WARREN SPRUCE COMPANY
Toledo
February 22, 1918: "H. A. Dunkle, H.E. Newell and Bert McGuigan of the Warren Spruce Company are here, stopping at the Hotel King, and will establish headquarters in one of the dormitories on the Government School grounds. In a few days some sixty, U. S. soldiers that belong to the Signal Corps will come in and take up their quarters here. The purpose is to build a plank and crushed rock road from the North end of the Miller logging road to the Lower Farm in order to reach the spruce belt of timber on the Siletz river. The planking will be from the Siletz Agency to the Lower Farm. The plan is to make the road so that motor trucks can convey the riven spruce to Toledo to be shipped on the Southern Pacifis railroad to Portland and other points to be used in the construction of airplane s. It is the purpose of the Government to build 40,000 airplanes. A large store house is being built at Toledo, 24 by 100 feet for the purpose of storing implements and other equipment to be used in constructing the road. Mr. Dunkle will be superintendent of construction. Large bodies of the finest spruce in Oregon grow along the Siletz river that can be reached by this road. Times will be lively at Siletz this year. The prospects for Lincoln county were never so bright as now." (Lincoln County Leader)
February 22, 1918: "The big 24 by 100 warehouse being built by the Warren Spruce Company is practically complete, having been built in the record time of one week. This warehouse will be used by the commissariat department, and we are informed that the two other buildings are to be built adjoining the warehouse. One will be for an office and the other one a cook and bunk house." (Lincoln County Leader)
February 22, 1918: "The Warren Spruce Company received nine cases of cross-cut saws last Friday for use in their spruce camps." (Lincoln County Leader.)
March 1, 1918: "The Warren Spruce Company has been planking the road near their headquarters this week." (Lincoln County Leader)
March 1, 1918: "The Warren Spruce Company has their huge warehouse, here, completed and are receiving large shipments of provisions and equipment on every freight. Work on the new office building is progressing satisfactorily and it will be completed early next week. Another building is to be built for barracks and cook and eating house.
About a dozen more carpenters arrived down from Portland Monday evening and went out into the spruce tract near the Wessel place to build barracks and camp buildings.
Six car load of rails have been unloaded near their headquarters here and more are expected soon. We are informed that fourteen donkey engines will arrive as soon as the railroad is connected up, and will be used in getting out and riving spruce. It is estimated that from a thousand to fifteen hundred men will be used at the camps as soon as the accommodations can be gotten ready." (Lincoln County Leader)
About a dozen more carpenters arrived down from Portland Monday evening and went out into the spruce tract near the Wessel place to build barracks and camp buildings.
Six car load of rails have been unloaded near their headquarters here and more are expected soon. We are informed that fourteen donkey engines will arrive as soon as the railroad is connected up, and will be used in getting out and riving spruce. It is estimated that from a thousand to fifteen hundred men will be used at the camps as soon as the accommodations can be gotten ready." (Lincoln County Leader)
March 22, 1918: "The Warren Spruce Company paymaster was in and payed off all who had worked with the surveying party that was locating a line for the railroad that was to be built into the spruce belt on the Siletz River. This road may not be built. The wagon road will be built and this may enable the Company to get the airplane material out without the railroad. The work is being pursued as fast as possible under the supervision of Mr. Fergurson or the new superintendent. The weather is much better now and the workers can accomplish much more." (Lincoln County Leader)
March 22, 1918: "The Warren Spruce Company received another big donkey engine on Monday evening's freight. This is one of the largest engines ever brought to the county, and was so large that the boiler was taken off and laid down on the car, in order to get through the tunnels. It is what is known as a compound engine." (Lincoln County Leader)
March 22, 1918: "Mr. and Mrs. Fred McCaulou (sp.) arrived down from Portland Saturday evening and will make their home here. Fred has employment as cook with the Warren Spruce Co." (Lincoln County Leader)
March 29, 1918: "Last Friday's freight brought another huge donkey engine for the Warren Spruce Co., making three in all that they have been unloaded at 'Sprucetown,' and will at once be put on sleds. The runners for these big sleds have been made out at the Miller Logging Camps, they were then hauled down on the train and floated to town, where they are being hauled out and assembled ready for use. The donkeys will be taken out into the spruce belt as soon as they are ready to travel." (Lincoln County Leader)
April 5, 1918: "The Warren Spruce Co. has rented the E. P. Currey stables in this city and will use it for stabling their horses. They expect a car of hay and a car of feed this evening on the freight, and will have about a dozen teams here within a few days. These teams will be used in freighting and building railroad." (Lincoln County Leader)
April 12, 1918: "The Warren Spruce Co. received a car of draft horses on Friday's freight, also a car of hay and a car of feed." (Lincoln County Leader)
April 19, 1918: "The Warren Spruce Company built a spur track from the depot down to the slough this week. The spur will be used in unloading railroad materials from the cars to scows, so that it can be transferred up the river to the different camps."
And... "The Warren Spruce Co., expects another carload of horses soon." (Lincoln County Leader)
And... "The Warren Spruce Co., expects another carload of horses soon." (Lincoln County Leader)
April 26, 1918: "Eighteen head of horses arrived on Monday evening's freight for use of the Warren Spruce Co. here. Two pile driver outfits arrived Wednesday evening and will be used on the railroad construction. A carload of railroad material, including switch, etc., for connecting with the main line arrived Friday. Each freight brings several car loads of material for use of the spruce camps here." (Lincoln County Leader)
April 26, 1918: "Last Monday one of the fine draft horses of the Warren Spruce Co. was injured while working on the railroad grade near Dundon bridge. The animal was one of a span working on a wheel scraper caught the horses leg, breaking same and also nearly severing same from the body. The horse had to be killed." (Lincoln County Leader)
May 3, 1918: "The Warren Spruce Company is building a large camp on K. Hendrickson's upper meadow and expects to have a large crew there soon, to work on the railroad. Three teams have been hauling lumber for them for several days." (Lincoln County Leader)
May 17, 1918: "The Warren Spruce Co., expects to have their tracks connected up with the Wessel spruce belt sometime during the coming week, and will at once begin bringing out the spruce logs.
The railroad is now about seven miles in length and taps one of the largest bodies of standing spruce in the Northwest. Each mile the road is extended from its present terminus will put it that much nearer the heart of this immense spruce tract. It has been estimated by cruisers that there is at least 600,000,000 feet of standing spruce in the Siletz tract, which is enough spruce to build an airplane for each American soldier now in France." (Lincoln County Leader)
The railroad is now about seven miles in length and taps one of the largest bodies of standing spruce in the Northwest. Each mile the road is extended from its present terminus will put it that much nearer the heart of this immense spruce tract. It has been estimated by cruisers that there is at least 600,000,000 feet of standing spruce in the Siletz tract, which is enough spruce to build an airplane for each American soldier now in France." (Lincoln County Leader)
May 17, 1918: "Two locomotives for use of the Warren Spruce Co. on the new railroad to Wessel's are expected in this evening. We are informed that these engines are of the Shay type, being very powerful and capable of pulling exceedingly heavy loads." (Lincoln County Leader)
June 14, 1918: "The Warren Spruce Company shipped two huge spruce logs to Portland Wednesday. One log measured nine feet in diameter and was 26 feet long, containing some 9,000 beet of spruce board measure. It took a flat car to transport each log, and the logs had placards on them, stating that they were from the Warren Spruce Company, Toledo, Or.
Just wait until they roll one of those logs over the Kaiser!" (Lincoln County Leader)
Just wait until they roll one of those logs over the Kaiser!" (Lincoln County Leader)
August 23, 1918: "Ed Paine ferried some nineteen head of horses across from the south side Wednesday night, for the Warren Spruce Company. These horses were used in the railroad construction." (Lincoln County Leader)
October 4, 1918: "Last Saturday evening the Southern Pacific engine driven by N. H. Sherwood was forced over the Warren Spruce log dump in West Toledo and it and two cars lie at the bottom of the bay. The engine was pulling was pulling fifteen cars of spruce logs and piling, and when it reached West Toledo it found the switch thrown for the log dump instead of connecting up with the S. P. tracks. The air was applied but failed to work. The engine was reversed but could not hold the heavy load on the slight grade to the dump. The engineer, fireman, and train crew all jumped to safety. The engine, caboose and one or two cars of logs went over the end of the dump before the heavy train stopped." (Lincoln County Leader)
October 4, 1918: "Wm. Enos came near having his left leg amputated this morning when one of the Warren Spruce Co. trucks skidded on the Seventh Street hill and caught him as he was climbing over the railing to get away. As it is the leg is badly mangled and torn, but it is believed it can be saved. Dr. Burgess is attending him." (Lincoln County Leader)
October 18, 1918: "Last Sunday, Southern Pacific engine No. 1345 was successfully hoisted out of Depoe Slough, where it has lain since running amuck two weeks ago. Huge gins were erected by the Warren Spruce Co. for hoisting the engine out of its watery resting place, and the donkey engine at the log dump furnished the power to hoist it up and swing it onto the track." (Lincoln County Leader)
October 18, 1918: "The plant of the Nisqually-Russell Car and Locomotive Works, Tacoma, recently purchased by the Government, will be moved this week to Toledo, Or., to be used as a repair shop for the Warren Spruce Company.
A. G. Browne, manager of the Nisqually-Russell Car and Locomotive Works, who announced the purchase, has made application for induction into the military service.
The Nisqually plant has been in Tacoma nine years, and has been one of the prosperous institutions of the city." (Lincoln County Leader)
A. G. Browne, manager of the Nisqually-Russell Car and Locomotive Works, who announced the purchase, has made application for induction into the military service.
The Nisqually plant has been in Tacoma nine years, and has been one of the prosperous institutions of the city." (Lincoln County Leader)
January 17, 1919: "The Warren Spruce Co. has finished its work in Lincoln County, and yesterday closed its offices both here and at Newport." (Lincoln County Leader)