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niveker

Odd, Strange, Unique Objects, in the woods and on the water...

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1 hour ago, DFoster said:

large bolder with a single iron rod stuck in it.

Neat.  I have seen iron rods in stones that were part of an old wall or old foundation, but not in a solitary stone like that.  Any nearby signs of an old foundation or cart path that would have crossed the stream? 

CGR 3wt?

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1 hour ago, DFoster said:

Here's one from yesterday that I'm sure many of us have encountered but can't quite explain.  I was fishing a new to me brook when I came across a large bolder with a single iron rod stuck in it.  I was fairly deep in the woods at this point and I can't imagine why this is where it is.  I know during colonial times the logging companies used rivers to float logs but this one seems way to small for that purpose. If anyone can shed some light on what this was used for or was part of please do.

MCKINSTRY_2.thumb.JPG.f3e80b6dd4488c991dbfa9c0c0da8536.JPG

MCKINSTRY_1.thumb.JPG.95e9768da1ff3935df32dd543f4430f2.JPG

 

I've seen streams a lot smaller which were used to float logs.

The "north woods" of Wisconsin were forested by huge white pines. It has been said that Wisconsin provided the lumber to build Chicago.

2043200332_ScreenShot2022-05-16at8_52_29AM.thumb.png.dea57e6edf7b57a373d809624041ec2f.png

http://bldgtypblog.blogspot.com/2012/07/white-pine-and-woods-of-northern.html

Here's a small stream I fish that was used to float white pine logs during the spring thaw. Here'a a white pine log on the bank with my rod for scale.

35557154592_92581d1514_o.jpg

Note the drowned logs in the stream. They are from the 1800's.

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34884725584_c2389ba8ff_o.jpg

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They would log the forests in winter because the ground was frozen. That allowed the horse drawn sleds to move the logs over what would be soft ground in the summer.

944559191_ScreenShot2022-05-16at9_36_31AM.png.bae017cb1cc6aba6f8315816e8c59b92.png

 

Then they floated the logs in the spring on the flooded small streams which all flowed into the Wisconsin River. Then they floated the logs down to the sawmills in the metro area I live in, Wausau, Wi.

1873007754_ScreenShot2022-05-16at9_43_46AM.thumb.png.9facb90b8f8070fb297dfa140147db5e.png

 

Those large box like structures in the middle of the river are called "cribs." There now is a hydro and flood prevention dam at Wausau that creates "Lake Wausau" that has covered the cribs. When the lake was drained to repair the dam gates., we could see the cribs.

 

 

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1 hour ago, niveker said:

Neat.  I have seen iron rods in stones that were part of an old wall or old foundation, but not in a solitary stone like that.  Any nearby signs of an old foundation or cart path that would have crossed the stream? 

CGR 3wt?

Good eye sir, yes that's a 5' 3" CGR 3 weight.  It's a great, inexpensive glass rod when pocket picking is called for.   As far as I could tell without spending too much time looking around there were no signs of a foundation in the area.  Just that strange piece of imbedded metal.  

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I always found the logging days very interesting to read about. A lot of men died in those days trapped under jams trying to get the logs down the river to the mills at the mouths. Here in Northern Michigan the lumber boom was huge. I always like to visit the Lumberman's Monument every time I'm up near where my cabin was and look at all the historic lumber stuff like the picks/axes/saws and all that they used back in the day to break up jams and float the logs down the Au Sable.

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18 minutes ago, SilverCreek said:

They would log the forests in winter because the ground was frozen. That allowed the horse drawn sleds to move the logs over what would be soft ground in the summer.

944559191_ScreenShot2022-05-16at9_36_31AM.png.bae017cb1cc6aba6f8315816e8c59b92.png

 

Then they floated the logs in the spring on the flooded small streams which all flowed into the Wisconsin River. Then they floated the logs down to the sawmills in the metro area I live in, Wausau, Wi.

1873007754_ScreenShot2022-05-16at9_43_46AM.thumb.png.9facb90b8f8070fb297dfa140147db5e.png

 

Those large box like structures in the middle of the river are called "cribs." There now is a hydro and flood prevention dam at Wausau that creates "Lake Wausau" that has covered the cribs. When the lake was drained to repair the dam gates., we could see the cribs.

 

 

Thanks for posting that Silver.  I became aware of using streams to float logs as a matter of legal fishing access.  In my home state of Massachusetts an angler can legally wade any "Navigable" waterway even if the land is posted.  "Navigable" at least in legal terms goes back to colonial times and refers to water ways that could be used to float logs.  I believe now it's defined as pretty much any water you can float a personal water craft (Kayak) on.  In our state water ways including small streams are public property and as long as you don't trespass to get to the water you can wade it.

I can't imagine what these iron mounts would have been used for but  It just seems strange to see them in at least what is now the middle of nowhere.  

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12 minutes ago, DFoster said:

I can't imagine what these iron mounts would have been used for but  It just seems strange to see them in at least what is now the middle of nowhere.  

Sometimes they would "stage" logs at certain spots on rivers till they had finished cutting and had a big enough amount to drive downstream. Not saying that's what it is, but could possible be a spot where they lashed something to for keeping logs held up maybe 🤷‍♂️

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Just now, Steeldrifter said:

Sometimes they would "stage" logs at certain spots on rivers till they had finished cutting and had a big enough amount to drive downstream. Not saying that's what it is, but could possible be a spot where they lashed something to for keeping logs held up maybe 🤷‍♂️

As good a thought as any Steve-   What I remember from Geology is that a lot of the local boulders are left overs from when the glaciers melted.  The stone is really hard (granite?) and tough to work.  If that was done with hand tools then someone went to a lot of effort to put that in there .

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We were scouting a new lake back in the 70's that was in the process of filling up. We were on foot looking for a good spot to put a duck blind. We came across a very promising point and came across a civil war era graveyard while exploring. We contacted the company that was leasing the property as well as the ACOE. They contacted us within a day saying that they went and surveyed the point and the graveyard was well above the projected high water mark. We never put a blind on that point,but did go back and check it. True to their word,the graveyard remained High and Dry. We did put a blind on the next point up and had several good seasons there.

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MCKINSTRY_1.JPG

Can you guys not SEE ?!?!?!  That's the famous Iron Rod Excalibastard.  It's related to the English Sword Excaliber.

The person who can pull it from the rock is the King of Manhattan!

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11 hours ago, DFoster said:

5' 3" CGR 3 weight.  It's a great, inexpensive glass rod

I have one too, a nice rod.  I use that or my 7' on small streams.    

Very cool photos @SilverCreek, interesting info as always.  I'm always awed by the amount of hard work and the danger the old timers were subject to on a daily basis.   

Of course, I could be wrong, but I would say that stream is too small for floating logs and the distances and spring run off in this part of New England weren't so great as to make it feasible.  Looks like there may be an old stone wall off to the right in the first picture.  My money's on it being a part of a support for an old cart path bridge, to help secure a log beam maybe.  Something must have spanned the stream at that location.

 

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11 hours ago, niveker said:

I have one too, a nice rod.  I use that or my 7' on small streams.    

Very cool photos @SilverCreek, interesting info as always.  I'm always awed by the amount of hard work and the danger the old timers were subject to on a daily basis.   

Of course, I could be wrong, but I would say that stream is too small for floating logs and the distances and spring run off in this part of New England weren't so great as to make it feasible.  Looks like there may be an old stone wall off to the right in the first picture.  My money's on it being a part of a support for an old cart path bridge, to help secure a log beam maybe.  Something must have spanned the stream at that location.

 

 

Employers Insurance of Wausau used to advertise on CBS's "60 Minutes." Remember the ads that used to make fun of the pronunciation of "Warsaw"?

That insurance company began because so many workers in the lumber industry in our state were being injured. So the workers banded together to self insure and that became the mutual insurance company "Employers Insurance of Wausau"

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17 hours ago, mikechell said:

MCKINSTRY_1.JPG

Can you guys not SEE ?!?!?!  That's the famous Iron Rod Excalibastard.  It's related to the English Sword Excaliber.

The person who can pull it from the rock is the King of Manhattan!

Well it 'aint going to be me because it wouldn't budge-  Next!

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12 hours ago, niveker said:

I have one too, a nice rod.  I use that or my 7' on small streams.    

Very cool photos @SilverCreek, interesting info as always.  I'm always awed by the amount of hard work and the danger the old timers were subject to on a daily basis.   

Of course, I could be wrong, but I would say that stream is too small for floating logs and the distances and spring run off in this part of New England weren't so great as to make it feasible.  Looks like there may be an old stone wall off to the right in the first picture.  My money's on it being a part of a support for an old cart path bridge, to help secure a log beam maybe.  Something must have spanned the stream at that location.

 

Next time I'm out there I'll look it over better and post photos of anything I find that might be a clue. 

Technically I bought the CGR as a rod for my wife (who doesn't fish to often) or grand kids to use on the stream behind our house.  I figured if it got broken it was only $75 not $750.   However it cast so well and by well I mean I like it better than my $1100 Hardy Angel II, that I just can't leave it home especially if I know that casting space will be tight.  A Cabelas employee told me not to long ago that they use Sage seconds as blanks.  There seems to be differing opinions on line.   In any event this rod makes me wonder if I wasted a lot of money on higher end fly rods or maybe I just love the way fiberglass feels?  It reminds me a lot of my bamboo rods.   I've had it for 2 years and fish it in the really dense nasty stuff and nothing has worn our out yet.   I would love try out their other lengths sometime.

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