Big wheels roll into Empire: New film documents restoration

By Pat Stinson
Sun contributor
On June 2, the Empire Area Museum’s newest permanent exhibit came to rest on the front lawn after two years of planning and hours of restoration work by Empire museum members and other supporters.
“Most of the work was completed in the last month,” says Dave Taghon, the museum’s president. “We finished the final coat of paint on Thursday (May 29).”

Those who contributed to the restoration project, including some who worked in the cold inside the Billy Beeman barn on the museum grounds, include: three generations of the Newman family, Tim, Andrea and Duane; Bill Bolton; Leigh Payment; Pat and Dave Taghon; John Peterson; Bob Quinn, and other museum members.
The wheels’ arresting red color and proximity to the fire station might mislead casual observers, believing they were used to fight fires around the turn of the century. In fact, the big wheels (9’ to 10’ in diameter), invented by Silas Overpack in 1875 and manufactured by his wagon and sleigh company in Manistee, were integral to the log-hauling efforts of lumbermen in the northern states and Canada.
Multiple timbers of up to 100 feet were suspended on a chain from the wheel axle. Horses, oxen and, later, tractors pulled the big wheels during spring, summer and fall when sleds couldn’t run.
“It was a dangerous operation,” Taghon says. “A few guys were killed.”
Empire’s set of logging wheels (also called a katydid) was obtained from Traverse City’s former Clinch Park Zoo. Taghon says he heard the wheels were donated to the zoo in the 1940s by the Glen Lake Country Club. If true, the museum’s latest acquisition may have been used by the Empire Lumber Company owned by Wilce, a club member. In that case, the wheels could be said to have traveled full circle.
Strength of giants
Big wheels were made of the strongest materials available at the time. Wood wheels were ringed in iron to shield them from rocks, downed trees and stumps. Spokes were reinforced on the inside with iron rings. Hardwoods such as maple and ironwood were used for axles and tow bars. The elements still took their toll.
According to Taghon, even in storage the wood of the Big Wheel has a shelf life of approximately 20 years. Clinch Park Zoo restored the “Empire” wheels in 1965. In the mid-‘80s, they needed another round of repairs. Bill Steffler, a retired engineer from Interlochen, approached the Con Foster Museum to volunteer his services. At the time, Con Foster couldn’t accept volunteers, so Steffler formed the nonprofit Friends of Con Foster Museum and went to work.
Moving Portrait of a Man and a Machine
While Steffler was rebuilding the Big Wheel from 1987-1989, local filmmaker Rich Brauer (“Mr. Art Critic,” “Barn Red,” “The Lost Treasure of Sawtooth Island”) was documenting the high points of what he called an “… amazing and creative venture.” Brauer, who has a keen interest in Great Lakes regional history, recently edited the 20-year-old footage of Steffler and the Big Wheel, producing a 55-minute film he said is “… a professionally-told story (that) illustrates the passion and skill of this unique man.”
The film first introduces the Big Wheel and explains its significance to the lumber industry and the emerging nation. Steffler then offers his heart-warming voiceover explanation of the plans, tools and hard work that were part of his careful and loving restoration.
Donations are needed to make DVD copies of the film which Taghon hopes other historical societies, museums (such as Hartwick Pines and Manistee Waterworks Building), libraries and interested individuals will purchase. Preserving footage of the restoration process is a top priority.
Significant contributions have been made by a handful of donors thus far, including the Empire Area Museum, Dr. Joe Gadbaw (friend of Bill Steffler), Rich Brauer, the Grand Traverse Heritage Center and the Taghon Family (Roy Taghon Memorial Fund).
Brauer said the group hopes to find an underwriter for the $2,000 still needed to fund the DVD portion of the project.
The Big Wheel is located at the Empire Area Museum, at the corner of M-22 and Lacore St. For more information, call (231) 326-5568.