Thief makes off with historic lumber

A thief or a group of several thieves made off with more than 150 split rails that were to be used for fencing at the Deschutes Basin Land Trust's Camp Polk Preserve.

According to Martin Winch, a volunteer with the Land Trust, the thieves took down and made off with five sections of the old Hindman fence -- hand-hewn rails more than 100 years old.

Another 152 rails were new and valued at a total of $1,216. Those rails were stockpiled awaiting erection along a new entrance road to the preserve.

"It's a real shame and a shock," Winch said.

The theft occurred sometime between October 1 and October 16 and probably required a truck to haul the stolen rails.

According to sheriff's office reports, there were tire tracks all over the area where the rails were stolen, making it impossible to determine which tracks might belong to a suspect vehicle.

There were no footprints found in the area.

Winch noted that the rails themselves might be spotted somewhere.

"This stuff has to be distinctive," Winch said. "It's got to turn up in somebody's yard for resale."

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

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