The Steam Donkey Preservation Project
Current site in Rainbow Plaza.
What is the Steam Donkey Preservation Project?
The goal of the Steam Donkey Preservation Project is to restore and protect an important piece of Reedsport's history, our 1915 Smith & Watson Iron Works steam donkey also known as "Machine No. 36."
The History of Reedsport's Steam Donkey
Machine No. 36 is one of less than thirty public steam donkeys remaining in Oregon and one of only three of its kind, a compound geared two-speed yarder. Steam donkeys played an important role in early twentieth century logging. Powered by an efficient, wood-fed firebox, Machine No. 36 was used throughout the thick timber around Reedsport and Winchester Bay to haul logs downhill to the rail line.
Machine No. 36 operated from 1915 to 1936. The loggers who ran it were pulled away from the hills to help construct the Umpqua River jetty. By the time they returned, steam-powered yarders were being replaced by their more efficient electric successors. Machine No. 36 sat where it last worked, in a swamp at the bottom of a steep ravine, for decades, slowly falling into decay.
The goal of the Steam Donkey Preservation Project is to restore and protect an important piece of Reedsport's history, our 1915 Smith & Watson Iron Works steam donkey also known as "Machine No. 36."
The History of Reedsport's Steam Donkey
Machine No. 36 is one of less than thirty public steam donkeys remaining in Oregon and one of only three of its kind, a compound geared two-speed yarder. Steam donkeys played an important role in early twentieth century logging. Powered by an efficient, wood-fed firebox, Machine No. 36 was used throughout the thick timber around Reedsport and Winchester Bay to haul logs downhill to the rail line.
Machine No. 36 operated from 1915 to 1936. The loggers who ran it were pulled away from the hills to help construct the Umpqua River jetty. By the time they returned, steam-powered yarders were being replaced by their more efficient electric successors. Machine No. 36 sat where it last worked, in a swamp at the bottom of a steep ravine, for decades, slowly falling into decay.
The 1994 rescue operation.
In 1994 Grover Woods, who once ran Machine No. 36, assembled a team of dedicated volunteers to go rescue it. “We just kept remembering it when we left it down there and then when this road got in there close to it we decided [to get it]," said Woods. Over the course of several months, the volunteers went out when the weather was good and worked dawn to dusk to pull the steam donkey up towards the ridge, maybe gaining two feet in a day. “Only those who worked to pull it out understand the effort that was involved,” says Dareld Woods, Grover Woods’s grandson
When at last Machine No. 36 was recovered, the men who worked to save it donated it to the City of Reedsport and placed it in Rainbow Plaza, where it has stood ever since as a remnant of the logging industry that helped create Reedsport and a memorial to those who dedicated their lives to that dangerous profession.
When at last Machine No. 36 was recovered, the men who worked to save it donated it to the City of Reedsport and placed it in Rainbow Plaza, where it has stood ever since as a remnant of the logging industry that helped create Reedsport and a memorial to those who dedicated their lives to that dangerous profession.
Making plans for relocation, December 2015.
The Restoration
Over the years, our harsh coastal weather had eaten away at the exposed metal of Machine No. 36. With no cap to keep out water and debris, severe rust had degraded the appearance and integrity of the steam donkey's funnel and smoke stack. Fred Wahl Marine Construction partnered with the City to fabricate a cap and funnel consistent with the original design, preventing water from degrading the structure any further. Next, the main body of the machine was coated with marine grade paint chosen to match the original 1915 appearance. This work helped preserve Machine No. 36 for many decades to come.
The Relocation
In the second phase of the project, we will be building a new park to showcase the restored steam donkey. This park will include interpretive signage, benches, and other amenities, converting a vacant lot into a pedestrian-friendly area that will invite drivers to park and explore our historic downtown on foot. The City of Reedsport recently acquired Myrtle Grove from the State of Oregon to showcase the restored Steam Donkey. The Reedsport Main Street Program continues to work towards the completion of this project alongside our dedicated donors and community members.
Over the years, our harsh coastal weather had eaten away at the exposed metal of Machine No. 36. With no cap to keep out water and debris, severe rust had degraded the appearance and integrity of the steam donkey's funnel and smoke stack. Fred Wahl Marine Construction partnered with the City to fabricate a cap and funnel consistent with the original design, preventing water from degrading the structure any further. Next, the main body of the machine was coated with marine grade paint chosen to match the original 1915 appearance. This work helped preserve Machine No. 36 for many decades to come.
The Relocation
In the second phase of the project, we will be building a new park to showcase the restored steam donkey. This park will include interpretive signage, benches, and other amenities, converting a vacant lot into a pedestrian-friendly area that will invite drivers to park and explore our historic downtown on foot. The City of Reedsport recently acquired Myrtle Grove from the State of Oregon to showcase the restored Steam Donkey. The Reedsport Main Street Program continues to work towards the completion of this project alongside our dedicated donors and community members.
The Reedsport Main Street Program would like to thank Fred Wahl Marine Construction for their partnership, generous donations, and support in preserving the history of our community; the Reedsport/Winchester Bay Chamber of Commerce for their financial donation; and the many people from the community who have donated time and money to this project. Any future donations will help us complete our effort to restore and protect this important artifact from Reedsport's early history.
How will this project impact Reedsport?
Machine No. 36 is part of the story that makes Reedsport unique. The preservation and renovation of this steam donkey will enhance our sense of community and bring us closer together, giving us a sense of our history in order that we might better understand how to face our current and future challenges. As Reedsport approaches its 2019 centennial celebration, the restored steam donkey will play an important role in inspiring optimism for the next hundred years, an attitude that will make our town a more livable, sustainable community.
Click here to help us continue our steam donkey preservation project!
How will this project impact Reedsport?
Machine No. 36 is part of the story that makes Reedsport unique. The preservation and renovation of this steam donkey will enhance our sense of community and bring us closer together, giving us a sense of our history in order that we might better understand how to face our current and future challenges. As Reedsport approaches its 2019 centennial celebration, the restored steam donkey will play an important role in inspiring optimism for the next hundred years, an attitude that will make our town a more livable, sustainable community.
Click here to help us continue our steam donkey preservation project!
In 1994, Machine No. 36 was rescued from the forest...
Watch this video to see how Reedsport's steam donkey made the journey from swamp to city plaza.
