Re: SVRy siding

Jim posted my favorite SVRy photo! ROW maps of the SVRy are rare that date before the blue prints maps were made for the ICC circa 1916. Our archives does have a set of blue print maps that are fairly faded that appear to date from the 1910 construction of the extension from Austin to Prairie City. We have a set of partial ROW maps from McEwen West to Austin plus some related station plats that appear to have been done between 1910 and 1916. We also have a few station plats that are very early. Nothing I have seen shows the siding and spur Brian asks about. If it was after 1916, we would likely have a record of it, so I suspect it was fairly early and taken up by 1916. I have seen reference to one of the early extensions of the SVRy building to or past Clifford. Clifford was an early day settlement, perhaps stage station the location of which is about 1.5 miles N.E. of the siding location. Perhaps the siding was an early day accommodation for that settlement as it is about the closest point on the SVRy to that location. Or maybe prior to the mining/dredging that went on along the Burnt River to the N.E. of the siding spur location, a logging line was ran up the bottom of the valley which likely had big pine typical of the area and the siding was simply a way to handle empties in and loads out. All speculation I am afraid though I lean toward the siding being there for logging.