New England sawmillers in Scotland – Sawmill takedown at end of contract
The images are courtesy of Rene Knott and Kyle of Sutherland Historical Society. However the writer is uncertain of how the photographs known as the Culeve (Location in Strathcarron) collection were formed and who initially collected them. A similar collection is in the care of the Jenks Library in Acton Massachusetts gifted by Webster Blanchard who was the foreman of New England Mill No 3 team. It is assumed that one of the Americans or more had cameras, took a selection of photographs which were passed to various team members. A local Scottish photographer or press reporter should perhaps not be ruled out as there would have been a ready market for photographs among the New England teams. Any further information on the photographs would be very welcome. Locations are within five miles of Ardgay, Ross-shire.
In some ways a poignant image as the work site is closing down and the teams will be moving on. Some men had volunteered to join the American military services, others the American Forestry Engineers in France and some headed directly back home. The local ladies who had married New England team members also headed to America but so far names or numbers are not certain although there is a brief reference to 10 or 12 in total.
The mill site has been partially dismantled to allow the extraction of the steam engine seen here being pulled out by the horse teams with onlookers watching the operation. Note that the small diameter poles are still piled up in the felled area and there is no word of what happened to them.
An advert subsequently appeared regarding the sale of the New England Sawmills in the Aberdeen Press & Journal 28 June 1919. They were described as "American 'Light Type,' each with Log Carriage and Track for same, Discharge Roller Bench, Sawdust Conveyor, and necessary accessories; also Boilers, Engines, Spare Parts and Hutting for Each Mill." They all ended up at Creich, Sutherlandshire and were sold by order of the Board of Trade by the Timber Supply Department, Scotland. Douglas Currie of Ardgay would show them to interested buyers.
There is no comment of the future of the horses but it is possible they could have been transported to France where very extensive timber operations were in progress by the Allies including the Americans at the end of the war.
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Groups: American sawmillers in Scotland 1917, Forestry Areas, Forestry in Action, Groups of people, Horses at work in Forests, Sawmills, pulp mills, chipboard mills