Tour of historic 'Sturgeon's Lumber Mill' -- (photo-essay) Part II

Last Sunday the Western Sonoma County Historical Society (of which yours truly is President) held its annual potluck picnic at an historic lumber mill named "Sturgeon's" which fairly recently received its non-profit status as an historic site near the town of Occidental in Sonoma County, Northern California.

I published Part I yesterday of a photo-essay on the picnic here on Gather (you can access that article HERE ) in which I promised to post another photo-essay of the tour portion of the mill at Sturgeon's which we were given by a senior member of the Sturgeon Family. This is "Part II" of that article.

(Above: Mr. Sturgeon shows the tour group how the massive saw blades at the mill were sharpened.)

(Above: Mr. Sturgeon shows part of the process that the lumber went through at the mill.)

(Above: A rare 1924 model "Dorris" truck that still runs on display at the mill.)

(Above: Mr. Sturgeon demonstrates how wooden shingles were made by hand.)

(Above: Mr. Sturgeon explains how large redwood logs were moved and loaded.)

(Above: A vignette from Sturgeon's Lumber Mill.)

(Above: The old "blacksmith shop" at the mill.)

(Above: A display of old tools and equipment at Sturgeon's Mill.)

(Above: A large collection of chainsaws -- old and newer -- used by the mill over the years.)

(Above: Old pullies take on an artistic look in a small corner of the mill.)

(Above: Another vignette from Sturgeon's Lumber Mill.)

(Above: Mr. Sturgeon shows the tour group a phone book dating from 1950 which contains the listings for three entire California counties: Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake. Note: These counties have separate phone books today of approximately 2-inches thick each.)

(Above: A collection of "double-trees" -- harnessing equipment for teams of horses -- and an oxen yoke at the mill harken back to its days of animal-drawn conveyances.)

(Above: A stack of redwood logs at the mill site.) 

 (Above: Another vignette from Sturgeon's Lumber Mill.)

All in all, the picnic and tour of the grounds of the Sturgeon's Lumber Mill made for a fascinating and convivial day and I enjoyed myself thoroughly!

If you're interested in the events of the Western Sonoma County Historical Society, access their website HERE. If you want to learn more about Sturgeon's Mill or find out about tours, their website can be accessed HERE.