And the West is History: Buckley Sawmill log wagon – 1902

J.W. Buckley came to Colorado from Vermont in 1879 and immediately entered the lumber industry. He operated a sawmill in Mancos and opened another in 1900 on the Florida River, about 13 miles from Durango. He sold the milled lumber from his yard in Durango. In this photo, a driver transports a large log to the mill. In July 1906, the mill on the Florida was completely destroyed by fire. The damage was estimated at between $10,000 and $12,000 (approximately $350,000 to $430,000 today), with less than half the amount insured. Buckley was able to reopen his mill at a new location on Bear Creek, east of the Pine River, and north of Bayfield in 1909. By 1913, he and his sons had left La Plata County and were managing a sawmill in Grants Pass, Oregon. – Ed Horvat for Animas Museum, edhorvat@animasmuseum (Catalog Number: 07.16.3 from the La Plata County Historical Society Photo Collections)