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The Wharf
originally started out as just a small dock sticking out into the Fall
Creek flow. This was even before Jack Kelley had built the first
building at Kelley's Landing. All Jack had at the time was a large tent
but big ideas. But just about the time he built the First Boarding House
Jack also built the first Wharf. It wasn't as big as the present day
Wharf and it also didn't have a rail spur but it did service the small
hand pushed barges that would occasionally stop to drop off supplies.
Around 1898 the
first Boarding House burned down. The stories vary but it seems there
was a fight in the bar and an oil lamp got knocked over and lit the
fire. There was no fire department and most of the guests were so far
under the weather, drink wise, that none thought to get buckets of water
from the creek until the building was a pile of glowing embers. So
around 1900 Jack built the present day Boarding House and at the same
time the old and dilapidated Wharf was replaced with the present 127
foot one. Also at this time the Fall Creek Lumber company was in full
swing and they ran a spur track down from the mill to haul various loads
brought in by steam barge back up to the camps and the mill.
The Wharf is
totally constructed from strip wood. It sets on 9 sets of piles and
beams. These beam assemblies are topped with 2x10 joists running the
length of the Wharf and are topped with a 2x10 decking that runs front
to back with the back edge butting the side of the spur track rail. Both
the Wharf decking and the rail are the same height. The area between the
rails is filled with timbers and the ground on the street side is level
with the top of the rails. With this it's easy to push loaded wagons
both to and from the wharf to the businesses in the area.
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