Mitchel Latta
mlatta@interplususa.net

Mitchel Latta

Mailing Address:

4703 NE 112th ST
Vancouver, WA 98686-4437

Phone: 360-574-5881

Grand Kids:

Audrey (2005)

Update March 2010:

Attached you will find a copy of a photograph of me sitting in the peddle powered Caterpillar dozer... The little girl standing behind me, with her fingers in the exhaust stack (I used to get really mad at her for that), is my sister... This was taken with a Kodak Brownie box camera, about 1951, at PFI Camp 61, very near the Idaho/Montana Border... I believe that it was near Kelly Creek (Ranger District) in behind Headquarters, Idaho (Above Orofino)...

The house behind was where we lived... It was mounted on skids, and when it was time to move us to a new camp, they removed the front porch/lean-to, hooked onto the choker cable between the skids under the house with a D6 skid Cat, and skidded the house down to a ramp, at the end of which sat a standard flatbed rail car... At the far end of the first rail car was another upon which sat a log "jammer," that would pull the house up the ramp and onto the first flatcar... At the new camp, they would hook onto the house, with another skid cat, and position the house near dad's new Cat Barn...

In case you are wondering: no hot water, only cold; outdoor "two holer" toilet, with (hopefully) Sears Catalog; Scrub board and wash tub for cloths and us; no electric lights, only kerosene (we tried the new gas lanterns, but they were too finicky); no radio or phonograph (or TV), only books (what are those?); kerosene cook stove/oven; and yes, there were bears (big ones), and snakes (big nasty ones)... We did have a Coleman oil parlor stove for heat...

And yes... I thoroughly loved it...

I have also included a picture of me and our granddaughter Audrey, who is five (you'll have to guess who is who ;-)...

Also, linked here is my claim to history, patent 6556927! PDF file, approx 2M size.

2004 Reunion News:

Past highlights: Having authored the first patent sought by Idaho Transportation Dept, which has been issued in over twenty countries. Retiring from ITD in September 2002. Joining a church. Finding my high school sweetheart Carol Brigham after nearly 40 years, falling in love and being married on May 22nd of this year. Not necessarily in that order…

Future Plans: Moving from my Boise home of thirty four years to Vancouver. A little hiking, a little biking, a little fooling around… I expect to do a little consulting from home. Carol and I like to attend stage plays and the Vancouver Symphony.

30 Year Reunion 1994

Current residence on file: Boise ID

20 Year Reunion 1984

Spouse's Name:
Current residence: Boise ID
Occupation: State Traffic Signal Supt
Spouse's Occupation:
Family: