New SorGun

[coolwiththecool2 827]

Wow one guy doing the census, he must feel very important! Oh and I see juntion is growing again...

[SimCoug 5,972]

@Schulmanator: Thank you - I'm still learning how to achieve a nice time-lapse effect, and I think they are getting better.

@McLaren_Racer: Thanks!

@TayMay27: There weren't as many people to count back in 1870

Up next - Mr. Stevens continues with his census duties - even venturing up into the hills.

Stay tuned.

  Edited October 10, 2012 by SimCoug  

[Benedict 3,119]

That watermill looks amazing there - good work as always.

[Susaji 523]

Very Nice!

[vivapanda 422]

Amazing!

[Fox 1,444]

That is amazing !! I'm always lost for words when I see your pictures.

You could almost print them out and sell them as art to hang on the wall

[Wraner 335]

Just realized that you started this CJ on my birthday.

YAY ME :3

[Lyhoko Leaci 770]

Lyhoko: There's people living in Junction still?

Lyhoko: Lyhoko wonders if it will become a functional town again...

Looks good, can't wait for more!

[SimCoug 5,972]

@Benedict: Thanks!

@Hazani: Thank you.

@vivapanda: Thanks!

@Fox: Ha! Well, if you do sell them I may come looking for a commission

@Wraner: Just as I had planned it

@Lyhoko Leaci: Just a few folks scraping by - perhaps it will turn into something more...

Update 23

1870 Census – Part 2

Summer 1870

When we last left, Fredric Stevens was making his way around Nug Hill and the new quarry. While the outer edges of the SorGun region held their own little rustic charm, Mr. Stevens was excited at the prospect of staying in a nice hotel and finding a proper meal. Fortunately, New SorGun was his next stop.

The trip down the Rannug river and into SorGun harbor was uneventful and a nature lovers dream.

As Stevens drew near, New SorGun appeared in the distance. The town appeared small from out on the water, but it was a town, nonetheless.

(click for full size)

Mr. Stevens stepped off the barge and found himself on New SorGun’s wharf – and a busy one at that. Logging schooners and merchant sailing ships were tied up on the many piers, unloading and loading their wares.

(click for full size)

He made his way up Main Street and was surprised to see the large number of business and shops. It was apparent that New SorGun was the center of trade in the region.

From the newest San Francisco apparel to fresh produce, Mr. Stevens enjoyed his early morning stroll up and down the main commercial district. He even found a hot meal at Ol’ Blues Good Eats.

Not one to waste time, Mr. Stevens got to work on his census duties, working his way from the business district to the outer homes – counting everyone along the way.

The Walker Inn was the finest hotel north of the Columbia River – but after a long days work, Mr. Stevens was only able to enjoy the clean, soft bed. He slept soundly… the aroma from the cow pasture didn’t even disturb his rest.

The next day, Fredric headed to the south end of town – sometimes referred to as Yarahiville after the mill. The atmosphere down by the lumber mill was a little tougher, but lively too. Mr. Finch’s Illahee was as busy as ever – and the sprightly Miss Kitty saloon only added to the scene.

After a strong (some would say too strong) drink at the Kitty, Mr. Stevens continued on with his census work. A short walk away from the animated mill area, Stevens found the town’s first church. Some houses and tenements stood nearby, but the open acres of farmland could be seen just down the street.

On the fringes of town, Mr. Stevens found the newly constructed school house, as the old building was proving too small for the growing population.

Despite a number of bridges constructed in the region, the mighty Rannug was too wide and strong to cross easily without extensive engineering – so in the meantime a simple ferry takes passengers across the waterway. Stevens enjoyed his trip across, and was able to finish his census of New SorGun after strolling through the dwellings on the opposite bank.

With his work finished in New SorGun, Mr. Stevens spent one last night in the ‘big city’. The next morning, he headed east, into the hills. The next part of his journey would astonish him…

Thanks for stopping by!

  Edited October 18, 2012 by SimCoug  

[cmdp123789 710]

Awesome! another great update... I really like how you give the "feeling" of 19th century

[simlink 1,098]

Another superb update... your work with MMPs definitely continues to make me feel inadequate. Nice work, the storylines are always entertaining here in NSG!

[SimCoug 5,972]

@cmdp: Thank you - The 19th century 'feel' is really a testament to the great BATers who generously share their creations with the community. The 'hard' part is sorting through all of them to find a style that will fit in New SorGun.

@sim_link: Thanks! Trust me, I felt the same way when I saw CJ's from Blunder, Paeng and _marsh_. Looking at their images really helped me learn how to 'paint' a landscape (plus lots of practice). I think I still have a ways to go, but thank you for the compliment.

[SimCoug 5,972]

*bump*

but it's for a good cause - teaser time!

[Schulmanator 5,787]

Rich? Count me in!

[Lyhoko Leaci 770]

Lyhoko: The population is starting to get up there... Lyhoko wonders how big it will be by the next census...

Lyhoko: And did someone find gold in the stream? Or a gold leech?

[nycsc4 5,250]

I have to agree with sim_link. Your use of MMPs is far superior to anything I've seen before and lightyears ahead of what I've been able to come up with. Wanna do some landscaping for me!?

Anyway this is amazing and I love the historic small town vibe you've created here. In fact if you don't mind sharing I would love to know where you got all those gorgeous little homes and businesses you have there.

[vivapanda 422]

Looks like a gold rush is coming next...

[Twenty20 28]

I loooove these pictures ! the realism is amazing. Great work !!

[SimCoug 5,972]

The poor Powell family. Shortly after they moved to New SorGun in 1864, Mr. Powell’s wife and young son became ill with tuberculosis and passed away later that year. Overcome with grief, Powell abandoned his home and was never seen again. The Powell home was a few miles outside of town, in the deep woods. Residents passing by would tell stories of strange noises and haunting sights. Mostly, folks laughed these off as scary stories to tell naughty children. But one night, during a cold fall storm in late October of 1870, two ranchers were passing by the Powell home late at night. They noticed that the lantern had been lit, which hadn’t burned since the Powell’s had lived there 6 years before. Then… between the lightning strikes, the ranchers caught a glimpse of the old dead oak tree near the abandoned home…

Happy Halloween!

@Schulmanator: You will find out more in Census Part 3 - coming up soon.

@Lyhoko: Find out in the next update.

@nysc4: Thank you - I enjoy playing with the MMPs, so I'm glad folks enjoy the results. As for the buildings - There are more than I could list here - but the big BATers that I have used recently include:

C.P. (19th century sets)

onlyplace4 (all his Wild West stuff)

Jmyers (Homes Vol 1)

Kwakelaar

Spa

Pegasus (MTP, SPAM)

There are many other, but those are a few off the top of my head. Feel free to ask if you find some specific buildings you need identifying.

@vivapanda: Big changes are coming this decade...

@Twenty20: Thank you!

[simlink 1,098]

Just saw this over at SimPeg... fantastic! Amazing detail and effects.

[Schulmanator 5,787]

Great! Love it!

[cue spooky music...]

[Benedict 3,119]

Genius gif!

[SimCoug 5,972]

Thanks guys, that was a fun .gif to make.

Now, on with the show!

Update 24

1870 Census – Part 3

Summer 1870

Fredric Stevens could see the light at the end of the tunnel. He had spent most of the summer attempting to assess the population of the SorGun region (check out Part 1 and Part 2) according to the mandate established by the US Constitution. Only a few more stops and Stevens would be headed back to San Francisco and modern civilization, leaving the wilderness of New SorGun behind.

Not that Fredric was against the frontier lifestyle, quite the opposite – he admired the free spirited individuals whom he had met on his journey, but the wild did take some getting used to.

Elmer Higgins was one of those rugged individuals, and Stevens was glad that he had volunteered to guide him into the hills for the final leg of his census duties. Higgins was full of stories, and he wasn’t shy about tellin’ em. Many involved wild nights at the Illahee, or wild fights at the Miss Kitty Saloon, and they were usually entertaining to hear, but as they rounded a bend in the river, Elmer told his most interesting story yet.

It turns out, right at this spot nearly 5 years earlier, New SorGun nearly became a household name the world over. Two prospectors were trying their luck, panning for their ticket to the easy life. Jesse and Levi, or was it Jesse and Leroy? Jasper and Leroy? Oh well, Higgins couldn’t remember their names – but it wasn’t important. The two of them found a gold nugget the size of a man’s hand (not as big as the Welcome Stranger nugget found in Australia last year, thought Stevens, but still a good size). They were not shy about boasting their find on main street the next day, and nearly everybody in town came to get a glimpse of the two strangers and their lucky find.

But, unfortunately for Jesse and Levi (or whatever their names were), luck can turn on a dime, and a dime was about as much as they would get for their find. Turns out, they stumbled upon a hunk of Fool’s Gold, and once the news got out, the New SorGun gold rush was over before it ever started.

But the story doesn’t end there. In fact, it’s part of the reason why Stevens was heading up into the hills east of New SorGun.

To most folks, Fool’s Gold just meant bad luck – but to the Fox family, it was a sign that real gold was nearby – just not the shiny yellow kind. Years earlier, the Fox’s were busy searching for ‘black’ gold – and they knew where to look.

After a few years of near misses, they finally found what they were searching for – and the rest they say, is history. After a day’s journey, Mr. Stevens finally rode into the first coal town in New SorGun.

With financial backing from a few local businessmen, including Eastman T. Finch, the SorGun Coal Company was incorporated in 1867. As the majority shareholders, the Fox family began improvements on their most successful mine, and by 1870 it was a full blown coaling operation.

Working the coal mines was tough work, but steady pay and cheap land attracted a sizeable workforce. The small town of Foxton sprung up out of nowhere, and after three years of growth it represented a sizable little town. Mr. Stevens got to work.

The mining operation was growing each day, and facilities were constructed to keep up with the growing production. To Mr. Stevens, it looked like a haphazard mess of timber just waiting to collapse.

(click for full size)

But these miners knew what they were doing, and with the ever expanding industrial revolution, coal was becoming more important by the day.

As luck would have it, the SorGun Coal Company had hit a vein of high quality coal in the hills above New SorGun. The find could fuel the entire region, and generate huge quantities of cash in the form of exports. The only problem… it was costing an arm and a leg to transport the coal from up in the hills to where it was needed. Traveling around the hilly terrain, Stevens could appreciate the challenge faced by the company and its investors.

As Fredric Stevens finished up his count of Foxton, he wondered what was in store for this little settlement, and how it would change ten, twenty years down the road. Either way, he was envious of these pioneers – perhaps not their line of work, but they were living in some of the most beautiful, untouched land Stevens had ever laid eyes on.

The final leg of his journey was long and through empty forests, but Stevens and Higgins hitched up the wagon and headed north, towards the final destination of Porthaven.

But before they could get there, the small town of Pineford provided a quick stop and a chance to stretch their legs and fill their growling tummies.

The town grew up around the logging activates in the area, and one of the only sturdy bridges in the area ensures that the road through town is well traveled.

Still, with a few stores and a handful of small homes, it didn’t take Stevens long to finish his census duties and move on towards the final destination of Porthaven.

A small ferry allowed the traveling party to cross the wide Delin River and make landfall near Fort Sunset.

(click for full size)

Then, just a quick trip up the road and Stevens found himself in the middle of a true logging town.

The mill was keeping Porthaven alive and kicking – and the surrounding forests were slowly retreating with each year. Downtown Porthaven had grown a bit in the last few years, with new shops, stores and apartments.

(click for full size)

But despite outward appearances, Porthaven was in the midst of a crisis. Recently, logging operations were springing up all around the Pacific Northwest, and the competition was driving down the price of lumber. The result was a drag on the local economy and folks in town were starting to feel the pinch. Out of town visitors, such as Mr. Stevens, were rare and the lack of a robust local economy was starting to worry local residents. Lots were sitting empty, and there hadn’t been any new houses built in months.

Regarding Frederic Stevens, his problems were fading like the setting sun. With his tally in Porthaven complete, Stevens was ready to catch the next boat bound for San Francisco. With a few months of work under his belt, compiling a census of the SorGun Region was more work than he had bargained for – but it was a job he would happily do again – perhaps with some extra help next time.

(click for full size)

Hope you enjoyed the latest update - thanks for stopping by!

[Kevenbro 94]

So good bro! Great job Simcoug

[Schulmanator 5,787]

Your water always looks so good in those creeks!

Reminds me of the homeland...

Can you sell fool's gold to fools at the spot price of gold? If so, I am gonna get so rich!

[Benedict 3,119]

The coal mine you have created is sublime. I love the details (like the retaining wall of logs) - just brilliant stuff. And of course the storyline is well-thought out and realistic.

[simlink 1,098]

Very nice storyline, and your work with MMPs is stunning. You've caused me to take the plunge... and I'm slowly becoming addicted. OH dear, may be time for a new sandbox region.

Nice work as always, SimCoug. Your updates never disappoint, the coal mine scenes are stunning.

[Aaron Graham 4,417]

One of the best city journals i have to say, I love the picture. Keep it up.

I had to follow this City Journal, it's worth it.

[vivapanda 422]

You keep amazing us with all your unique landscapes and villages!

[SimCoug 5,972]

@Kevinbro: Thanks bro!

@Schulmanator: Thanks for the compliment - and regarding fools gold... the whole financial crisis essentially came down to just that, right?

@Benedict: Thanks - I was really happy when I was able to get those logs to look like that against the hillside.

@sim_link: I'm glad you are experimenting with MMPs - I think you will be a natural in no time.

@Aaron Graham: Thank you very much - I am looking forward to moving New SorGun into the 20th century so I can begin to use some of your BATs

@vivapanda: Thanks for stopping by!

A little teaser before the next full update: