Bob Roche and his son Michael visited the McCloud Heritage Junction Museum Aug. 17 to learn more about their family background.
Bob, a native Californian who lives in Sacramento, is the great great grandson of GW Scott, one of the founders of McCloud, who, along with William Van Arsdale, established the community in 1897.
That, of course, means Michael is Scott’s great great great grandson.
GW Scott and Van Arsdale were founders of the McCloud River Railroad. They purchased many of the small failing mills, including the old Friday George Mill, and named it the McCloud River Lumber Company, thus beginning the lumber company town of McCloud.
The Roches had been visiting historical air museums throughout the northwest and were on their way home when they decided to stop and pay McCloud a visit.
“I’m amazed at the beauty of this area, and the wonderful views,” Bob said. “The town has a very nice museum.
“The lumber business has been one of the keystones of the development of our nation, and McCloud was a major factor in the developments of the lumber trade in the whole of California.”
Their visit was just days before McCloud’s annual Heritage Days celebration, but Bob said Michael’s schedule as an Aero Engineering student at Cal Poly would not allow them to stay for the weekend.
