The historic logging wheels, which previously adorned what was the Paint Creek Cider Mill,? have returned to the same site on Orion Road, in historic Goodison, in a fully restored state as of Aug. 11.?
Several years ago this rig suffered the consequences of time and weather and finally collapsed.
As this site is being re-configured as an Oakland Township office building, an official from Oakland Township contacted members of the Oakland Township Historical Society to investigate the possibility of a restoration of this historic treasure.?(A portion of the building will continue to offer cider and doughnuts in the autumn.)
Remnants of the logging-wheel assembly, i.e., the metal and a few wood parts, were taken to a worksite, and a search for replacement wood began.’It was soon discovered that many of the tree trunks cut for the widening of Rochester Road were available, and arrangements were made for a portable sawmill to cut these tree trunks to yield pieces of appropriate sizes for the reconstruction of the logging-wheel assembly.?
White oak is the preferred species for such applications, and the sizes of the wood pieces needed are not commonly available. Hence, plans were drawn up that specified the sizes needed for the fellows (the curved pieces that form the perimeter), the spokes and the axle.?
All in all, we came close to meeting the ideal material specifications.’A few other wood and metal pieces were easily made from local resources.
Members of the Oakland Township Historical Society and several others, over a period of about one year, participated in the cutting, shaping, surface preparation and assembly of this historic rig.’It is noteworthy that the huge wheels themselves are held together by hoop stress alone created by very robust steel tires, i.e., there are no nuts and bolts involved in the basic wheel structure.?
This presents many assembly challenges, but through perseverance and the dedicated teamwork of volunteers this was successfully completed.?(Traditional assembly involved heating of the steel tire, but this proved impractical under current circumstances. Other means involving cables, jacks, clamps and many sledgehammers were used.) The three concentric circular steel bars on each mammoth wheel act as spoke guards.
Transporting the big logging wheels to Goodison presented some challenges, but thanks to about 20 BSGs (Big Strong Guys), a not-so-big-and-strong-but-well-prepared truck, and the guidance of the local sheriff’s department, the trip went without mishap.?
The assembly was carefully lowered onto cement pads as an anxious group of Oakland Township Historical Society and township people stood by, ready to celebrate and cheer for the BSGs!!!?
As cider-and-doughnut season is rapidly approaching in Goodison, you may want to add your cheer to this historic addition.
The history of logging wheels of this type largely resulted from very high demand for lumber in the latter part of the 19th century.’Traditionally, logs were pulled from the forests on sleds by teams of horses in winter, when snow and ice facilitated this process.’With the increasing lumber demand, there was interest in expanding the logging season into spring and summer.’Hence, very large (10-foot diameter) logging wheels were developed to enable log hauling over very rough terrain when snow and ice were not present.?
Silas Overback, a wheelwright and wagon builder in Manistee, Michigan responded to the emerging demand for even larger wheels to meet this demand.’Red paint distinguished the Overback wheels from others.?