In 1873, the California Lumber Company began operations in the region and constructed a flume to send lumber to the growing city of Madera, California. Completed in 1876, the flume was 53 miles (85 km) in length. By 1907, 35 million board feet (82,000 m³) were shipped annually. During the Great Depression of the 1930s, much of the timber industry in California shut down. Remnants of the industry can be found in the old narrow gauge railroad ties and the stumps of the giant sequoia that were left behind.
