On April 22-23, Troop 8 visited the Southern Forest Heritage Museum (SFHM) in Long Leaf, Louisiana. The SFHM encompasses the old Crowell and Spencer Lumber Company sawmill, which shut down in 1969. The museum was founded in 1994 with the goal of restoring and preserving the mill and its equipment for future generations.
Scouts arrived on the afternoon of April 22nd and set up camp. Some scouts went out and spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the museum complex. As night fell, the troop met back for a campfire and then quieted down for bed.
In the morning, scouts awoke to the sounds of work happening during one of the Red River and Gulf‘s (the railroad operating branch of the SFHM) regularly scheduled work sessions. The troop was given a tour of the complex and saw the various locomotives, equipment, and buildings. Scouts even got to ride in the historic FC&G M-4 railbus.
The Southern Forest Heritage Museum was a fun and educational experience for the troop. We highly encourage anyone interested in history, forestry, machinery, or railroading to visit!
To see more Troop 8 campouts, click here.