Fresno Flume and Lumber Company waterways Fresno California

Fresno Flume and Lumber Company waterways Fresno California

Bennett, Ira.; Fresno Flume and Irrigation (Firm); Fresno Flume and Lumber (Firm); Irrigation canals and flumes -- California -- Fresno County -- Photographs.; Lumber trade -- California -- Fresno County -- History -- Sources.; Fresno (Calif.) -- History -- Sources.

A portion of the 45 mile long flume constructed in 1893-1894 by Fresno Flume and Irrigation Company to carry bundles of cut lumber from Shaver Lake to Clovis, California. The use of wooden waterways provided an efficient and practical means of transporting cut lumber out of the mountains and was much cheaper than constructing a railroad up to the mills from the valley. Water for the flume came from Shaver Lake which was also used to store uncut logs. Fresno Flume and Irrigation later sold to Ira Bennett who created the new firm Fresno Flume and Lumber Company of Nevada in 1912. A portion of the flume collapsed in 1914 after an unusually heavy snowstorm and was not rebuilt. The remaining portions of the flume were sold for $20,000 for the scrap value of the lumber and were mostly dismantled. Portions of the flume in inaccessible terrain were simply left in place to decay.

1 photographic print (postcard) :b&w ;9 x 14 cm.

San Joaquin Valley Library System

ca 1914

Fresno County Public Library

This image is being made available for educational and research purposes only, under the "fair use" clause of the U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) Further questions regarding the image or its use may be directed to the Fresno County Public Library, Heritage Center, 2420 Mariposa St, Fresno, CA 93721. Phone: 559-600-6230 HeritageCenter@fresnolibrary.org

SJV Photo Heritage

image/jpeg

en

Image

frp0084

ca 1914