Harry Krause Sr

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	MRS. HARRY KRAUSE On March 7, 1908, Edward Bauer filed his deed, having successfully completed requirements under the Homestead Act. In May 1920, A. C. Krause (Grandpa) bought said Homestead and in July 1936, he deeded this property, as well as his own homestead, to his six children. Harry received the 70 acres where we made our home from 1947 until 1974. Harry had a portable mill, which he started operating in 1946, and to be nearer his work, we built what we thought was going to be a tent bottom for temporary living at "The Homestead". Somehow the walls were built higher, a roof was added and the tent never materialized. The lumber used was rough spruce which, after shrinking, allowed for much air conditioning. Two lean-to bedrooms were added to our 10x15 cottage. The first winter we papered a new section each time we brought home another cardboard box of groceries. Our three oldest children (3 months, 2 and 4 years old) were often cold. We had no electricity. I washed for five on the board and dried my clothes in the rafters, ironed with sad-irons, used an earthenware crock for refrigeration, and kept books and made payroll checks for 25 employees by the light of a kerosene lamp, using a rough board table for my desk. For a city girl, this was quite an adventure. I'm glad to have had the experience, but that's as far "back to nature" as I care to go. We finished the interior of this house, added on, had cold running water and electricity during the next year. Telephones were not to come to Mountain Brook for at least another ten years although we did have the use of a forest service phone, which was better than traveling six miles to the nearest phone. The road at that time was mostly a single lane winding road, which was impassable except by a large truck in the spring. One spring we couldn't get through the stretch from Reaser's corner to the Peters Ridge Road at all. Some of the men hauled in large rocks, which disappeared in the mud, but it did help for future travel. The mill was enlarged and put on a permanent foundation about 1950, modernized in 1955 and operated full and part time by us until 1976. The white house was built in 1952, and surely seemed luxurious after the other one. We even had hot water and an indoor bathroom! Our children enjoyed life in Mountain Brook, all four graduating from the school here. Now two of our grandchildren are enrolled in Mountain Brook School. We have enjoyed living in the friendly and close-knit community at the foot of the beautiful mountains. The property on which I now live was homesteaded by John Johnson and passed through many hands, some by sale, by forfeiture, or by bankruptcy. Often called "the white pine mill," the property gained that name legitimately. In 1923 a portable sawmill was brought, and enough lumber was sawed to build a camp. The operators were taking out white pine for the Diamond Match Company. Skidding was done by horse. They built a track of 4x6 ft. about 2¼ miles up Noisy Creek Canyon and moved the logs by donkey engine to the mill. The lumber was hauled out on Ford trucks (must have been model T's) past Lake of the Woods. Where the ground was softest they built a mile of road of sawed planks with logs along the edges to keep the trucks on the road. Men who reportedly worked on this job were: Ernie Cooper, Harry Hopkins, George Fredenberg, Emory Walker, Sam Cole, Ed Probert, Al Knowles, Ira and Arthur Lister, Robert Managhan, George Richards, Babe Hopkins, Ward McMillan, Chet Johnson and probably others.

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MRS. HARRY KRAUSE

On March 7, 1908, Edward Bauer filed his deed, having successfully completed requirements under the Homestead Act. In May 1920, A. C. Krause (Grandpa) bought said Homestead and in July 1936, he deeded this property, as well as his own homestead, to his six children. Harry received the 70 acres where we made our home from 1947 until 1974.

Harry had a portable mill, which he started operating in 1946, and to be nearer his work, we built what we thought was going to be a tent bottom for temporary living at "The Homestead". Somehow the walls were built higher, a roof was added and the tent never materialized. The lumber used was rough spruce which, after shrinking, allowed for much air conditioning. Two lean-to bedrooms were added to our 10x15 cottage. The first winter we papered a new section each time we brought home another cardboard box of groceries. Our three oldest children (3 months, 2 and 4 years old) were often cold. We had no electricity. I washed for five on the board and dried my clothes in the rafters, ironed with sad-irons, used an earthenware crock for refrigeration, and kept books and made payroll checks for 25 employees by the light of a kerosene lamp, using a rough board table for my desk.

For a city girl, this was quite an adventure. I'm glad to have had the experience, but that's as far "back to nature" as I care to go. We finished the interior of this house, added on, had cold running water and electricity during the next year. Telephones were not to come to Mountain Brook for at least another ten years although we did have the use of a forest service phone, which was better than traveling six miles to the nearest phone.

The road at that time was mostly a single lane winding road, which was impassable except by a large truck in the spring. One spring we couldn't get through the stretch from Reaser's corner to the Peters Ridge Road at all. Some of the men hauled in large rocks, which disappeared in the mud, but it did help for future travel.

The mill was enlarged and put on a permanent foundation about 1950, modernized in 1955 and operated full and part time by us until 1976. The white house was built in 1952, and surely seemed luxurious after the other one. We even had hot water and an indoor bathroom!

Our children enjoyed life in Mountain Brook, all four graduating from the school here. Now two of our grandchildren are enrolled in Mountain Brook School.

We have enjoyed living in the friendly and close-knit community at the foot of the beautiful mountains.

The property on which I now live was homesteaded by John Johnson and passed through many hands, some by sale, by forfeiture, or by bankruptcy.

Often called "the white pine mill," the property gained that name legitimately. In 1923 a portable sawmill was brought, and enough lumber was sawed to build a camp. The operators were taking out white pine for the Diamond Match Company. Skidding was done by horse. They built a track of 4x6 ft. about 2¼ miles up Noisy Creek Canyon and moved the logs by donkey engine to the mill. The lumber was hauled out on Ford trucks (must have been model T's) past Lake of the Woods. Where the ground was softest they built a mile of road of sawed planks with logs along the edges to keep the trucks on the road. Men who reportedly worked on this job were: Ernie Cooper, Harry Hopkins, George Fredenberg, Emory Walker, Sam Cole, Ed Probert, Al Knowles, Ira and Arthur Lister, Robert Managhan, George Richards, Babe Hopkins, Ward McMillan, Chet Johnson and probably others.