Sequoia National Forest

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Hume-Bennett Lumber Company created Hume Lake as an 87-acre log holding pond in the early 1900s. The general area was the scene of extensive commercial logging since the 1880s, and by 1908, the lumber people were looking for new timber stands to harvest. They found good trees a few miles to the east of the Converse Basin near Long Meadow, and soon established a large sawmill complex.

The first step to moving logging operations was to build a reservoir for log storage, an earlier hindrance of mills at the Millwood and Converse Basin. The lake provided a year-round water source for a 17-mile extension of the lumber-carrying flume to the yards in Sanger in the San Joaquin Valley. However, builders expected construction costs of a dam to be high due to the transportation of equipment and supplies over questionable roads.

Taking into account the need to conserve materials without sacrificing strength, John S. Eastman, an engineer hired by the Hume-Bennett Lumber Company, designed an innovative multiple-arch dam. The first such reinforced concrete dam built in the U.S., the finished dam was 677 feet long and consisted of 12 arches with the upstream faces sloped so water pressure exerted downwards kept the dam stable. The amount of concrete needed for this type of dam was much less than for a conventional single-arch dam.

Construction on the dam began in June 1908. Working dawn to dusk, seven days a week, the crews finished the dam 114 days later. The final cost was $46,541, much less than a filled dam cost. The finished dam is 61 feet high, and contains 8 miles of steel cable reinforcing 2201 cubic yards of concrete.

At the same time, work began on the three-story-high mill complex below the dam Two huge drying kilns were built below the mill to cure the newly-cut lumber. By 1910, the mill complex included a boiler house, power house, and foundry. Nearby they built a community consisting of a housing complex, dining hall, post office, and hospital.

Equipment from other mills on the Converse Basin moved in despite heavy loads and rough roads. A Shay locomotive engine used a network of railroad lines laid out from the new Hume Lake Mill. Logging of the surrounding terrain started in earnest, but despite steady activity, the revenue earned never offset the expenses of the venture. Poor lumber markets aided by the high maintenance costs of the flume chipped away at the profits. By 1917, the business was barely surviving when World War I took the hardiest loggers and reduced the work force by 40 percent. Violent union organizers were threatening the company when in November 1917, a mysterious fire leveled the mill and most of the outbuildings. A small outdoor circular mill was built in 1918, but the war-time recession caused a further slump in lumber markets. The reorganized company soon saw the need to sell off its holdings.

Although several business interests and the National Park Service showed interest in acquiring the land, it wasn't until 1927 that a buyer was found. E.M. "Ned" Prescott operated the business for several years. A series of bad luck, the loss of the Sanger yards and the upper flume to fires, and the devastating effects of the 1929 depression helped destroy any remaining hopes for a successful Hume Lake lumber concern. On April 8, 1935, the U.S.D.A. Forest Service purchased 20,000+ acres, including Hume Lake, Converse Basin, and the surrounding lands for $319,276.75.

Today, Hume Lake is the scene of diverse recreation activity. Fishing, swimming, and non-motorized boating are popular. The west shore has a 75-unit family campground on the site of the Hume Lake sawmill community. You may find old foundations and artifacts throughout the area.

Take special care below the dam where slippery rocks are extremely dangerous. Please remember federal law protects ALL historic features and artifacts. We appreciate your help in protecting these resources for future generations.