A Former Historic Factory Building and Current Home Burned Down in Salmon Creek West of Miranda This Morning
A historic building in Salmon Creek burned this morning. [Photo by John Miller]
In the 1960’s and 70’s, Casey Bowman invented and patented a liquid ballast bumper before 4-wheel drive vehicles were easily available. The bumper was “intended for mounting upon the rear end of a truck for the purpose of providing stability and traction of the vehicle at the rear.” The bumper could be filled with water to make a vehicle heavier and get more traction.
He then manufactured Bowman Ballast Bumpers or Liquid Ballast Bumpers in this building.
According to well-known local and former logger Ernie Branscomb writing in a comment on this website earlier, “The bumper made a big difference in traction. Any logger worth his cork boots had one.”
Flames still burned in the rubble of the building as the morning light crept over the firefighters. [Photo from John Miller]
The smoking rubble. [Photo by John Miller]
Smoke rising from the burning home early this morning. [Photo by Lisa Stone]
Casey Bowman in the Ballast Bumper Factory on Salmon Creek. [Photo provided by the Bowman family]
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Very sad. Always a bummer to see a piece of history disappear.
Is this like Alex Bowman bumpers or any relation
My first truck had one of these bumpers…
Does the Bowman family still own the factory property?
I don’t believe so.
No it was owned my my mom until it was swindled away…
Trying to wrap my head around this…. Any information on how it started? Going around that corner and over the bridge and NOT seeing that property will be so strange!!!
This rube would like to see a picture of one of these bumpers. Anyone?
Click the link where it talks about patented. There’s a drawing.
Thank you Kym. I had heard of them, but never saw one.
I knew a guy who used Silver Bars for the same purpose, to get traction.
Silver was cheaper then…
And it takes gasoline, to haul weight around, so buy a vehicle that has SH-AWD, like an Acura.
That’s the reason to keep a snow shovel (and a large container if a car) in a pick up when driving in snow. Shovel snow into the back for extra weight.
I used to keep bags of sand in the back. Always good to be prepared.
Snow can be shoveled out when done. And there’s as much as you want because you only want it when there’s lots around. But some sand is good for being stuck on ice. Not so much for snow though.
Or don’t drive a freakin pickup.
Don’t get a Subaru either, unless you want to spin out.
A Honda Accord has better snow-capability than a Subaru Outback. Or any old VW makes a better 4WD than any pickup.
A pick up is a working tool. Like for people who work.
Worked 41 years.
Never had a pickup. Think they are for Cowboys who don’t know about cars…
I used to buy trucks and resell them, but now everyone does it…
Hauling shit to the dump in your car is limiting. I have a 50 mpg car for a daily driver & a truck for dump loads, firewood & etc.
Attention self-righteous…We know all about cars but can’t haul firewood, fence posts, rebar, a yard of gravel or dirt, rocks, auto parts ect… in a car.
My Subaru is fantastic in the snow. If you’re spinning out you have no skill
Every time I drive in snow, I see spun-out Subarus…
I love to toodle by them in my Accord 2WD. Once I drove from Alturas to Red Bluff in a blizzard, no chains. I also used to ski Squaw, and drove there in my 63 VW, most often…
Subarus are good cars for old women who don’t drive much and for guys like you who already know everything they think they need to know…
It surprises me that anybody had a factory of any kind on Salmon Creek road…
I’m so sorry to hear this, and hope no one was injured.. Huge thanks to all of our SCVFD folks who turned out to protect us all. Such a terrible way to start your day. Remember this when we have the SCVFD BBQ this weekend!
Calfire
This place was in the news on RHBB in recent months. I can’t remember why.
Clink on the last link. It will take you to what you probably are remembering.
Sorry to hear this. I remember when Allen Katz wanted to start a woodworkers coop (FLAPCO) in the building a long time ago.
The building was originally built as a saw mill in the late 1940’s to the 1950’s. My father owned half of it with man named Murry.
What’s wrong with Humboldt is there no compassion here. Someone lost there Home people, their belongings, etc. Yet nobody’s talking about that not even the article. It talk about the Old Bowman Family. But what about the damn Family that lives there now. Nobody has to like their fellow man. But as a Human Being Compassion should be given to EVERYONE. So shame on you Humboldt y’all have become what most strive to not be Dead Inside.
I don’t generally talk about the victims of a fire unless there is a death or they ask me to do a GoFundMe. The idea is to give them privacy unless they choose otherwise.
Pronounced “cork” boots. Spelling: “caulk” boots.
Cork as a spelling is accepted. Actually the true spelling should be calk.
“Calk- a cleat on the shoe of a horse to prevent slipping; also: a similar device worn on the sole of a shoe.”
Caulking is used to stop a leak. Not sure why that came into use.
Since Ernie is pretty much an expert- this is what he was talking about- https://www.mendotraintony.com/loggers-calk-caulk-or-cork-boots/
Yep. Cork boots. It was a great source of humor to hear somebody call a “timber faller or chopper wearing cork boots” a timber Feller wearing caulked boots. LOL. The tractor driver was call a Cat skinner. And, the guy hooking up the logs was called a choker setter. The company rep was called a “Bullbuck”. and of course as in any profession the boss was called “the asshole”.
I wish that I could tell you the rest of the terminology we used in the woods but I’ve already pushed the limit.
Well, I know that the donkey puncher ain’t got no use for corks, or caulks, or calks. Three words for the same thing. Kinda like pepperwood, myrtlewood, bay tree, ect.. I suppose.
I was a choker Dog back in the day.
Where is it mentioned if the occupance made it out or their pets. There was a Horse back there behind that shop.
Nowhere is it stated. Because I didn’t have any official notification.
I’m with ya!
I’m with ya
I was sad to see Casey Bowman’s bumper factory burned to the ground. I knew him well and he was a great guy. Went to South Fork High School with his daughter Pam. Dad drove school bus 18 by there almost every single day and gave Casey a toot and wave. A wonderful family.
This is devastating for the Bowman Family. Such a huge part of Humboldt history. The Bumper Factory turned into a disaster. Our hearts are broken.
I am so very sorry for the loss Donna. Did you post that nice picture of Casey working inside the bumper factory? Years ago, my dad and I would shoot the breeze with Casey when we were all fishing the High Rock Hole. He sure loved fishing.
My family lived in Salmon Creek from 1952 to 1956. We lived on the Hansen mill site in one of their mill shacks. Many of us “Okies” did. My dad, a former boilermaker for the Southern Pacific in Roseville was an expert certified welder and helped Casey with the welding on his initial prototypes. Most of our pickups has Casey’s Barden Bumpers attached. Sorry to hear about the fire. Another piece of my history gone.