The Wharf originally started out as just a small dock sticking out into the Fall Creek flow. This was even before Jack Kelley had built the first building at Kelley's Landing. All Jack had at the time was a large tent but big ideas. But just about the time he built the First Boarding House Jack also built the first Wharf. It wasn't as big as the present day Wharf and it also didn't have a rail spur but it did service the small hand pushed barges that would occasionally stop to drop off supplies.

Around 1898 the first Boarding House burned down. The stories vary but it seems there was a fight in the bar and an oil lamp got knocked over and lit the fire. There was no fire department and most of the guests were so far under the weather, drink wise, that none thought to get buckets of water from the creek until the building was a pile of glowing embers. So around 1900 Jack built the present day Boarding House and at the same time the old and dilapidated Wharf was replaced with the present 127 foot one. Also at this time the Fall Creek Lumber Company was in full swing and they ran a spur track down from the mill to haul various loads brought in by steam barge back up to the camps and the mill.

The Wharf is totally constructed from stripwood. It sets on 9 sets of piles and beams. These beam assemblies are topped with 2x10 joists running the length of the Wharf and are topped with a 2x10 decking that runs front to back with the back edge butting the side of the spur track rail. Both the Wharf decking and the rail are the same height. The area between the rails is filled with timbers also and the ground on the street side is level with the top of the rails. With this it's easy to push loaded wagons both to and from the wharf to the businesses in the area.

Before the new Wharf was constructed stacked stone walls were constructed to hold back the land and allow for deeper waters near the Wharf. Piles are strategically placed along the Wharf to protect it from wayward barges.

•  Four (4) Hydrocal plaster castings each 5" long. These make up the bulkhead onto which the spur rail line rests.
•  Birch dowels are used for the piles and pile bumpers.
• Mt. Albert stripwood is used for all lumber that makes up the Wharf.
• A laser cut guide is used to set the height of the pile assemblies in relation to the top of the spur rail thus ensuring a properly constructed Wharf
• Laser cut joist jigs are used to position the deck joists down the length of the Wharf.
• A 50 page instruction manual with lots of progress photos and hints is provided. Clear instructions are given for the whole construction process.
• The Wharf can be constructed as provided making a single Wharf 127 feet long by 22' wide (including the spur track) and standing 10'-6" from the river bottom. Or, you can build two or three smaller versions.
• With two or more kits you can make a Wharf to a desired custom length, the choice is yours and total flexibility was designed into this kit for that exact purpose.
• Only 200 of these kits were sold
  

Condition: Factory Sealed