Anyone Know What This Object Might Be?

[1HappyHiker]

The close up of the interior of the funnel makes it pretty clear it's a spark arrestor. That was a device riveted to the smoke stack of a wood-fired steam engine. It was designed to circulate and break up the embers in order to reduce the chance of spot fires along the tracks and in the slash.The large diameter makes it unlikely that it was attached to a portable steam donkey as I originally thought, but that's not out of the question. One of the mills or the CCC camp could have used one with an arrestor that large.

Evilhanz, you raise an interesting possibility that the stack could have been attached to something other than a steam locomotive. Rather than go off in other directions, I wanted to keep this thread focused on the funnel-shaped object that I originally found. However, in light of your response I need to add another element to this thread.

On my return visit to obtain measurements and get some additional photos, I stumbled upon another object about 150 feet or so from the funnel shaped object. This other object is a metal tube that is 18 inches in diameter and about 20 feet long. (PHOTOS BELOW)

The photos and measurements of this tubular object were provided to the Clark family. They said that it definitely was not part of a steam locomotive. Their best guess was that it was most likely a smoke stack from a portable saw mill.

But, even with adding the long tubular object into the equation, perhaps this still leads to the same point made by the Clark family about forming your own conclusions.

There are so many possibilities. Perhaps the resourceful folks of the early 20th century took the discarded funnel-shaped stack (with the spark arrestor) and mounted it onto the long tubular object to form a smoke stack for a portable saw mill. Or perhaps these two objects were never "married". Maybe this spot in the woods was simply used as a dumping spot. Over the years, perhaps other smaller "dumped" parts have been scavenged, or disintegrated, or lay buried under the forest floor.

 

[erugs]

On the Chilkoot Trail in Alaska those artifacts would be considered "untouchable" and are counted as treasures of the gold rush.

 

[RoySwkr]

On the Chilkoot Trail in Alaska those artifacts would be considered "untouchable" and are counted as treasures of the gold rush.

You'll note he took only photos

Artifacts on National Forest land are also protected, and on private land belong to the landowner of course, which does not prevent illegal scavenging

 

[erugs]

Yes, Roy. Only pictures. John's a good guy. I'm still feeling guilty though, and I guess it shows, over moving a spoon on the Chilkoot so I could get a better picture. A big no-no, and I've been looking over my shoulder ever since!

 

[Lou Hale]

G]



There are so many possibilities. Perhaps the resourceful folks of the early 20th century took the discarded funnel-shaped stack (with the spark arrestor) and mounted it onto the long tubular object to form a smoke stack for a portable saw mill. Or perhaps these two objects were never "married". Maybe this spot in the woods was simply used as a dumping spot. Over the years, perhaps other smaller "dumped" parts have been scavenged, or disintegrated, or lay buried under the forest floor.

As some one who works on a lot of old houses I can tell you untill 50 years ago almost anything that could be reused/repurposed was. I often see house parts that were something/somewhere else

However from working on these same old houses I can tell you when they had no use for something, it was dragged out to the back of the property and dumped. Out side of the urban centers there was no such thing as a scrap yard or central dump it just all went in a pile

Is it possible to drag a metal detector out there? would it even be legal to dig anything up? That should help narrow it down between being a dump or site of an old sawmill

 

[smitty77]

However from working on these same old houses I can tell you when they had no use for something, it was dragged out to the back of the property and dumped. Out side of the urban centers there was no such thing as a scrap yard or central dump it just all went in a pile

I was going to mention this as well. My property and that of my two neighbors was once owned by the local "scrap man / trash hauler" and you never know what you'll find when you dig down more than 8" or so.