The Broughton lumber flume dominated the hillside between the towns of Willard and Hood in the State of Washington for over seventy years. The flume symbolized impressive engineering, jobs and an era of the lumber industry that has since passed by. The flume represented jobs and was the life blood for the lumber towns of Willard and Hood. When the flume and mills closed, most of the 2 towns went with it. The flume has an interesting story.
The Broughton lumber flume was a 9-mile wooden trough that transported rough-sawn timber (cants) from a lumber mill in Willard, WA to a finishing mill in Hood, WA. The first part of the flume was built in 1913 and ended at Drano Lake. A second flume was constructed between 1921 and 1923. This extended the flume length to the full 9 miles and ended at the Hood mill (near Underwood). When the flume ran across a private residence, it was initially leased. Broughton purchased the flume and right-of-ways in 1923. The flume water originated at the Little White Salmon River and flowed downhill at a rate of approximately 9 miles/hour. Since the flume was nine miles long, it took 55 minutes for a piece of lumber to make the trip from the Willard Mill to the Hood Mill. The flume transported about 130,000 to 150,000 board feet/day. This is enough to build about 12 homes. The flume was very stout. It had supports and legs every 4 feet. The flume was constructed out of 16-foot long 2 x 14" tongue & groove Douglas fir boards. The 2 x 14" boards were 2 inches thick which made the troughs tough and strong. Cedar lumber was used for the legs and supports because it was rot resistant. The flume was v-shaped on the bottom and the water ran about 2-feet deep. In a few places (road crossings), the flume was made of metal (3/8 inch steel plates welded together). The flume was a money saver for many years because it solved the problem of transporting the lumber down a 13-mile winding road by truck.
As you read thru this article, you will see pictures of the flume in different stages of its life. At the end of this blog, you will see time lapse photos showing the deterioration of the flume.
The flume system worked so well that the upper mill (Willard) would start work at 7am and the lower mill (Hood) would start work at 8am so the lumber would be there waiting for them.
The flume has much historical significance. The engineering is impressive. The cost-effectiveness at the time of operation is equally impressive. It was also the last functioning lumber flume of it's type in the United States and the longest working flume in the world when it closed down on Dec 19, 1986.
The flume was not designed to be water tight and some leakage was normal.
During times of winter freezing, the flume could have icicles running from the trough to the ground, sometimes of up to 20 feet high. The flume was shut down during severe freezes.
Like much of the lumber industry itself, the flume was ephemeral in nature.
A plaque at Drano Lake on Hwy 14 provides info and pictures about the flume.
End of the Flume
In December of 1986, the flume and the Willard mill were both closed. This happened because the supply of large diameter logs were disappearing. The new age forests couldn't supply the Willard mill with enough timber to make it economical. Other reasons may have included the environmental impact on the Columbia and Little White Salmon River, upkeep on the aging flume and insurance liability reasons. After the flume was shut down, it was dismantled in several critical areas. Some of the flume segments were taken for souvenirs, some pieces were put in museums and parks while the rest was allowed stand and bare the elements (slowly bending to the will of gravity). In May of 2009, I visited the flume and found it to be mostly in ruins. I estimate that in less than 20 years, the flume will be gone, with the exception of the 2 metal structures. If you want to see the flume, do it soon. The longer you wait, the less of it you will see.
The Town of Willard
Former lumber town. Population 46. The town at one time had the Broughton Lumber Mill, a gas station, 17 company houses and a company store. It was the oldest mill in Skamania County when it closed in 1986. Some of the nicest people you will meet anywhere.
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Retracing the Flume's Path
The Broughton flume and it's water originated from a dam at the Little Salmon River just north of Willard. Water was gravity fed from the dam into the feeder flume which crossed Lava Creek, ran along Oklahoma St. and then went under Oklahoma St., resurfaced and ran along Flume Rd. towards the Willard mill where it picked up lumber.
From the mill, it crossed under Willard Rd. (Co Hwy 86), went over the Little Salmon River and under Willard Rd. From here, it paralleled a service road (name unknown) where it crossed John Young's Road. The crossing structure was initially made of wood and later was made of metal. After this, it headed south and paralleled Willard Rd. From here, the flume took a SW direction and headed for Chenoweth Rd. It crossed Cook-Underwood Rd with the large green steel span just north of Chenoweth Rd (mile post 8). Next, it paralleled Chenoweth Rd and crossed under this road just before the road ends. This is also the location of the emergency water dump portion of the flume. In addition, this is the half way point of the flume: 4 and 1/2 miles each way to both Willard and Hood. From here, the flume wrapped around the hillside and began it's descent towards the Hood mill. It parallels Hwy 14 and is visible along the cliff above the highway. It can also be seen from across the river on the Oregon side. A good place to see this is Mitchell Point.
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Restoration and Preservation of the Flume
An organized attempt should be made to preserve some parts of the flume. The 2 metal structures that once crossed the roads are in good shape and will last a long time. The one in Bingen has been repainted recently. The area of Chenoweth seems like a good place for a historical site to preserve part of the flume. It has good access and much of the flume still remains there. A trestle portion of the flume would be a nice tribute, but access and cost may be a problem.
1913 Flume built from Willard to Drano Lake
1916 Harold J Broughton and DM Stevenson operate mill at Willard
1920 Broughton Lumber Company opens
1923 Broughton Lumber Co. buys flume
1923 Broughton Lumber Co. constructs additional 4 1/2 miles of flume to Hood mill
1946 Post war lumber boom
1947 Flume damaged by rock slide caused by goats
1963 Ice storm damages flume in several places
1969 National Environmental Protection Laws enacted
1969 Fire destroys 1/4 mile of the flume
1972 EPA/US Forest Service restricts clear-cutting of forests
1975 Broughton Lumber Co. peaks with 450 employees
