Grand Rapids Herald Review

TIMBER RESOURCES BRING PROSPERITY TO FARMERS IN POPPLE RIVER VALLEY

Trucks Used to Transport Max and Squaw Lake Timber to Deer River Mills and Cedar Yards -Small Sawmills Solve Problem of Disposal of Cheaper Varieties of Lumber--Large Rollways of Poplar, Balsam and Birch-Dairying Is Important to Farmers There-New Barns and Houses Indicate Progress--Large Amount of Timber Remains in Goodhope and Adjoining Towns.

People who believe the timber industry in Itasca county is a thing of the past will do well to take a trip out into any portion of the county, and see the large landings which are the result of winter activity. Last Thursday a representative of the Herald-Review went as far northwest in the county as Rosy, which is 57 miles from Grand Rapids. The road traveled was through Deer River, and up over the Cut Foot Sioux Forestry road to Squaw Lake, then north and west to Rosy.

Although a great deal of timber is cut and hauled during the winter to Deer River and to Blackduck, the people in the section beyond Squaw Lake are coming more to depend on local mills. Logs are cut and landed at the mill during the winter, then after warm weather comes they are sawed into lumber, railroad ties and lath, and marketed by the aid of trucks.

In the Max section, practically all the timber cut last winter was hauled by truck to Deer River, to the Rathborn, Hair & Ridgway mills. A large amount was thus sold, and at prices which netted fair returns to owners and operators.

West of Squaw Lake postoffice, the first mill encountered is that of Victor Terho, located on the north shore of Round lake. This is an up to date mill, which turns out lumber of good quality. Mr. Terho has a large amount of lumber in the yards, and a considerable quantity of logs yet to saw. His mill will be busy most of the summer.

Ronkanen Brothers have two mills in the northwest part of the county.

One is located on the Third River road, in Good Hope township, not far from the Korpi farm. The cut there is largely poplar, which reaches large size in this clay soil, although some pine, spruce and other timber is also being sawed. Some very large rollways are decked up near the mill, to be sawed this spring, and there is some timber in the woods to be hauled out on drays as needed.

At Thirteen Mile Corner, there is another large mill which was stated to be under the management of Ronkanen Brothers. More logs have been received there than at the Goodhope mill.

The Summit Mercantile company of Blackduck have been buying logs in Good Hope township, and a considerable landing near the Dunbar mill was said to belong to this concern. The logs will be sawed as soon as a mill is moved in to be used for that purpose. A small mill is located a short distance east of Rosy, where birch and oak tie cuts are being sawed into railroad ties.

Several landings of cedar were observed along the road, including both poles and posts. These will be hauled by truck after the roads have recovered from the spring breakup.

There is a large amount of timber yet available in the towns of Good Hope and Third River. Much of the large pine and spruce was cut some years ago, and driven down the Popple and Bigfork rivers, being landed in Round and Dunbar lakes. There are large size still remind the traveler of the appearance of the entire country when it was first settled. The greater part of the timber remaining is poplar, with considerable quantities of spruce, balsam, tamarack, white birch and cedar in some localities, and with some excellent stands of white oak near some of the streams. There are some very good tracts of cedar remaining, with some poles of good size yet to be cut.

Farmers in that section of the county are improving their places, adding to their fields, and erecting some very good dairy barns. Cows are recognized as money makers, and a cream route is maintained, the cream being hauled every day to the Squaw Lake Cooperative store, from where a truck takes it to Deer River, to the creamery there.