Interview with Bob Ewing

November 6, 2000

Phone Interview with Bob Ewing, age 55, of Klamath Falls Oregon. Interviewer, Leda Hunter

I contacted Bob (Robert) Ewing after hearing that his father had built the cabin that is near Campbell Reservoir.

He says his uncle in Idaho had told him that Tom Philipson bought sand from the Owens Ranch (off of Hwy 140 near the junction of Forest Service road 3716) for the railroad. After the Owens family asked for more money they moved to the sand pit near Campbell Reservoir and set up their operation.

After Tom died they tore down the tower that was used to load the sand and moved the equipment to town. The remaining railroad ties were used to build the cabin in 1951. Bob's father and his two brothers built the cabin to use as a hunting cabin. They were required to invest $300 per year to keep the claim on federal property. Bob's grandmother's wood cook stove was in the cabin. The cabin was vandalized in 1970 and the claim was relinquished. Bob tried to find the corners 12 to 13 years ago and could not find them. At one time they thought the property line went through the middle of the cabin.

He also told me that his father had a permit to get sand, from the Campbell Pit, to use in making plaster. They lived in Klamath Falls and most of the work was done there. They did plaster the phone building in Bly after Bob got out of the Navy in 1971. He said they shoveled the sand, by hand, into a pickup and unloaded into a large box near their house. Bob lives in the same house today.

He gave me the name of his uncle because he felt that he could provide more information. The uncle's name is also Bob Ewing, 1280 West 8th Street, Weiser, Idaho 83672.