HomeMy Public PortalAbout2022.10.31 The Sound of an EraThe Sound of an Era
It is the fall of 1981 and Amy Westover rides her bike toward Browns Tie and
Lumber Sawmill in McCall, Idaho. The sawmill had closed its operations four
years before but its vacant structure was still standing, still available for
unhindered exploration. There were many wonderful places that a girl could
find adventure in McCall: Ponderosa Park, the mountains, the lake, and the Little
Ski Hill. All of those places would eventually bring back fond memories. But it
was the memory of the mill that, one day, would provide the grown-up girl with
an inspiration. An inspiration that would bring a revered part of that sawmill
back to life for all of us.
For many that lived in the area during the 60's and 70's, the sawmill
represented the very essence of McCall. It occupied a prominent place along
the shore of Payette Lake, its fiery incinerator and industrial architecture in sharp
contrast to its magnificent natural setting. The structure itself seemed to take on
the qualities of the workers within its walls: hard-working, diligent, enterprising,
perseverant. It was the largest employer in the area, providing work for
hundreds, possibly thousands, of workers: from tree cutters, truckers, and bull
chain operators to barkers, saw operators, and sorters. In short, the mill kept
the local economy churning ahead at full speed.
The sights and sounds of the mill are still etched in the memories of those
that lived in the area. But possibly, the most memorable of the mill's everyday
sounds was the mill whistle. The mill whistle was the timekeeper for the mill.
It's steam -generated whistle tore through the atmosphere with a deep resonant
sound, reminding those that labored within its walls that it was time to start
work, eat lunch, or quit for the day.
Many of today's residents of McCall fondly remember the sawmill and its
whistle. Susan Farber recalled, as a girl in grade school, standing on a catwalk,
fascinated by the buzz of activity as workers prepared logs for cutting. She was
mesmerized by the beautiful burner, watching it until she was called in for the
night. But, most of all, she remembers the unique sight and sound of the mill
whistle.
A story from a former mill worker went something like this: on the night of the
mill closing, he and a couple of guys had a few beers at a bar and decided to
break into the mill and blow the whistle. They kept the sound up for nearly half
an hour. It was a sound of mourning — everyone knew it meant the mill had
died and that the town's way of life would never be the same.
Amy Westover is all grown up now. She is considered by many to be one of
the premier artists in the Northwest. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree
from BSU. She designs, plans, fabricates, and delivers. She creates wistful
images in glass that provide us with a sense of light and warmth. She crafts
unique sculptures from wood and stone that enrich us with learning
opportunities, and she fashions `cycles of time' that, best of all, help us to recall
events and periods with fond memories. The next time you're at the airport,
check out her `Transport', representing the geographical richness of the Boise
area. Or, if you are near 9th and Grove streets, the `Grove Street Illuminated'
piece will amaze you with its texture, color, and historical significance.
Our lives are so much richer for the art that creators like Amy bring to us.
Artists touch us in ways that are unique to us as individuals, but collectively, we
can all appreciate exemplary art for what it brings to us as a community. Our
community is about to become even richer, for Amy Westover is bringing her
creative genius back to that place so full of her memories. Amy is bringing back
our mill whistle.
The history of the mill whistle art project goes back a few years. Amy
Westover had been hired in 2019 by the McCall Redevelopment Agency to
provide them with a public art planning document for the Downtown East Urban
Renewal District. which includes Brown Park. Amy's research for the project
led her back to the sawmill, which had operated in the Brown Park site until
1977. The Central Idaho Historical Museum seemed like a likely start for Amy
to begin her hands-on research. Walt Sledzieski, who helps run the museum,
offered her a tour. During that tour, he mentioned that the original mill whistle
was right there, sitting in a corner, collecting dust. "It sure would be good to
hear that whistle blow again," Walt remarked.
Amy was inspired. Like Walt, she also thought it would be great to hear the
whistle blow again. Maybe the urban renewal art project was just the vehicle
that could make that happen. She began to think about what a finished art
project with the whistle could look like. The whistle could sit atop a structure, a
pedestal. The pedestal could represent the most iconic part of the mill: the
cone -shaped burner. If the whistle could blow again maybe she could take the
"dormant energy" of the whistle and make it "breathe once again" for all to see
and hear.
Fast forward to December, 2020. The McCall Public Arts Committee
unanimously selected Amy for the art project from a very competitive Call to
Artists process. The City of McCall commissioned Amy's proposed public art
piece, Mill Whistle: Sound of an Era, with a budget of $80,000. An additional
amount of up to $45,000 was approved for steam generating equipment.
Funding would be provided by the McCall Redevelopment Agency.
Now it was time for Amy to get to work. McCall's project would call for a
much smaller, portable boiler that could be stored in one place and moved to
Brown Park when needed. Who had the expertise for this kind of thing? Amy's
research led to Larry Sprecklemeier, the `nation's leading whistle expert'. A
retired industrial designer who lives in Ohio, Larry had helped restore the whistle
from the Titanic once it had been raised from its watery grave. Larry had a
museum of whistles in his basement. He knew everything about whistles and
how to make them blow. So Amy began corresponding with Larry to find out
who could best restore the whistle and what kind of boiler would best provide
the steam needed. The boiler was particularly key since very small boilers were
in short supply. Every week they talked — for months — all the while Larry was
educating Amy of the type of boiler she needed for her project and trying to find
one for her. With her newfound knowledge from Larry, Amy found an ad on-line
selling a small steam boiler. Her inquiry led to a phone call with Ross Bendixen,
at Anacortes Steam. Ross had made a small, wood -fired boiler that could blow
a 6 -inch whistle. He said, "I'II make you a boiler for an 8 -inch whistle. Give me
a few weeks. Bring your whistle up to Anacortes and we'll see if it works. If it
works, you can take it back with you. If it doesn't work I won't charge you a
penny."
Amy and her husband, Jay Blackhurst, went up to Anacortes with the mill
whistle and tested it with Ross' boiler. It worked! And it was within her budget!
Amy says that it was almost like destiny - that it all was `meant to happen'. If
you would like to watch that test, you can go to amywestover.com/portfolio ,
McCall Mill Whistle/Sinker Davis Test 3 (You tube) and watch a delighted Amy
blowing our whistle! So, the whistle worked. The steam boiler was perfect.
Amy and Jay could now move forward with restoring the whistle, building the
boiler trailer, and constructing the pedestal - work that would take another five
months.
The pedestal is a work of art in itself. It is cone shaped, to represent the
mill's incinerator. Corten steel panels, fabricated byJeremy Woodland in Boise,
have been shaped and connected together with over a thousand bolts. Once
moisture is applied to the structure, the steel will rust — resulting in a color
similar to the mill's burner. The cone now rises to almost fifteen feet in Amy's
backyard. The whistle has been repaired using a braised welding technique by
Samuel Aarons of Idaho City and was finished with a new coat of black -matted,
metal die. Its raised `Sinker -Davis' letters have been highlighted with liquid
gilding. About the only remaining job is to transport everything to McCall and
install it in Brown Park.
Delta James, Economic Development planner for the city of McCall and
liaison to the Public Arts Committee, describes the upcoming dedication event
and what it will mean to her and the community. "A dedication of the Mill
Whistle project and a celebration of the accomplishments of the McCall
Redevelopment Agency's 30 years of projects in the area will be held during
lunch time (12:30 - 2pm) on Thursday, October 28, 2021. The event is free and
open to the public and will feature a presentation from a former McCall Mill
employee and sounding of Amy Westover's Mill Whistle, 44 years to the date
that the whistle last blew on the Mill's last day of operations on October 28,
1977. I'm really excited about this project. It is a great example of how public
art can help celebrate and preserve the unique character and history of a
community."
And what will it mean to Amy, who now goes by the nickname `Idaho Whistle
Girl' in some circles, to have the whistle project completed and installed? "This
project will not only be a new signature public artwork for McCall, but will also
begin a new town tradition; the whistle sound ushering in a new era from the
remains of the last one."