Forest Heritage Museum

[fossis]

I took a trip to the 'Forest Heritage Museum' in Beavers Bend State Park in SE Oklahoma today.
The lake is called 'Broken Bow lake', great fishing including trout downstream, the museum has wood carvings , wooden bowls, storys & pics, & artifacts from the logging, sawmill industry in OK.
It started with oxen, then progressed to Mules, & today modern saws that can grab a tree & cut it while standing upright & then cut it in lengths
I was a part of it in the 1950's & 60's, we used chain saws & mules, & log trucks to harvest the timber & haul to the mill.
The Museum was so large that my few pictures don't do it justice.

Fossis................

 

[Tank69]

I grew up in a logging family , brings back memories , them a group of tuff SOB's not like alot of todays workers , great pics , thanks for sharing .

 

[mjido]

My Father-in-law maybe pictured in the tenth picture. He started his logging career in Oklahoma before moving on to Northern California. I still remember him sharping his chain saws for hours, shucks, in those days it took two men and a boy to lift one of those saw.

 

[fossis]

I grew up in a logging family , brings back memories , them a group of tuff SOB's not like alot of todays workers , great pics , thanks for sharing .

Thanks Tank, they sure were, I can't imagine using a 'crosscut saw' all day, I was too young to use the large chainsaw we used, but I carried it from tree to tree, & as I grew older I was a stout little man from all the heavy lifting, but it finally wore out my back.

Fossis..............
Heres a few more pic's

 

[fossis]

My Father-in-law maybe pictured in the tenth picture. He started his logging career in Oklahoma before moving on to Northern California. I still remember him sharping his chain saws for hours, shucks, in those days it took two men and a boy to lift one of those saw.

Small world, a lot of the loggers moved west, some went to Eagle's nest NM, & CA, we logged in Wy later on.
You're right about the 'huge saws', we had a David Bradley, big sucker.
I knew lots of people who had 'bad scars' from the saw's, & many were killed by falling trees & accidents.

Fossis..........

 

[Mental Granny]

The outside pics look so big! I like the history with the different saws and the carvings are beautiful!

 

[fossis]

The outside pics look so big! I like the history with the different saws and the carvings are beautiful!

Thanks Evy

Fossis.............

 

[fossis]

Nice pics . I like the little tree ring chronology thing .

Yeah that's neat, I just missed seeing the tree when it was alive, but it was struck by lightning.
It was the biggest 'bald cypress' in the area.

Fossis...........

 

[Okie Hillbillies]

Great pictures Fossis just wish we had been there

 

[fossis]

Great pictures Fossis just wish we had been there

Thanks, just get 'the old man' ready & we'll go someday.

Fossis.............

 

[Okie Hillbillies]

Great pictures Fossis just wish we had been there

Thanks, just get 'the old man' ready & we'll go someday.

Fossis.............

I'd love to but you're going to have to help me convince him

 

[rginn]

Been there many times, Fossis, thanks for the pics. Do they still have the 'Owa-chita' (Choctaw for 'big woods') festival there? Up north on 259 where Bok Tuklo (Choctaw for 'two creeks') creek runs into the Mt. Fork river is a good place to fish. There's also an old trail crossing on the river near there, allegedly part of the route used by the James Gang after robbing a coach near Hot Springs. I detected there once, but didn't find much. Another cool drive is up northwest from Broken Bow towards the town of Battiest, which only folks who live or have lived in Little Dixie can pronounce correctly. (Ba-teest, not bat-e-ist; it's French. You're welcome, citizens of Battiest)

 

[fossis]

Been there many times, Fossis, thanks for the pics. Do they still have the 'Owa-chita' (Choctaw for 'big woods') festival there? Up north on 259 where Bok Tuklo (Choctaw for 'two creeks') creek runs into the Mt. Fork river is a good place to fish. There's also an old trail crossing on the river near there, allegedly part of the route used by the James Gang after robbing a coach near Hot Springs. I detected there once, but didn't find much. Another cool drive is up northwest from Broken Bow towards the town of Battiest, which only folks who live or have lived in Little Dixie can pronounce correctly. (Ba-teest, not bat-e-ist; it's French. You're welcome, citizens of Battiest)

You're welcome, yes they still have the festival, but i've yet to make it.
I had a buddy from Battiest area, he found a 'peace medal' at an old place, it was worth $6,000.00.

Fossis..........