Charles Kellogg (October 2, 1868 – September 5, 1949) was an American vaudeville performer who imitated bird songs, and later a campaigner for the protection of the redwood forests of California. He was born on a ranch in Susanville, California and grew up in the 1870s observing the animals and birds of the forests and learning outdoor skills. He constructed a mobile home, called the "Travel Log", out of a redwood tree and drove it around the country to raise awareness of the plight of the California forests. Its maximum speed was 18 mph. The Travel Log itself is currently on display in the Visitor Center at Humboldt Redwoods State Park.
Pat Foster of Hemmings Classic Car magazine wrote "the vehicle itself was incredible, a monument to man and nature. It consisted of a huge chunk of giant redwood-said to be the single largest piece of hewn timber in the world-hollowed out and mounted on what was then the toughest, most rugged chassis on earth: the Nash Quad."
Early life
Kellog grew up without his mother in the High Sierras where his father Henry Kellogg and Richard Thompson had discovered Gopher Hill Gravel Mine. His father had been born in Cazenovia and after moving west and settling in the Sierras near Quincy, ran a store that catered to prospectors. With father busy, he was raised at his home, Spanish Ranch, by a Native American nanny and a Chinese cook named Moon. He wrote in his autobiography that they "taught me to fear no creature... the habit of minding my own business, letting the other fellow alone - bird, bear, snake, Indian and other humans." He was sent off to study at Cazenovia Seminary in Syracuse, New York where he lived with his father's sister and he developed his talent for imitating bird songs. At the age of 16 he joined a touring group and later Benjamin Franklin Keith's Vaudeville franchise performing as "the nature singer" and in musical acts.
Career and later life
During his childhood Kellogg developed the remarkable ability to perfectly imitate bird song. While bird song imitation was quite popular at the turn of the century, Kellogg's ability to sing from the throat instead of whistle the songs, was what gained him such national attention. By the time he was 22 he was performing his bird songs on vaudeville tours around the country. By the time he was in his forties he was traveling outside of the United States, performing for audiences throughout Europe. Kellogg claimed that he had a 12½-octave, almost twice the range of a piano.
In 1911 Victor Records signed Kellogg to his first recording contract. He recorded with Victor Records until 1926, mostly singing classical and light classical pieces. Kellogg often performed an adaptation of Xaver Scharwenka's Polish Dance No. 1 in E-Flat Minor, Op. 3, a popular piece for vaudeville actors to perform at that time.
Kellogg proclaimed his love for the Californian wilderness while traveling in his carved redwood log home. He also claimed to be a vegetarian who chose not to own a gun and his outdoor skills included the ability to start a fire with a wooden drill.