| History: | The Hope Lumber Company tram road in 1898 ran from Montvale Springs to Phillip's Switch. It is a logical assumption that its rolling stock was mechanized, because the rails were made of 35# and 45# metal rails.
The Hope Lumber Company entries date from 1891 in the Harrison County records. In 1897, the sawmill and planing was located at Harleton. The equipment was mortgaged that year for $4,750. A mortgage of 1897 on their tram road was cancelled in January, 1898. A mortgage three months later revealed that their tram road ran from Montvale Springs to Phillip's Switch.
An unsigned article by Bob Bowman in the Crosscut reported that brothers James and Robert Harle ran a steam logging tram road into the woods. Their Hope Lumber Company had a depot, band sawmill, and a commissary. The company was out of business by 1900, because the timber had been cut out. |