Page 14 - TalesoftheParadiseRidge-Fall2020_Neat

The Paths of Sam Dresser

Memories By Melvin (Sam) Clarence Dresser

The following with all that cash
story is reprinted sat on the seat
from Sam with me. My only
Dresser’s personal early memory of
memories, “The River Pines was
having a picnic
Paths of Sam and swimming in
Dresser.” Sam the river there.
was one of the
founders of the CHAPTER 1
Gold Nugget
Museum, a Being only
decendant of one three years old
of Paradise’s at the time, I
earliest pioneer have scattered
families, and one memories of what
happened during
of my best friends. this period. Some
Sam was a great I know are my own memories; others may be memories of stories I’ve
story teller. His first three chapters take heard.
place in El Dorado County, an area that
I’m very familar with, having spent a Dad worked at the lumber mill, the Wetzel-Oviatt Lumber Company.
great deal of time camping there as a The mill was situated about 20 miles east of Plymouth, California, off
young boy with my family in the 1950s. Highway 49. One would travel east from Highway 49 from Plymouth
Sam passed away soon after the Camp on County Road 16, the Shenandoah Valley Road, through Amador
Fire. I miss listening to his stories and County to River Pines. From River Pines, you cross the Consumnes
sharing a glass of wine. I’m sure you will River into El Dorado County. Continue on County Road 16 through
Aukum (Mt. Aukum) until you come to Omo Ranch Road. There
enjoy these great memories of growing you take a right-hand turn and travel up into the higher foothills of
up in an area that was very similar to the Sierra Nevada mountains. As you approach the mill site, there
Paradise. - Bruce Murray are a few houses and the Indian Diggings School along the road. All
members of my family--my four brothers and my younger sister--
Part One
attended school at one time or another while living at the mill. The
school that is there now is not the school I went to, nor the one my
I was born in Tulare, California, but I do not
remember any houses or homes before Omo brothers went to.
Ranch, California.

I know that we lived in Taft and River Pines,
California, during the same years we lived
at Omo Ranch. This was the period of World
War II, and Dad was assigned to two jobs.
One was truck driving for Pacific Motor
Transport, and the other was working at the
mill at Omo Ranch. My only memory of being
in Taft was when Dad, Lester B. Dresser, was
driving for Pacific Motor Transport. He took
Mom, Celestine Alice, and me on a freight run
in which he collected the freight bills. He had
a large wad of money in his wallet, so much
so he could not close the wallet. The wallet Wetzel-Oviatt Mill
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