Members of the Jefferson State Insulator Club traveled over a thousand miles (collectively) for the opportunity to dig up broken porcelain insulators February 20th. 

While club members probably dreamed of finding a classic Fred M. Locke whole, the fact that the power line has been out of service for over 90 years made that expectation unlikely. 

Members walked the Rogue River Electric Company line built in 1905 that ran to a gold mine located in mountainous terrain north of Grants Pass, Oregon. Service to the mine was discontinued after just a couple of years and the line fell victim to time and the elements. 

Bill Ostrander, packed up and 
ready to begin the hunt

Other collectors hunted along the line years ago, but club members managed to dig up three potentially repairable Fred M. Locke M-2842's. These early multipart insulators are among the classics of the hobby and carry a price of up to $680 each (if undamaged) in the Porcelain Value Guide.

Ken Klein digs up a M-2842 while David Banks (left) and 
Mid Norris (right) watch.

David Banks (center) points out where five classic insulators
 were dumped. Ken Klein and Mid Norris inspect M-2842's 
while Bill Ostrander (left) looks at a glass fragment from 
the base of an M-2795.

Mid Norris cleans the mud off the top of a M-2842.

Scott Morrell spies another fragment hidden from view.

Some of the "loot" . . . broken fragments of very rare insulators.

Broken pieces of a U-964, a Fred M. Locke unipart 
with the rare 7-1 marking.

Attending the hunt were Ken Klein of Burney, CA; Carl Scott of Crescent City, CA; and Oregon residents Mid Norris (Chiloquin), Bill Ostrander (Ashland), Scott Morrell (Jacksonville), Howard and David Banks (Merlin).