Sturgeon Mills Redwood Burl Serving Tray

Description

Our Sturgeon Mills Redwood Tray was created using a truly historic wood, cut betwen 80 and 100 years ago. This plank produced five hand crafted serving platters, finished with food grade oil, and hand rubbed bronze handles. These come with a unique history, sure to make for great conversation.

The Story:

Sturgeon’s Mill is a Working Museum. It began its life in 1913 when Wade Sturgeon set up the sawmill in Coleman Valley several miles inland from the Pacific Ocean. The mill operated there till 1923 when it was dismantled, loaded on wagons and pulled by horses seven miles further inland and reassembled at its present location on Green Hill road Sebastopol CA. In 1943 the mill was sold to partners Ralph Sturgeon and James E. Henningsen. They ran the mill until it was closed in 1964. This shuttered mill then slumbered for 30 years.

Sturgeon’s Mill started it’s rebirth in the early 1990’s as “The Sturgeon’s Mill Restoration Project.” This abandoned  sawmill was an almost 100 year old accumulation of rusting machines, steam engines, hand tools, old trucks and wagons plus receipts of transactions  and canceled pay checks  that miraculously had never been discarded,  dismantled or sold.In the early 1990’s a core group of seven former mill-workers and historians began the process of restoring the mill piece by piece; repairing, rebuilding and getting this rare steam powered sawmill running. Today, two decades later our sawmill runs on steam with 60 enthusiastic volunteer crew members that operate the mill and conduct tours at our saw milling demonstration runs on four summer weekends each year.