I started running shovel for Roy when i was 19 years old and at one point around about late October of 1976 i chose to ride out of the Camp Baker area in a log truck, driven by Roger Nixon, that i had loaded. The truck ran off of the road at the Al Wrought park bridge and flipped over landing on its wheels next to the Toutle River. I escaped with two black eyes and Roger with seven broken ribs and as i looked up at the guard rail that we had just cleared there was Richie Filla, who had seen us go over, laughing and saying "that's a hell of a place to park a log truck". Just curious if anyone might possibly have any pictures of that wreck or any other pictures of Roy Filla Logging equipment ect. I do have some if anyone is interested.
I'd like to see 'em as my dad was hooking for Roy then.
I don’t have many pictures, this was my first shovel when I was 19 years old and some of the loads I loaded back in the day. I loaded 33 loads one day with that old beast. I worked with several hook tenders in the early to mid 70s, Jimmy Dean; Richard Tippery; Jim Sabin; Mort Binyon; Buster Benson; Layton Brown; Ron Quick aka “Quick Ron”, and probably more. Roy had 13 towers at one time so there were several hook tenders that I never knew personally but I know they were exceptional, hard working men that took pride in their work. I wish I had taken more pictures but back in the 70s a guy didn’t have an iPhone in his pocket 24/7. Just curious, what is your dad’s name?
Ron Hall is my dad. I knew Jimmy, Mort & Sabin well. At one time I believe Roy had 19 towers and multiple ground sides. I believe he was up to 74 or 76 trucks at one time also. When he shut down and Richie took the one side, that was my dad's skookum, that was the newest one that they had. When Richie was killed, Dave at Murray Pacific wanted me to take over for him and I declined. I was a young **** & vinegar filled cutter. Dave knew my dad well & knew I could do it better than I knew myself. That is when George stepped in as he was Richie's hooktender
I never worked with your dad but I do remember the name. I forgot about Dave Murzoin, not sure that’s the correct spelling, but I worked with him and knew him well when he was tending hook for Roy. One of my favorite memories was the Christmas party of 1973 I believe it was. I think it was the Red Lion there at Kelso. That place was filled with Roy Filla’s employees, and Less Mungton’s son in law was singing Johnny be Goode on the mic. Good times. I would have stayed with that outfit forever if they hadn’t shut down. I loved the competition between the sides. Jimmy Dean questioned me once about why I put so much wood on the trucks because it cut into our load count. They had dog leg stakes on the bunks hauling to Camp Baker from Castle Creek Swamp at that time and if their load scaled at 14,000 feet or more they would bring you back a fifth of whisky. Buzzy Smith had the record with 17,000 feet on a hwy truck with dog leg stakes, looked like an elephant on a roller skate. Lots of good memories there.
Where did you go after Roy? Portway was only around another year or two after that as well.
Feel free to share all your memories here, those of us who knew those men sure appreciate it and thank you for it. I love hearing about it!
In 77, some time after the auction, I went to work for Ben Thomas running a 30-B out of Woodland. I hated to leave Filla but had two young kids, was racing motocross on weekends and needed to keep working so we moved to woodland. Lots of memories there but after three years I got into a partnership with Lon Allen and started D&L logging Inc. I bought an old Manitowoc shovel for $10,000 and used to load 25 to 30 loads a day at times while we were logging for Burlington Northern South of Swift reservoir on Lewis river. We had three yarders at one time, a 208 Washington, a 158 Washington and an old D9 triple drum yarder. Loved those Washington yarders but the timber was getting smaller and they were built for power and big wood, best downhill logging machines ever in my opinion with the regenerative system. In 86 I bought a 30-B on a 50 ton Pierce carrier, got out of D& L and eventually got into cable thinning for Weyerhaeuser after converting that 30-B into a yarder, picking up a low hour 2400 LinkBelt loader and a new Timbco hot saw for bunching the corridors. We rigged supports and tail trees and right away had to add a processor. We did real well thinning, enough to send my wife through college and law school and believe it or not I took that office job working in her office for about six years. Long about 2013 I got the bug to get back in a Buncher and bunched for Don Fudge Cutting for a year, Hadaller Logging for a couple more and later started working for C&C logging in Kelso running Buncher, then processor for a couple of years and am currently running a 3740 LinkBelt loading logs again. I will turn 70 in September and still love the work and the memories I have been left with.
Nice! I remember when you were thinning with the 30B. You had Johnny working for you.
Yep, I really enjoyed thinning. It took a lot of finesse and I always had a good crew. Never a boring moment.
What is Warren up to now?
Warren is living in Cathlamet now, is retired. He has a sailboat that is moored there at the marina. I don’t see him much any more.
Did you ever meet my Jack Russell named Woody that rode in my Buncher with me for six years? Finally had to have him put to sleep after seventeen and a half years of faithful companionship, that was pretty hard but he will be remembered forever.
I did! I cut for Don Fudge back then.
My son Arric and I kinda learned thinning together, he was a hell of a hook tender rigging lift and support trees three to five roads a day sometimes. He runs his own processor contracting on Weyerhaeuser sides on Longview tree farm now.