Lake Sawyer Lumber Co. - Incorporated September 1919

When I first started this blog in 2011 and 2012, I posted several articles about the Lake Sawyer Lumber Company.  For me, this was my first attempt at doing some original research and it got me hooked on local history.  In the process I received assistance from many people including JoAnne Matsumura with the Black Diamond Historical Society, Erik Erickson who has chronicled much of the early history of sawmilling in the Puget Sound region and whose family owned a sawmill in Issaquah, Bill Kombol who introduced me to King County Property Services and how to research land-use records dating back many years, University of Washington Libraries that maintain an incredible record of historic photos, Ted & Debbie Strand at the Lake Sawyer Grocery with photos of the lake from the early days, Jack Sperry whose family established residence here dating back to the 1940's on property once part of the sawmill and especially to Peggy Hawkins, grandaughter of Joseph Neukerchen, a co-founder of Lake Sawyer Lumber Co.  The Hawkins still maintain a cabin on the lake on property once part of the sawmill site.  What fun! 

Here's one of my favorite pics of the mill. 

Photo courtesy of Peggy Hawkins, Asahel Curtis photographer

Phil Acosta - I think you live right there today!

As it turns out, this mill was quite an enterprise that even survived the crash of 1929 - for a few more years anyway until eventually closing in 1934.  Based on records maintained by Eric Erickson, an inventory of mill equipment in 1930 included:

• 1 sawmill side with 45MBF capacity per day
• 30 men employed (the peak was 45 employees in the 1927/1928 period)
• 4.5 miles of logging railroad (includes two lines, direct to mill and at the southwest log dump)
• 1 rod locomotive, 1 geared locomotive
• 4 flat cars and 1 "moving car" whatever this was - probably for finished lumber
• 1 high lead and 2 donkey engines
• 1 motor truck

Courtesy of the Strands and Lake Sawyer Grocery, following is one of my favorite photos of high lead logging here.

Can you believe the guy standing on top?  And the boys hanging to the right from the top line.  Yikes, I get Achrophobia just standing on our deck rails.

Following are a few more of my favorite mill photos.

Must have been photo day - everybody with their hats on.

 Note the water tower in the background.

Obviously, a large operation. 

No EPA back then.  And here's the log dump, now the location of the Lake Sawyer Resort.

For those of you interested in more mill history, here are a few links to earlier posts:

• http://www.blackdiamondnow.net/black-diamond-now/2011/03/lake-sawyer-mill-co-circa-1924.html
• http://www.blackdiamondnow.net/black-diamond-now/2010/02/lake-sawyer-mill-the-cloud-of-mystery-begins-to-lift.html
• http://www.blackdiamondnow.net/black-diamond-now/2012/10/our-history-of-innovation-determination-neukirchen-brothers.html
• http://www.blackdiamondnow.net/black-diamond-now/2010/03/lake-sawyer-mill-history-unveiled.html
• http://www.blackdiamondnow.net/black-diamond-now/2010/09/lake-sawyer-mill-spar-tree-circa-1926-.html
• http://www.blackdiamondnow.net/black-diamond-now/2011/05/more-great-neukerchen-photos-circa-1932.html
• http://www.blackdiamondnow.net/black-diamond-now/2010/03/lake-sawyer-sawmill-railroads.html

 

Comments

[Erich Eickmeyer]

Thank you so much for posting this! My family has lived in Lake Sawyer Estates (on the former site of the mill) since 1991, and we've always been fascinated with figuring out the history of this area. Up until I found this post (http://www.railroadforums.com/forum/showthread.php?35223-Lake-Sawyer-Lumber-Co-Stampede-Line), we had no idea what had been here before the houses were built. My family and I would also be curious as to any accidents that may have happened pertaining to the mill or railroad.

This also explains the mysterious railroad spike we found in our back yard. Sadly, it has since been misplaced. Additionally, any sign of the rail line has disappeared as a result of the development right around here, especially since our house is likely built in the middle of what may have been a rail line.

Again, thank you. I hope to see more information about this in the future!