Crane Creek Lumber Company
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Lumber |
| Founded | 1920s |
| Fate | Destroyed by fire and subsequently closed |
| Headquarters | Willow Creek, California , United States |
| Products | Lumber, Ponderosa Pine timber products |
The Crane Creek Lumber Company (CCLC) holds the distinction of being the inaugural significant lumber enterprise within California's Modoc National Forest. Established during the 1920s, its initial operations were based in Crane Creek Canyon before shifting to Lawson Creek. In 1928, the company constructed a 16.5-mile standard-gauge railroad spur to support its activities. This development came after CCLC secured a contract in 1926 with the United States Forest Service to harvest 194 million board feet of timber from the Fandango Logging Unit located in Modoc National Forest, focusing mainly on Ponderosa Pine logging.
Adjacent to the Nevada-California-Oregon Railway (NCO) near Willow Creek, CCLC set up a planing mill and box factory, streamlining lumber processing and shipment. The company’s rail line linked with the NCO at Willow Creek and extended southeastward into forested areas. For transport, CCLC operated an oil-powered Shay locomotive (#1, Serial Number 2733), purchased in 1928 from Crookston Lumber Company, which was capable of pulling two flatcars loaded with lumber. The railroad ceased operations by 1930, with track removal completed in 1934. A devastating fire at Lawson Creek during the 1930s destroyed company facilities and ultimately resulted in the business shutting down.
See also
- Defunct companies based in California
- History of Modoc County, California
- Modoc National Forest
- Logging railroads in the United States
- Defunct California railroads
- American companies established in 1928
- American companies disestablished in 1930
- 1928 establishments in California
- 1930 disestablishments in California
- Renewable resource companies established in 1928
- Defunct forest products companies of the United States