of yellow pine at $2.50 per thousand and fir on the area at 50 cents per thousand. Hugh B. Rankin, forest supervisor, announced that other small sales were made in amounts ranging from 50,000 to 100,000 feet at from $2 to $3 per thousand." (The Timberman)
July 3, 1920: "The Pelican Bay mill will be shut down Sunday and Monday in observance of the Fourth of July." (The Evening Herald)
July 16, 1920: "Frank Bennett was hurt while at work in the yards of the Pelican Bay sawmill. He was standing on a ladder which slipped and fell, throwing him to the ground and injuring his eye.
The large water tank, that the Pelican Bay Lumber company has had under construction for several weeks, is nearly completed. It's purpose is to supply water to the mill in case of fire." (The Evening Herald)
The large water tank, that the Pelican Bay Lumber company has had under construction for several weeks, is nearly completed. It's purpose is to supply water to the mill in case of fire." (The Evening Herald)
August 4, 1920: "Exercising an option which expired August 2, the Pelican Bay Lumber company has purchased from the Soper-Wheeler company, of Portland, 7,000 acres of standing timber near Mt. Scott in the northern part of the county. This is according to a statement by H. D. Mortenson, president of the Pelican Bay company, today.
It is estimated that the tract contains about 160,000,000 feet of timber. It is covered with a fine stand of trees, all white pine.
The tract is in the Klamath Indian reservation and adjoins the government forest area now being logged by the company. Mr. Mortenson stated that the purchase was made to supply a reserve of timber and lengthen the manufacturing operations of the company. The lumber will be manufactured at the plant here. To get it to the mill it will eventually be necessary to extend the present logging road 16 or 17 miles but the program of logging will cover a period of years." (The Evening Herald)
It is estimated that the tract contains about 160,000,000 feet of timber. It is covered with a fine stand of trees, all white pine.
The tract is in the Klamath Indian reservation and adjoins the government forest area now being logged by the company. Mr. Mortenson stated that the purchase was made to supply a reserve of timber and lengthen the manufacturing operations of the company. The lumber will be manufactured at the plant here. To get it to the mill it will eventually be necessary to extend the present logging road 16 or 17 miles but the program of logging will cover a period of years." (The Evening Herald)
November 24, 1920: "The Pelican Bay Lumber camp at Odessa shut down operations for the winter yesterday, and the timber crews came into town." (The Evening Herald)
December 3, 1920: "Until further notice the Reckard Rent Service will operate a stage line between this city and Pelican Bay mill. The trip will terminate at the Rex Cafe and the mill office, though passengers will be received and let off at any place between these points. The trip will not include a continuance of the journey beyond the mill office at Pelican Bay. The fare will be 25 cents each way.
If it develops that other trips are necessary to accommodate the travel, they will be made. C. I. Reckard. Rex Cafe, 7th and Main Sts.. Phone 77." (The Evening Herald)
If it develops that other trips are necessary to accommodate the travel, they will be made. C. I. Reckard. Rex Cafe, 7th and Main Sts.. Phone 77." (The Evening Herald)
January 8, 1921: "The Pelican Bay company's logging road into the Bear Creek unit, north of Kirk, tapping 600,000,000 feet of new timber, is ready for operation during the coming season. The lumber will be manufactured at the plant north of this city." (The Evening Herald)
January 21, 1921: "H. S. Wood, superintendent of the Pelican Bay Lumber company for the past eight years, has resigned, and will devote his time to the development of his ranch in Poe Valley." (The Evening Herald)
January 28, 1921: "J. S. Elliot is repairing the boilers at the Pelican Bay Lumber company, this week, so they will be in readiness for the spring run." (The Evening Herald)
March 11, 1921: "P. A. Albertson, salesman for Pelican Bay Lumber company, left this morning for an extended tour of the east for several months." (The Evening Herald)
March 14, 1921: "Al Gould, foreman for Pelican Bay Lumber camp was a city visitor Saturday from Odessa." (The Evening Herald)
March 24, 1921: "A new logging locomotive, the latest type, weighing 184,000 pounds, has been received by the Pelican Bay Lumber company and will be put into service on the main logging line between Kirk and the company's camps as soon as logging starts. It will replace the old engines for main line work, as they will be used on the spurs.
The locomotive was built by the American Locomotive Works, Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. It is a six-wheeler, oil-burner, super heated and classified among engines as the Prairie type.
Incidentally its trip across the continent gave Klamath county a bit of advertising as blazoned on the tender's side was the announcement that it was an American Locomotive company product en route for delivery to the Pelican Bay Lumber company at Klamath Falls, Oregon. At least one local resident, returning from the east, read the home reminding sign as the freight train side-tracked on a Union Pacific spur to let the Pullmans go by." (The Evening Herald)
The locomotive was built by the American Locomotive Works, Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. It is a six-wheeler, oil-burner, super heated and classified among engines as the Prairie type.
Incidentally its trip across the continent gave Klamath county a bit of advertising as blazoned on the tender's side was the announcement that it was an American Locomotive company product en route for delivery to the Pelican Bay Lumber company at Klamath Falls, Oregon. At least one local resident, returning from the east, read the home reminding sign as the freight train side-tracked on a Union Pacific spur to let the Pullmans go by." (The Evening Herald)
1923
November 1923: "A new $10,000 Y. M. C. A. building is being erected for the newly formed industrial 'Y' at the plant of Pelican Bay Lumber Co., Klamath Falls, Ore. W. N. Dillon, Interstate secretary, is superintending the work." (The Timberman, Vol. XXV)
November 16, 1923: "Pelican Bay Lumber Co., Klamath Falls, will cut 60,000,000 feet this year. The mill is running two shifts. The eastern sales representatives, Mr. Marshall and Mr. Gillette of Cleveland, were recent visitors." (The Klamath News)
March 21, 1924: "Pelican Bay Lumber company will start with both night and day shifts on April 1. This was officially announced by the company Wednesday.
The Pelican Bay mill is the largest in this county and a crew of men has been working on repairs all winter so that now the mill is in first-class shape and the most modernly equipped in this section. At the present time the company has about 6,000,000 feet of logs in the lake." (The Klamath News)
The Pelican Bay mill is the largest in this county and a crew of men has been working on repairs all winter so that now the mill is in first-class shape and the most modernly equipped in this section. At the present time the company has about 6,000,000 feet of logs in the lake." (The Klamath News)
October 21, 1924: "The mill was shut down a couple nights last week on account of the water being so low." (The Klamath News)
March 20, 1928: "Pelican Bay lumber company resumed operation in its big sawmill Monday when two shifts started to work, it was reported last night. This is the biggest pine operation in the county.
About 150 men were employed as the big lumber plant got under way on the 1928 cut, which is expected to average about 300,000 feet daily for the two shifts. The box factory has been operating through the winter without cessation." (The Klamath News)
About 150 men were employed as the big lumber plant got under way on the 1928 cut, which is expected to average about 300,000 feet daily for the two shifts. The box factory has been operating through the winter without cessation." (The Klamath News)
October 31, 1929: "J. C. Hanson, foreman of the dry kiln at the Pelican Bay Lumber company, is a patient at the Hillside hospital, where he is receiving medical treatment." (The Klamath News)
November 2, 1929: "No plans for a winter shutdown have as yet been made by the Pelican Bay Lumber company. It was learned. At present the company has two shifts operating at the mill, and one at the planing mill, and one at the box factory. Operations are running along smoothly, as is usually the case with a well established manufacturing plant of this size.
The lumber company discontinued logging operations at Kirk, September 1, and its camp is now situated in the Bly district, where logging will probably continue throughout the winter." (The Klamath News)
The lumber company discontinued logging operations at Kirk, September 1, and its camp is now situated in the Bly district, where logging will probably continue throughout the winter." (The Klamath News)
November 7, 1929: "Elmer Hanson, who recently injured his arm at the Pelican City mill of the Pelican Bay Lumber company, was last night moved from the Hillside hospital to the United States Veteran's hospital in Portland." (The Klamath News)
April 6, 1930: "E. H. Pike, superintendent of the Pelican Bay plant, stated last night that two shifts will be put to work Monday and that the camp is now open and will employ about 120 men and in the two shifts will cut about 300,000 feet a day.
James Johnson, veteran logging superintendent, is again in charge at the camp about 12 miles south of Bly. Last year the new records for loading logs and Pelican Bay boys established this year will try to better them. During the year about 10 or 12 miles of logging line and spur track will be built by the company.
Achey wheels have been installed in the woods and Pelican Bay will log in long lengths, 32 to 40 feet only, Mr. Pike said." (The Klamath News)
James Johnson, veteran logging superintendent, is again in charge at the camp about 12 miles south of Bly. Last year the new records for loading logs and Pelican Bay boys established this year will try to better them. During the year about 10 or 12 miles of logging line and spur track will be built by the company.
Achey wheels have been installed in the woods and Pelican Bay will log in long lengths, 32 to 40 feet only, Mr. Pike said." (The Klamath News)
July 15, 1942: "Racing flames, springing at five o'clock from a dry chain motor, late yesterday afternoon in less than one hour completely destroyed the entire Pelican Bay Lumber company planing mill and all its equipment with a loss estimated at $100,000.
An almost miraculous job of fire fighting by mill employes and city firemen isolated the blaze to the planer, saving the remainder of the big plant and over 28,000,000 board feet of piled lumber. Virtually the entire output of the firm, one of the oldest in Klamath county, is devoted to war orders.
No evidence of sabotage was found by an investigating committee. Sheriff Lloyd Low said today that a thorough probe of the fire's origin revealed identical stories by members of the night crew, which had just started work. The stories, he said, proved conclusively the fire started in the chain motor at the north end of the mill.
Destroyed in the blaze were three planers, two moulders, two band resaws, two band rips, a lumber 'jeep,' a large trimmer and 50,000 feet of lumber in process. The shipping office was also razed and seven Southern Pacific box cars badly damaged.
Full production will be halted by the loss but H. D. Mortenson, president of the company, said today that nearly complete output can be attained by use of a planer in the box factory and another near the dry kilns.
He said that operations resumed as usual this morning and that night shifts will be put on each of the remaining planers, in order to maintain production. He urged all employes to contact the company at once.
A slight west wind fanned the searing flames which virtually had enveloped the entire planing mill within 10 minutes of the outbreak. The breeze started spot fires in several sections of the yard and started small blazes on the roofs of four employe's houses nearly a quarter of a mile distant from the flaming mill.
Observers and firemen termed the fire fighting as amazingly effective. Surrounded on two sides by lumber piles and by dry sheds on the other two, the fire was localized and confined to the planing mill itself.
Although the blaze was well under control by 6;30, fighters worked through the night to guard against further spot fires and held the smouldering ruins in check." (Herald and News)
An almost miraculous job of fire fighting by mill employes and city firemen isolated the blaze to the planer, saving the remainder of the big plant and over 28,000,000 board feet of piled lumber. Virtually the entire output of the firm, one of the oldest in Klamath county, is devoted to war orders.
No evidence of sabotage was found by an investigating committee. Sheriff Lloyd Low said today that a thorough probe of the fire's origin revealed identical stories by members of the night crew, which had just started work. The stories, he said, proved conclusively the fire started in the chain motor at the north end of the mill.
Destroyed in the blaze were three planers, two moulders, two band resaws, two band rips, a lumber 'jeep,' a large trimmer and 50,000 feet of lumber in process. The shipping office was also razed and seven Southern Pacific box cars badly damaged.
Full production will be halted by the loss but H. D. Mortenson, president of the company, said today that nearly complete output can be attained by use of a planer in the box factory and another near the dry kilns.
He said that operations resumed as usual this morning and that night shifts will be put on each of the remaining planers, in order to maintain production. He urged all employes to contact the company at once.
A slight west wind fanned the searing flames which virtually had enveloped the entire planing mill within 10 minutes of the outbreak. The breeze started spot fires in several sections of the yard and started small blazes on the roofs of four employe's houses nearly a quarter of a mile distant from the flaming mill.
Observers and firemen termed the fire fighting as amazingly effective. Surrounded on two sides by lumber piles and by dry sheds on the other two, the fire was localized and confined to the planing mill itself.
Although the blaze was well under control by 6;30, fighters worked through the night to guard against further spot fires and held the smouldering ruins in check." (Herald and News)
October 6, 1942: "Wooden boxes of proper size and weight for mailing overseas are being made available to relatives of Klamath county service men with the compliments of Pelican Bay Lumber company, it was announced today by H. D. Mortenson, president of the firm.
Mortenson said the boxes, about the size of a shoe box, weigh just over one pound and may be had by calling at the First National Bank or the United States National bank. He said they were made up after consultation with postal authorities on size, weight and shape.
'We are making them up for overseas mailing,' the lumber official said, 'and we know they will be accepted for that purpose.' 'The boxes bear no advertising or wording of any kind,' he said." (Herald and News)
Mortenson said the boxes, about the size of a shoe box, weigh just over one pound and may be had by calling at the First National Bank or the United States National bank. He said they were made up after consultation with postal authorities on size, weight and shape.
'We are making them up for overseas mailing,' the lumber official said, 'and we know they will be accepted for that purpose.' 'The boxes bear no advertising or wording of any kind,' he said." (Herald and News)
April 17, 1943: "Employes of the Pelican Bay Lumber company have contributed the sum of $1032.25 to the Red Cross drive, it was announced Saturday.
Officials of the company pointed out that Pelican Bay employes have always been interested in Red Cross work, and last year they helped finish up the drive." (Herald and News)
Officials of the company pointed out that Pelican Bay employes have always been interested in Red Cross work, and last year they helped finish up the drive." (Herald and News)