history of Rainy Lake / North Lake

[wnshall]

I was recently camping at North Lake and noticed that both it and Rainy lake had man-made dams across their outlets. One person replied to a query in my TR about the history of this by saying that the lakes were used during logging operations to float logs down flumes. Can anyone expand on this? When would this have been? Where did these flumes go -- down existing creeks? Where did they end up? Is there any other evidence of this operation?

[EMTStolz]

North Lake and Rainy Lake feed into Gate Creek, which a long time ago fed the log flume for the Stanley Smith Lumber Company's Greenpoint Mill, located at present day Kingsley Reservoir. This image of the flume is dated 1916.

[Limey]

wnshall, go to historichoodriver.com click on browse and it will bring up a page of photos. The bottom right photo is a 1911 map of Hood River. Bring that up and scroll to the bottom. Click on Lower valley and you will get the map showing the flumes from Rainy Black and North lakes going to the greenpoint mill and the flume going from there to Ruthton down on the Columbia. It's very cool. Hope this helps you a little.

Marilyn

[wnshall]

Thanks for the info. That's a great photo. I'll check out the history website. It's amazing to think of all that logging activity up there.